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Yesterday β€” 22 December 2024Main stream

Every year I decorate 13 Christmas trees. I spend between $600 to $1,500 per tree and it brings me so much joy.

22 December 2024 at 03:53
Woman posing with Christmas tree
Kelly Okrepkie wishes she could decorate trees for other people at some point.

Courtesy of Kelly Okrepkie

  • Kelly Okrepkie, 47, lives in Monroe, Connecticut and loves Christmas.
  • She started decorating Christmas trees in her house in 2011, with the goal to have one in each room.
  • She now has 13 Christmas trees that she decorates every year.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelly Okrepkie. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I love Christmas.

When I was little my mom worked at a department store and I would always walk by their Christmas trees and think, "I want this when I grow up."

I started with my first tree when I got married in 2011. Then I had an idea: why don't I have one tree in each room? And then I started looking at the corners of each room and it slowly started to expand.

Now I have 13 Christmas trees that I put up every year.

Each tree has a meaning

I enjoy decorating trees that represent a certain meaning. I have a gold tree and a silver tree that remind me of the song "Silver and Gold" from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. That song takes me back into my childhood.

I have a tree for my dad. I decorated it with cardinals and I actually found ribbon with music notes on it. He loved music. He grew up on a farm so I used burlap and natural wood, too. I also have a tree for my mother-in-law. She always wore red, so I used lush red roses with big blooms β€” it's very vibrant. There's an angel at the top to represent her.

Decorated Christmas tree
Kelly Okrepkie decorates 13 Christmas trees every year.

Courtesy of Kelly Okrepkie

I feel so excited when I decorate trees for my loved ones who have passed. It's like I get to celebrate Christmas with them.

I put a little glass angel in every one of my trees as a blessing for the new year. My nephew bought them for me years ago at his school fair.

I like to decorate trees for my husband, Joe. My "Emerald City" tree is for his favorite childhood movie, The Wizard of Oz. For that, I made a hot air balloon and I put ruby slippers under the tree. This year I'm making him a Pontiac-inspired tree. He loves cars.

I plan the trees a year in advance

I start planning my trees a year ahead of time. I begin getting ideas and slowly collect ornaments throughout the year so that when the time comes, I already have everything and I'm ready to start.

I have bins and bins and bins of ornaments in the basement, all categorized. It takes me days to bring everything upstairs. I start making props in July. I made an ornament wall out of styrofoam that I glued to the wall. I hot glued every single ornament. It took me 12 to 14 hours.

When I create, I can't have any interruptions. I get filled with adrenaline and excitement. I just put on Christmas music, put my phone on vibrate and get into the zone.

House full of Christmas trees
Kelly Okrepkie started with the goal of having one tree per room in her house.

Kelly Okrepkie

Each tree takes me about three to five hours to decorate, depending on the size. I always try to update my looks. I try to make them better and invest more into them. I learn a lot from designers on Instagram. I've learned how to work with ribbons and picks. Here's a great tip: if you want a different look for your tree, just buy picks and insert them all around. It's a cost-efficient way to change things up.

I spend between $600 to $1,500 per tree

Each tree, with its decorations, cost me probably between $600 and $1500, depending on the height and width. This year, I took a trip to the Christmas Palace in Florida and I got some giant candy canes and bears and penguins and ornaments and globes.

But you don't need to spend that much to have a beautiful tree. You can do things like add a lot of lights, add picks and cover them with a lot of ornaments to fill it out. Instead of throwing empty boxes out, recycle them under your tree. Wrap them up like big presents. I do this so my cats don't climb the trees.

Decorated tree with polar bear

Courtesy of Kelly Okrepkie

I would love to design meaningful trees for other people. I'd help them pick colors and items that remind them of their loved ones. My dream is to create a Santa's wonderland where families could come visit and take photos and create traditions of their own.

When my trees are up from November until January, they're the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see before I go to bed. I don't know when this obsession is going to stop but it just makes me so happy.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Before yesterdayMain stream

18 of the best anti-Christmas movies to watch if you're over the holidays already

20 December 2024 at 07:06
bad santa
Billy Bob Thornton stars in "Bad Santa."

Miramax

  • If you're sick and tired of "Love Actually" and "It's a Wonderful Life," you're not alone.
  • There are plenty of holiday movies that are full of blood, guts, laughs, and more.
  • Here are 18 of the best anti-Christmas Christmas movies.

Christmas movies are a huge industry and some, like "The Holiday," "Elf," or "Home Alone" are both wholesome and were huge box-office smashes. Others made less impact at the box office β€” see "A Christmas Story" and "It's A Wonderful Life" β€” but still became beloved classics.

But for every movie that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, there are horror, action, or black comedy films set around the holidays that might make you feel a bit differently about the holiday season.

Here are some of the best anti-Christmas Christmas films to watch when you've heard enough angelic carols and drank enough eggnog for lifetime.

"Carry-On"
taron egerton in carry-on
"Carry-On."

Netflix

"Carry-On" is essentially "Die Hard" in an airport β€” don't worry, "Die Hard" also appears on this list. It stars Taron Egerton as a lone TSA worker who is blackmailed into helping a terrorist known only as The Traveler (Jason Bateman) smuggle nerve gas onto a plane, all while his wife, Nora (Sofia Carson), is being held hostage.

What else could you ask for? We ranked this as our favorite of Netflix's six new holiday films this year. It should not be missed.

"Carry-On" is streaming on Netflix.

"Dear Santa"
dear santa jack black
"Dear Santa."

Paramount Pictures

When Liam, a sixth-grader who has dyslexia, accidentally addresses his letter to "Satan" instead of "Santa," hijinks ensue. Instead of St. Nick, Satan, a low-level demon played by Jack Black, shows up to help Liam gain back some confidence ... for the low price of his soul, of course.

Anyone who loves to see Black going wild should fire this movie up. It will not disappoint.

"Dear Santa" is streaming on Paramount+.

"Red One"
dwayne johnson and chris evans in red one
"Red One."

Amazon MGM Studios

In the world of "Red One," Santa Claus (JK Simmons) is totally ripped and loves to lift weights. He's also protected by a Secret Service-esque agency that knows him by the codename Red One. When Santa is kidnapped, his best agent, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), teams up with a talented hacker and bounty hunter, Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans), to get him back.

"Red One" is streaming on Prime Video.

"Violent Night"
violent night
"Violent Night."

Universal Pictures

"Violent Night" stars David Harbour as Santa Claus, but not like any Santa you've seen before. When a rich family is targeted by a band of mercenaries at their mansion on Christmas Eve, Santa decides to stick around and take them down.

The mercenaries all have Christmas-themed code names, including their leader Scrooge, played by the always-great John Leguizamo.

If you're looking for some very visceral action and a Santa who used to be a bloodthirsty Viking, turn on your TV now.

"Violent Night" is streaming on Starz.

"Die Hard"
bruce willis in die hard
"Die Hard."

20th Century Fox

"Die Hard," released in 1988, stars Bruce Willis as John McClane, an NYPD detective traveling to Los Angeles to attend his estranged wife's holiday party at her building, Nakatomi Plaza. That same night, radical German terrorist Hans Gruber, played by Alan Rickman, decides to execute his plan to take the entire building hostage to steal hundreds of millions of dollars.

There's been much debate over the years whether "Die Hard" is a real Christmas movie, or a movie that just happens to take place on Christmas Eve.

Whichever side you fall on, it works as a thrilling action movie.

"Die Hard" is steaming on Disney+, Hulu, and Tubi.

"Batman Returns"
michelle pfeiffer and michael keaton in batman returns
"Batman Returns."

Warner Bros. Pictures

The sequel to 1989's "Batman," 1992's "Batman Returns" stars Michael Keaton once again as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. This time, he's joined by Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, Danny DeVito as the Penguin, and Christopher Walken as sleazy businessman Max Shreck.

Director Tim Burton's gothic version of Gotham City is all decked out for the holidays in "Batman Returns," covered in snow, Christmas lights, and a huge tree.

Plus, one of the most famous lines from the movie involves the potentially lethal nature of mistletoe.

This sequel isn't for the faint of heart, with the Penguin's overall disgusting vibe, the multiple attempted murders of Catwoman, and the overall dour vibes of Gotham City.

"Batman Returns" is streaming on Max.

"Bad Santa"
bad santa
Billy Bob Thornton in "Bad Santa."

Miramax

In the 2003 black comedy "Bad Santa," Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie, a small-time crook who secures a gig as a mall Santa every year β€” and this year, it works out in his favor as he meets Sue (played by Lauren Graham), a woman with a full-blown Santa fetish.

Along the way, Willie meets a young boy, Thurman, who he takes under his wing, gets blackmailed by a mall security guard (played by Bernie Mac), and learns a bitΒ about the meaning of Christmas.

The less we say about 2016's "Bad Santa 2," the better.

"Bad Santa" is streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

"Gremlins"
Gizmo in the 1984 film "Gremlins."
"Gremlins."

Archive Photos/Getty Images

A true '80s classic, "Gremlins" is the tale of Billy Peltzer, played by Zach Galligan, who receives a mogwai for Christmas from his dad, accompanied by three simple rules: Don't expose the mogwai to sunlight; don't let it touch water; and don't let it eat after midnight.

Of course, everything goes wrong, the entire town is invaded by gremlins on Christmas Eve, and more than one person dies at the hands of Stripe, Gizmo, and the rest of them.

"Gremlins" and its sequel "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" are both quintessential anti-Christmas Christmas movies.

"Gremlins"Β  and "Gremlins 2" are streaming on Max.

"Krampus"
adam scott in krampus
"Krampus."

Universal Pictures

Starring Adam Scott and Toni Collette, 2015's "Krampus" follows the Engel family, who are more than a little dysfunctional. When Max, the youngest son and the only true believer in Santa, curses his family and loses his Christmas spirit, he inadvertently summons Krampus, a horned demon that punishes any family that doesn't respect the holidays.

Come for the surprisingly solid cast, stay for the festively gruesome kills and German folklore.

"Krampus" is streaming on Peacock and Max.

"Black Christmas"
oliva huessey in black christmas
"Black Christmas."

Warner Bros. Pictures

"Black Christmas," released in 1974, is a true '70s slasher. It follows three sorority sisters who are targeted by a mysterious caller only known as "The Moaner," who terrorizes them just before they're set to go home for Christmas break.

There won't be anything bloodier and less jolly on this list than "Black Christmas," but it has staying power β€” the film was remade in 2006 and 2019, though neither is as good as the original.

"Black Christmas" is streaming for free on various websites, including Peacock, Prime Video, Tubi, Crackle, YouTube, and more.

"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"
rdj, michelle monaghan, and val kilmer in kiss kiss bang bang
"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang."

Warner Bros. Pictures

A California Christmas is already an odd combination, as many associate the holidays with cold temperatures, snow, and general coziness, not 85-degree weather, shorts, and sunshine.

Add in a dark criminal conspiracy, a thief played by Robert Downey Jr., a gay detective played by Val Kilmer, and a childhood crush played by Michelle Monaghan, and you have a solid neo-noir on your hands β€” and yes, it takes place at Christmas.

"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" is available to rent online.

"Anna and the Apocalypse"
anna and the apocalypse
"Anna and the Apocalypse."

Vertigo Releasing

Starring Ella Hunt as Anna, a student who is planning to take a gap year before university, "Anna and the Apocalypse," released in 2017, is like "High School Musical" meets "Shaun of the Dead" meets Christmas.

Anna and her friends, on the night of their school's Christmas show, discover that their town (and later country) has been infected by a zombie virus ... all while singing about their feelings.

A particularly memorable set piece takes place at a Christmas tree warehouse.

"Anna and the Apocalypse" is streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel.

"Reindeer Games."
ben affleck in Reindeer Games
"Reindeer Games."

Miramax Films

With a cast of A-listers like Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, and Gary Sinise, 2000's "Reindeer Games" is filled with action, multiple plot twists, stolen identities, and Affleck dressed up as Santa attempting to rob a casino.

"Ocean's 11" this is not, but "Reindeer Games" provides the laughs and only a little bit of Christmas cheesiness at the end.

"Reindeer Games" is streaming on Paramount+.

"The Long Kiss Goodnight"
geena davis and samuel l jackson in the long kiss goodnight
"The Long Kiss Goodnight."

New Line Cinema

Geena Davis plays Samantha Caine, a schoolteacher with amnesia who discovers she has the skills of an expert assassin. To figure out who she really is, she hires a private investigator named Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson).Β 

"The Long Kiss Goodnight," released in 1996, also has an iconic action set piece at a Christmas parade where Davis dresses up as Mrs. Claus, if you needed any more convincing to turn this on.

"The Long Kiss Goodnight" is streaming on Pluto TV.

"Tangerine"
tangerine
"Tangerine."

Magnolia Pictures

Sin-Dee Rella, played by Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, meets up with her friend Alexandra, played by Mya Taylor, on Christmas Eve, soon after she was released from prison. This 2015 film follows the two friends on their Hollywood escapades over the next few days as they catch up, look for clients, support each other's work, and more.

"Tangerine" is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

"The Ice Harvest"
"The Ice Harvest"
"The Ice Harvest."

Focus Features

"The Ice Harvest," released in 2005, stars John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton as unlikely allies who team up to steal from their mobster boss, played by Randy Quaid. When the two are stuck in town due to icy roads, they're left to their own devices to entertain themselves in Wichita, Kansas, during the holiday season.

Rounding out the cast is Connie Nielsen as a woman who runs a strip club in town (and is the object of Cusack's affection), Oliver Platt as one of Cusack's friends, and Mike Starr as a mob enforcer.

"The Ice Harvest" is available to rent online.

"Lethal Weapon"
lethal weapon
"Lethal Weapon."

Warner Bros.

The 1987 film "Lethal Weapon" is the story of LAPD narcotics sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and homicide sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) teaming up to take down a criminal conspiracy. It's also another California Christmas film.

Throughout the film, there are many reminders of the holiday season, including lights, Christmas trees β€” and frequent shootings, murders, and more. But it can still be considered a holiday classic!

"Lethal Weapon" is streaming on Hulu.

"In Bruges"
in bruges
"In Bruges."

Universal Pictures

The Belgian city of Bruges has never looked better than in this 2008 film, as it's decorated for the holidays β€” too bad its charms are wasted on Ray (Farrell), who compares being in Bruges to being in hell.

This is a story of redemption and friendship, as Gleeson's character Ken sticks by his friend, even after Ray accidentally kills a kid.

If you enjoyed "The Banshees of Inisherin," which recently starred Farrell and Gleeson, try watching their first collaboration.

"In Bruges" is available to rent online.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I tried 8 different types of store-bought biscuits, and the best melted in my mouth

26 November 2024 at 08:15
all the biscuits i made
All of my biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

  • Biscuits are a beloved side at many Thanksgiving meals.
  • Last Thanksgiving, I tried eight different biscuit mixes and doughs to see which was the tastiest.
  • The original Pillsbury Biscuits and the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits came out on top.

Thanksgiving is upon us, which means families around the country are preparing their kitchens for a long day of cooking.

Not every dish needs to be made from scratch, though. I decided to test eight store-bought biscuit brands to see which might make it to my Thanksgiving table.

In time for the holidays last year, I tried Annie's Organic Flaky Biscuits, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Trader Joe's Organic Biscuits, Immaculate Organic Biscuits, Happy Belly Jumbo Buttermilk Biscuits, and three different kinds from Pillsbury: its Original Flaky Layers, Grands! Southern Homestyle Southern Recipe, and Grands! Southern Homestyle Butter Tastin'. All brands are still available this year, but Happy Belly has rebranded to Amazon Fresh.

All were delicious but some were slightly tastier β€”Β and better value β€” than others.

Here's how I ranked them, from my least favorite to my favorite.

For me, biscuits are one of the most beloved parts of Thanksgiving dinner.
biscuits
I put eight types of store-bought biscuits (from six different brands) to the test.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

There are a lot of options in grocery stores, so I decided to try all the biscuit mixes and doughs I could find β€”Β both in my local store and online β€” ahead of my Thanksgiving feast.

I was looking for biscuits that were light, flaky, and buttery, with a hint of sweetness. I'm put off by biscuits that are thick and cakey, and seem more like dinner rolls.

In my opinion, a good biscuit will taste delicious without needing butter, so I didn't add any butter to the ones I bought, apart from when the biscuits came with it.

I ended up with seven tubes of dough and one boxed mix.
biscuit mixes
The biscuits ahead of my day of baking.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I bought bake-at-home biscuits from Annie's, Red Lobster, Trader Joe's, Immaculate Organic Biscuits, Pillsbury, and Happy Belly, which has since rebranded to Amazon Fresh.

The Red Lobster biscuits were the only ones to come in a box, and its recipe yielded six to 10 biscuits. The other types, which were all canned, each contained eight.

For each tube, I had to peel off the wrapper and use a spoon to pop the seam of the packaging.
a pillsbury biscuit can
A popped biscuit can.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I did this seven times, and it scared me every time.

In terms of preparation, the brands were almost exactly the same.
biscuit dough
Biscuit dough.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

The oven temperatures ranged from 350 to 375 degrees, but that was essentially the only difference between recipes.

I appreciated that the Pillsbury options included directions for using an air fryer, too.

The only baking experience that was significantly different was for the Red Lobster biscuits.
combining the red lobster biscuits
My messy hands.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

The recipe required combining the dry mix, water, and cheese. I then had to portion out the biscuits, leaving me with sticky, messy hands.

The biscuits also mostly looked the same before baking, apart from one.
butter biscuits
Butter Tastin' biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Pillsbury's Butter Tastin' flavor, pictured, looked slightly different β€” it had butter flecks that were visible in the dough.

After a day of baking, I ended up with a platter of golden biscuits and I was ready to compare them.
all the biscuits i made
All of my biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

It took a few hours of swapping out baking sheets in my oven, but eventually it was time to taste them.

My least favorite were the Pillsbury Southern Homestyle Southern Recipe biscuits.
pillsbury southern homestyle grands southern reicpe
Pillsbury Southern Homestyle Grands Southern Recipe.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

The biscuits, which cost $4.99 for eight, emerged from the oven looking golden and smelling delicious, but unfortunately, they tasted dry and cakey to me.

I had a similar experience with the Happy Belly biscuits, now Amazon Fresh.
happy belly jumbo buttermilk biscuits
Happy Belly Jumbo Buttermilk Biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I thought they were more like thick dinner rolls than light biscuits. But at $2.69, these were nearly half the price of the Pillsbury Southern Homestyle Southern Recipe.

The next three brands in my ranking were all virtually indistinguishable from each other.
biscuits
Annie's, Trader Joe's, and Immaculate biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I thought Annie's Organic Flaky Biscuits ($6.49), Trader Joe's Organic Biscuits ($3.99), and Immaculate Organic Biscuits ($7.39) ranked equally.

All three had layers, a similar golden-brown crust, and weren't too heavy.
trader joes biscuits
Trader Joe's biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Since the Trader Joe's biscuits were the cheapest, I'd recommend them first, but you can't go wrong with any of these three options, if they are the brands available to you.

My third favorite biscuits were the Butter Tastin' Pillsbury biscuits.
pillsbury southern homestyle grands butter tastin
Butter Tastin' Pillsbury biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

These cost $4.99 for eight, putting them in the middle of the pack in terms of price.

I was impressed with the subtle flavor.
butter biscuits
Inside the Butter Tastin' biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I was apprehensive that the butter flavoring would be overwhelmingly artificial, but instead, I found there was more of a hint of butter.

My second favorite biscuit was the Pillsbury Original Flaky Layers.
pillsbury flaky layers
Pillsbury Original Flaky Layers.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

These also cost $4.99 for eight.

The Flaky Layers were, indeed, as flaky as any tasty biscuit could hope to be.
pillsbury original flaky layers
Pillsbury Original Flaky Layers.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

During the tasting, I described these as the "platonic ideal of a biscuit."

But by far, my favorite biscuits were the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, which came with a garlic-herb butter.
red lobster biscuits
The Red Lobster biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

At $2.99, they also cost less than most of the others I tried.

They had the perfect crunchy outer layer and a melt-in-your-mouth interior.
red lobster biscuits
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Plus, the garlic butter complemented the sweetness of the biscuit.

Ultimately, I had to declare this brand as the winner.
biscuit selfie
A biscuit selfie.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

If you're short on time and are looking for a more classic biscuit, you can't go wrong with the Pillsbury Original Flaky Layers. But if you have any extra time and counter space this Thanksgiving, I'd recommend the Red Lobster biscuits.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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