“We wish you a Merry Christmas.. We wish you a Merry Christmas.. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year..”

Morning readers! It’s festive time. Santa’s coming with all the goodies for you and me. And as we unwrap our gifts, we move into another calendar year.

And of course that ringing in your ears is jingle bells.. a sweet reminder to prepare for the new year’s eve. But before we begin with the New Year feast, it’s time for us to put on out pretty red dresses and white trousers.

Bloom promises to make your Christmas the best one ever. Right from dinner table recipes to picking up the right dress for the office party, we have it all!

So wake up readers it’s time to prepare!

Well our team has one more reason to celebrate. You would be happy to know that Bloom has successfully completed twenty five issues. This could not be possible without you. Cheers!

We are excited to know how your Christmas was. Feel free to write us at bloom@qimqatar.com. Your feedback is always welcomed. So be it science, technology, lifestyle or fashion take your pick right away! And Facebook users, keeping liking our page!

The Holiday Spirit: Fun, Joyful, and Magical!

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Be aware of your needs. Most of us carry on pretty much as we always have during the holidays, regardless of what is going on in our lives. If you have been experiencing a lot of stress at work, for instance, this may be the holiday season for you and your family to take a vacation or simply to rest up at home. Perhaps your stress has been triggered by a divorce, a career disappointment or a health problem. You may want to opt out of the usual “fun celebrations” and use the holidays as a time for reflection. You may benefit from some form of spiritual nourishment, from reading a few meaningful books or even from visiting a fitness spa.

Realize that you don’t have to do everything yourself. If you’re one of those long-suffering people who get very little enjoyment out of the holiday season because you’re overburdened with the chores of the festival season, stop waiting for things to change. Take charge and delegate tasks to family members. Are you the one who prepares the holiday dinner for a large gathering of family and friends? Maybe you could cook the turkey and ask the guests to bring the trimmings. One person could bring the appetizers, another vegetable casseroles and others the dessert. You can avoid the bother of serving a hot dinner to a large crowd by setting up a buffet and letting the guests help themselves.

Limit your spending. Here are two simple solutions to the problem of gift giving for the many families who are more budget conscious this holiday season:

Draw names. This means that each person buys and receives one gift. In fact, the element of surprise - wondering who drew your name - can make gift giving more fun.

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party and invite your favorite people. You can serve low-calorie foods that are nourishing and satisfying as well as non-alcoholic drinks.

Help others. One of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season is to be charitable. Giving time, affection and care to others, especially those in need is the most rewarding experience of all. Some of us may know of at least one elderly person who would value a special friendly visit.

Recognize when holiday rituals become a burden, not a pleasure. Perhaps some of your fondest memories are of decorating the tree when your children were small. Now that they are teenagers however, it’s just a big hassle to get them to help. Realize that times have changed and that your family may no longer find this ritual meaningful. Put up a few decorations or lights, if you want, but forget about a tree - at least for this year. Who knows, you may find the tree trimming ritual welcomed back by popular demand next year.

Try to develop a positive attitude toward the holiday season. All too often, we tend to focus on the negative aspects of the holidays - the commercialism, the holiday crush at shopping malls and the unending chores. This year make the effort to see the magic that is part of the holiday celebrations. Regardless of your religious background, you can enjoy the music, the lights and the decorations in the store windows.

Be realistic. Think for a moment. Do you expect too much of the holidays? All of us have to learn to accept reality - life isn’t perfect. And seldom are holiday celebrations like the glossy photographs we see in magazines this time of year. A focus on impossible expectations may be harmful in that it results in disappointment and unhappiness. It doesn’t matter which holiday you celebrate. Creating a positive mood for yourself and making good things happen as a result applies to any situation. So create your own holiday tradition: preparing to feel joyful and fulfilled.

If we can’t have a perfect holiday season, we can have many happy moments. Let these suggestions help you to create a very special gift for yourself - your best holiday season ever!

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by the rules. If there is a limit to the cost of the gift, don’t be tempted to show off by spending more money.

Agree on spending limits for gifts. Talk with those persons in your life to whom you give gifts and from whom you receive gifts, well in advance. Explain your point of view and you may well be pleasantly surprised that they express relief because they are feeling the same way. Those who want to give a more expensive gift can wait until another special occasion such as Valentine’s Day or the person’s birthday.

Don’t overindulge in food and drink. The round of holiday parties can be especially difficult for those recovering from dependence on some substance. If overindulgence is your problem and you think the temptations might be too great, politely decline invitations to parties. But don’t think this means you must miss out on the festivities. Throw your own small

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Rania Salama

So how can we capture the excitement? One way is to think of holiday preparation as fun — something to be enjoyed as much as the actual holidays themselves.

Preparation is about more than just planning and scheduling. It’s also about getting our spirits ready and open to the joy that’s possible, and then creating that joy for ourselves and others through our actions.

In anticipating your holiday mood we should always look forward to something fun where getting caught up in preparing is where good feelings begin. Expecting good things puts us in a happy and excited mood. When we feel happy and excited, we can actually create the good experiences we want.

It’s easy for positive emotions to build and grow. That’s one reason why the holiday spirit is so contagious. When one person is happy, it can lift the spirits of others. They in turn pass this happiness on, and it all keeps going like a game of happy tag. It’s no surprise that people say they wish the holiday mood could continue all year.

Being in a spectacularly great mood doesn’t mean there has to be a spectacular event to look forward to. In fact, it’s often the simple things that are the most meaningful and create the most joy for people.

So what mood do you want to create this holiday? Is it one of joy and fun? Peace and love? Giving and sharing? It’s time to think about what might make a special holiday season for you, your family, and friends.

There are a number of things we can do to make ourselves happier during the upcoming holiday season. Here are some:

Be Slim and Healthy during the Festive Season

With the festive season fast approaching, we look at ways to enjoy our food and drink without packing on the usual Christmas holiday pounds.

Hands up if you’ve ever said to yourself that you’re going to cut down on your Christmas eating and drinking this year, only to give in to the inevitable over-indulgence that makes the festive season so, well, festive?

According to the British Dietetic Association (BDA), on average we eat our way through as many as 6,000 calories just on Christmas Day – thanks to all those second helpings of Christmas pudding, mince pies, Belgian chocks, and savory snacks.

It’s almost impossible to resist. After all, it’s just one day, isn’t it? The problem, however, is

that Christmas isn’t just one day any more. And thanks to all that overeating and drinking, we gain an average of 5lbs in weight over the festive period.

At Christmas we’re always surrounded by lots of lovely food and drink, and while there is no reason to feel guilty about enjoying yourself it’s easy to overeat.

It’s important to enjoy yourself over the festive period, but taking some simple steps can contribute to a healthy and enjoyable festival period and may even stop you worrying about the post-Christmas crash diet.

While many of the traditional foods are actually very low in fat, it’s the trimmings and extra nibbles that can add the pounds. So go easy on these and take smaller portions of the roast potatoes, gravy, puddings and stilton. And finally, try to take some exercise over the festive period such as brisk walking or cycling.

Healthy habitsNot all Christmas

food and drink is unhealthy. Here are just a few reasons why festive eating and drinking may be better for you than you might think:

Have lots of vegetables. You might even get all five servings of your daily veg with your Christmas dinner if you tuck in to brussel sprouts, parsnips, red cabbage, peas, carrots and other favorites.

Keep your food fresh. Christmas dinner may well consist of plenty of vegetables, but it’s usually fresh vegetables that makes a welcome change if you normally exist on ready meals.

Eating healthy snacks. As long as you not eat too many of the high-calorie foods, high-fat snacks such as mince pies and chocolate Brazils, there are plenty of healthier options including satsumas, dates, figs, walnuts and chestnuts. Also go for plain popcorn, pretzels, raw veggies and low-fat dips.

Try eating healthy spices. The traditional Christmas spices – including cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger – don’t just make food taste delicious, they may help boost your health too. For instance, cinnamon and ginger are traditionally used to help with digestion.

Go for a post-meal walk. Many families take a festive stroll after lunch on Christmas and Boxing Day, which is a great way to start walking off all the calories you’ve eaten.

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High-fat Festive Foods

The official recommendations for daily fat intake are 70g or 20g saturated fat for women and 95g or 30g saturated fat for men. Indulge in some Christmas foods, however, and your daily fat intake might more than double. Here’s what to avoid (or at least, eat sparingly) if you want to fit in your party dress by New Year’s Eve.Macadamia nuts - 23g per handfulBrazil nuts - 24g per handful Wrapped chocolates - 8g for 4 assorted Sausage meat stuffing - 16g fat per 100g Roast potatoes - 4.5g fat per 100g Strawberry trifle - 10g per serving Double cream - 7g per tbsp.Sour cream dip - 6g per tbsp Sausage rolls - 5g per mini roll Brandy butter - 5g per tbsp.

10Ways to Avoid the Winter Bug

December is when infections tend to become prevalent. Here, we look at some ways you can minimize your risk of catching colds and flu.

Keep warm

Granny was right - keeping warm can help you avoid coughs, colds and flu. After our exceptionally mild autumn, people won’t be used to dressing warmly for the wintry weather, we will be more likely to feel the cold and start to shiver.

Shivering depresses the immune system and this makes us more likely to catch colds. Also, lower levels of sunlight and altered levels of hormones such as melatonin and serotonin negatively affect how the immune system performs.’ We lose up to 30per cent of our body heat through our heads - so wear a hat.

through our heads - so wear a hat.

Wash your hands Although most infections are

mainly carried in the air and transmitted by the “aerosol” effect when someone sneezes, germs can be transmitted by physical contact and enter the body when infected hands touch vulnerable parts like our eyes, mouth, and nose.

These areas offer easy access to invading germs despite being equipped with defense mechanisms such as mucous and hair. Washing hands often - and drying them on disposable paper towels (or laundering hand towels regularly) - can significantly reduce the chances of catching a virus, especially the rotavirus, which tends to infect children and causes vomiting and diarrhea.

Watch the weather Low cloud, dull and misty

conditions tend to bring an increase in germs. Viruses survive longer when the weather is moist. They can hang in the air attached to water droplets more easily, and when it’s cloudy and dull there are fewer breezes to blow the germs away.

This is the time when you’re more likely to catch something - although you may not notice you’ve done so until ten to 12 days later, the incubation period for many colds and coughs.

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Avoid huddling and heating

Because people are much closer together physically during winter, this makes it easier for infections to pass between people. Department stores bustling with shoppers and people gathering for parties all make catching a cold more likely.

Central heating reduces our defenses and affects the respiratory system by drying out the protective mucous in our nasal passages. The dry, stuffy air of central heating can also lead to sore throats and aggravate chest complaints like asthma. A humidifier can help.asthma. A humidifier can help.

Zinc and garlic The mineral zinc is essential to

help fight colds and provide a boost to a flagging immune system. Good food sources include meat, oysters,

eggs, seafood, tofu, black- eyed peas and wheat germ are a few examples. Zinc and Vitamin C make a great cold-busting duo.

Garlic helps ease chest complaints and small amounts taken daily may also reduce the frequency of colds and flu. also reduce the frequency of coldsand flu.

Drink plenty

Doctors recommend we drink about eight glasses of water a day to stay health. Water helps the kidneys function properly and flushes out the toxins that accumulate in our bodies.

If you have a cold, being dehydrated makes your mucus drier and thicker and less able to cope against invading bacteria and viruses. If you’ve already caught a cold, drinking plenty of fluids will help flush out the infection. caught a cold, drinking plenty offluids will help flush out the infection.

Sleep soundly Lack of sleep makes us more prone

to infection. But it’s not a matter of simply sleeping for longer, as some people - especially those who are positively motivated - can have fewer than seven hours’ sleep every night and not suffer at all.

Moods also affect our ability to fight off infections, and if you feel stressed you are more likely to become ill compared to when you’re feeling buoyant, happy and relaxed.become ill compared to when you re feeling buoyant, happy and relaxed.

Keep on moving Don’t underestimate the

importance of regular activity, especially in winter. Apart from

keeping our circulation going, regular moderate exercise increases the number of natural killer (NK) cells in our bodies.

These lymphocytes in the bloodstream and the mucosal layer of the nose and airways travel around our bodies scavenging foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

When you exercise, NK levels go up and stay elevated for about 36 hours afterwards. However, if you exercise too much, this will actually lower levels of NK cells.this will actually lower levels of NK ce

Take vitamins and probiotics

Taking a daily multivitamin is especially important in the winter when we may be less likely to be eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables, and are also more at risk from infection.

Probiotics, such as lactobacilli and bifid bacteria, are ‘friendly’ bacteria in our intestines and increasingly recognized for their importance not only in maintaining a healthy digestive system, but for improving the body’s natural defense mechanisms. Studies have shown that taking probiotic supplements can improve the body’s resistance to bacterial and viral infections.

Buy a tree. Live trees take extra care and maintenance, as they tend to lose their needles and dry out if you don’t keep them watered. If you do not wish to take the extra time and effort to maintain a live tree, get an artificial tree. Make sure the tree is the right size for the room you are putting it in; don’t get a 12 foot tree when you only have an 8 foot ceiling!!

Put up the tree in your desired position. Make sure it is not in the way of anything. Get help if needed. When setting up the tree you will need a brace at the bottom to hold the tree in place to make sure the tree is straight from all sides. You don’t want to have a tree that is leaning too much, because it may fall if there’s too much weight on one side.

It’s Christmas, and that means lots of decorations! A Christmas tree is a famous item to use. The tree

can’t just be a plain old one! You need to improve and beautify it with more decorations!

Tips on Decorating a Tree

Get a tree skirt to have some flare to the lower part of the tree. Tree skirts are great for live trees since they not only add as a bit of decoration to the bottom of the tree, but also catches needles that fall if you have a live tree. This should be put over the brace if there’s no cut in the skirt to allow you to put it on after of the tree.

Start adding finishing touches. This may include bows, more ornaments, and a synthetic pickle. A bow to add to your tree.

In case you were wondering, the pickle is too be hidden in the tree. Your children, if you have any, are to try to look for it. The one who finds it gets a small prize, such as candy. This gives a chance for your children to enjoy the decorations.

Christmas Star. Last, but not the very least, place the star on the tree.

Find a tree topper. Tree toppers vary from stars to angels and even snowflakes! Pick one that complements the other ornaments and the color scheme

Buy some strings of Christmas lights to hang on the tree (optional). These should be put on first, before you put the ornaments on. You can buy LED lights or mini incandescent lights. LED are best for live trees since they don’t heat up quickly. You can also get lights that are all one color (like white), or that have a variety of colors. If you have a color scheme going, you may want to think about getting lights that are all one color. Hang these from the top down, making a nice spiral all the way around the tree right to the bottom branches.

Take out the ornaments first. These are probably the most important part, and will make the “personality” of your tree.

Hang the ornaments mainly on the outside branches of the tree. Spread the ornaments around so they are not crowded in one area, or have one too many on a certain branch. This way you can put other ornaments to complement these ornaments.

you wish to create for your tree. Always put this on last, as it is tradition to do so. Some tree toppers have little holding for putting a light in. Remember that you will have to coordinate what kind of lights you are getting to get the right kind of light to fit in that tree topper. If you don’t want to get a tree topper that lights up, that’s fine as well.

Turn off the lights of the room, turn on the Christmas lights of the tree, step back and study the tree. If it’s to your satisfaction, then you have a beautiful Christmas tree!

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Here comes Christmas.. to tickle your taste buds!

It’s Christmas time! And festivals with a

feast are a must. But what do we have for

dinner? Of course you want your guests to

love it. Who doesn’t? So to make sure your

cooking brings in a lot a compliments

on the special night, follow these

recipes and see the magic!

Buche de NoelNo one would say no to desserts! A perfect Christmas menu is never complete without a chocolate dessert that makes you go weak on your knees!Ingredients:5 large egg yolks1 1/3 cups sugar1/3 cup vegetable oil3 tablespoons cocoa powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour4 large egg whitesChocolate ganacheChestnut pastry cream1/3 cup slivered almonds, toastedMarzipan, or 8 ounces store-bought marzipanConfectioners’ sugar, for dusting work surface and decoratingMeringue mushroomsDirections:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.Place egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm. Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until room temperature. Add vegetable oil and 5 tablespoons water; fold to combine.In a large bowl, sift together cocoa powder, baking soda, and flour; set aside. In another bowl attached to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add egg whites. Add remaining 1 cup sugar to egg whites in 3 batches, whisking to dissolve the sugar after each addition; continue to beat egg whites until firm but not dry. Fold flour mixture into egg yolk mixture, alternating with egg white mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until springy to the touch, 8

to 10 minutes. Immediately lift

cake out of baking sheet using parchment

paper and transfer to another baking sheet. Let cool to room

temperature.Place parchment paper side down, on

work surface. Trim about 1 inch from all sides of the cake and discard trimmings. Spread cake

evenly with 1/4 of the ganache; let stand until set. Spread chestnut pastry cream evenly over the layer of

ganache; sprinkle with toasted almonds.On a clean work surface, roll marzipan into a log 17 inches in length. Position the cake on your work surface with the long side of the cake parallel to the edge of your work surface. Place marzipan near the edge of the long side nearest to the edge of your work surface. Begin rolling cake to enclose marzipan, pulling away the parchment paper as you roll. Use the paper to then wrap the rolled cake, twisting each end to fit the size of the cake. Transfer cake to freezer and freeze for 1 hour.Unwrap the cake and trim 1/4 inch from each end. Cut each end on the diagonal to form a small triangular piece from each end. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan and place cake on top of rack. Pour 1/2 of the remaining ganache over the cake. Adhere triangles to the sides of the cake to form branches. Pour remaining ganache over the cut pieces to glaze.Transfer cake to a serving platter. Dip your index finger into a small bowl of confectioners’ sugar and make a fingerprint in the centre of all four cut sides. Using two different-size small round cookie cutters or glasses, dip the edges into confectioners’ sugar and place around the fingerprints to form the rings in a cut log. Decorate cake and platter with meringue mushrooms. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Serves 10 to 12)

Coconut SnowmenOur snowman is made of vanilla ice cream rolled in coconut. His eyes, mouth, and buttons are liquorice candies, his carrot nose marzipan, and his hat a toasted marshmallow atop a chocolate cookie. To make these snowmen, you will need three ice-cream scoops in varied sizes. Shoestring liquorice cut into small pieces can also be used for the buttons, eyes, and mouth. Well, the whole idea of preparation in itself seems super exciting. Imagine how it would taste!Ingredients:2 1/2 pints best-quality vanilla ice creamTwo 7-ounce packages coconutOrange food colouringFor the nose1 tablespoon marzipan (1/4 ounce)For the eyes, mouth, and buttons40 Sen Sen liquorice candiesFor the hat

4 marshmallows4 chocolate wafersSifted confectioners’ sugarDirections:

Line a baking pan that fits in your freezer with parchment paper. Scoop the vanilla ice cream, rounding scoops as much as possible, until you have 4 of each size, and place on the prepared baking pan. Place the pan in the freezer to harden for 15 minutes.Remove the ice cream from the freezer, and roll in coconut. Return to pan, then return the pan to the freezer. Add orange food colouring to marzipan until carrot colour is attained. Shape marzipan into small carrot shapes, using a paring knife to make ridges. Remove 1 small scoop of ice cream at a time from the freezer, and make faces using Sen Sen for eyes and mouth and marzipan carrots for the nose. Return to freezer until ready to serve.Remove middle-size scoops from the freezer one at a time; place Sen Sen in a row down the front to create buttons. Remove remaining scoops from freezer, and stack to create snowmen, pressing slightly to adhere. Return snowmen to freezer.Make the top hats by roasting marshmallows on skewers over a gas burner. Alternatively, place marshmallows on a baking sheet under the broiler, and cook until browned, rotating every few seconds. Place the toasted marshmallow on the chocolate wafer, and dust with sifted confectioners’ sugar. Place the hat on the snowmen just before serving. (Makes 4)

Sydney, Australia

To be one of the first in the world to ring in the New Year, go to Syd-ney. Here, you can witness abso-lutely stunning fireworks accom-panied by music exploding over the Sydney Harbor Bridge. More than a million people gather around Sydney Harbor for Midnight Fire-works, countdown and party.

London, UKLondon is welcoming travelers to celebrate New Year’s with aston-ishing fireworks launched into the sky off the 135 meter London Eye, projecting a light show throughout the city. The show starts after Big Ben chimes midnight and lasts for 15 minutes.

Las Vegas,USAEnjoy New Year’s dinner in

Paris, ring in the New Year in New York and have a great New Year’s party in Venice - you can do all of it during one New Year’s Eve in Ve-gas! A huge party on the Las Vegas Strip, tremendous fireworks over the hotels, light and sound shows at the Fremont Experience, best entertainers in the showrooms and great parties.

Venice, ItalyCelebrate La Festa Di San Silves-

tro, the holiday that is celebrated in Italy on December 31 and Il Capodanno, on January 1, Vene-tian style. The celebration goes on with professional fireworks dis-play along the waterfront. Parties around the town last until sunrise, so you can witness the first sunrise of the newborn year. Don’t forget to wear red on New Year’s Eve! Ital-ians say it’ll bring you luck in the coming year.

Paris, FranceParis offer many ways to say

Bonne Annee for Parisians and tourists. From top-notch dining to clubbing to fantastic fireworks on the Champs-Elysees - New Year’s Eve in Paris is unforgettable. The Sacre Coeur in Montmarte, being one of the best viewpoints in Paris, is another fantastic place to ring in the New Year.

R.S.New Year’s Eve is celebrated world-wide by all people, regard-less of their nationality and religion. We are all waiting for this special night and carefully preparing for it. Many people even believe that a fulfillment of an upcoming year depends on how you spend your New Year’s Eve. If it is full of joy and happiness, then a new year will be full of joy and happiness and vice versa. Many people like to stay at home with their families and friends. Others like to travel - some to ski resorts, some to exotic islands, some to a new city. And if you finally want to visit a city you always wanted to visit, New Year’s Eve is a perfect time to do so. That is a magical time when all of the cities around the world are more gloriously alive than they usually are. Here you are 10 best cities to be for New Year’s Eve in order to have unforgettable New Year’s celebration.

Cities with the biggest New Year’s celebration

New York, USAJoin thousands of people at Times Square to witness the famous ball drop.

Millions people all over the world hold their breath watching Times Square on New Year’s Eve waiting to see Waterford Crystal New Year’s Eve Ball descending from the flagpole atop one of Times Square buildings. The festivities continue after midnight with remarkable fireworks around the city.

FAUCHON - Qatar’s well-loved confectioner and ca-terer announced that it has opened its latest outlet at the Royal Plaza mall. The brand new outlet is located on the first floor of Royal Plaza. Speaking on the latest expansion Nasser Kalla, General Manager Fauchon, said that the popular brand is delighted to be able to serve in a whole new geographical area, and bring its delectable delights to a loyal and growing client base. Fauchon products now available at Royal Plaza include Pastries, Chocolates, Cakes, Confectionary, Tea, Spic-es & Condiments. The world renowned brand is val-ued for its free-spirited creativity and truly luxurious gourmet patisserie, revisiting the great French classics and inventing flavoursome new takes on old favorites in likes of éclairs, macaroons, babas, millefeuilles, and other delicacies.

FAUCHON’s exceptional range of confectionery use bold flavors and colors carefully selected ingredients and traditional production methods. It includes such delights as chocolates, candied chestnuts, nougat, caramels, candy and fruit jellies, in ultra-elegant, jew-elry-style boxes. Fauchon’s pick-your-own selections are also hugely popular in Qatar. The Eclaire and The

Madeline have become a house specialty symbol of the mix of tradition and contemporary delicacies.

Fauchon has a rich heritage and history that is cel-ebrated focal point of the brand. Michel Ducros, a ma-jor stake holder in the group since 1998, took over as president in 2004. Determined to mainteain August Fauchon’s tradition of uniqueness, he launched a radi-cal plan and revitalized the brand, highlighting the French origins of the product range with the “Made in F – Made in Fauchon, Made in France” approach.

The current Fauchon outlet at Salwa Road is poised to undergo a renovation that will reflect the new con-cept of the brand. The new Fauchon Brand Identity was launched as always to go along with the new crea-tions.

Creative, Joyful and Liberated in its approach Fau-chon has sculptured the deserts that are custom cre-ated. According to the master Chefs of Fauchon “Each pastry creation is celebration where color, shapes, fla-vor and texture make every Fauchon product an origi-nal, harmonious and unforgettable whole”.

FAUCHON Royal Plaza

To offer FAUCHON is to share the joy of French cuisine: creative, glamour and refined... A matter of Taste.

The 2010-2011 collection unveil its trends: visual, emotional and taste sensations. This gourmet triptych is the signature of the new line of FAUCHON chocolates and inspires the creation of new gift boxes and custom made compositions.

Knowledgeable gourmets, fans of savoury and sweet treats, cooking enthusiasts, foie gras lovers, connoisseurs of captivating fl avoured teas and full-bodied coffees, lovers of macaroons and delicatessen...

FAUCHON puts its expertise and savoir-faire as a grocer, baker and confectionery chef into every occasion or celebration so that each of your gifts is a gesture of exception.

FAUCHONGIFTS

Macbook AirYou’re probably thinking, “that special someone will have to be pretty

darn special for me to cough up 5000+ Qrs for a Christmas gift!” You may have a point, but if you’re lucky enough to have someone to gift this to, then it’ll be a truly merry Christmas to you both!

The Macbook Air by Apple is a thin notebook that offers latest-genera-tion Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, high-speed Thunderbolt technology, all-flash storage, multi-touch trackpad which gives you some truly amaz-ing gesture-control features, a backlit keyboard and a long-lasting battery with up to 7 hours on the 13-inch model and 30 days on standby mode.

Weekly App Review

Christmas C@rdsFestive Seasons App

Get in the spirit of the holidays with this happy little app that will put you and your loved ones in the Christmas spirit.

App Features:

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Has a database of over 50 card templates.

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The clock is ticking and you’re run-ning out of options! That’s right, it’s the dreaded holiday season which has arrived yet again to keep you running around in a frenzy trying to scrounge up that perfect gift to that special someone. Well fret no more, Bloom will give you the heads up on this sea-son’s top selling technology gift ideas that will get your family and friends ecstatic and ever-so grateful that they know you!

Top 5 tech gifts this Christmas

Kindle FireMade by Amazon, the Kindle Fire is a tablet extension of the popular Kindle Book Reader.

It runs on Android OS, in other words its hooked to the Android store, which means there are thousands of apps available for download. The Kindle Fire is a budget-friendly device which won’t leave a hole in your pocket, and still be able to provide its user with the tablet experience.

The Kindle Fire has 8GB of built in storage with the option to upgrade with an in-creased capacity memory card. The resolution is 1024 by 600 pixels, and its battery life offers 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback.

PlayStation 3Sony’s PlayStation 3 is a modern video game console that has all the latest game, a

built-in Blu-ray player, and can connect online to allow for a truly fantastic multiplayer simulation. Whether you’re special someone is a 10 year-old kid, or a 30 year-old col-league with a fondness for gaming, you can never go wrong with a PS3!

The console also offers many accessory gift ideas such as the PlayStation move control-ler, a charging station for move controllers, a wireless keypad and Blu-ray remote control.

Nintendo WiiSince we already plugged the PS3, we can’t forget our origins and the brand that started

it all, Nintendo! The Nintendo Wii is a social gaming console that comes with the new Super Mario Bros. Wii game, Wii Remote Plus controller, Nunchuk controller, sensor bar, standard composite cable and a power cord. All of which comprise a handy gaming experience. Not only that, the Wii can be used to get in shape with its popular fitness games that have gained great popularity over the short few years.

The Wii also has the ability to create users’ own Mii characters, can connect to the Inter-net with access to video streaming sites, new & classic downloadable games and much more.

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iPhone 4SAt number 1, it’s everyone’s favorite brand name yet again! Apple continues its streak of creating hot

sellers with its iPhone 4S leading this holiday season with a swirl of media attention and hype. Released in October 2011, the iPhone 4S introduced Siri, the built-in intelligent assistant that responds to voice

commands. Although not so helpful in the Middle East yet, and the language support it provides is only for English, German & French, it does however give its user a delightful experience and feeling of being ahead of

the pack as they blur out voice commands to their iPhone as spectators gaze away!Other features of the iPhone 4S include the dual-core a5 chip, which allows the phone to deliver up to two

times more power and up to seven times faster graphics than its predecessors; the 8-megapixel resolution camera; video recording in 1080p HD, bringing over 200 new features to the iPhone 4S; the high-resolution retina display;

FaceTime; and the amazingly feature-filled iOS 5 with its stupendously more attractive and efficient interface.The iPhone 4S is available in all major outlets in Qatar, but hurry up and get one soon since thousands are already

on pre-order status!

The Physics of Santa ClausR.S.

About this time of year, inquisitive children of a certain age begin to question whether Santa is real. After all, Santa has a major delivery prob-lem. There are some 2 billion children in the world expecting Christmas presents. Assuming an average of 2.5 children per household, Santa has to visit about 800 million homes scattered around the globe.

The distance Santa has to travel can be esti-mated from the following. First, while the sur-face area of Earth is about 1014 square meters, only about 30 percent of that is land mass, or about 0.3 x 1014 square meters. Second, we will assume, for simplicity’s sake, that the 800 mil-lion homes are equally distributed on this land mass. Dividing 0.3 x 1014 by 800 million gives 4 x 104 square meters occupied by every house-hold (about six football fields); the square root of that is the distance between households, about 200 meters. Multiply this by the 800 million households to get the distance Santa must travel on Christmas Eve to deliver all the children’s gifts: 160 million kilometers, farther than the distance from here to the sun.

Thanks to the rotation of the earth, Santa has more time than children might initially think. Standing on the International Date Line, mov-ing from east to west and crossing different time zones, Santa has not just 10 hours to deliver his presents (from 8 p.m., when children go to bed, until 6 a.m., when they wake up), but an extra 24

hours— 34 hours in all.Even so, Santa’s task is daunting. Now, some

have guessed that Santa accomplishes his task by traveling at a speed close to that of light—let’s say, 99.999999 percent of the speed of light. By traveling that fast, in fact, Santa can deliver all his presents in just 500 seconds or so, with plenty of time left over (the remainder of the 34 hours) to polish off the cookies the children have left him on their kitchen tables.

There are certain consequences, however, of Santa’s traveling at this frantic pace. For exam-ple: First, children may not be able to see Santa racing across the dark night sky, but they may be able to see a trail of light caused by Cerenkov radiation, a phenomenon created when charged objects travel faster than the speed of light (which they can do in transparent media, but not in a vacuum). Since the basic component of our atmosphere is nitrogen, light is slowed to 99.97 percent of its usual speed of 300,000 kilometers per second. Santa travels faster than this and undoubtedly is charged; as a consequence, then, he will emit visible photons. Unfortunately, that light will be obscured caused by the friction created when Santa rushes through the atmos-phere. Also, Santa might roast in all this heat, but we’ll presume that Santa’s sleigh, like space capsules, has special protective shielding.

Second, children will notice that as Rudolph, Santa’s lead reindeer, is rushing toward their homes, his nose is no longer red. The color de-pends on just how fast Rudolph is moving, turn-

ing yellow, then green, then blue, then violet, and finally turning in-visible in the ultraviolet range as he accelerates to higher and higher speeds. This change in color is a well-known phenomenon, called the Doppler shift, which astronomers take ad-vantage of to figure out the speeds with which the stars and galaxies in our expanding universe are moving with respect to us; from that information, the distances to these celestial objects can be deduced. Using the ac-companying table, children can determine how fast Rudolph is traveling by noting the color of his nose.

One worry Santa has is whether, with his ir-remediable girth, he’ll be able to squeeze into all those chimneys. Traveling at nearly the speed of light makes the problem worse, because Santa gains mass (his kinetic energy adds to his mass, as Einstein’s famous E = mc2 attests). Children believe that Santa will easily fit in the chimney, because from their frame of reference, even though Santa is heavier, he has contracted. From Santa’s frame of reference, though, the chimney is narrower than Santa is.

But children need not fear. The theory of rela-tivity assures us that Santa will fit, and their packages will be delivered on time.

Chil-d r e n might also wonder why San-ta never seems to age. From year to year, he retains his cherub face and merry laugh, his long white beard and his round belly that jiggles like a bowlful of jelly. The fact is that for objects traveling at close to the speed of light, time slows down. So, the more packages Santa delivers, the more he’ll travel, and the more he’ll remain the same, carrying on the Christmas tradition for generations of chil-dren to come.

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Chil-d r e n might also wonder why San-ta never seems to age. From year to year, he retains his cherub face and merry laugh

When it comes to Christmas traditions, the office party is up there with getting all jazzed up with the preparations.

But deciding what to wear to the party can represent a major fashion conundrum. Should you dress up in an eye-catching evening gown, or go for a relaxed, informal look with some ladies knitwear? To avoid making a seasonal faux pas, the trick is to get the right tone for the occasion and choose your outfit accordingly.

Christmas parties really do vary hugely. Some companies splash out on a fancy meal followed by a night on the tiles, while others are somewhat more low-key. If your office is keeping the celebrations in-house, a dress might look a little overkill, so keep it casual with some stylish ladies knitwear. Banish all thoughts of the frumpy jumpers your grandma used to knit for you though, instead choose something chic and fitted like a bolero cardigan or a tunic-sweater.

Look fabulousat your Christmas office party

Go for a shirt that has more color and character. You want to show that you can loosen up and have fun when the time calls for it. Wearing a more “stand-out” shirt creates the perfect balance between being too formal (tie & suit) and under-dressed (t-shirt and cargo pants).

The key is to make a big splash, but not big enough that you are the only center of attention. The ideal outfit is one that allows you to make a big entrance and the fade into the background. It may sound contradictory, but you don’t want anyone to know exactly when you left. What you wear defines you in the eyes of those around you; bear that in mind when you dress and you should do fine.

Essentially, be careful. Because your co-workers only see you in “work mode,” it’s tempting to go overboard with an outfit that says “this is who I really am!” But on Monday you’ll be back in the office -- hopefully with no regrets.

Paola Frani began to design clothes for women at a very early age.She was born and still lives in the land of Fellini’s ‘Dolce Vita’, Romagna, where there are strong entrepreneurial traditions and a powerful, cultural vivacity. Indeed, some sociologists call it ‘the pleasure zone’, as it is an area where culture, art, entertainment, and new trends merge.

Paola Frani has developed its own conceptual style that is always fascinating and ahead of the times. The collections have numerous reference points, from the cinema to contemporary art. Schifano, Schnabel, Futurism and Pop Art are just some recurring examples. Personality and a strong identity mark the designer’s work that differs from Made in Italy because of its originality, which is far from the usual clichés and is not standardized, something which often characterizes the large fashion groups.

Paola Frani spa originates from a great passion for fashion and good

taste for style. An inborn good taste that has become a way to be the protagonist of a multishaped, funny and multifaceted diversity. Paola Frani style changes in a background of timeless beauty that does not renounce and always renew itself.

Bound to its inspirational archetypes, it changes in a total look, spreading it aesthetical message to the whole body complexity, as a projection on the emotions, desires, ambitions and expectations of customers.

It produces and distributes high quality and vanguard apparel, travelling through traditional fashion times and developing a creative, innovative and global approach.

Paola Frani, strong interpreter of customers` desires, wants to increase the production and sales volumes, in order to distribute its Made in Italy style all over the world.

Paola Frani SPA strong points are:

Creativity

Dinamism

Ability to anticipate fashion trends

Modern and effective production structure

Ability to relate to all markets

Technology and logistics high level

Fast decision procedure

Managing and operative flexibility

Spring/ Summer 2012

Mood/Style:

Paola Frani’s 2012 Spring/Summer collection of is a hymn to change, to transformation. What shows is a gentile, post-modern lady expressed through delicate, bon-ton attire, but from her sassy soul, she expresses joie de vivre. Femininity is not screamed out, but still remains at the forefront with the accomplices of dècor and sequins that embellish the afternoon and evening dresses. Composure is the key of this style, which gracefully harmonizes chaos and fragmentary

Lengths:

Very short dresses and shorts; long dresses

Colors:

Neutral nuances, white everywhere, is accompanied by florescent details – such as yellow and red – like streaks of light and fantasy: pixeled landscape prints, wave prints, pop prints. Orange, lime, and turquoise illuminate the collection

Fabrics:

Silk, piquet, organza, macramé, cotton, habotai. Micro-sequins and embroidered crystals

Shapes:

Box dresses or little shell-effect dresses; precise and regular cuts for plays on geometry and clean lines. Long, flowing dresses, little airy dresses, short or long jumpsuits

Accessories:

Platform sandals with florescent details, hard collars in plexi-gold