Above the white ground, in a white sky, the honking of unseen Canada geese falls through the air with the snow. Each flake is different, each goose is different, and each one of us is different and perfect in our individuality. We write, therefore we are. We bake cookies, therefore we are happy.

The McCall Winter Carnival, in Idaho , is one place to whoop it up during winter. Jenna Ness shares last year’s pix and tells how to book ahead for this January and February. Your man and you can both stop shaving and enter the Beard and Sexy Leg contest respectively. Enjoy the snow sculptures, the Neon Lights parade, and play a few holes of snowshoe golf. These people love winter.

Deck the halls with tinfoil ornaments, because these babies are way cool and fun to make! Terry McLaughlin shows you how to construct unbreakable pretties with the basic ingredients of paint, cardboard, glue, and a hunk of Reynolds Wrap™. If you imagine they look like something a five-year-old would make, go look at the pictures. Of course, this doesn’t mean your five-year-old can’t make them. She can, and should.

Food, family, and…what’s that third one? Fun! Diane Gaston has Ten Tips to increase your enjoyment of this holiday season, from the profound and spiritual to the glittery and caloric. Whether you’re listening to music or giving to those less fortunate, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Holiday traditions take all forms, and one is curling up in front of a warm TV to watch our favorite holiday movies, whether they’re funny, sentimental, goofy, or musical. The Noodlers list our favorite Christmas movies. Who do you love best, Scrooge or the Grinch?

For some people, winter isn’t a wonderland, but a time when there’s not enough light, heat or happy-making Vitamin D. If you dread these shorter, darker days, Trish Milburn has the plan for fighting the winter blues on multiple fronts. Exercise, light therapy and taking stress out of the holidays are just a few of her tips.

No one wants her child to have difficulties, but when Angie Beckham discovered that one of her four children had some level of autism, this SuperHeroine learned all she could and then set about starting programs that help not only her own son, but other people’s children as well. Noodler Merrillee Whren tells about Angie’s ongoing success in providing Garrett with the tools for happiness.

During this time of love and laughter, what do you say to a friend whose mother is dying? Dr. Debra helps a reader find the words that will help the most. If you’ve never attended a funeral, if you want to say something but don’t know what, this is your primer on tenderness and tact.

December’s Noodler of the Month is Moni Thompson, who describes her best writing strength as being able to throw pages and pages away to make the story better. She must keep some, because she’s written 13 books. Must be her 20-page-a-day habit. Get your inspiration from this inspirational writer!

Bridget Stuart has some surprising tips for writers hoping to keep their output going during the holidays. While sugar and procrastination are your best friends, your lesser human buddies can still enjoy the privilege of taking your cookie-smeared manuscript to the FedEx™ box at midnight on Christmas Eve. It’ll give them a chance to listen for sleigh bells!

The snow is falling, the fire flickers… All that’s missing is a glass of something in your hand. The Noodlers are here like a butler at your elbow with a collection of holiday punch recipes that range from non-alcoholic to the sort that will sit you on your red-velvet butt. Here we come a’wassailing, among the leaves so green…