You know, for years I warbled the lyrics of "The 12 Days of Christmas," without really thinking about them much. Obviously, the true love of the story had some unorthodox notions of gift giving, what with the bird obssession and all. But cows? Milkmaids? Sheesh.

The milk, however, goes well with cookies and this is prime baking season, after all. So today, I'm grabbing my college kids and together, we'll whip up batches of pumpkin chocolate chip bread for gifts, and cookies, cookies and more cookies to fill out our holiday dessert platters. Here's hoping they go with those eight buckets of milk.

For more 8th day of Christmas fun, check out these 12 Days blog posts from About.com's parenting and family guides: Read more...

No idea why the true love of "12 Days of Christmas" fame was so fowl-obsessed, but wow, that's a lot of birds. Somehow, swans always make me think of ballet -  must be the "Swan Lake" effect. But the thing about winter break is that once the holidays are over, kids who attend colleges on the semester system still have weeks of break left, and once the whirlwind of the holidays has subsided, it can be quite an adjustment. So the trick is to make the most of those weeks by scheduling some family fun: nights at the theater, snowy outings, the list is endless. So this year, our family's list of outings includes neither "Swan Lake" nor "Nutcracker," but instead, twists on some of those old chestnuts. We just caught Mark Morris' "The Hard Nut," with its hilarious reimagining of the old Nutcracker story - I swear, one of the dancers was doing moves from Beyonce's "Single Ladies" during the party scene. Big fun - especially with fun-loving teens and 20somethings. And hmmm, maybe a little Reduced Shakespeare ... or that staged production, that turns all of Hitchcock's movies into a single evening of witty theater ... or...

For more 7th day of Christmas fun, check out these 12 Days blog posts from About.com's parenting and family guides: Read more...

I suppose it's a swell gift if you live on a farm, but six honking geese a'laying would violate the zoning laws in my town. Still, those goose eggs make me think, one of the great joys of the holidays is leisurely brunches with the kids back home. It has to be brunch, given what time college kids wake up on weekends! The only thing is ... what to do with those eggs? Fortunately, the new "Bubby's Brunch Cookbook," by Ron Silver, landed on my desk the other day and wow, that's a yummy looking thing. (More details here, including prices and such, in case you're interested.) Bubby's is a New York mainstay, not only for the chic Tribeca breakfast crowd, but the late night, post-party crowd as well. So, I'm browsing brunch ideas this morning, and Bubby's buttermilk-soaked - blackberry jam- and cream cheese-stuffed, then rolled in crushed cornflakes - French toast sounds divine. So does this one for a baked French toast casserole with, yes, cream cheese and berries from my colleague Diana Rattray, About's guide to Southern food. Yum. All perfect fare for family festivities or those college kid reunion parties.

For more 6th day of Christmas fun, check out these 12 Days blogs from About.com's parenting and family guides: Read more...

We've talked about pears, French hens and calling birds. But those five golden rings, with their glorious, extended chorus, always made me wonder. Onion rings? Construction paper garlands? Or, ulp, wedding bands?

It's Friday and finals are drawing to a close - well, for everyone except my poor youngest son who still has two more tomorrow. Everyone's coming home and even the most mundane tasks are suddenly exciting, even the grocery shopping. Everyone is madly shopping - for turkeys, cranberries and, perhaps, onion rings for that green bean casserole - and many of them are doing it with college kids in tow. I'm hearing about recent grads who are now engaged - those rings, again - or heading off to the Peace Corps, Teach for America, grad school and jobs. Take a moment, amid the hustle and bustle of the season, to mull those hopes and dreams and good fortune. We're all part of the circle of life - five golden rings encircling family, friends, colleagues, community and planet.

More 12 Days from About's Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Coloring by Beverly Hernandez, About Homeschooling
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
Read more...