BUZZ
QUIET REVELRY?
Who says a New Year’s Eve celebration must be loud and raucous? There are low-key alternatives for seeing in 2024 with friends. For instance: • Host a dinner party. Instead of dining out, whip up some easy apps and cocktails for you and a small group of friends. Keep things casual rather than stressing yourself out with a formal sit-down dinner; no one is that hungry by midnight anyway! Stock up: Bergen is home to many gift shops— Pazzazzed in Franklin Lakes, Ginger Home in Westwood and Lily & Kate in Ramsey, for example—where you can find perfect serving ware and dishes for the occasion. • Plan a game night. Tell guests to bring their favorite board games and wear their PJs to your NYE game night. This is an invite anyone above age 35 will be hard put to refuse. Stock up: Shop for board games, puzzles and such for adults and kids at Tons of Toys in Westwood and Wyckoff, MNM Party Store in Fair Lawn or The Grow-Cery in Glen Rock. • Organize a cookie exchange. Christmas is over, but so what? Nobody’s going to turn down amazing homemade baked goods on Dec. 31. The genius of having each guest bring a treat is that you don’t have to prepare too much as host. To up the ante, assign a few people as judges and hold a baking contest, with the winner going home with a “white elephant” gift. Stock up: Get all your baking necessities at a store like Williams-Sonoma in Hackensack or Michaels in Paramus; then shop for ingredients at a Mom’s Organic Market in Paramus, Maywood’s Marketplace or Market Basket in Franklin Lakes. • Make it a movie evening. Have you seen all of the flicks that will be garnering Oscars in the new year? See if you can get any of them on demand on a streaming network like Prime or Netflix. You can set up shop in your family room, or rent a projector outside if you and your guests don’t mind the cold. Stock up: For an outside movie screening, make a trip to Ramsey Outdoor in Ramsey or REI in Paramus for heated blankets, insulated gloves and maybe even some sleeping bags to stay cozy. You can rent a projector through Bergen Audio Visual in Bergenfield. Indoors or out, don’t forget the wine and popcorn!
KUDOS
• Congrats to Mel Landano of Mel’s Butcher Box in Tenafly, who won two of the three awards (including People’s Choice) at the NYC Wine and Food Festival Burger Bash, hosted in October by Rachael Ray. The winning dish, which you can order at her shop, features two four-ounce burgers, aged white cheddar cheese, house-made maple bourbon bacon jam and crispy shallots on a toasted Martin’s potato bun. We’ll take two, please! • A round of applause for Ridgewood’s Keith Dawkins, president of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters, who was recently named chair of the Board of Governors at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Dawkins becomes the first Black chairperson of the board and will stress diversity, inclusion and community engagement in his endeavors with the board. • Bravo to Paramus resident and Academy of the Holy Angels junior Isabella Wisniewski, an up-and-coming vocalist who recently performed at bucket-list venues Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Sydney Opera House. Wisniewski, a member of AHA’s chorus and a cappella ensemble, sang as part of the NYC-based 2023 Honors Performance Series.
LETTERS ARE TREASURES
Texts, emails, e-cards and even DMs have taken over as the preferred mode of communication for many of us. Still, there’s something to be said for a handwritten note, letter or thank-you card—especially during the holiday season. “In this fast-paced world, our customers are looking for ways to connect with others,” says Erica Mazzilli, owner of Lily & Kate in Ramsey. “A handwritten card or note can often do the trick and make that connection. Handwriting a note is really a simple act that we all should do more of.” Independent stationery stores in Bergen are stocked with paper cards, notebooks and sets that you can buy, write out and send—with a stamp, not the click of a button. Some stores even allow you to customize them to fit your personal style (and family name). • Artbox, 260 Bergen Tpke., Little Ferry, 201.426.2060 • Cardsmart, 299 Pascack Rd. A, Township of Washington, 201.666.2709; cardsmart.com • Foster Stationery, 465 S. Washington Ave., Bergenfield, 201.384.6360 • Lily & Kate, 66 E. Main St., Ramsey, 201.327.5459; shoplilykategifts.com • Nikki’s Card Shop, 60 W. Pleasant Ave., Maywood, 201.843.5655; facebook.com/nikkiscardsandgifts/ • Paper Store, 700 Paramus Park Suite 1378, Paramus, 973.949.6300 • The Write Occasion, 630 Wyckoff Ave., Wyckoff, 201.891.8889; thewriteoccasion-gifts.com BERGENMAG.COM
BERG.1223 buzz.indd 20
20
DECEMBER 2023
11/17/23 1:21 PM