• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

  • All
  • Family
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Decor
  • About Lena
  • Contact

holiday entertaining

Holiday Secrets Exposed! Share Yours to WIN!

December 19, 2014 By Lena

It happened over 10 Christmases ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

I had just started dating a fellow university student, and he invited me over for Christmas dinner. As we had only been dating for three months, it was *slightly* awkward to spend the holidays with him, but it was even more awkward to turn down the invitation. So, I accepted.

At the dinner? Just his mom and brother, an uncle and “two ladies from church”. Okay, I got this. Asking what I should bring, the then 21-year old said, “Whatever, they like everything.” Hmm… everything? Well that certainly narrowed it down. I asked if there was anything I should know, to which my ex replied, “Nope, you’re good!”

WHY did I trust the word of a 21-year old?

So, I brought a bottle of wine for the uncle… who was a recovering alcoholic. I baked an eggnog cheesecake to present to his mom… who was lactose intolerant. And the handmade truffles I made for his brother? Turns out I added *a little* too much rum to them, and he proceeded to get sloshed. Problem is, the ex never mentioned his brother was only 11 years old.

At least the church ladies liked their candles.

Do you have a holiday gaffe? It’s okay – we’ve all had them! And while we’d normally never admit to a faux pas in the kitchen… like the time I added two tablespoons of dried sage instead of fresh sage to my stuffing (NOT the same thing!!)… Campbell’s Canada wants you to celebrate them! It’s our #HolidaySecretsExposed!

Campbells Holiday Secrets Logo (2)From burning the turkey to dropping the dessert, nearly everyone has a holiday gaffe to confess. Campbell’s is encouraging Canadians to spill the beans (or the wine, as the case may be!) at www.campbellsholidaysecrets.ca. In return for sharing your holiday flub(s), you’ll have a chance to win one of 100 pre-paid credit cards valued at $100 each. They’re sure to come in handy for last-minute purchases to help you survive the chaos of the season!

Visit Campbell’s Holiday Secrets Exposed now and click “Confess Here” to get started. And if you’re looking to feel a bit better about your own disaster, browse the other confessions – trust me, some are downright hilarious!

(As for that sage incident? Let’s just say I now have “Sage Advice” for others – yup, I confessed here!) …

Read More

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: #HolidaySecretsExposed, Campbell's Canada, holiday entertaining

Entertain with #EggcellentEggs!

December 12, 2013 By Lena

For those of y’all in the Twitter Party circuit, this one is sure to put a smile on your face: YES, it’s another epic @eggsoeufs Twitter Chat!

Join the #EggcellentEggs Twitter Chat on Wednesday, December 18th at 9:00pm EST. We’ll be chatting up a storm about your favourite holiday recipes, tips for entertaining, and how fresh, local Canadian Eggs play a supporting role in your holiday feast. From delicious crème brulee to sweet meringues and potato latkes, eggs are present in almost every traditional holiday food! Now that’s an eggcellent reason to celebrate.

As always, we’ll have fabulous prizes up for grabs! To help you become the hostess with the mostest this holiday season, we’re going to be prizing Festive Eggnog Creation Kits to 7 lucky participants in our chat, and a GRAND PRIZE of a KitchenAid Food Processor. Colour me eggcited!

(For inspiration, be sure to check out the Holiday Recipes at www.eggs.ca. I’m partial to Caramel Eggnog!)

RSVP below for a chance to win, and be sure to bring your #EggcellentEggs recipes, tips and ideas to share!
(See our official rules here.)…

Read More

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: #EggcellentEggs, Egg Farmers of Canada, holiday entertaining, Twitter Party

#WhatsCooking? It’s the @KraftCanada Twitter Party!

December 6, 2013 By Lena

If you’re like me, you tune into the all-holiday classics radio station on December 1st. Between Silver Bells and I’ll Be Home for Christmas, I’m really getting into the festive spirit!

But as I drove around the city this afternoon, I realized that as much time as we spend baking, cooking and otherwise entertaining during the holiday season, not many holiday tunes are dedicated to the art of good food. I mean, it’s the year 2013; shouldn’t we have a carol about Peppermint Mocha? It’s a *game changer* as far as the holidays go. And what about Irish Cream Cheesecake, Cranberry Biscotti and Chocolate Chip Shortbread? Seriously, people, we need more holiday songs dedicated to good, festive food.

(“I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas?” Puh-lease. The only thing I’m dreaming of is this Peppermint Bark Cheesecake from www.kraftcanada.com.)

Well, if we can’t have carols… we can have a Twitter Party!


Fa-la-la-la-follow @KraftCanada for the BEST holiday tips and tricks as we share mouth-watering festive recipes. From entertaining ideas to favourite desserts, we’ve got you covered. At Kraft Kitchens, they’re always busy cooking up delicious food solutions to try and make getting dinner on the table easy – holiday dinners included!

(Five words: Roast Turkey with Sausage Stuffing.)

We’ll also have some fabulous prizes up for grabs – $1000 worth, to be exact! Simply tweet to win, and bring your best holiday tips to share. Good luck, and RSVP below to join all the fun! (See our official rules here.)

…

Read More

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: #whatscooking Twitter Party, holiday baking, holiday entertaining, Kraft Canada

This Post is Brought to You By…

December 14, 2012 By Lena

… the Garbage Police.

Seriously, there is such a detachment. They specialize in making sure that indoor garbage cans are filled to a sanitary level; taken out on a regular basis, and of course, never contain items that can be recycled or composted. And the reason I know so much about the Garbage Police? I’m an honorary member.

It’s true! There’s nothing worse than an overflowing garbage can. My OCD just can’t handle it, dammit. The thought of all those germs, fumes and icky food scraps… so close to the place where I prepare fresh food? No thank you. The second the garbage can fills to about 75%, I begin screaming at my husband to change it.

(Sometimes he just stomps on it and says “we’re all good, lots of room left.” It’s in those moments that I seriously reconsider the commitment I’ve made to him.)

So it’s the holiday season, and you can bet I’ve received a lot of press releases. And for the most part, I’ve waded through the messages, respectfully declining as the product or service was not a right fit – or I couldn’t fit it into my editorial calendar.

But I’ve decided to put all my other regularly scheduled posts on hold as I share this information from Glad Trash Bags with Odour Guard technology. Why? Rest assured, I’m not being paid a cent to do it, nor has Glad twisted my arm in any way. Frankly, I just believe that everyone should try these bags over the holiday season. They’re the perfect way to avoid a stinky situation…

The trash bag experts at Glad have a solution so you truly can be the hostess with the mostest: Glad Trash Bags with Odour Guard technology. Heard of it? It’ll change your life. Okay, okay, maybe it’ll just change your trash bag choice….

Read More

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Glad Trash Bags with Odour Guard, holiday entertaining, household items, review

Primary Sidebar

Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

Connect with Lena

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Featured

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Virtual Queue Strategies

Five Cool Tips for a Backyard Ice Cream Bar

Beaches Turks & Caicos: Your FAQs Answered!