we broke a record this morning. 74 degrees your high temperature. the warmest christmas eve ever recorded in new york city. patchy dense fog this morning. watch out for that. showers later on today. then another warm one for christmas day tomorrow. >> "today" show is next. >> that's what's happening today in new york. 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.

miracle to get everyone home for the holidays. not so silent night. 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 specialift 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.

savannah continues on vacation. have you ever seen anyone so 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 holidays. >> 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 brutal night of deadly storms and tornadoes. this twister battered the area around batesville, mississippi,

even storm chasers were forced to back up to get out of harm's way. >> we spoke with the uncle of that 7-year-old and said they got to a car to try to take shelter, and that's when the tornado hit. >> reporter: the area was left 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

under a tornado warning late wednesday, downtown nashville 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

the storms are still producing 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. it'll cause delays at the 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. pockets of rain and low level fog. we will see improvement, especially into this afternoon. the worst part of travel in the

morning, then this afternoon gets better. >> all right. 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

travelers. >> my flight was delayed. we're praying we get out and 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.

is the rush on there already, kerry? >> you can see it over my 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.

donald trump closing the year out with a bang, from his fireworks with hillary clinton toei 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 hillary clinton are the 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.

a new national poll, with double digit leads on key issues like the economy, isis and illegal immigration. and more than twice as much support as the next closest candidate, ted cruz, who is seizing on a controversy of his 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

jeb bush doing last-minute shopping and considering what 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.

>> this was a trip of a lifetime for this family. 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. phone. >> reporter: it comes in the wake of the san bernardino trump. >> donald j. trump is calling for a total and complete shut down of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: customs and border

the family's case, saying only 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.

thank you very much. want to talk about the chaos 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.

her 3-year-old daughter was in 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.

by hyatt and not franchise locations. 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 lunged forward, right at 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 atlanta until 10:00 this morning. we're not looking at the severity of storms we saw yesterday, but it'll slow things early this morning at atlanta's airport. the cold front is moving east,

chicago in the mid 40s. 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. .

looks like we have the dense fog. it's mainly north and east of new york city, so watch out for that. by the way, the warmest christmas eve on record in new york city. 68 degrees already right now. we're flirting with the mid 70s later on this afternoon. breezy and warm throughout the day. now we have a few scattered showers and even thunderstorms. a very spring like pattern on this christmas eve. a couple of showers overnight. milder and dry for christmas day. >> 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.

>> the cocoa head crater trail. a lot of selfies as the 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 nbc. this just in.

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good morning. it is 68 degrees at 7:26 on this thursday, december 24th. merry christmas eve. i'm natalie pasqualla. last-minute christmas shoppers are heading out to stores in short sleeves this morning. can you believe it. news 4's katherine creag has the news. hey, kat. >> reporter: 68 degrees is a beach day. feels like a balmy day. a couple stores opened up at 7:00 a.m. for the last-minute shoppers and what they are enjoying. the warm weather along with good sales. they tell us the milder temperatures make it nicer going from store to store. here in times square we've seen people in t-shirts, shorts, they are opting for milk shakes, as you know, natalie, instead of hot coco. >> i am all for the milk shakes. kat, thank you. for a look at the morning commute, here's emily west. >> delays on uptown a trains.

to the roads, garden state parkway on the ramp, exit 127, there's a crash. delays where two lanes are blocked, 80 westbound. 61 to 60 and a couple of things on the cross west chester expressway disabled on the hutch northbound and eastbound on the ramp there's a crash. thanks, emily. we'll be back with rafael's forecast. good morning, everyone. tracking some dense fog out there but it's 68 degrees already. high temperatures, 74. this is the warmest christmas

a couple of showers and storms are possible as well. you can see tomorrow, a little cooler for christmas day. 65. should still be another record. we're cooling down to the 50s with rain as we start the weekend. over to you. rafi, thanks. coming up on the "today" show, the do you believe series continues with stories of faith and hope.

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 in an unseasonable tornado

among the dead, a 7-year-old boy in mississippi. with more than a dozen missing. we'll have more on this in a minute. the weather is also snarling 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

nearly three miles, parts of 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 the bark was ripped off by the 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

ing streaming in 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

trouble spots in the mountain passes and the pacific northwest. we have showers and thunderstorms moving through atlanta now. if you have flights that connect you through atlanta, check for delays there. the rain in the northeast will last through this morning and we'll see improvements this afternoon. on christmas day, spotty 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 snow i thanks, dylan. good morning, everyone. still tracking dense fog. low visibility in white plains, bridgeport and also out on long island. one thing we're all dealing with this morning is the warm weather. in fact, 70 degrees. we're headed well into the 70s. warmest christmas eve on record in new york city. we are tracking a few showers and storms later on today. watch out for that. bring your umbrella as you enjoy the very mild christmas eve day. tomorrow for christmas, dry,

>> that's your latest forecast. >> 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. this is governor susana martinez. >> reporter: the governor calling police dispatch

which hotel guest complained. and asking officers to be called off. >> 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

a holiday party that has turned into a political hangover. 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 procrastinate ors out there. >> nbc business and tech 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. some stores are open now and 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

with late-minute shopping or to help get up sales? >> 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

walmart and target are pushing to do the same-day pickup. >> it's not delivery. it should say pickup. >> if you don't want to drag your kids in the store, it's a time saver. there are tons around the 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 did find you something, hoda. 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 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

the snow is starting to fall and our loved ones are gathered all around, so share that extra joy in your heart and make this christmas even more special than the last.

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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 eye on little boys and girls 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.

great again 2016. now things get creepy. this, i have to tell you, when i first opened it this morning, horrified me. that's a father on the top of his refrigerator dressed as an elf. keeping an eye on -- >> he needs to come down. >> immediately. >> 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 cracked this one. >> she might have, yeah.

i'm a little worried about it. 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. weather. this just in. the final countdown to christmas is here. wait what? gary, is this teleprompter right? i need to start shopping immediately. save on thousands of last minute deals at target. what if the sweet stevia leaf was discovered... ...before the sugarcane. and everything had fewer calories. truvia. life with less

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. live, this is "news 4 new york" now. good morning. it is 70 degrees at 7:56 on this thursday, december 24th. merry christmas eve, everyone. i'm natalie pasquarella. the calendar says christmas eve, but it's feeling more like

a new record high of 64 degrees is recorded in central park this morning. the temperatures expected to climb as high as 74 degrees but more rain is likely this afternoon. meanwhile, many airlines are trying to get back on track following yesterday's stormy weather. thousands of flights across the country had to be delayed or canceled. video posted here online showed some travelers got a little upset when things slowed down at kennedy. right now no word of any major problems at the airports. for a look at your morning commute, let's check in with emily west. >> problems on the subways. delays on the uptown a train and delays on the e and f. l.i.e. westbound past deer park avenue, two lanes blocked with emergency road work still causing some troubles. grand central parkway westbound, it's blocked in the left lane. today a look at your temps. warm and breezy. forecast 74 is the high with a chance for rain in the afternoon. tonight showers in the early evening. still mild.

and mild but dry for christmas day. 65 is the high. showers return with a high of 52 on saturday. the rain continuing, still warm. monday a big change, cloudy, much cooler. coming up on the "today" show, how to survive holiday family stress this christmas. another local update in a half an hour. kids don' t stay little forever. so help them get the opportunity they need. it' s never too early or too late to save for college. you can open a ny 529 account with just $25. and you may get tax benefits if you pay income tax in new york state. someday you' ll look back and be glad you got started. ny' s 529 college savings program.

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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 christmas countdown stress free. >> 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.

>> i can't believe it. amazing. >> first time ever, i don't have goosebumps. >> hoosiers here? >> these are my other favorite group here. they know how to deck it out. 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 say, we cook out for christmas 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. mississippi. good morning. >> good morning, tamron. behind me is one of the houses

as you can see, the roof has collapsed. 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 widespread damage. we are able to confirm at least seven people were killed, four of them here in mississippi. 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.

only 1/3 of flights were on the time wednesday. 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.

stunt for campaign finance reform. it is now procrastinate ors thursday. that's hoda applauding. the day before christmas is crucial for retailers trying to lure shoppers and unload winter inventory, with drastic price 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

tamron, ready for this? 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

door hit you on the way out. so you have your gathering, your holiday music playing. 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 playlist. 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.

own, deputize your children to 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!

>> this is usually right after dinner, right after a couple 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. >> mine is embarrassment 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

you put it out there, did it in a nice way and everyone agrees with a clink of the glass. >> one more? >> 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 8:45. 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

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more special than the last. walmart has everything 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.

>> oh, thank you. put to good use. i'm ready. >> 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 serving size for wine is extra 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.

of wine. >> i'm going to try this. does it work? >> go, go, go. >> 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.

>> sounds good. >> love it. >> santa making his way around 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.

>> huh? >> 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.

>> i'm over this. >> 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

i had trouble pronouncing her 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

good news, there's a looped version that lasts ten hours. 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.

feet of snow through the sierra, a thanks, dylan. it looks like a california christmas around here. low 70s. patchy fog. bridgeport, visibility down to a quarter mile. watch out on for that. other visibilities improving already. the warmest christmas eve ever in new york city. up to a high temperature of 74 degrees. we are tracking scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout this christmas eve day. overnight were tonight, drying out. more fog possible. a little cooler for christmas day. >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. more of our special series, do you believe, with a story of faith and hope just in time for christmas. >> in 2012, we introduced you to a boy who had undergone four bone marrow transplants battling leukemia. he's come a long way. here's gabe gutierrez.

accomplish before i'm 25. >> reporter: just a few years 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

form of leukemia, on his 7th birthday. 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

>> do you think you're a strong guy? >> i guess so. >> reporter: his parents now see 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

good morning. a look at the l.i.e. 8:26 on this december 24th. holiday shoppers are getting a rare chance to leave their coates at home this christmas eve. people were strolling through times square in their light jackets. a record high was set at midnight when the temperature was 64 degrees. the thermometer could reach 74 later today. keep your umbrellas nearby. there is more rain in the forecast. for a look at the morning commute, over to emily west. >> natalie, we still have subway delays on the uptown a and downtown e and f. regular commute for your mass transit rails. extra trails for this afternoon. in connecticut, near 128, a crash takes up a couple lanes.

>> emily, thanks. a check of the weather. warm and breezy. 74 the high. with a chance of rain in the afternoon. showers in the early evening. 57 degrees. tomorrow, the big day. mild but dry for christmas day. 65 is the high. coming up on the "today" show, quick and easy ideas for appetizers is sure to be a hit of your holiday party. another update in a half an hour. 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

why let someone else have all the fun? that's no fun. unleash the power of dough.

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

muggy, a second ago. >> thankful though. >> not good for the hair, but we're all right. >> y 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 shopping, it's only half the 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.

too, with pp 70s. 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 thanks, dylan. good morning, everyone. this is officially the warmest christmas eve on record in new york city. records back to the 1800s. 70 degrees right now. visibility is down. we have fog in bridgeport. watch out in fairfield county. lots of travelers. breezy and warm throughout the day. 74 degrees. there could be pop up showers and thunderstorms late morning

for tomorrow, 6 0s, will drop. >> that's your latest forecast. >> 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. today, sheinelle jones has that 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 opportunity to say, i like their 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.

when it comes to sales? >> absolutely. 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 figures show it's a winning combination. on chicago's magnificent mile, the moto shop is doing just that. >> the store is meant to be very experiential. you can feel the material backs

at the watch station, you can try on different bands, see what 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

>> airports are like malls now. linger around. >> right. >> sheinelle, thank you again. up next, it's the most aggravating time of the year? >> oh, come on! let's be positive. relieve family stress this holiday season. first, this is "today" on nba. t stay little forever. opportunity they need. s never too early or too late to save for college. you can open a ny 529 account with just $25. and you may get tax benefits if you pay income tax in new york state. someday you' ll look back and be glad you got started. ny' s 529 college savings program.

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one hour arrival window. they even made sure all of our connections were up and running before they left. why settle for less, when you can get more! call now. get free installation with a one hour arrival window. and ask how you could get a $300 reward card. call for more, now. 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

is there a way to troubleshoot it before it actually happens? >> there are. if you can plan ahead, probably 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. hey, uncle joe, we're practicing 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

he'll be bored and move on. >> 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. >> let's talk about kids and presents. kids have these huge 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?

if you want your kids to be grateful for what they got, you 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. 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?

four sets of parents in a short holiday season. 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 years. 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 without leaving your home. firsts , this is "today" on nbc. 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. which brings us to our

honestly simple. that's just the night watchman. sfx: owl [ dog barks ] [ bark ] there it is! [ gasps ] oh no! look, the sky's awake! that. was. epic!

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. today.com contributor anna is here.

christmas. this is great, last-minute. >> sure. >> give me three great tips for 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 thoughtful. >> doesn't look like you slapped it together. >> exactly. >> this is great. you used beautiful, single colored paper. >> exactly. >> what are these cookie cutters 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.

of a silhouette of whatever christmas themed, you know, 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

you can do any design. 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 edges in, almost like a half-moon. >> both sides or just leave the other side open for now? >> 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.

craft knife to score either semicircles around -- oops -- 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. >> i'm going to pretend i've cut is off. there's no knife on that. >> 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.

>> right. then score the bottom. 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.

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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.

>> garlic, olive oil and chili 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

if it's overcooked, it's yucky and dry. >> 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.

>> you like lemon on there, too. >> i do. 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

all cooked together, super easy on a platter, family style. it never goes out of style, i think. >> you'll join them at the table? bring a fork and knife. we'll eat off their plates. we want to see what's happening 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. >> the onions are out of this 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.

first, your local news. holiday shoppers are heading to stores in short sleeve shirts. records of 60 degrees in central park just after midnight. the thermometer could reach 70 later today. more rain is expected. keep that up handy. taking a closer look at your forecast. warm and breezy. rain could roll in this afternoon. 57 degrees tomorrow. still mild but dry for christmas day.

saturday, showers return with a high of 52. 70 on sunday. monday, cloudy. much cooler temperatures, dropping down to the 40s. seal performs his new song this christmas. we'll have another local update

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and all the premium movie channels for a year. so go online or call now for this great offer. get out of the past. get fios. this morning on "today's take," our countdown to sanity is ta is on his way, and we're tracking his journey. performance by four-time grammy winning artist, seal. last-minute tips to get your holidays off to a good start. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie gaes geist and tamron hall, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> it is christmas eve morning,

if you look at the crowd, you can see it's a different kind of christmas eve here in new york city and throughout large portions of the united states today. it is, according to my phone, which is never wrong -- >> reliable phone right there. >> -- 72 degrees, currently at 9:00 in the morning in new york city. >> we broke the record at midnight last do sh. >> 12:01, we had a record. >> the warmest christmas in new york city. >> my song of the day is "this christmas" by donny hathaway because people are saying, it doesn't feel like christmas. texans said, we are hoping for a white christmas. shut your mouth, no. we can make fresh snow. >> it's refreshing. >> it's humid. >> my hair is complaining. but, you know what? we're all healthy, families are great. you know what, that's what's important. >> i have family here. >> yeah?

>> hi, family. merry christmas. >> we're taking a road trip today to boston. it's not a surprise you're coming anymore, right? >> not now. >> there's a small chance it might have been a surprise. cat is out of the bag now. >> just look at the camera goes, surprise, they're coming. we did it in the etiquette segment. bringing guests without telling them. >> family can always bring family. >> doors are open. >> hope everybody is getting ready, geared up, spending time with family. we've got you covered with norad, who is following santa as he makes his way around the world. this is the 70th anniversary of norad tracking santa. he's already well on his way, giving gifts to boys and girls across the country. pacific. >> it is. right now. >> if anyone can do it. >> isn't it aplow nnoying when you're

turns off? >> i've never flown over the pacific. >> any large body of water. anyway, it's a busy travel day, not just for santa, who is busy. we have more than 5,400 flights delayed already yesterday. we're hearing some more early morning stuff, too, today. there's crazy weather across the to country. >> atlanta this morning, to the south of atlanta, there was tornado watches, heavy rain, strong storms. atlanta is a big hub that that could disrupt delays through the day. this afternoon, it starts to clear up. >> we've been joking about the warm weather, but there's severe weather across the country right now. we've all been doing last-minute wrapping. tamron, i understand you did night. >> what does that mean, tamron? through. >> interpretive dance. >> that's not bad. i thought it was going to be worse. >> that's my last gift. it was the final gift i did this morning. the gift inside, i can't reveal. it's for my brother.

end of the wrapping session, where it was like, i don't know what to do with the ends? >> i started out bad, dylan. it started with my -- i guess she's not watching -- started out with my niece's dinosaur. she's all about "jurassic park." i tweeted out, how does one wrap that? look at that thing. it's blue, the main dinosaur that helped save the day. but how do you wrap blue? i thought, why wouldn't they put it in a box? people were tweeting me saying -- i don't like bags for kids. come on, you were all kids once, you want to rip it open. someone tweeted, buy two, sandwich them together and form a box. >> buy two what? >> blues. >> no. >> just buy two, tamron. then you have a box. >> sounds like the kids saying that.

it's an easier pack. >> tamron, just buy two. we'll have tips on how to wrap strange things. wrapping and then batteries. make sure that you have batteries around the house. >> christmas morning, nothing worse than when you open the present, can't wait to play and it's like, i have no batteries. >> my dad is the best dad. can build anything. you'd open up -- i have the playstation, no batteries. i'll never forget that christmas. >> come on, dad. load up. >> i think it was 9 volt. bigger than my head. you can't take it out of the remote control. >> i overcompensate. every time i'm at the checkout at the drugstore, i grab another pack of aas. i have a lifetime of batteries. >> we're thinking of getting into the holiday spirit, since it's warm in the northeast. you have the music and the movies.

>> i think i've said it over and over. "love actually." i start watching "love actually" a week out. a week from christmas. >> i love this part. >> this is the best part. even though he was scamming on his friend's wife, it was -- >> yeah. >> they had a connection, right? >> they did. >> the relationship wasn't going anywhere. >> it's the most beautiful christmas movie. eclectic cast. i love it. you know that's rick from "walking dead." two things i love most in one space. >> oh, my gosh. >> the scene when the little boy chases the girl through the airport and comes back and smiles. oh, my gosh. >> that movie is -- >> i don't know what it is about christmas movies. they all have a scene, that you stop and your heart melts over it. >> that's the one for me. >> mine is the end of "strooj "scrooged." one of bill murray's best films. that little boy hadn't talked throughout the whole movie, sad

after bill murray's revelation here and he's finally a good person, he says, god bless us, everyone. then they all break out in song. you know, they actually pitched this movie, saying, bill murray is back with ghosts. >> really? >> yes. marketing. right after "ghost busters." >> i have to add that to the collection. >> it was a good movie. >> willie, yours is -- if someone said, pick one movie that defines willie geist and the family experience of the geist, because i've been to the geist family holiday experience three times. what is it? >> "lampoon's christmas vacation." >> they want you to say grace.

>> grandma, see what you got. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> the joke is already good enough, and cousin eddie stands up and puts his hand over his heart. >> one of my other christmas songs, "christmas vacation." >> i don't know the song. >> you don't want to hear me sing it, that's for sure. >> i remember the cat in the tree. >> squirrels. we've all got a little clark griswold in us. let's be honest. that's why the movie hits home. here comes the debate. if al were here, he'd want us to talk about this. is "die hard" a christmas movie? nodding heads over here. a lot of nodding heads here.

dylan's family, come by for a second. >> they're not coming. >> they are coming. >> come on. you look hot. come on. we have one man and one woman representing. two women representing dylan's family. every person who said yes in the studio that it's a holiday film is a guy. we'll give it to dylan's family. >> have you seen "die hard?" >> i've never seen it. >> why is "die hard" a christmas film? >> it's around christmas time. it's a little action, but it's still the christmas spirit. >> makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside? >> that's right. >> and they haven't seen it. >> ladies, come on! >> you win in the jumper category. >> go back to the numbers, which was the point of this exercise. i don't have them in front of me. this becomes a national

public policy polling. >> the people who do the polling? >> yes. >> the numbers are -- >> 62%, right? >> what? >> say it does not qualify as a christmas film. >> do not? >> they're all wrong. >> do not. >> they're all wrong. >> bruce willis trying to save hostages trapped in an l.a. skyscraper skyscraper. that skreep creams christmas. if they say, what are you most thankful for? i say bruce willis trying to save me from a skyscraper. >> he wants some shoes, is that the theme? >> hans gruber is the grinch, the scrooge, the bad guy. so that's not the point. >> let us know what you think. the final tweet of the week. let us know. is "die hard" -- and al roker

hard yes #die hard no. >> do you know what's not in the holiday spirit? the weather. we have so much warmth. temperatures in the 70s, rain through the southeast. we saw the tornado watch in effect until 10:00. the storms we'll see today won't be nearly as severe as yesterday. we have a marginal risk of storms today. the biggest threat will be more higher wind gusts. if you're traveling in the northwest today, we are looking for a couple of good morning, everyone. tracking record warmth on this christmas eve day. temperatures back to the 70s. breezy as well. we do have patchy fog out there, so please be careful. a few showers and a few thunderstorms as we head through the arch. watch for that. grab your umbrella on this warm, warm day. a mild night ahead. patchy fog as well. early shower possibility.

high of 65 degrees. dry for tomorrow. showers return cooler on saturday. >> i'm worried. >> why? >> two women, now three, "die hard," yes. shout out, beck. megan g., the best christmas movie ever. megan g., are you following me? she is. >> watch it with your children tonight. it can be a christmas tradition. >> don't have your kids watch it. we'll tell you how to handle any social situations with coughing...sniffling... and wishing you could stay in bed all day. when your cold is this bad... ...you need new theraflu expressmax. theraflu expressmax combines... maximum strength medicines available without a prescription... ...to fight your worst cold and flu symptoms... ...so you can feel better fast and get back to the job at hand. new theraflu expressmax.

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there are some people you should give underwear to this holiday. and there are some people you shouldn't . people you should. shouldn't. janice! should. shouldn't. yes. no. should. no way. should. no. definitely not. ha ha, nay. you shouldn't give underwear to everybody. but for those you do, give them fruit of the loom. beautiful looking tree in rockefeller plaza. the holidays, time for celebrating with family and friends. >> also, plenty of chances for things to get a little awkward. >> to get a handle on the sticky situations s situations, we're going to play our holiday game that's going

ho ho ho or ho ho no. with expert -- i'm going to throw in an extra expert, i think. >> ready to do this? >> yeah. >> first question, no, ho, ho, ho, or ho, ho, no. your cousin shows up at your house with a new girlfriend whom you weren't expecting. do you take him aside and politely explain that you don't have enough food for that person? >> no. >> ho, ho, no. >> yes, the answer is ho, ho, no. it's a no, you don't do that. don't put him -- etiquette is putting other people as ease. >> if you don't have enough food -- >> you still want to be a gracious host and let the person know that it's okay. never let them see you sweat. >> you can talk about them later. >> right. hem them up later. you know what? next time, you better make sure you tell me. >> be passive aggressive and be

chair. is there a chair somewhere? you know what, i won't eat. you go ahead. >> when you do this, make them feel awkward. that'll get them, right? >> aggressive wins. >> serve them right. here we go. next one, you've been given a wonderful gift from someone and you didn't bring anything for them. >> oh, no. >> i'm in that situation a lot. >> should you smile and thank them and continue with the gift exchange? ho, ho, ho, or ho, ho, no. >> what is the alternative? run? >> you have one choice here. smile and say thank you. which should you do? >> yeah. of course. >> ho, ho, ho. >> yes, you're right. >> what do you do? >> nothing. just say thank you. some think, i have to go and give them a gift or apologize. i didn't get you anything. you just smile. don't do that. >> give a heartfelt thank you. >> you failed to give me a gift.

>> take your gift and run, right, dylan? >> i said thank you. >> she was very nice about it. >> you did the proper thing. ready? >> yeah. >> let's see, so the next one is, you see your 6-year-old nephew and his friend double dipping their karat carrot sticks in the dip. do you remove the dip from their reach and tell the parents? >> don't tell the parents. >> no. >> ho, ho, no. >> you're all wrong. >> no! >> here's the thing, two things. first, do you remove it from his reach? yes. but you absolutely do that. then let the parents know. they were double dipping, just let you know. >> no, no way. >> if little johnny says, aunt tamron took it away from me, you want to make sure you're covered. >> i do this. mama can't help you.

them, like, buddy, come on. >> let the parent know what you did. >> if you're not a stranger. no stitching on children. >> thank you so much. merry christmas. coming up, mack thought mac and cheese couldn't get better. the beloved classic is going bite sized. we have that and other last-minute appetizers for your holiday bash. >> that looks delicious. [ dog barks ] [ bark ] there it is! [ gasps ] oh no! look, the sky's awake! that. was. epic!

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swroo . if you're in need of last-minute holiday ideas, we have you covered. we have quick and easy, delicious appetizers. how are you doing? >> great. how are you? >> fantastic. let's launch? >> the first thing we're going to make are salami bundles. you'll have this all in your pantry or fridge. take a salami, like this, and spread it -- you can do some, too. >> tamron, take salami. >> my family has been making these for years and they're awesome. a little cream cheese, like that. here, we have sliced pickle peppers. put them on your platter and you get these salami bundles. >> you don't put in a tooth stick or -- >> you can if you want to be fancy.

>> mini mac and cheese. love it. we have store bought mac and cheese we've prepared, and there are great brands out there. if you want to make your own, go ahead. >> feel free. >> we are stirring in egg. we have cheddar cheese. take your scooper and scoop it into a mini muffin tin. >> the egg keeps it together? >> the cheese epa keeps it together. >> ul i'll take one, if you insist. >> we have store bought pie dough. you can make your own, also. this is a mix sure of sour cream, mustard, and you spread it on the pie dough. we made this cute border, half inch wide. >> cute. >> top it with sauerkraut our auerkraut and pop it in the oven. pigs on a blanket. >> pig on a blanket. >> not in a blanket, on a blanket.

>> you want to cut it? >> sure. >> you it's fantastic. we have one more delicious treat. >> what we're going to do is take the white sandwich bread and make calzones. it's got an italian-american twist. you roll out the dough, get it nice and flat. then you're going to fill it with shredded mozzarella. >> great idea. italian hot pocket. >> look at that! >> i've lived off of hot pockets a long time. >> we'll put you in the marketing team. get it a little damp, fold it over. you can crimp it shut with a fork. brush it with a little egg wash and pop it in the oven. >> cute. >> 375, 425 for 15 minutes. look at these amazing mini calzones. >> adorable. >> this is for you. >> thank you. >> this one is for me. >> all right. >> cheers. there you have it.

the best part, you have probably a lot of this stuff in your home already. coming up, no gift left behind just because it has a funny shape. doesn't mean you have to give up on wrapping in style. we'll show you how to do it, the snow is starting to fall... and all the decorations are just right. the presents have all been opened... and our loved ones are gathered all around. so share that extra joy in your heart... and make this christmas even more special than the last. walmart has everything you'll need for a christmas meal they'll never forget. share wonder every day. walmart. music starts and plays throughout gucci guilty the fragrances for

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taking a look at the headlines. winter weather has left thousands of travelers stranded at airports, worried about missing their family reunions. rain and fog are still causing flight delays at major airports across the country. the busy travel hub of atlanta, only 1/3 of flights were on time wednesday. just hours left until christmas, some retailers are telling crust ing ing customers their holiday packages are delayed by several days. they're blaming a backlog at fedex. the shipping giant has been operating around the clock to accommodate a surge in volume from retailers, and its network

we have another data breach. hyatt hotel found malware on the computer system that processes customer payments. hackers may have obsessed credit card numbers or other sensitive information. the data breach only affected properties managed by hoot yatt and not franchise locations. hyatt has increased security on its security system. the chipotle restaurant where 136 people were sickened with the norovirus is reopening today. the location near boston college has been closed since december 7th but passed inspection on wednesday. the chain is changing cooking methods to address safety concerns stemming from a separate e. coli outbreak in eight states. until tonight when the stockings are hung by the chimney, santa is hanging ten. these australians developed their own holiday tradition, wearing jolly costumes and spend

why not enjoy a wet christmas. let's get a check of the forecast where we've had serious records. >> today is going to be a warm one. through the weekend, it's going sta stay warm up and down the east coast. temperatures in the 50s and 60s. foggy across the southeast. we'll see shattered showers and snow through minnesota, wisconsin and south dakota. on sunday, the snow winds down. temperatures dropping to the teens by sunday. in the northeast, we're back

>> that's your latest weather. it's f the gift you're giving has an odd shape, you have to get creative with the wrapping. it doesn't want to stand up. >> we have our gift wrapping expert. he has gift wrapping strategies for gifts of all shapes and sizes. >> how is it going? >> we have weird shapes. these are the toughest ones. let's start with a bike helmet. >> i'm an artist, looking for inspiring ways to wrap things. people are like, the gift bag are the go-to wrap. what if you don't have one? with easy steps, you can create your own gift bag. cut paper and fold it on itself to create this tube. i use my scotch gift wrap tape to seal it all down. a busy pattern disguise z s your work.

these triangles. >> origami. >> it is. fold it back on itself. tape that down. >> this is a homemade gift bag. >> when you're done, this opens up. >> genius. >> it's more fun to open because you can tear into it. >> right. then you pup in your helmet or whatever it is. you can embellish it with bows. voila, a makeshift gift bag. >> so smart. that there's no chance you can wrap it or you think there's no chance to wrap it. it's not going in a bag, but you decorated the object itself. >> when you have a super unusual object, you have a couple options. i would say, you can wrap it to look like what it is or disguise it to look like something different. throw them off the scent.

who doesn't like cardboard antlers? you have this reindeer. i've embellished it with a scarf. it has an extra present. it's putting the present in presentation. i used craft paper and cardboard. >> don't tell the kid there's anything inside. play with this. when they're sick with that -- >> second wave of gifts. how about a doll house? >> how did you gift what it was? >> wow. to wrap something that looks exactly like what it is. it's a big doll house. what we did is kree created this wrap. i put the awnings, and added windows and doors so it looks like a doll house. it'll look great under any christmas tree. >> you have mad wrapping skills. i can't pull it off. it's amazing. >> be resourceful and inventive. what's around the house? run to the recycling bin. wide mouth mason jar bins. i'm recycling a greeting card

i used the inside of the jar as a template. it pops together. i'm embellishing with a ribbon. jingle bells all through the holidays there. dress that up. so easy. >> i love that. >> there are ways to dress up wrapping paper, too. you can get artistic. >> if you're feeling super artistic, you can create your own wrapping people. do this either on a craft paper, white paper. if you have happy birthday paper but no christmas paper, turn it over and use the back. even a shopping bag. this is around a rolling pin, and you have this. really simple. >> what are you working on, ladies? >> celery. >> run to the refrigerator. what do you have? you can use celery, potatoes. we're going to ink this up, then put a firm press down on the paper. it's going to create these

>> who knew the inside of a celery was so beautiful? >> how do you think of this stuff? >> again, i'm looking for create i have ways and inspiring ideas to help people have happy holidays. >> you're really good at it. >> thank you so much. >> merry christmas, everybody. coming up, our 16 to 16 crew is back. with only one week left until the end of the year. show you how to have your eggnog ( ) just head around the corner to walgreens for that perfect little something. walgreens has great gifts like toys, beauty gift sets, and photo gifts, and it' s all just a hop, skip, and a bark away. most stores open ' til 10pm on christmas day. coughing...sniffling... and wishing you could stay in

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believe it or not, it's week 15 of our 16 to 16 series, where we've challenged three viewers and you at home to get healthy by 2016. >> almost there. mary jean, rochelle and ken are doing great, looking graets ing ing great and feeling great. today nutritionist, the extraordinary and amazing joy bauer made some delicious skinny cocktails for all of us to enjoy. because joy has to quiz us all, we have like a quiz of some sort, right? >> and you get to drink.

slot will. quickly, let me fill you in on their incredible weight loss. week 15 i mary jean lost another 2 1/2 pounds. she's down during the holidays 35.5 pounds. >> bravo! >> you look raradiant. rochelle is down a total of 29 pounds. ken lost another two pounds, down a total of 31 pounds. in just 15 weeks. >> you have one more week. >> big finale next week. >> red carpet, everything. >> big finale naked? >> i've had some to drink. >> festive cocktails that we'll slim down. let's come down here. the original one that everybody tends to make is 487 calories.

same equivalent as eating 32 mini candy canes. >> really? what's the alternative? >> mine is just as pretty looking. i crushed candy cane on the outside of the rim and swapped out the cream and did a combination of vanilla bean extract with unsweetened vanilla milk. the have nil vanilla vodka is still in there. mine is 210 calories. >> we can have two of these. >> and still clock under the amount of the one. >> next up? >> everybody loves eggnog. without spiking it with rum, a cup is going to cost you about 350 calories. once you spike it, 440. >> gosh! >> that is the equivalent of eating 14 butter cookies. could you imagine? >> for one drink? >> one cup of eggnog. i'm about to show you the most ridiculously easy way to slim it down.

store-bought eggnog, and you're going to then dilute it with a little bit of either skim milk, light coconut milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. you will go from 440 calories, my spiced version, the rum is in there, 200 calories. >> very good. >> you like that? >> yeah, it's good. >> this is a ginger champagne sparkler. typically, they'll put a lot of sugary syrup in there. mine is champagne, crystallized ginger and a little ground ginger and sugar on the rim to make it festive. >> oh, my gosh. >> we go from 223 calories, the equivalent of seven holiday cookies, to mine, which is only 143 calories. >> great. >> these are tremendous. congratulations. you guys look amazing. >> cheers. >> they're all on the web. can't wait to see next week's big extravaganza. today.com for -- these are all good.

and hot buttered rum. up next -- oh, oh, oh! >> seal will smooth everything out for us because joy obviously had too many of her own drinks. really? >> oh, my gosh. >> gi my sister raves about her toothpaste and mouthwash all the time. i'm like, huh? aren't they all the same? you know, i had to see for myself. so i went pro. with crest pro-health advanced. advance to a healthier, stronger, cleaner mouth from day 1. this toothpaste... p ...and mouthwash make my whole mouth feel amazing. and my teeth stronger. pcrest pro-healthpadvanced is superior in these 5 areas dentists check. this is gonna go well, for sure. advance to a healthier stronger, cleaner mouth from day 1. great check up. my sister was right. dear stranger, when i booked your place, my friends thought i was crazy. but this morning, a city i'd never been to felt like home. thank you for sharing the world with me.

when we're making mashed potatoes, and add a packet of hidden valley original ranch. it becomes the first thing they reach for. ranch mashed potatoes. hidden valley it! ow! so you think santa will like these... red and green m&m's? i don't know! i never met the guy! whaaaaa! he does exist! they do exist!

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maximum strength medicines available without a prescription... ...to fight your worst cold and flu symptoms... ...so you can feel better fast and get back to the job at hand. new theraflu expressmax. the power to feel better.tm it's that night of the year you come here. looking for gifts so there won't be tears. eleventh hour shopper...that's you. it's ok because they know you. they're loaded up with gear. an xbox for the children. and a mixer for your dear. no need to shop around for present you've missed it's all here. you're off the naughty list! eleventh hour shopper... that's you! see you next year, buddy! get low prices on all your last-minute gifts. walmart. pandora jewelry isn't just jewelry. it's a connection made stronger in silver and gold.

it's a celebration... of you. that's the gift of pandora >> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is presented to you by citi. >> seal is a multi-platinum grammy-singing singer/songwriter who sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. the global hit, kiss from a rose, turned him into a sensation in 1994. on this christmas eve day, here he is with an early gift, his

ladies and gentlemen, seal. hang all the mistletoe, i'm gonna get to know you better this christmas and as we trim the tree, how much it's gonna be together this christmas the fireside is blazing bright, we're carolling through the night and this christmas will be a

presents and cards are here, my world is filled with cheer and you this christmas and as i look around, your eyes outshine the town, they do this christmas the fireside is blazing bright we're carolling through the night and this christmas will be a very special christmas for me >>

this christmas how special it's gonna be this christmas the fireside is blazing bright and we're carolling through the night this christmas will be a very special christmas for me yeah, this christmas will be a very special christmas, yeah

christmas >> great way to start off your christmas eve. the new single "this christmas." seal, thank you. happy holidays, sir. we're back in a moment.

we've got time to check in on our "die hard" hashtag. >> this could be a christmas miracle if it works. it's all my fault. >> we knew it didn't work in the commercial break. >> one more time. >> yes! >> make sure everybody can see that, tamron. 89% of you correctly say "die hard" is a christmas movie. >> it doesn't work. >> merry christmas.

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good morning. it's 70 degrees right now outside a at 9:57 on this christmas eve, thursday, december 24th. your last minute holiday shoppers are enjoying record-high temps. hard to believe it's christmas

in tank tops and shorts in central park. a new record high set there at midnight when the temperature was 64 degrees. it could reach 74 later today. this is shaping up to the warmest december on record in new york city. so far it's been nearly 12 degrees above normal. a check of the weather. today, warm, breezy, 75 is the high with i chance of rain in the afternoon. don't, showers in the early evening. tomorrow, mild, dry for christmas day. saturday, showers return, high of 52. saturday, rain continues. monday, much cooler. temperatures drop into the 40s. coming up on the "today" show with kathie lee and hoda, a special performance by a 5-year-old. another local updates in 30 minutes. see you then. it's the holidays, which means a house full of people, who all want to get online. so hurry and get verizon fios. only fios has the fastest internet and wi-fi available, with speeds from 50 to 500 megs. and right now, for only

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