Holiday Memories

As we approach the festivities themselves and try to wind down from all the rush, we're often reminded of the memorable times from holidays past. Some celebrities have their own vivid memories and are willing to share them.

Kyra Sedgwick

He put a ring in the toe of a stocking, and on Christmas Eve we opened our stockings and it was there at the bottom. And then he got down on his knees and he was shaking and said, 'Will you marry me?' I thought, 'What took you so long?' We'd been going out for 10 months already ... He says it took a long time for me to say yes, but I'm sure it wasn't more than 20 seconds.

---- Kyra Sedgwick remembers when her husband, actor Kevin Bacon, proposed

Tom Cruise

I would say one of the best Christmases as a kid is when we didn't buy each other stuff. My mother came up with this idea to pick names out of a hat and, for a month, you had to do something for that person. And then, on Christmas Day, you had to write a poem or a story for that person.

---- Tom Cruise remembers his family holidays growing up

Carrie Underwood

We don't really have that many traditions, but we are together, and that's the most important thing. We eat ourselves silly and try, of course, to remember the true meaning of Christmas and celebrate the birth of Jesus. My mom always makes, like, a broccoli cheese casserole, and we do, like, potato casseroles and stuff like that. Just whatever is meat-free.

---- Carrie Underwood says food was often the centerpiece of her family's holiday

Keanu Reeves

I had been away from home for a long time and gone through quite an extraordinary experience, and I remember coming home and having Christmas at my house and having so many friends who couldn't go home or whatever. It was a wonderful Christmas with 20 people -- just friends and family -- and just a great night.

---- Keanu Reeves recalls returning from Katmandu, Nepal, where he was filming "Little Buddha

Chris Rock

A couple years ago my family, we were in Africa on safari for Christmas. And stayed at a lodge and my kids were really young and they were so scared Santa wasn't going to show. And just the look on their faces when their toys were under a tree in Africa. Kind of cool.

---- Chris Rock remembers a special Christmas in Africa

Halle Berry

Christmas was always a great time. I grew up with a single-parent family, so we didn't always have a lot of money, but my mother, she must have spent the entire year saving up for Christmas, because I felt on Christmas that we were rich, because we always got everything we ever wrote on our list to Santa.

---- Halle Berry remembers joyful holidays as a kid

TV Characters Gift Ideas

This the season for sharing, caring, and yes, asking for gifts. Several TV shows are airing special holiday episodes. What’s on the wish lists of some of your favorite characters? See what's on the wish lists of Abed Nadir from "Community" and other TV notables.

Raising Hope

The League

The Vampire Diaries

Raising Hope

Desperate Housewives

Chuck

Shameless

Heartland

Christmas Holiday Skills

Think you know everything about the holidays? Test your knowledge on movies, music and more of the season.

Popular Christmas songs

1. What holiday song has sold the most copies (in single and album form) since 1940?

‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’

2. In the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," how many lords a-leaping are there?

Santa’s reindeers

3. Which of Santa's nine reindeer shares his name with a former presidential candidate?

‘A Christmas Carol’

4. Name the four ghosts in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

‘Frosty the Snowman’

5. In the original version of the song "Frosty the Snowman," recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950, what was Frosty's nose made of?

‘It's a Wonderful Life’

6. In the 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life," what is the name of the character played by James Stewart, and what town does he live in?

Eggnog drink recipes

7. According to the International Bartenders Association, what should be mixed with eggnog?

Santa’s flight on Christmas Eve

8. Taking into account time-zone changes, how many hours does Santa Claus have to deliver his gifts all the way around the world?

‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’

9. In Dr. Seuss' 1957 children's book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," where does the Grinch live?

The Nutcracker ballet

10. In Peter Tchaikovsky's fantasy-ballet "The Nutcracker," the heroine Clara helps the Nutcracker by throwing what at the Mouse King?

Santa Claus

11. There are two towns in the United States named Santa Claus. Where are they?

Hanukkah toys

12. In the popular song "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel," what is the namesake four-sided Hanukkah toy made of?

‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’

13. What happens between God and sinners in "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"?

Grandma and reindeers

14. Under what circumstances did Grandma get run over by a reindeer?

‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’

15. In "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," the singers declare, "We won't go until we get some." Some what?

‘Here Comes Santa Claus’

16. Fill in the blank in this lyric from "Here Comes Santa Claus": "Hang your stockings and....'cause Santa Claus comes tonight."

'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'

17. How was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer originated?

Pop Christmas songs

18. Fill in the blank: "Santa baby, slip a ________ under the tree for me."

‘Silent Night’

19. In the second verse of "Silent Night," what do the heavenly hosts sing?

Traditional Christmas songs

20. What did the little lamb say to the shepherd boy in a 1962 Christmas favorite?

9 Tips for Figure-Flattering Holiday Style

These days holiday party invites start rolling in come early November and instead of wallowing in sheer, what-to-wear panic, be prepared to dress your party best this season—no matter what your shape. Whether you're curvy, boyish, petite, or full-figured, we've got 9 red carpet-tested tricks that will ensure your look is both festive and flattering.

FULLER FIGURED: Try Anything-But-Shy Silhouttes Reaching for a sack dress might be a natural reflex, but a loose shape will only add pounds. Enhance your figure in a form-shaping sheath dress or a forgiving wrap dress. And black is not your only choice hue this season: Embrace navy, gunmetal gray, and Bordeaux—all of which are rich and slimming. Reward your newfound bravery with a bold accessory a la Christina Hendricks.

FULLER FIGURED: Choose the Right Details
You can't go wrong with a simple LBD, but where's the fun in that? Show off your personal style with pleats, ruffles, and fringe galore—it's all about the placement, anyways. Pleats on the bias will show off your shape, not add volume, ruffles on the shoulder strengthen your stature, not overwhelm it, and fringe, as long as it's not in skirt form, is fair game.

FULLER FIGURED: You Can Do Modern
Victoria Beckham's bone structure is not a requirement for this season's modern dress shapes. The focus on tailoring means that it's only a matter of choice (read: perfect fit), not constraint. A structured black dress with top and bottom slits and a strong cinched waist is a flattering and fun alternative to the ubiquitous flowy LBD.

PETITE: Pile on the Style
One-shoulder LBD, bold chain mail necklace, Swiss dot tights, bangles, and a big bag—when you are a tiny thing like Sarah Jessica Parker you can simply get away with more. Over-accessorizing isn't a factor for you—at least not during party season.

PETITE: Take It to Great Lengths
Ladylike silhouettes like full skirts, sweaters, and below-the-knee hemlines would make any petite girl cringe, but this season "the rules" are begging to be broken. Take Rachel Bilson for example: Her peplum waist dress looks far more chic at such a demure length than it would as the more obvious minidress. The reason it still works on her tiny frame? Her tailor hemmed it right at the bottom of her knee—an inch further and her legs would have been lost.

CURVY: Show Off Your Ladylike Assets
The ladylike trend is the perfect way to show off your womanly décolletage. A plunging neckline adds sex appeal to this season's fuller, mid-length silhouette, while the corseted waist keeps your curves in check.

CURVY: Follow the Hourglass Road
The reason Beyonce looks like a Perfect 10 is part in thanks to her baby blue dress, whose pattern follows the ins and outs of her body road map—out at the shoulders, in at the waist, out at the hips and back in at the thighs. Take a cue from the gorgeous star and invest in a dress that follows your curves to a T.

BOYISH: Be a Trend Mix-Master
Mix ladylike lengths and pretty lace with tailored tops and sexy see-through insets for a look at that is totally now—but fitted for you. Kate Bosworth showed off her toned top in a tight, fitted bodice, while her waist-enhancing skirt gave the illusion of ultra-feminine curves.

BOYISH: Go Seriously Girly
Kristen Stewart defied her tomboyish figure—and style—in a dress that is girly to the max. The ornate bow of the asymmetrical lace frock gave the illusion of a strong shoulder and the cummerbund-like belt created curves on her straight and narrow frame.

Most Wanted Tech Gifts

These items will surely brighten any gadget lover's Christmas this season.

CNET editors, among others, have picked the top tech for this year's holiday season. From laptops and tablets to cameras, TVs and more, here are some ideas that might please your favorite geek. Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-portable

Editors’ take: Even with its slightly low USB 3.0 performance, the GoFlex Ultra makes an excellent portable external hard drive for people who need more storage.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350

Editors’ take: A sweet, little wide-angle compact, the Sony Cyber-shot should make a lot of snapshooters happy.

Xbox Kinect 360

Editors’ take: With its impressive body tracking and unusual, controller-free experience, Kinect is great for casual gaming parties and workouts -- assuming you have enough room to play it.


Panasonic HDC-SD60s

Editors’ take: Panasonic's entry-level HD camcorders -- the HDC-HS60, TM60, TM55 and SD60 -- deliver a nice manual feature set and good performance, plus solid video quality for their class.

Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (160GB)

Editors’ take: With a smaller design, more energy-efficient operation, lower price tag and built-in Blu-ray and multimedia capabilities, the PS3 Slim delivers a compelling package for a reasonable price.

Roku XDS

Editors’ take: If you don't need compatibility with iTunes, you’ll likely find Roku's trio of affordable video boxes offers a wider range of streaming video and audio providers than Apple TV does.

Xbox 360 Slim (black, 250GB)

Editors’ take: If you don’t own an Xbox 360 with an HDMI-out port and hard drive, you might consider the new Xbox 360 because it addresses most of the concerns editors have had with previous versions.

Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20

Editors’ take: With 2D and 3D sources, Panasonic's flagship TC-PVT20/25 series delivers outstanding overall picture quality.

iPod Touch 2010

Editors’ take: The iPod Touch is the best iPod yet, offering all the fun of the iPhone experience without a carrier contract or monthly bill.

T-Mobile G2

Editors’ take: Some minor issues aside, the T-Mobile G2 is one of the carrier's top Android smart phones, offering an excellent QWERTY keyboard, speed and plenty of features.


Amazon Kindle

Editors’ take: The third-generation Kindle's upgrades ― including an improved screen, better battery life, lighter weight and lower price ― send it to the top of the e-book reader category.

Apple MacBook Air

Editors’ take: The MacBook Air is smaller and less expensive, creating an excellent ultraportable but leaving out a few features along the way.

Apple iMac

Editors’ take: The new iMac comes with a faster CPU and a new graphics card, helping this 27-inch all-in-one desktop stay as competitive in performance as it was in screen size.

Garmin Nuvi 3790T

Editors’ take: The Garmin Nuvi 3790T combines a super-slim form, a smart phone-worthy touch screen and Garmin's GPS software into one fine navigator.