good morning. nightmare before christmas. deadly spring like storms hit the south, spawning a rare but vicious tornado outbreak. >> it's like ten to fifteen houses totally gone. >> the twisters launching a path of destruction across several states. powerful winds tossing around semis like toy trucks. that severe weather now moving east. grounded. the frightful weather also snarling one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. more than 5,000 delays at airports across the country. airlines looking for a christmas miracle to get everyone home for the holidays.

senator ted cruz stepping up his response to a "washington post" editorial cartoon depicting his daughters as monkeys. >> leave our kids alone. >> as donald trump leads in a new national poll and eludes to more attacks on the way against hillary clinton. >> i really haven't gone after hillary yet, and there's a lot to go after. and the ultimate christmas surprise. >> oh! >> what special gift that has this woman so excited? we'll tell you today, thursday, december 24th, christmas eve, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on this christmas eve. i'm matt lauer, alongside hoda kotb. savannah continues on vacation.

excited over a pair of socks for the holidays? >> i want to tell why she's excited. i'm told we have to keep it under wraps until later in the show. >> we'll get to that. we want to start with our top story, and that is severe weather that has hit the south. dangerous storms generating tornadoes. more than a dozen reported in mississippi alone. mark potter is in clarkdale, mississippi, where hundreds are waking up without homes for >> this is one of the houses struck by the tornado. the roof collapsed, the house is knocked off the foundation. fortunately, no one was killed here, but elsewhere in the storm zone, the death toll now stands at at least seven. >> reporter: people throughout the south and midwest are waking up this morning following a and tornadoes. this twister battered the area around batesville, mississippi, killing a 7-year-old boy. even storm chasers were forced

>> we spoke with the uncle of that 7-year-old and said they got to a car to try to take tornado hit. devastated. >> that is tornado damage if i've ever seen it. you see trees stripped like that. that is very serious damage. >> look at this, the tornado caught on camera. >> reporter: another large and dangerous twister moved through northwest mississippi, touching down near clarksdale, vav ravaging more than homes. >> ten to fifteen homes, totally gone. >> it's a shock. i'm surprised i'm standing. >> reporter: a tree fell on this house, killing an 18-year-old woman. throughout the area, drivers were blinded by rain and plummeted with hail, some the size of golf balls. this 18-wheeler was blown off the highway. these cars and trucks now a makeshift junkyard. under a tornado warning late

was deserted, as sirens went off and people took shelters whenever they could. wnbc anchor among them. >> we're in the basement with the family, sheltering from the tornado warnings. >> reporter: this 2-year-old spent the evening under the stairs, sleeping through it all. >> some people still missing, authorities are going out today to see if they can find more victims. that's a grim task any time, of course, but especially during the holidays. matt and hoda, back to you. >> mark, thank you very much. >> dylan is tracking it all. where is it heading? >> to the southeast, but it won't be as severe as yesterday. we had 29 reported tornadoes yesterday, across northern mississippi and tennessee. we have a tornado watch in effect through southeastern alabama to west central georgia. this is in effect until 10:00 a.m. eastern time, then it'll expire.

cloud-to-ground lightning. the chance of strong storms will not be as widespread as it was yesterday. we just have a marginal risk of storms from eastern texas, even up to the mid-atlantic. the biggest threat will be more locally strong wind gusts and the heavier downpours. today is a huge travel day. we have a lot of trouble spots. in the pacific northwest, rain in the coast and snow in the mountains. this will cause trouble in passing through the mountains. in the southeast from atlanta to new orleans, back to houston, we will see some stronger storms that will produce gustier winds and torrential downpours. airports, especially with atlanta as a major hub. up and down the east coast, if you're traveling early this morning, that's when we'll see delays. fog. we will see improvement, especially into this afternoon. the worst part of travel in the northeast today will be this morning, then this afternoon gets better.

thanks, dylan. the frightful weather is also snarling holiday travel. thousands of delays at airports all across the country. wednesday, that added insult to injury, with the record number of travelers expected to be on the move this year. nbc's stephanie gosk is at laguardia airport, not far from here. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. well, that bizarre weather that dylan was talking about is creating delays here at laguardia and airports across the country. turning two of the busiest travel days of the year into two of the most painful days. and putting all of those holiday plans, hundreds of thousands of them, at risk. >> reporter: the winter storms are playing scrooge. more than 5,400 flights were delayed across the country wednesday. everyone dancing merrily >> reporter: sending christmas from merry to miserable for many travelers.

home for christmas. >> reporter: rain and heavy fog blanketed the runways ofaguardia airport. >> i don't want to miss christmas with my kids. >> we have dogs to get home to and care for, so i'm hoping we can get out tonight. >> reporter: the fog also hampered would-be flyers at chicago o'hare, hoping to make it home for the holidays. >> the fog is scary, but we'll see what happens. >> nowhere was worse than atlanta. less than 1/3 of the flights on wednesday night were on time. matt, back to you. >> stephanie gosk, thanks very much. >> we also had dylan tracking the flights personally to find out if we could get out today. >> personalized weather forecast. >> it looks good. the christmas krun crunch is gripping shoppers across the country. kerry sanders is live in miami.

shoulder. i'm at the dateland mall and, yes, there are people who waited until the last minute to do shopping. hoda! 40% of our nation actually didn't start shopping until about ten days before christmas, and then, hoda, there are those who didn't start shopping, 17%, until the week leading up to christmas. so there are many last-minute shoppers. finally, there's going to be an increase in sales, about 3.7% up. the expected sales, in the billions. maybe more, hoda, depending on the tie you're planning on getting me for christmas. >> i feel he personalized that. >> we'll have more on gifts and where you can find them in the next half hour. politics now.

out with a bang, from his fireworks with hillary clinton to a new poll. as ted cruz fundraises off the cartoon cartoon controversy with the "washington post." hallie jackson is in washington. >> call it an early christmas present for donald trump. another poll showing a commanding lead for him, as he's telling hillary clinton to be careful about accusations of sexism. >> reporter: with a warning shot, donald trump now making clear this week's attacks on beginning. >> i haven't gone after hillary yet, and there's a lot to go after. she's susceptible, i think, to -- look, the job she's done is horrible. >> reporter: clinton, unphased and unafraid to take on trump. >> his bigotry, bluster, bullying have become his campaign. >> reporter: the front runners still feuding. >> the last person she wants to be running against is me. >> reporter: as trump dominates a new national poll, with double

immigration. and more than twice as much support as the next closest candidate, ted cruz, who is own. he's fundraising off an editorial cartoon, retracted by the "washington post," depicting his children as monkeys. after he put his kids in a campaign ad. >> i'll use my own server and no one will be the wiser. >> if the media wants to ridicule every reason publican, that's what they'll do, but leave our kids alone. >> reporter: ben carson's support is slipping. new reports of a campaign shakeup. carson telling nbc news he's streamlining staff assignments, but insisting his senior aids will stick around, and so will he. >> i'm not a quicker by any stretch of the imagination. >> reporter: the next few days, quiet on the campaign trail as candidates take their own christmas breaks. jeb bush doing last-minute

holiday cards he might send. >> what have you sent to donald trump, a christmas card, what would it say? >> this time of year, i hope he has a wonderful time off. >> that time off ends next week. donald trump will be hitting all three early states within three days. new hampshire, iowa and south carolina. after new year's, it's the final push to the first votes in february. >> fast approaching. speaking of donald trump, his proposal to ban muslims from entering the u.s. no doubt sparked outrage, now, some fear aspects of the plan have come to fruition, as a muslim family claims u.s. officials prevented them from flying to disneyland for a dream vacation. kelly cobiella has that story. >> this was a trip of a lifetime

they have family in california. they splashed out on flights for 11 of them, only to be turned away at the gate. sleigh bells ring >> reporter: the happiest place on earth that ended in tears for this family. they were ready to fly from london to los angeles and disneyland last week. bags checked, boarding passes in hands when they were told their visas, approved six weeks ago, were revoked. >> they had tears in their eyes. they were planning for months. they had a countdown on their phone. >> reporter: it comes in the wake of the san bernardino shootings and this from donald trump. >> donald j. trump is calling for a total and complete shut down of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: customs and border protection couldn't comment on

the religion, faith or spiritual beliefs of an international traveler are not the determining factor of entrance into the united states. there are multiple reasons for non-entry. >> reporter: the family spent $16,000, saving for months to pay for the flights. >> i'm devastated. because i'm a law-abiding citizen. i treat everybody equal. why does it happen to me and my family? >> reporter: he says the children are still dreaming of a disney christmas. >> he says he wants to know why he was denied entry in hopes of fixing the problem and rescheduling that trip. other british muslims are coming forward with similar stories. including one with a u.s. business visa. he was turned away at the gate last week, again, with no explanation. >> kelly cobiella in london, thank you very much.

in and around minneapolis on wednesday. a black lives matter activist says the mall of america was used as a decoy to start a protest that quickly moved to the airport. hundreds of protesters briefly gathered inside the nation's largest shopping mall before abruptly walking out. 80 stores were closed for about an hour, as officers escorted remaining protesters off the property. some of the protesters then went to the minneapolis/st. paul international airport, where demonstrators blocked access to a terminal. 15 people were arrested. the protesters were trying to draw attention to a recent police shooting of jamar clark, a black man from minneapolis. the woman accused of driving her car into pedestrians on the las vegas strip faced a judge. the 24-year-old holloway.

the car when she barrelled across the sidewalks, killing one and injuring dozens of others. she didn't enter a plea. she'll be in court next month. we have an update on a story we've been bringing you. a chipotle restaurant where hundreds were sickened with the norovirus has reopened. it passed inspection on wednesday. the restaurant chain says its changing cooking methods to address concerns. stemming from a separate e. coli outbreak in other states. they will dip ingredients in boiling water to kill any germs. we have another data breach to tell you about. hyatt hotel found malware on the computer system that processes customer payments. hackers may have obsessed credit card numbers or other sensitive information. it affected properties managed

hyatt has taken steps to increase security on its computer systems. incredible video. it shows a sight-seeing helicopter crash as it was trying to land. this happened on fiji's treasure island, where seven people were on board that helicopter. the chopper lands, then gets slammed by a gust of wind and tourists standing nearby. the helicopter crashed into trees. what we can tell you is, amazing, nobody got hurt. >> oh, my gosh, amazing. let's get a check of the weather from dylan. >> no white kris christmas across the east coast. temperatures are too warm, highs up in the 70s. we have a tornado watch near morning. we're not looking at the severity of storms we saw yesterday, but it'll slow things airport. the cold front is moving east, but it'll cool things a little bit.

might see snowflakes in nebraska and iowa, to put you in the christmas spirit. in the west, another storm is making its way off the pacific. rain up and down the west coast. mountain snow, could see two feet in the sierra, and it'll make its way to the rockies through the holidays. that's a look at the weather across the country. >> chris: good morning, everyone. a merry christmas eve out there. a warm day, no question about that.

60 in boston. soupy air mass in place. we have some areas of fog and reduced visibility that will continue for a few hours this morning. isolated showers around mid-day, but the scene here, record warmth this afternoon. mid-60s to near 70 degrees. the old record or the record in place right now 61 in the city of boston. easily crush that this afternoon. nice and dry and mild for >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. some hourists s ist tourists in hawaii got more than a breathtaking view during a hike earlier this week. >> you're awesome. >> merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> that's right, president obama, some of his family and a few friends also took on the cocoa head trail, crater trail. a popular and grueling hike on the island of oahu. >> what's the name of the trail? >> the cocoa head crater trail.

president and his entourage were on the trail. can you imagine how crazy that would have been, just hanging out there and, hello! >> president of the united states. >> might have been the tip-off when the entire secret service comes up first. coming up, a popular republican governor now under fire after a 911 call turns a staff holiday party into a political hangover. listen up you procrastinate procrastinators procrastinators. gifts you can buy today that don't look last-minute. first, this is "today" on

praised as one of america's best mayors who governed as a pragmatist. bernie sanders passed more amendments in a republican congress than any other member. cracked the gridlock with john mccain to strengthen veterans' healthcare. bernie sanders. a consistent, principled, and effective leader. building a future to believe in. sanders: i'm bernie sanders

coming up next, a less than sobering study. how a glass size can affect the amount of wine you drink. >> did you conduct that study? >> no, i did not. are you dreaming of a white house christmas?

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seriously? where do you think you're going? to work, with you. it's taco tuesday. you're not coming. i took mucinex to help get rid of my mucusy congestion. oh, right then i'll swing by in like 4 hours. forget the tacos! one pill lasts 12 hours. i'm good all day. wait! your loss. i was going to wear a sombrero. only mucinex has a bi-layer tablet that starts fast, and keeps working. not 4, not 6, but 12 full hours. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. >> this is 7 news now. >> christa: good morning, everybody.

you barely see the zakim bunker hill bridge. lots of fog out there. a rainy scene here. chris lambert has a check of your forecast. >> chris: good morning, christa. good morning, everyone. 50 degrees in the city of boston. 63 in plymouth. the scene throughout the day, the record warmth settling in. mid-60s to near 70 this afternoon. even tonight, midnight mass temperatures, it will be dry but still mild out there with temperatures returning around midnight boo the mid to upper 50s. close to 60 tomorrow. dry on christmas day. a little rain this weekend. sunday. >> christa: go to your headlines now and police are searching for two suspects accused of attacking a man with a knife in boston. it happened around 2:30 a.m. on plaza hotel. the victim was taken to the hospital with life-threatening the throat. also this morning, the chipotle located at cleveland circle set to reopen today after passing a final health inspection. officials say the outbreak happened because an employee came to work sick and a manager made him stay until the end of

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my mom's name is irene, and she has alzheimer' s. adult daycare costs so much, i have to take my mom to work with me. eventually she' ll require around-the-clock care. i worry about what the next step is. my mom deserves the best care she can get. so i met hillary clinton. i could tell that she was moved by my story... because she teared up. being able to pay for daycare... to know that my mom is safe while i work so that i can continue to support us. hillary clinton has proposed real things that could help us. i' m hillary clinton,

it is 70 -- i was going to say -- going to be 72 degree or 73 in midtown man tat hattan today. people around the christmas tree will be in short sleeves. we've already broken records on this christmas eve morning. 7:30 on a thursday morning, december 24th. great crowd outside. >> we're anxious to get outside. we don't need coats. >> the record is already broken for christmas eve. >> amazing. deadly storms slam the south outbreak. among the dead, a 7-year-old boy in mississippi.

minute. holiday travel. more than 5,000 delays at airports across the country on wednesday, jeopardizing family time for the record number of americans expected to be traveling this year. the grounded flights now have airlines trying to play catchup. donald trump leading a new national poll by a landslide this morning. his closest republican rival, ted cruz, takes on the "washington post" for an editorial cartoon depicting his children as monkeys. the texas senator launching an emergency appeal to raise $1 million in 24 hours in response to the cartoon. we'll begin with that deadly line of storms that pummelled the south. more than a dozen tornadoes reported in mississippi alone. mike seidel is in holly springs, mississippi. >> it was one long track tornado, on the ground for

tennessee and mississippi. 45 minutes south, southeast of memphis and memphis in holly springs. dozens of homes hit, no one was killed here. highway 7, you notice thousands of trees have been blown down or force of the wind. windows blown out. the roof is long gone. it'll be blown out into the woods. look at this damage, hoda. the front of this house, this is a brick front, has been blown back toward the home. fortunately, no one was killed in these homes. there are about a dozen injuries here in holly springs. so far, at least five deaths attributed to this one long track twister here in mississippi. hoda, matt, back to you. >> mike seidel, thanks so much. dylan is in for al. what's the system doing next? >> it's moving to the southeast but it won't be as severe as yesterday. we ended up seeing the long track tornadoes, because of this warm, humid airstreaming in ing

from the gulf of mexico. temperatures will be about 30 degrees above average for highs today. we've been talking about the warmup we're expecting today and the records that are going to be broken. again, in new york city, we've already broken the old record at 63. washington, d.c., the record is 66 degrees, set in 1982. we're forecasting a high of 73 today. boston of all places should hit 70 degrees this afternoon. the old record is 61. even charlotte, north carolina, should top in the mid 70s. tomorrow will be slightly cooler, but we should still break records across the eastern and southeastern part of the country. new york city, the record on christmas day is 63. we're forecasting 65. portland, maine, 55 degrees. the old record is 53. this is exceptional, unprecedented heat for christmas tyke. even -- time. we're looking to break records in the gulf coast, florida, too. tampa will be up to 86 degrees. for those traveling across the country today, again, we have trouble spots in the mountain passes and the pacific northwest.

atlanta now. if you have flights that connect delays there. the rain in the northeast will last through this morning and afternoon. showers. nothing heavy, but we will be unsettled through tennessee, the ohio river valley. more snow will make its way to the rockies with up to a foot of everyone. a merry christmas eve out there. a warm day, no question about that. 63 in plymouth. 60 in boston. soupy air mass in place. reduced visibility that will continue for a few hours this morning. isolated showers around mid-day, but the scene here, record warmth this afternoon. mid-60s to near 70 degrees. the old record or the record in place right now 61 in the city of boston. easily crush that this afternoon. nice and dry and mild

>> dylan, thank you vur ery much. a story that involves the governor of new mexico, susana martinez, a rising star in the republican party. her name mentioned as a possible candidate. she's facing backlash after a holiday party turned into a confrontation with police. blake mccoy has that story very new mexico's governor dodging questions about her holiday staff party that has her integrity under attack. workers of the eldorado say the party was moved to a hotel room. >> they've been warned and they're not quieting down. >> reporter: that was the 911 call from the hotel's front desk. then dispatch got another call. >> hi. martinez. >> reporter: the governor calling police dispatch personally, demanding to know which hotel guest complained.

>> and i want to know who they are. >> i'm not allowed to give that information. >> oh, you can tell it to the police but they don't tell you? you won't tell you? i'll get it from the cops. >> reporter: an initial apology was made. >> i shouldn't have talked to central dispatch the way i did, and i own it. >> reporter: but since, new audio from a santa fe police officer responding that night is raising questions about her statement, that she only had a drink and a half. the officer heard is heard on the recording saying shein ineebuated. there were bottles being thrown from a hotel balcony. her office clarified, it was snowballs, not bottles being thrown. no glass was ever found. for critics, the episode provides further evidence, the popular republican governor can't be trusted. a holiday party that has turned

for "today," blake mccoy, nbc news. oftentimes, holiday parties go wrong. >> yes, they do. >> they really do. have to be careful at those. coming up, move over, rudolf. a look at how technology will guide santa's sleigh in the future. and you'll have it in the bag, where you can find thoughtful, last-minute gifts. i discovered a convenient way to moisturize every day. nivea in-shower body lotion. first i wash... then i apply it to my wet skin. it moisturizes instantly and lasts for morenthan 24 hours then i quickly rinse off. my skin feels amazingly smooth with no sticky feel. so, i get dressed... ..and go. now i enjoy smooth skin every day. new nivea in-shower body lotion

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7:41. we are about to come to the rescue of all of you pro ors out there. correspondent olivia stearns is here with how you can make sure santa delivers in time for christmas. it is christmas eve, and you're saying it is possible, right? >> it is possible. you're running out of time but there's hope. open late. get out of bed and see what time stores are closing. a lot of the stores have been open 24/7, but they'll close at 6:00 p.m. walmart, often 24/7, closes at 8:00 p.m. toys "r" us, open until 9:00, a lot of the hot toys are sold out. >>accommodate ing people with late-minute shopping or to

>> for people waiting until the last-minute. >> i would have thought, if you're ordering online, it is too late to get it to you by christmas. >> it's too late to get it shipped but there are new apps and services to get same-day delivery. amazon prime is offering one-hour delivery. >> how much does that cost? >> $8. >> we did it from the set. we ordered it at 10:00, and it came at 10:37. it was not rigged up. >> give me one more minute. i might have a surprise for you. google express also has special delivery elves. etsy asap, you can get an artisan gift within one hour in your own state. uber rush has a selection of door. >> if you're not signed up for these, you can go online to a store site and go in and pick it up, right? >> this is a great option if you're not in a major city. walmart and target are pushing

>> it's not delivery. it should say pickup. >> if you don't want to drag time saver. country. >> what about last-minute ideas? >> if it's midnight, you think you're out of options, still not sure, you can go online and get somebody a gift card. gift cards are the number one most popular gift in america. also consider gift of the month clubs. something popular in my household. it's a winner. >> do people get an e-mail, telling them they've been given the gift? >> exactly. at 6:00 a.m., you can still order it. >> what's special experiences? >> check out cloud 9 living.com. you can do a wine tasting. you can even give somebody race car driving lessons or experience in a hot air balloon. >> i wanted to try out amazon prime.

a nice delivery man named angel, my christmas angel, delivered this to us within 40 minutes. this is your present. >> what is it? >> matt, this is for you. >> olivia, thank you so much. can we open them? >> yes, please. >> what is this? a big mouth of -- oh, my gosh! i'm such a -- this is terrible. >> i got new york yankees ode to smell like the locker room. this is great. coming up, what has this woman so excited? we're going to reveal her ultimate christmas surprise. we have the best of elf on a shelf pictures. we're going to have all that

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willie is over in the orange room for carson this morning. he's got some great elf on the shelf scenarios. >> what do you got, willie? >> we love the elf on a shelf. santa sends him down to keep the through the christmas season. let's look at some of our favorite photographs sent in by viewers. >> love it. >> that was posted on buzzfeed. here's the "voice." does that make the elf on the shelf carson standing there? okay, carson there. merry christmas, carson, buddy. this is too bad. from the bourne police department. elf on the shelf. donald trump, make christmas great again 2016.

this, i have to tell you, when i first opened it this morning, horrified me. that's a father on the top of elf. keeping an eye on -- >> he needs to come down. >> awe! >> how adorable is this guy? this was posted -- if you're worried about how he's perched on the mantle, as i was, i'm told the father is a professional photographer and perhaps cut and pasted his son in different places around the house. here's our last one. this is a good way to end the year. sending the poor elf on a shelf home. elsa freezing the elf on the shelf. >> dylan said, i think i see a shadow of the elf. >> i think the father is right below the camera lens. >> i think dylan ccked this one. >> she might have, yeah. >> that's a shallow mantle.

>> willie, thank you. appreciate it. coming up, mr. manners is back this morning, showing us how to gracefully navigate awkward party moments. be honest, you all have them over the holidays. first, your local news and weather. this just in. the final countdown to christmas is here. wait what? gary, is this teleprompter right? sweet molasses! i need to start shopping immediately. save on thousands of last minute deals at target. was discovered... ...before the sugarcane. and everything had fewer calories.

grandma is so happy to be here for your very first christmas. i hear you' re quite the expert at waking people up in the morning. let me show you how grandma does it. your daddy made this when he was a little boy. this is your dad at my house, where he had his first christmas. thanks for making the coffee. well look who' s up. i' m really glad you' re here mom. me too. look who' s here! announcement: this storm promises to be the biggest of the decade. with total accumulation of up to three feet. roads will be shut down indefinitely. and schools are closed. campbell's soups go great

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>> this is 7news now. >> sarah: good thursday morning, everybody, on this christmas eve. 7:57. take a live look at boston. send it over the chris lambert with a live look at your forecast. >> chris: murky start. temperatures surging into the 60s until about 10:00 a.m. and noontime today. already rubbing in the 60s down through southeastern mass. visibility one mile in the city of boston with that fog out there. so we'll see areas of fog this morning. this afternoon should be mainly dry. i can't rule out another passing isolated shower out there. the scene, though, record warmth as temperatures run mid-60s to near 70 degrees.

we're learning the driver of the runaway red line train wasn't the first to tamper with the throttle. the "t" disciplined two previous drivers for similar incidents over the past 16 years. tying down a throttle allows a driver to speed up a throttle without applying pressure but it also disabled a safety feature. close call for a family in dracut after dakar slams into their home. they were inside when they heard that loud welcome, to the simply orange tour. this is our plant. these are our workers. and this, is upper management. but what you won't find around here, is any freezing, flavoring, or concentrating.

end product. simply orange. honestly simple. that's just the night watchman.

better watch out, better not cry it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, holiday survival tricks. from the gifts to the guests to the festive it is. we have the keys to make your >> oh! best surprise ever, a holiday stunner that has one woman overjoyed. her family pulled off one amazing gift. who is rocking around the white house christmas tree? the obamas and bidens pick their favorite tunes. we'll tell you what's on their holiday playlist, today,

christmas eve, 2015. >> merry christmas eve from georgia! >> merry christmas from seattle! >> i came with my family at 2:00 a.m. to meet matt lauer. >> merry christmas to my husband. >> my dad. >> serving in turkey from georgia. >> merry christmas, charlotte, north carolina. >> baby's first christmas in new york city. hi, grandma! >> it's just after 8:00. it is december 24th. it's christmas eve. it's 70 degrees in new york city. look, people are wearing --

>> first time ever, i don't have goose goosebumps. >> hoosiers here? >> these are my other favorite group here. they know how to deck it out. coming up, feast your eyes on this. cooking for a crowd. we're out on the plaza because it's nice and warm. we'll enjoy the temperatures. chef guarnaschelli will show us, it's not too late to come up with a christmas day meal. >> some people in the country all the time. it's unusual here though. let's get a check of the top stories of the morning. tamron is filling in for natalie, who is on vacation. >> good morning, everyone. it is a grim christmas eve in parts of the south, where rare december tornadoes caused death and widespread damage. mark potter is in clarksdale, mississippi. good morning. >> good morning, tamron. behind me is one of the houses struck by a tornado.

the house is moved off its foundation by about five feet. as a sheriff tells us, the people who live there are okay, safe, but had to spend the night in a shelter in clarksdale, mississippi. the storm system yesterday spawned dozens of tornadoes in several states, causing widespread damage. we are able to confirm at least seven people were killed, four of them here in mississippi. two in tennessee and one in arkansas. some people are still missing, and the authorities are going out today to see if they can locate them, or to determine if there are even more victims from this storm. that's always a grim task, but especially during the holidays. tamron? >> mark, thank you. while the weather is a matter of life and death for many, it has left others stranded at airports, worried about missing their family reunions. rain and fog still causing flight delays at major airports across the country. the busy travel hub of atlanta, only 1/3 of flights were on the

a southwest airlines flight made an emergency landing on wednesday after the pilot noticed a problem with the landing gear. the plane had 139 passengers on board and left oakland on a flight to chicago. once the pilot decided to turn back, he had to circle for hours to burn off excess fuel. one passenger said people were crying, holding hands and texting loved ones. some broke into applause when the plane landed safely. the florida man arrested for landing his gyro near the white house wants a seat inside. his attorney asked a judge to lift travel restrictions so he can travel around florida to campaign. hughes faces up to ten months in prison. he says the gyrocopter was a stunt for campaign finance reform. it is now procrastinate

that's hoda applauding. the day before christmas is crucial for retailers trying to lure shoppers and unload winter cuts. major chains will stay open late tonight. there's a need for it. 17% of americans did not even start their holiday shopping until last week. a performer with a big part tried to steal the show during a living nativity scene at a dallas church, while the story of the first christmas was being acted out. a feisty goat, not al roker's goat, hopped into the manager. the actors were trying to hide their amusement. the role of the infant jesus was not played by an actual baby. the goat theme has taken over america after rokerthon2. they keep it going. >> a lot of goats on this show this year.

round two of our hassle-free holiday etiquette course. look who is back. >> back by popular demand. more pesky personalities you may encounter this holiday. we all play different roles at the party. i happen to be critical karla. karla is the one, when you give her a gift, she complains about it, the food isn't that good, it's dry. what do you do when you have someone at the party like karla? >> sure. we have to realize, not every gift is going to be knocked out of the park. >> correct. >> there will be some that are misses. maybe it's yankees ode to toilet toilet, right? the key is a gift receipt. realize, it's not you, it's the person. take them aside, have a gentle word. don't let them destroy everyone else's fun, while they're complaining. >> at my house, that person is called, don't let the screen door hit you on the way out. so you have your gathering, your

this person comes over and is determined to plug his playlist into your sound system. we call him dj don. >> music is important to the flow of the party. you want to establish that from the get-go. the arrival music, dinner music and after-party music. i'd suggest sending out an e-mail to everyone coming and saying, we're going to play one favorite christmas holiday at the party and include them in a playlist. put a teenager in charge of that. >> i am dj don. >> next up, the parent who brings their kid to your home. maybe they didn't tell you, but the kids go, as we call it in the south, buck wild. we have crazy kid kerry who allows the kid to do anything. what do you do? >> you don't want to be the one that has to intervene with someone else's child. it never goes well. if you have children of your

be the ones to take them outside on this lovely weather we have, for example. >> i love deputizing your children. you handle that, kid. >> formal ceremony. >> in this way, you're allowing them to model the good behavior for the kids who don't behave so well. >> if it gets extreme, i'll throw that in, do you say anything? >> if there is a situation of danger, you certainly want to jump in. if it's not a dangerous situation, you may want to have a word aside with the other parent. this is not the way i raise my children. would you mind -- anything breakable or valuable, get it out of the way. >> i have a classic. eats a big meal, enjoys it, then parks himself on your couch for hours on end. lights out larry, passes out in your living room. >> we all have a lights out larry in our lives. i would prepare the guest room for lights out larry. >> oh, wow. >> no, then he'll stay for the whose weekend! >> get out of here, larry.

drinks. everybody is feeling sleepy. otherwise, it's going to ruin the party, if you have this lump on a log on the sofa. get lights out out of there, and make sure he's not in the room with all the coats so people have to disturb him. >> i didn't mean to give him car keys if he's been drinking. ing. the person who is always trying to maybe throw her husband under the bus, embarrassing him for the sake of a laugh for herself. embarrassment edma, what do we do? >> don't jump on the bandwagon, jump to defense. rather than laughing at the joke, make a comment that's self-deprecating to yourself. i've done the same thing. if it doesn't work, i'll raise a glass and say, tonight, we're party.

a nice way and everyone agrees with a clink of the glass. >> yes. >> yesterday, we talked about the person who shows up a half hour early. what about someone you call a party for 7:00 at night, and tardy tonya shows up at like what do you do? >> this is why it's vital that you put a start and end time on your party invitation. a lot of people neglect the end time. if you know the party ends at 10:00, you shouldn't be arriving at 9:30. if tardy tonya is walking in, she doesn't just caught up on the courses. she gets a goodie at the end of the night. you're serving one course for the people on time, not two. >> great advice. >> you're tough. coming up next, a gift that means more than anything under the tree for this woman. we're going to finally show you why she's so excited. plus, the yule log spreading like wildfire. how you can enjoy the new york city tradition in your home. and fight leukemia with faith.

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you'll need for a christmas meal they'll never forget. share wonder every day. walmart. we're back now, 8:14, with what's trending today. all right. now, this is hoda. okay? we've got wine in front of us, but this is not the fourth hour of this show. actually, this relates to our first story and something to keep in mind -- >> wait, someone doesn't have wine. wait. >> oh, oh, oh. >> christmas gift. >> oh, thank you. put to good use.

>> full bottle. all right. a new study from cambridge, and they're smart people so it has to be true, says be careful of large wineglasses. they trick you into drinking more. bigger glass, more drinking, not the reason. when you have a bigger glass and pour a normal side serving, it makes it look very little. you think, i hardly got any. let's fill it up and keep doing it, so you drink more. has that happened to you? i know the answer. >> first of all, i think the tiny. have you seen when they give you exactly what -- it's like nothing. >> 4 ounces? >> i don't know. i've never had one of those. here's to this one. cheers, you guys. >> i have glasses in my house from my grandmothers that are these small glasses. when i want a little bit, i pull out the small glasses. i feel like i had a full glass of wine. >> i'm going to try this. does it work?

>> it worked. that'll be gone by the end of the show. >> here's a perfect throwback thursday item. columbia house sold the tapes and records through the mail on the cheap. it went bankrupt in august. now, they're staging a comeback. not by streaming music, but by selling vinyl records. the wall street journal says millenials love vinyl. what's old is new again. >> i just bought a new turntable and i've been buying albums like crazy. >> do you like the sound better? >> the sound is great but there is a nostalgic feeling. i like it. >> i've given you gifts of vinyl. >> tamron got me an nwa record last year, straight out of compton in vinyl. >> i go to my dad's house. he has johnny cash on the record player. >> sounds good. >> love it.

the world right now, right? >> yes. >> delivering gifts with the help of a sleigh and reindeer. check out this video. could this be the sleigh of the future? steered by robots. this video released by boston dynamic, bought by google. the robots are big dogs and they can haul more than 300 pounds of cargo. i want one of these. is that amazing? >> do they fly? >> that's the important thing. >> no. >> i have to ask. >> they do not have a red nose. kids used to see the robots and think they were scary, so they dressed them up at reindeer to make them child friendly. >> you've been waiting for this video. it shows a woman from franklin, indiana, getting a surprise from her son. he returned home from the holidays with a priceless gift, her new granddaughter. >> when did you get here?

>> when did you -- oh! oh, my gosh. it's a girl! >> that's eva. guess what happened? her son, donny, was stationed in hawaii with his wife. they decided to adopt a child. they wanted to keep it a secret in case things can't work out. so when the couple came home for christmas, they surprised eva with little melissa faith. >> that's the most beautiful story. >> it goes on and on and on. she just cries and keeps hugging her children. it's so nice. it is. happy holidays to that family. to the first family's favorite holiday songs and a boozey take on the yule log. that should be hoda doing that.

>> let's start with the first family. enjoy their favorite christmas classics. the white house partnered with spotify, releasing the holiday playlists from the obama and biden families. "all i want is you." "o tannenbaum." "8 days of christmas" by december destiny's child. the biden's like "santa claus is coming to town." bidens also like "this christmas by mary j. blige. "snowfall" and "wonderful christmas time." on wednesday, we congratulated tara.

fiance's last name. on instagram, they helped me out. >> thank you for the "today" show shoutout. little rough on the pronounce pronounceuation pronounceuation pronounce pronounceuation pronounce pronunciation pronunciation. >> how did you say it? >> i can't even remember. it's all a blur. congratulations, once again. nick nick offerman has a video that includes a yule log, but also includes nick offerman sitting by the yule log, drinking bourbon and staring at the camera for 45 minutes. it's all he does. he doesn't talk. he doesn't sing. he just stares at the camera, occasionally sipping his whiskey. if you don't want to keep replaying it every 45 minutes, good news, there's a looped

ten hours. that is your pop start. i love nick offerman. >> a lot of people doing the yule log thing. the property brothers do it where they just sit next to it. >> people watch it. >> dylan, how about a check of the weather? >> it's going to be a warm christmas if you haven't heard. we've been talking about this all week. we are looking at all of our snow out west. that's where we're talking about a white christmas. you have to go up into the mountains. ski resorts are loving the snow. out through most of the pacific northwest, we're seeing snow in the higher elevations, from washington state to oregon and down through the sierra, where we could end up with one to two feet of snow. this area of low pressure will move east ward into the rockies as we get into friday and then into saturday, as well. we are looking for rain in the valleys and the snow will be heaviest in the mountains. we could see gusts in california, near 60 miles per hour. we could end up with one to two

through the sierra, another >> chris: good morning, everyone. a merry christmas eve out there. a warm day, no question about that. 63 in plymouth. 60 in boston. soupy air mass in place. we have some areas of fog and reduced visibility that will continue for a few hours this morning. isolated showers around mid-day, but the scene here, record warmth this afternoon. mid-60s to near 70 degrees. the old record or the record in place right now 61 in the city of boston. easily crush that this afternoon. nice and dry and mild >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. more of our special series, do you believe, with a story of christmas. >> in 2012, we introduced you to a boy who had undergone four leukemia. he's come a long way. here's gabe gutierrez. >> five things i'd like to accomplish before i'm 25.

ago, this camp assignment would have been the most unlikely of to do lists. >> graduate college. graduate high school. >> reporter: today, they are the possibility that 13-year-old brennan dreams of. >> you always have to have hope. no matter what you do, you always have to have it. >> reporter: this february, brennan will have been in remission for five years. >> life presents us one opportunity to live. >> reporter: for his parents, it's been a long journey, chronicled in turner's new book "possibility "possibilities." >> we had to believe in the possible in the face of the impossible. >> faith was essential for us. it gave us an opportunity to test that faith and to ask the really big questions. >> reporter: brennan was diagnosed with aml, a severe form of leukemia, on his 7th

incredibly, he underwent four bone marrow transplants in 18 months. before the final one, the prognosis was grim. his parents asked him whether he wanted to try another excruciating surgery one last time. >> why did you say yes? >> i didn't want to give up. >> reporter: the second of three golf playing brothers, brennan is a competitor. his fighting spirit made him a natural spokes kid for st. jude's research hospital, which his parents credit for his successful treatment. >> do you believe in hope? >> i do believe in hope. there's something that we need to believe in on our darkest day, that there is something better. >> reporter: these days, that something better is brennan well enough to compete with his brothers at video games. spending his first full year back at school. he hasn't yet read his dad's new book, but he says he plans to. guy? >> i guess so.

hope as not just about the future, but the present. >> hope is future oriented. we need that. we can't forget what we have in the present moment. >> the present is the essential part. it's the only thing we have. the only thing i control is what i do right this minute. >> reporter: a new perspective, thanks to a young boy. >> two potential career ideas. medic in the army or help with my dad's company. >> reporter: who proved anything is possible. for account "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >> perfect story for today. >> another reason to remember the folks at st. jude's children's research hospital. gives us amazing work every day of the year. >> so happy for the family. coming up, we're getting wrapped up ntd in the christmas spirit. ingenious ways to present your presents.

>> this is 7news now. >> good morning, everybody. it's 8:27 as you take a live look over boston on this christmas eve. let's send it over the chris lambert with more on your forecast. >> chris: we have areas of fog, even soupy air mass in place. heavy air we had last night still off shore. an isolated shower may work in around mid-day. we may have temperatures running 50s. in the city of boston over next couple hours, surging into the 60s mid-day into the afternoon. already running at 62 degrees down in plymouth. record warmth this afternoon, mid to upper 60s widespread. >> nancy: the chipotle in

to reopen after passing a final health inspection. employees have arrived and taken down the closed sign on the door. the restaurant has been closed for more than two weeks after about 140 people, many of them b.c. students, got sick with norovirus. new this morning, a truck crashes into a house in derry, new hampshire. you can see the damage in these pictures. the derry fire department says the truck hit a fence befor traveling down an embankment and crashing into the house and attached deck. a woman who was driving was arrested and has been charged with drunk driving. and a close call for one family in dry cut after a car slams into their home. the family was inside last night when it happened but thankfully no one was hurt. "today in new england" returns at 9:00. we hope to see you then. mornings. wonderful, crazy mornings. we figure you probably don't

that's why at xfinity we're hard at work, building new apps like this one that lets you choose a time for us to call you. so instead of waiting on hold, we'll call you when things are just as wonderful... [phone ringing] but a little less crazy. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other

we're back now. 8:30 on a thursday morning. yes, it is christmas eve 2015. just take a second to see all the nice people who traveled to new york city to be here for the holidays and thank them for stopping by and spending part of their holiday with us. now, we can complain about just about everything, and we were actually saying, it's a little muggy, a second ago.

we're all right. >> the snow is worse. >> weather sensitive hair. coming up, a yuletide video you'll love. chef guarnaschelli is whipping up recipes to share with your family this christmas. when it comes to gift giving battle. we have you covered with last-minute gift wrapping ideas. i tried to wrap a jurassic park dinosaur two days now. >> we are gift wrapping hoda. >> hang out there. that's right, in control now, everything good? >> yeah. dylan, how about a check of the weather? >> it's too muggy for you, but it's -- >> this guy said, whoa, merry christmas! >> temperatures will be breaking records. we already broke the record here in new york. we'll break it up in boston. we'll break it down in d.c., temperatures in the

we are going to see clouds and scattered showers, stronger storms moving through atlanta. in the pacific northwest, more rain and mountain snow. into christmas day, the snow is going to move over into the rockies. the rain will still fall in the northeast and down through the southeast, stretching down to texas, too. nothing too e-vu heavy. still looking at record breaking temperatures. warmest christmas day on record th everyone. a merry christmas eve out there. a warm day, no question about that. 63 in plymouth. 60 in boston. soupy air mass in place. we have some areas of fog and reduced visibility that will continue for a few hours this morning. isolated showers around mid-day, but the scene here, record warmth this afternoon. mid-60s to near 70 degrees. the old record or the record in place right now 61 in the city of boston. easily crush that this afternoon. nice and dry and mild

>> dylan, thank you very much. americans, very likely to open their wallets during the month of december. >> for some retailers, it's an opportunity to stand out by taking holiday shopping to the next level. story. >> yes. the more you linger, the more you'll buy, at least that's what companies are hoping. experiential shopping, it's called, and some say, it's the future of retail. >> reporter: as shoppers prepare to be generous this holiday season, so are some retailers. >> it's having that immersive product. now, i want to like your brand. seeing is believing. smelling is loving. >> reporter: it's called experiential shopping, and companies like origins are making large investments in research and design to find new ways of engaging their customers. making shopping interactive and tactile, with unlimited samples, facials and hand treatment. >> does it make a difference

when a customer comes into an origin store, we know if she sits in a chair, she'll spend nearly 40% more than if she doesn't have the experience. >> reporter: americans will spend more than $50 billion on holiday shopping this year. 90% are expected to make purchases online. big incentives for stores like urban outfitters to follow suit, and get customers off the internet and into the store. walk into new york city's herald square location, and you'll find a hair salon, full service cafe and photo booth. displays encourage shoppers to touch, test and tweet. according to the boston consulting group, 72% of millenials say they'd rather spend money on experience versus product. give them both, and sales combination. on chicago's magnificent mile, that. experiential. you can feel the material backs on your phone. at the watch station, you can

you like the best. >> reporter: customers can grab a free cookie on their way to test out the world's first shatter proof smartphone. >> this is almost therapeutic. >> here, you're getting a personalized touch service. i like the concept. >> in the store, it's like, wow. >> it's definitely experiential. i've never been in a store like this. >> reporter: stores are hoping to capture the holiday spirits and make wish lists longer, one experience at a time. >> this shopping is likely to last well beyond the holidays. we're entering a trend where people want to slow down. they want more from their shopping experience. guys? >> i think if you have time, i like the idea, to get the makeup on and the massage, it's awesome. when you're in sprint mode, the last thing you want to do is experience. you want to buy, buy, buy. >> except at the airport. if you get to the gate and you have 45 minutes to sit there and wait, it's nice to have a choice of things to do and better restaurants, too, which we were talking about. >> airports are like malls now.

>> sheinelle, thank you again. aggravating time of the year? >> oh, come on! let's be positive. relieve family stress this holiday season.

my mom's name is irene, and she has alzheimer' s. adult daycare costs so much, i have to take my mom to work with me. eventually she' ll require around-the-clock care. i worry about what the next step is. my mom deserves the best care she can get. so i met hillary clinton. i could tell that she was moved by my story... because she teared up. being able to pay for daycare... to know that my mom is safe while i work so that i can continue to support us. hillary clinton has proposed real things that could help us. i' m hillary clinton, and i approve this message. why let someone else have all the fun? the sometimes haphazard, never boring fun. the why can't it smell like this all the time fun. the learning the virtue of sharing fun. why let someone else have all the fun? that's no fun. unleash the power of dough.

back now at 8:38 with how to cope with family stress. they say the most wonderful time of the year can also be the most challenging, according to a today.com survey. 78% of you say you feel stress during the holidays, and 68% of you say family gatherings are the things that cause the stress. that's depressing. today.com contributor, dr. g is here with how to survive in all of this. we'll stay optimistic and positive. >> we're going to survive and thrive. >> sometimes when you get together with family, there are tense moments. is there a way to troubleshoot

>> there are. if you can plan ahead, probably you know who the trouble person is going to be. >> yeah, you already know. >> you have to recruit some of the saner guests beforehand and say, if great uncle joe goes off the rails, i'm counting on you to take one for the team and make a destraction or something. kindness. >> are there times you should tough it out and go, it happens once a year. it's what's going to happen. let's ride it out. >> if you know nothing would -- no policy would make this man back off, then try distractions. ask about a story he's told that you love, or compliment him about something. or if it comes to it, have one of the kids read their entire thanksgiving recital, and maybe

>> there's craziness with parties and we often forget our spouse. you have to pay attention to them. >> it leaves you stressed and less grounded. the best way to be connected to your partner is make time to make out. even in the kitchen. >> make out. >> but if you can't make out because of some of the people around or something, if you don't find the time, laughter bonds us to people. it improves our connection. send a funny text. even at the same party, send them a funny text and laugh. >> you can tell a connected couple, how much they touch and look at each other. >> meet each other's eyes. presents. expectations. they want x, y or z. sometimes, you want to teach the lesson, you're not going to get every single thing you want. when you get a gift, there's only one right answer. thank you, right? anything. if you want your kids to be

can say, hey, listen, if you're grateful about the gifts you get, i will tell you with returns and exchanges later. but being grateful, being thankful means being specific. when you get a gift, go up to the person who gave it to you, like get up, go to the person, look them in the eye, because that's how adults feel valued and respected, and then find something about the gift to say thank you for. if you don't love the gift, you can say, hey, i do love art. thank you. or thanks for being my grandma. >> thanks for thinking of me. >> exactly. >> kids should be like that year round. shouldn't just be on christmas. kids, remember. >> this is an opportunity for us to teach the lesson we want them to have all year, when they're really motivated to do what we want. >> we have a couple viewers who asked questions and need help, dr. g. here's the first one. husband -- her husband and she have been divorced parents. they live in three different states, trying to see four sets of parents. they're stressed, driving all over. what should they do? >> that's not reasonable.

it's a lovely idea, but this year, while you're doing it, while you're going and trying to see everyone, claim a new policy. for next year, we'd like to have a longer more relaxed, more meaningful visit once every few years. then take a tip from military families. when you can't be with them in real life, skype or facetime. >> dr. g, thank you so much. you can find her guide for dealing with holiday stress at today.com. up next, one man's toilet paper roll is another man's gift box. okay. unique gift wrapping solutions

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capturing co2 emissions... ...and cars twfficient the average car today. s exxonmobil scientists are working on to make energy go further... .no matter how many tries it takes. ergy lives here. it's 8:44. we're back with creative gift wrapping ideas. get this, you won't even have to leave your house to find the supplies to do it. here. christmas. this is great, last-minute.

wrapping. >> the first is look for paper, any paper. you can turn birthday paper inside out and it's white and you have gift wrap. do a brown paper bag. even a subway map will do. the second one, look for inspiration all around you. grab the pine cone, grab a piece of the christmas tree. thirdly, to look thoughtful and intentional, keep it in the same color family, so it looks >> doesn't look like you slapped >> exactly. >> this is great. colored paper. >> exactly. for? >> this is cutting corners. at the last second, this is what we resort to. basically, you look for scrap paper. maybe you don't have some, but maybe your kids have some. you don't have to double wrap your gift. put it on the topside of your gift. we're going to get to work here. >> use this. >> okay. >> what you want to do is half of a silhouette of whatever

cutout you can think of. go half way. i'm going to free hand here a christmas tree. >> go lightly on this, right? >> exactly. you just want to score the very top so you don't get the contrast paper underneath. then what happens is, when you fold it back -- fold it halfway to reveal the contrast paper. all of a sudden -- you have a surprise down there for you. getting there. >> okay. >> nice. >> look at that. >> perfect. >> fantastic. great idea. it takes a little planning ahead of time. >> looks like a professional did it. >> hoda said one man's toilet paper roll is another man's gift wrapping. what do you do? >> if you're feeling flushed and flusters -- ed -- >> cute. >> you can use toilet paper rolls. you can do this with paint or markers.

i am bob rossing this. >> you make the cabin as big as you want to make it. i love him. >> i love him, too. >> perfect. now, all you do is, with one that isn't wet, flatten it slightly. then you're going to push the half-moon. >> both sides or just leave the >> right. then leave the other side open. put some crinkle paper. this is great for jewelry. it's a high-low, right? imagine getting fancy jewelry in this. >> ribbons and strings. >> can't tell. >> what's this one? >> now, everyone has duct tape or painters tape. head over to your tool kit or head over to your garage. you can always just use duct tape as is, but we're going to next level this thing. all you're going to do is use a craft knife to score either

semicircles around the duct tape, leading with the edge. you can start on this one. >> pull it out gently. >> gently. >> i have a chevron. >> just put it down. >> exactly. put it on your gift. it looks like you tried. this off. >> this one here? that popped out. here you go. >> there. >> then, you place it right on top of your gift. >> i messed up the end. for example, you can do it at an angle. nice. time for another quick one. >> head over to your kitchen pantry. you can do accents, really beautifully, just with cup cake linings. you need about seven or eight. what you want to do is loosely restack them. >> they separate a little bit. >> right.

you feed a pipe cleaner through it. we did it with that one. then all you do is start to fluff. pull everybody in thing inward, one liner at a time. all of a sudden, it looks like a flower. >> great. these are great ideas. happy holidays. merry christmas to you. >> happy holidays. >> for all these instrubs ctions and more last-minute gift wrapping ideas, head to today.com/style. next up, a quick fix for your christmas dinner as we cook outside for a big crowd.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas this morning on today food, we are cooking for a christmas crowd. we're out here on christmas've on -- eve on the plaza. chef alex guarnaschelli is here. good morning. >> good morning. >> we have our testers at the ready. >> this is serious business. i love it. >> we're talking salmon, but let's go over the ingredients so we know what people need to have. what do we need? >> this is all you need for a great dish for a crowd. i've got spinach, crushed with lemon, butter, bread crumbs. >> hold on to the spinach!

pepper flakes. >> what do you like the best for salmon? >> wild salmon is the best. it has the wild flavor, omega 3s, great for a crowd. >> you leave the skin on on the bottomsome. >> i do. >> you can season it. >> i'd love to. >> we start with salt and build this little crust here. >> now, are there bread crumbs in there? is that what's going on? >> totally. i left the skin on the salmon. you can also do this with nuts instead of bread crumbs, if you'd like. >> okay. >> you can substitute and leave the bread crumbs -- >> almonds work well, right? >> i like them the best. >> as we're cooking, gang, how are the eats down there? >> really good. >> i've had a bite of everything. it's delicious. >> loving it. >> we take this and we'll put it in the oven? >> at 350. cook until it cooks through. 15 to 20 minutes. >> sometimes i worry about salmon. if it's overcooked, it's yucky

>> when you have a crowd, a big filet, it stays juicier, you have a bigger forgive moment. the salmon says, i'll behave today. >> is that what it says? >> i think so. >> we'll saute spinach. baby spinach, all kinds. what do you like? >> i like the babe si y spinach because the stems are softer. >> you like a little sizzle? >> of course. >> this is a trick. i have a piece of garlic on a fork. >> yes. >> what's the trick? >> so you press the garlic lightly, but leave it whole and stir. >> use it as -- >> your flavor wand for the holidays. >> see, matt, isn't that amazing? >> what a good idea. >> the garlic goes away and you still have the mistletoe kissing breath. just a hint of garlic. >> you like lemon on there, too.

i have the salmon, which slides off the tray, with or without the skin, if the skin happens to get in there. fresh lemon juice. >> that gives it a citrus taste. >> a little zing. i leave some of the salmon kind of a little bit on the undercooked side. the salmon kind of cooks the spinach with all the heat. >> willie? >> we love the chicken, particularly. >> we haven't gotten there. >> oh, sorry. we're not there yet. and the salmon has been great, too. >> the salmon is amazing? >> yeah. >> you said the salmon. >> tell us about the chicken you have here. >> it's under a brick. chicken under the wind and under the brick. with some caramelized onions and roasted potatoes. all cooked together, super easy

it never goes out of style, i think. table? bring a fork and knife. we'll eat off their plates. here. is the salmon good? >> here. >> get after this. >> i've had this so many times. i love it. >> i think people love the accessible dishes. >> the crust, i love. >> pop of lemon. >> delicious. world. >> thank you so much. we appreciate it. for these recipes and more, head to today.com/food. should we keep eating? >> yeah. >> i just took a bite of salmon. >> we have holiday -- you can't eat with your -- can't talk with your mouth full. simple appetizer ideas. >> this is amazing. >> i don't need appetizers now. >> can we go home with you? >> thanks.

the center of norovirus has been given the okay to eopen. we will be there. the new controversy shaking up the race. ted cruz firing back after the controversial "washington post" cartoon. down south big cleanup beginning after deadly storms in several states. 7 people were killed by tornados in mississippi, tennessee and arkansas. >> heavy rain falling across the area overnight. drivers in wareham were caught off guard and had to be pulled out by tow trucks. the heaviest of the rain is over. now the record warmth is surging in. >> all that and a lot more. >> coming so how ya doing? enough pressure in here for ya? ugh. my sinuses are killing me. yeah...just wait 'til we hit ten thousand feet. i'm gonna take mucinex sinus-max. too late, we're about to take off. these dissolve fast. they're new liquid gels. and you're coming with me... wait, what?!

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