Dear Readers,

As I write this, it is about 70 degrees and sunny outside. I haven’t even unearthed my cozy sweaters from their summer hibernation!

I’m not complaining, however. The longer the weather stays mild, the lower my heating bill stays and the easier it is to get out the door in the morning without having to wrestle my toddler into a coat and hat.

The warmer weather HAS delayed my holiday planning and shopping. But working on this edition of All About Kids: Holidays 2007 put me on the right track! There are some great gift ideas between these two covers — check out our Hot Toys and Gift Guide pages. We have pumpkin carving tips, recipes for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and some beautiful Christmas cranberry crafts, as well as tips from authors on how to keep the Christmas crazies to a minimum this year.

Best of all, new this year we’ve added a handy listing of trick-or-treat times and Christmas parades throughout the Ohio Valley.

It warmed my heart to gather stories of the holiday traditions of local families. It brings into focus the high importance Ohio Valley residents place on family.

No matter how you celebrate, I wish everyone a blessed holiday season of togetherness and laughter, peace and love. God bless,