Living

Construct a well-built house for the holidays

Unless you have a culinary degree, an incredibly steady hand and a few months to spare, you probably wontt be able to recreate those breathtaking gingerbread houses that dazzle from bakeshop windows.

Breakfast done right brings back memories

For a festive holiday breakfast that will tempt even the most sleepy-eyed, prepare a plate of golden aebelskivers dusted with a snowstorm of powdered sugar. Place alongside one jar of ruby red lingonberry jam and one of luminous (potentially addictive) lemon curd. Sit down with your cups of hot java or sturdy black tea and prepare for simple luxury.

A fabric with green sheen: Fast-growing bamboo offers more ecofriendly cloth

Lacey-area resident Anne Kai owns a small, hand-dyed fabric business with an environmental slant.

Select native plants

Native plant species make great landscaping and restoration plants. That might not sur prise some, but consider this: Besides the natural benefits, they require very little maintenance. Because they are indigenous to our area, they don't require watering once they are established, which typically takes about three years.

Environmental briefs

• Join work parties
• Volunteer to count spawning salmon
• Watershed grants
• Apply for funds

Nontoxic toys for tykes

Don't eat your veggies - at least not these toy ones. Although if kids were to stick these in their mouths, not to worry. They are nontoxic toys made without pesticides. And they're part of several collections of ecofriendly toys available this holiday season.

Today in history

In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French.

What's happening

Saturday

Fight the flu season

Oooh, it's misery.

Raw milk can be harmful to health

Think twice before serving unpasteurized, or raw, milk to children.