Holidays - Christmas

December 25, 2012

Interview with Agatha Gilmore, author of the book Celebration: The Santa Book 

_________________

Mike Carruthers:
How did the story of Santa Claus begin?

Agatha Gilmore:
Santa really started with a legend of a real monk who was born around 200 AD in Patara, which is a region in Turkey.
 

December 24, 2012

Interview with Tim Walsh, author of the book Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Of all the classic toys on the market which one has been around the longest?

Tim Walsh:
Well, Raggedy Ann is the longest continuously licensed character. She came out in 1918 and she's always been on a lunch box or as a doll or in a storybook somewhere.
 

December 21, 2012

Interview with Jack Bishop, author of the book 834 Kitchen Quick Tips: Tricks, Techniques, and Shortcuts for the Curious Cook

________________

Mike Carruthers:
If you spend a lot of time cooking around the holidays by the time you're ready to sit down and eat, your hands can smell like garlic, onions or whatever you've been cooking.

Jack Bishop:
And I've tried all of those tips: lemon, salt to get rid of them - the one that works the best..mouthwash.
 

December 17, 2012

Interview with Mary Hunt, author of the book Debt-Proof Your Christmas: Celebrating the Holidays without Breaking the Bank

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Spending discipline... it often flies out the window this time of year because, well, we need to buy Christmas gifts for people.

Mary Hunt:
Let me ask you a question: “Tell me what you received for Christmas last year?" Yeah, see people don't remember, so why in the world should you buy a gift now that you're going to have to pay for for the next twenty years, when the person you give it to isn't even going to remember?
 

December 10, 2012

Interview with Howard Dvorkin, author of the book Credit Hell : How to Dig Out of Debt

________________

Mike Carruthers:
If people are going to over-spend on their credit cards this is typically the time of year that they’re going to do it.

Howard Dvorkin:
When they whip out that piece of plastic there’s very little pain that happens until the following month when the bills come in and then they can’t afford it.
 

December 1, 2011

Interview with Susan Albers, author of the book "But I Deserve This Chocolate!"

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Nothing makes eating healthy more difficult than the holidays but we can try.

Susan Albers:
Such as using taller, thinner glasses (actually we feel like we’re drinking more than short glasses) so some of it’s just tricking ourselves into eating in a more mindful way.
 

November 30, 2011

Interview with Susan Albers, author of the book "But I Deserve This Chocolate!"

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Nothing makes eating healthy more difficult than the holidays but we can try.

Susan Albers:
We underestimate how much we eat by about 40% so anything that you can do to be more mindful of how much you’re eating is going to help.
 

December 24, 2009

Interview with Jeff Guinn, author of the book The Autobiography of Santa Claus

_______________

Mike Carruthers:
Do you know why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th?

Jeff Guinn:
Before Rome embraced Christianity officially around 350 A.D., the previous religion they followed worshipped a God named Mithra.
 

December 21, 2009

Interview with Freeman Hall, author of the book Retail Hell: How I Sold My Soul to the Store Confessions of a Tortured Sales Associate

_______________

Mike Carruthers:
If you’ve waited until now to do your Christmas shopping there’s good news and bad news. First the good news…

Freeman Hall:
It’s a good time to go because there will be a lot of stuff on sale.

Retail expert Freeman Hall, author of the book on the whole experience of retail shopping…

December 18, 2009

Interview with Craig Kielburger, author of the book Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World

_______________

Mike Carruthers:
This is the time of year we most often think of giving, volunteering and helping others, but there are a lot of other important reasons to give.

Craig Kielburger:
Because when we help others, it helps us - people who helped others gained so much back in return. Really volunteerism is actually one of the most selfish things you could ever do.
 

Craig Kielburger author of the book Me to We…