The dangerous Christmas toys you won't find in your stocking

Sarah Whyte Electrocuting metal Christmas trees, dangerous firing pistols and remote-controlled helicopters that could catch fire, are some of the toys that will not end up in Christmas stockings this year.

Race is on to get Christmas presents in the click of time

Sarah Whyte IT IS likely you'll hear a cacophony of clicks while you read this as the deadline for online Christmas shopping looms.

Christmas a waste of time, money and presents

Adele Horin LAST Christmas 6 million Australians received one or more presents they never used or later gave away, a new survey by the Australia Institute reveals.

Clearly, they must be worth triple the love

Peter Vincent The amount Australians spend on Mother's Day has grown to $1.4 billion - nearly three times more than is forked out on Father's Day.

DJs puts a new spin on 175 years of history with finds from archivist's wonderland

Effie Mann Nothing is lost to history at David Jones. In the bowels of its Silverwater warehouse, heavy padlocks guard rooms where boxes and filing cabinets brim with artefacts.

Boxing Day

Bargain hunters queue up early as stores look to cash in

Megan Levy It was still Christmas Day when some shoppers began lining up outside Myer, hoping to bag a bargain in the Boxing Day sales frenzy.

Sales day madness replaced with just one click

Bridie Smith, Megan Levy THE age of the Boxing Day sales starting with a bang are over. These digital days, the trample or be trampled approach to discount shopping has been diluted by cyber space.

Kiss and make-up

KATE WATERHOUSE Christmas is just around the corner and if you are stuck this holiday season for what to give that special lady in your life, you can't go wrong popping a few of these fashionable items under the...

Wicked ways

MICHAEL IDATO Fairytales and horror stories, flying reindeer, wicked witches and worlds brought to the brink of sanity.

Sock it to him

Andrew Hornery On the surface, you could be forgiven for thinking not much has really changed in the past few decades when it comes to buying a Christmas gift for the style-conscious male in your life.

Keep on giving

BELLINDA KONTOMINAS Each December, we strive in vain for the perfect trinket that won't break the bank but will at least induce from its recipient a smile.

Ho-ho humming

Asher Moses As a lapsed Jew who equates God with the tooth fairy, Christmas is a time of year I look forward to being bored.

Shooting stars

DANIEL CHENU, 8 Christmas is just the best time of year . . . six weeks of summer holidays to play – I can't wait! Santa knows whether you've been good, so if you want some of this cool stuff, you'd better be good...

It's game on

GEORGINA ROBINSON There is no better time of year than the Christmas holidays to embrace your loved one's passion for sport.

Designer dreams

ALEXIA BIGGS For many, the festive period is an excuse to indulge in as much kitsch as possible. But where does that leave the tinsel-phobic?

Escape reality

LAUREN QUAINTANCE Here's the thing about Christmas: there's more pleasure in the anticipation than in the reward.

Charms and cheer

RUBY MCCULLOCH , 7 Everything about Christmas is fun. I love the Christmas tree and magical decorations, I love the lights on the houses, and I love that I can wake up really early and not get in trouble.

Sleigh-bells bling

MICHELLE HAMER The festive season is all about the bling. We adorn our houses in sparkles, hang shiny baubles and allow the shops their gaudy revelry.

Buck the trend

JOHN SHAKESPEARE Christmas is a great time to spoil the dad in your life, a lovely way to thank him for those endless horsey rides and water-bomb fights he's had to endure throughout the year.

Devour the words

SUSAN WYNDHAM The burning question of the season: is erotica an appropriate Christmas present? The hardest part is knowing whether your recipient is among the dozen or so people who have not yet read E. L.