Sure, Christmas is over, but these Holidash drinks are drool-worthy year round. Check out a few of our favorite recipes!:

We're in the big crunch now. There's simply no time to get creative and come up with a-mazing things to bake and make. However, there's always time to perk up your holiday beverages -- the aspect of any holiday meal that usually gets ignored. We always make festive roasts, wonderful mountains of cookies ... but what about the Christmas Day drinks? They deserve our attention just as much as the rest of the holiday eats.

Eggnog: Martha Stewart's Favorite Eggnog or Nonalcoholic Eggnog

Are you a teensy bit superstitious? Or maybe you just like adhering to ye olde time-worn traditions? Well, turns out there's quite a bit of superstition and tradition associated with when to take down your Christmas tree. Yes, you can just pack your tree and all those glittery decorations whenever. But if you want to do things by the book, let one of the following dates be your guide:

December 31: Take your tree down on New Year's Eve before the bells toll at midnight. Otherwise it's said you'll be dragging all your baggage and bad luck from 2009 into 2010 ... if you're superstitious about these things, that is.

January 5: Take your tree down on this day, traditionally considered the Twelfth Day of Christmas – i.e. the last of twelve days of Christmas merriment. Think of it as getting closure on the Holiday season.

January 6: Take it down on January 6 in observance of the Epiphany, a Christian holiday marking the revelation of God in human form, in the person of Jesus. Again, some would say leaving your tree up beyond the 5th or 6th brings bad luck.

Can't get it together to dismantle everything by January 6? Don't feel bad! Instead, focus on the positive with this fun list of 10 reasons to keep your tree up into January (...or beyond?).

Now that Christmas is over, it's time to focus on the more important things in life -- like cleaning and storing those seasonal decorations. Turns out that next winter doesn't have to be a painstaking, stressful process in untangling those tree lights. Want to know a quick tip to keep those lights tangle-free?

Wrapping paper tubes. Save your cardboard tubes from the endless wrapping you've finished this year and cut a slit on either end of the empty wrapping paper tube. Thread the end of the string of lights through one slit. Next, wind the string of lights around the tube and finally thread the plug into the other end and tuck into the tube.

You'll have an easy (and free!) storage solution that won't cause you headaches next December. Smart, right? Now on to those difficult ornaments...

Face it -- anything looks beautiful in white; even pinecones! Break out the kids' craft supplies and craft a few of these sweet clay pinecones, courtesy of Design Sponge:

Materials:
1. Crayola Model Magic in White
2. Scissors
3. Credit card, plastic card, or any kind of heavy weight paper
4. Pinecone (for sculpting reference)
7. Toothpick or BBQ skewer

A little late for this year's Hannukah festivities, yes, but hey -- there's always catch-up next year, right? After all, when you find a craft project that's this good, you'll use any excuse you can to display it year-round! Thanks, ReadyMade!:

1. Gather eight clear bottles of one size (we used small Lorina Lemonade bottles) and one slightly taller bottle.
2. Soak the bottles in warm water to remove the labels. (Use Goo Gone to remove any stubborn areas.)
3. Cover the surface with spray paint, adding a second coat only if necessary-too much can result in cracking and peeling.
4. Insert taper candles into bottle openings, arrange with the taller bottle in the center, and light each night.

Happy Hannukah!

Fruitcake: I seriously love the stuff. As such, I steadfastly ignore all those cruel anti-fruitcake jokes. I'll grudgingly admit, though, your typical fruitcake is a bit much for most average-sized families to handle ... especially on top of all the other heavy holiday fare likely crowding your plate and pantry at this time of year.

If you bake or are gifted fruitcake this holiday season, don't let it go to waste! Read on for 7 appetizing ways to use up leftover cake before it dries out.

1. Almond fruitcake rum balls. This sounds luscious! Definitely keeping this one for future reference.

2. Chocolate covered fruitcake balls. After all, what isn't improved by the addition of chocolate?

3. Fruitcake trifle. Think you hate fruitcake? Douse it in liquor and a layer of cream and custard ... and think again!

What's green and ugly? Answer: a Boy Scout Christmas wreath with red plastic bow. Luckily, blogger Nicole "made it lovely" with a huge pair of vintage silver bells. Nice salvage job, girl. – Making it Lovely

Still stumped for a cute Christmas craft? Get a load of these adorable felted mini mittens. String on a garland or hang on the Xmas tree. – Two Straight Lines

Like your holiday décor rustic-country style? These snapshots show you how to deck your halls for the holidays the old-fashioned, country way. Pretty, with oodles of red and white. – Cozy Little House

See how one woman decorates for the holidays, letting her unique personal flair shine through. It's Christmas-eclectic with a liberal dash of bunnies. – Bloesem

In case you haven't noticed, it's a winter wonderland outside! Bring the snowy weather indoors with these sweet papier-mache villages that are super easy to make!:

Supplies:
* Small cardboard boxes
* Cereal boxes or thin cardboard
* Masking tape
* Scrap paper
* Tissue paper
* White school glue
* Acrylic or tempera paint
* Paintbrush
* Glitter

Our friends at Holidash are back at it; this time with a few fantastic sugar cookie recipes for you to DIY this season. Let's get started!

One of the most essential Christmas cookie recipes is the sugar cookie. Without it, we wouldn't be able to have a sea of vanilla-y Christmas-shaped treats to ice and feast on every year. They allow us to make warm, edible snowflakes, Santas, and even the whole gang of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. If you're looking for that prime sugar cookie recipe, try one of these great options below:

Your little ones will bowl over for this crafty gift, and you'll have a ball making it!:

ShelterPop is at it again, this time with super easy holiday gifts you can make for less than the cost of a dinner for two. Ready for the round-up?:

Going DIY can save you a bundle during the holidays. And who doesn't enjoy receiving small, homemade "remembrances"? But time runs short, people. At least it does if you're hoping to DIY some gifts this year. So get your creativity engine chugging with the following 5 ideas. Each one looks cool, is easy on your wallet plus fairly easy to make!

1. Homemade Apple Cider. This non-alcoholic drink tastes great to adults and kids alike, and it's a cinch to make. Cooking for Engineers has a very nice how-to guide with great photos. If you can gift the finished product in glass jugs or jars, so much the better.

Really short on time? Put together a mulled cider gift basket instead. You will need to include a bottle of quality, natural apple cider, a pack of mulling spices, cinnamon sticks, and a note with instructions. You could also include a few fresh apple muffins or apples. Yum.

My sister asked Santa for an advent calendar this year, and I plan to craft it myself using this easy how-to video. Thanks, Howcast! For handy instructions, read on!:



Step 1:
Decorate a piece of cardboard or poster board large enough to hold 24 small boxes, envelopes, or pouches. Cut the cardboard into a holiday shape, such as a Christmas tree, wreath, or snowman.

Free (yeah!) printable garland patterns. Just print, cut and glue. Voila: cute holiday décor. – WhipUp via Folding Trees

Like sweet treats for the holidays? Wee Wonderfuls shows what a mom, her kids and a glue gun can do with a bowl of candy. We're talking adorable candy tree ornaments here. – Wee Wonderfuls

Light bulb ornaments: a fabulous way to repurpose old incandescent bulbs. This gal works her magic with spray paint and utterly transforms some old glass globes. – Crafts by Amanda

When it comes to decorating, creativity can always trump spending power. Once again, Thrifty Décor Chick shows us how it's done, this time with a hutch all decked out for Christmas. Bravo. – Thrifty Décor Chick

This year, I'd love to get crafty with my Christmas tree in hopes of starting a new tradition. What better way to infuse a bit of craft than with felted ornaments? Here's the list of materials a la Purl Bee:

These materials will make at least 12 snowflakes, and can make up to 16 with very careful cutting.

* One piece of Wool Felt in Bright Pink
* One Piece of Wool Felt in Ecru
* Water soluable marking pen
* Ruler
* Two spools of 100% cotton thread. One in color 1040 (ercu) and another spool in color 5980 (bright pink)
* Template plastic
* Download and print the Two Sided Snowflake template here

Once you've gathered your materials, follow the instructions here and get started --- happy crafting!