good morning. breaking news. baghdad rocked by a wave of coordinated bombing attacks. at least 60 people are dead and nearly 200 injured. the worst violence in iraq in months just days after the last u.s. troops left the country. fired up. e gop presidential race guesting nastier with just more than a week to go until the iowa caucuses newt gingrich issuing a direct challenge to mitt romney. >> if he wants to test the heat i'll meet him anywhere in iowa next week one-on-one 90 minutes. as we get a first look at hollywood's take on sarah palin. and cutting loose, prince william shows off his hip hop dance skills to the shock and delight of his wife, proving

even the royals can bust and move today thursday, december even the royals can bust and move today thursday, december 22nd, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm carl quintanilla in for matt. officials say the attacks in baghdad were designed specifically to cause widespread havoc around the city. >> there were at least 14 separate bombings many targeting private neighborhoods but the worst was outside a government agency. is this a new wave of sectarian violence now that the u.s. is gone? also this morning new developments in the search for a missing toddler in maine who disappeared from her own bed. now the fbi is getting involved

and this morning we will hear from the little girl's mother. >> obviously very sad. on a very different note, mcdonald's may have a firm grip on the top spot but it looks like there is a shakeup on the way when it comes to the second most popular hamburger chain in america. here's a hint. it's good news for a certain red head with freckles. >> we gave it away already. we begin with that breaking news, a deadly wave of violence in baghdad overnight. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is here with some details. fill us in first on what happened, richard. >> there was a series of bombings, many car bombings, one case a suicide bomber in an ambulance. all the attacks were in shiite districts. that's the key takeaway here. this was a sectarian attack. it was designed to undermine the government. i think we'll see a lot more of these. >> the u.s. troops left just days ago. >> i was there. >> i know you were. you reported extensively about that. the u.s. really did not have a choice but to leave because they

were essentially kicked out. >> i've seen the debate from afar and also listened to it when i'm waiting to come on live shots and some of your guests will stay if we'd stayed in iraq this wouldn't have happened. we did not have a choice to stay in iraq. the iraqis threw us out. first there were supposed to be 20,000 american troops. that was unacceptable to the iraqis. then 10,000. then 5,000. then 3,000 who were going to be staying without immunity. so that really was no option. this is a false debate. the u.s. was leaving. the iraqis wanted us out. now they are fighting again over the real character of the country. >> you can already hear the critics using this attack to say that the u.s. left too soon, no? >> i think you can -- i don't know how you can claim credit for iraq, for anything in any way. what you have is the violence that is once again started. now if you want to say well this is a result of us pulling out or us going in, there was a civil war in iraq from 2006 to 2007.

the surge slowed it down, almost stopped it. now u.s. troops left just a few days ago and they're starting the fight again. it goes back to a basic problem in iraq. for 1400 years sunnies ruled the country. there are two groups, sunnies and shiites. for 1400 years sunnies ran the country. saddam hussein was a sunni. the united states toppled the sunni regime and put in a shiite government. that is who is running the country now and the sunnies don't like it and are carrying out bomb attacks. i don't know if the 3,000 american troops who were going to be there without immunity who weren't wanted anyway were going to stop that. >> your perspective always valuable. thank you so much for getting up early on this breaking story. we'll turn now to presidential politics and the iowa caucus is now less than two weeks away. things are getting very tense between the republican front-runners while the man already in the oval office got the chance to blow off a little steam. we have nbc's capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell with more.

good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. you know, the president was supposed to have been in hawaii all this week on vacation with his family. they're already there. but gridlock has kept him here. the president has worked the phones calling speaker boehner trying to get something going on the payroll tax cut debate. but then like so many americans, he went christmas shopping. taking a president's best friend out for a chew toy run at a virginia strip mall. >> merry christmas. >> reporter: mr. obama bought gifts. >> this is for the girls now. >> reporter: and surprised shoppers who made their own video. being seen with people whose taxes could go up january 1st. >> you're more handsome in person. >> who said that? come on over here. >> reporter: not so warm and fuzzy on capitol hill where congress is stalled over extending the payroll tax break and unemployment benefits. >> we're here ready to go to work. >> reporter: house republicans insist on a one-year extension

right now. the white house wants a two-month fix before working on a longer deal. leaving washington for a different battleground the campaign trail, mitt romney and newt gingrich locked horns over a blitz of negative ads. >> i know that the speaker would like to say, look. we shouldn't have any negativity. but if you can't handle the heat in this little kitchen, the heat that's going to come from obama's kitchen is going to be a lot hotter. >> if he wants to test the heat i'll meet him anywhere in iowa next week one-on-one 90 minutes no moderator. he wants to try out the kitchen? >> reporter: in a new ad titled "character" romney's wife ann gives voters reason to remember gingrich's past marital troubles. >> if you really want to know how a person will operate, look at how they have lived their life. i think that's why it's so important to understand the character of the person. >> reporter: stirring up the past upset ron paul during a cnn interview. >> what i've said for 20 some

years, 22 years ago, i didn't write them. i disavow them. >> reporter: pressed about old political newsletters under his name that contained inflammatory racial and ethnic material paul walked off. finally a sneak peek at the hollywood take on the campaign in 2008. in "game change" julian moore played sarah palin. >> i will be honored to accept your nomination for vice president of the united states. >> reporter: what's happening here on capitol hill may seem like a movie you've seen before. they'll be back at it again today. republicans in the house will hold a meeting, kind of a negotiating session to point out democrats aren't here. they still have to figure something out about the payroll tax break and the unemployment benefits unless they want those to expire come january 1st. ann? >> all right. kelly o'donnell this morning, thanks. chuck todd, nbc's political director and chief white house

correspondent, is in manchester, new hampshire this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. >> we counted three times yesterday, including in his interview with you, mitt romney basically took a pass on taking an issue on this payroll tax issue. why? why, chuck? >> well, i think on the presidential trail it's understandable because he doesn't want to get tied to any specific plan in congress. he doesn't want to get tied to the mess in congress but this is about the house republicans as much as anything else. they're on their way to becoming a political liability for any republican that could be the nominee for president or any republican even running statewide. this may be a popular politics, what house republicans are doing with the base of the republican party, but it may be political suicide. you're seeing right now they're on an island. you're seeing karl rove, the conservative editorial pages of "the wall street journal." you're seeing republican senators either criticizing or not backing them up at all.

the one thing, though, that is a big unknown here, ann, if the white house doesn't necessarily know what to kao next. they're sort of sitting there. the president is sitting there. they're assuming all this political pressure i think is going to force john boehner and the house republicans to move, but so far it hasn't happened. >> wait and see on that one. meantime, in your interview with romney you also asked him a question about his changing positions. let's take a look. >> obviously the place where my change was most significant in people's minds was with regards to the issue of abortion. running for office as governor of massachusetts i said i would leave the current law in place, which was effectively a pro choice position. and then when i became governor, and a piece of legislation actually came to my des thak would have cau desk that would have caused that i wouldn't go along with it and said look i'm pro life. >> how much is the charge he is a flip flopper hurt romney and can he neutralize it?

>> reporter: the romney campaign believes it hurts him. that's why he pushes back so hard. he only cops to that one. he says all the other things people want to list, whether gay marriage, he says he was never for gay marriage. the health care mandate he says i was only for it really in massachusetts. the argument he is trying to make is hey, i've evolved into a more conservative politician. the problem he has is the tone, the rhetoric. that's where he's, quote-unquote, flip flopped. he's changed the tone he's used in describing whether it's gay marriage, whether it's the health care mandate, whether it's frankly climate change. >> is gingrich's call for romney to neutralize these negative ads and speak out against these negative ads consistent with his own record in congress? >> reporter: it's not and when he has been in tough races, really tough one back in the early '90s he used negative ads. when he ran the house republican conference he used negative ads. he even would say, you got to do that sometime. the fact of the matter is, ann, you know this in politics, the

person that complains about negative ads is the one who doesn't have the money to run them. pure and simple. newt gingrich doesn't have the money to run them. >> all right. chuck todd this morning, thank you so much for your perspective. it is now 7:10. here's carl. ann, thanks. big changes are coming to the nation's skies for the first time since the 1960s the faa has announced a set of tough new rules to ensure pilots get enough rest between flights. nbc's tom costello covers aviation. he is at reagan national airport. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hey, carl. good morning to you. you know, it's been nearly three years since the crash in buffalo killed 50 people. when coming up with these new rules the faa took a hard look at science, the science of sleep cycles, jet lag, flying through mulletiple time zones, and then used that science when coming up with the new rules. for the families of the people who died on flight 3407 outside of buffalo three years ago, a

tribute to their tenacity and determination. >> these families, with unimaginable heart break, turned that into a powerful commitment to save the lives of others. >> reporter: investigators determined pilot error was to blame for the crash, but the investigation put intense focus on the airlines, especially regional carriers. grueling work schedules for pilots, long distance commutes, and exhaustion. now the first faa rule change to address pilot fatigue in nearly 50 years setting a maximum duty day for pilots of 9 to 14 hours depending on where and when they're flying, maximum flying time will be 9 to 10 hours. pilots will get a minimum of ten hours' rest time between flights. that is two hours more than the current rules. with an opportunity for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep and at least 30 consecutive hours of time off per week. also another change for pilots who may have commuted long distances. >> when they get in, they sign off on the flight plan.

i am fit for duty. >> reporter: investigators believe neither pilot in the colgan air crash had slept well the night before after commuting long distances cross country. for three years the families of the crash victims pushed lawmakers, the faa, and the airline to address pilot fatigue. among the victims, beverly eckert, whose husband died on 9/11. >> they were the motivating force behind what we did and they will continue to motivate us for everything else that we really intend to accomplish before we go away. and we're not going away soon. >> reporter: meanwhile, pilots complain of fatigue every day and managing it, says nbc aviation expert john cox, makes flying the plane all that more challenging. >> it's staying ahead of the airplane, ensuring that all the many details of the flight are done, done correctly, and done in a timely manner. the more fatigued you are, the more difficult that becomes. >> reporter: the pilots' unions are supporting this move. the airline industry is cautiously moving forward with

it. one group of airlines got a pass completely and that's the cargo carriers. carl, they argued that it would be far too expensive for them to implement this rule. the faa gave them an exemption and so u.p.s., fedex, and the like are not bound by this new rule. back to you. >> we'll see if they follow through, tom. thanks. nbc's tom costello. now it's time to check the rest of the morning's top stories. good morning, natalie. good morning, everyone. we begin with a warning today from russian president dimitry medvedev. in his state of the nation address this morning he promised reforms but said his government will not allow extremists to upset russian stability. his stern statement follows massive rallies against fraud in this month's parliamentary elections. the largest show of discontent since the collapse of the soviet union 20 years ago. unrest intensified today in a chinese village where residents have been locked in a ten-day standoff with government officials. they smashed cars and threw bricks at police in protest

against the planned power plant. u.s. officials confirmed this morning that miscommunication between u.s. and pakistani forces led to american air strikes that killed 24 pakistani soldiers along the afghan border last month. a kansas college student who disappeared last friday after making a chilling phone call to her family was found safe last night. police say 19-year-old aisha kahn was not held against her will or abducted and there is no criminal investigation. bank of america will resolve a federal complaint that its countrywide mortgage unit discriminated against more than 200,000 minority borrowers. look at this startling video of a drunk woman falling between the train and platform. it may now help save lives. she escaped with only cuts and bruises. british transport officials releases the tape to remind people to enjoy the holidays responsibly. very scary to watch that video. 7:15 right now.

let's turn it back over to ann, carl, and maria. >> thank goodness she's okay. meantime, we have maria larosa in for al this morning once again. we got the memo. >> you got the memo. >> where was i? >> i don't think you would have pulled it off. tell us about the forecast. it's a rough start in the area across the south this morning. we have severe weather potentially as we get into the

ann, over to you. >> thanks. there is the beef. the burger wars are heating up this morning with a new report that wendy's is about to dethrone burger king in u.s. sales. hey, good morning. >> reporter: hi, ann. good morning. while the final numbers aren't out yet there may be a change at the top in the $175 billion a year fast food industry. while there is no debate mcdonald's is the top burger chain the race for number two is closer than ever. >> loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles. >> reporter: in the fast food fight the race for number two is

heating up. >> juicy north american beef. >> reporter: a study for "the wall street journal" redikpredi for the first time wendy's could top burger king in u.s. sales this year. the square versus the round. pigtail versus the crown. or is the secret not in the meat but the marketing? analysts say in an effort to attract young men burger king's recent ad campaigns included a burger scented cologne. >> seduction with a hint of flame broiled meat. >> reporter: a comical king character, and the whopper sacrifice. >> what do you love more, your friends or the whopper? >> reporter: an app that gives you a freeburger when you unfriend ten people on facebook. >> they've focused their advertising campaign toward the younger consumer. as a result, the, quote-unquote, creepy king as many consumers would call him has turned off a number of older, more traditional loyal consumers as well as parents. >> at wendy's we use fresh, never frozen beef.

>> reporter: at the same time analysts say wendy's has been marketing its fresh food quality, including natural cut fries and fresh, never frozen burgers. >> fresh, generally translates to the perception of better for you. better for you translates to healthier and as american consumers we're looking for better and healthier. >> reporter: for his part burger king has retired the so-called creepy king and says it is now beefing up with better menus, remodeled restaurants, and social initiatives for kids. no matter who wins the number two spot in 2011, in 2010 mcdonald's had four times the sales of either rival. more than $32 billion in the u.s. there is a reason they call them the golden arches. ann, this gives me a great excuse to break the diet. i think i'll spend the rest of the day doing a bit more research. not quite satisfied. >> well, there is always a new year resolution. thank you so much. it is now 7:19. once again, here's matt.

>> carl, but thanks ann. >> oh, carl. sorry. i am sorry. >> it's okay. >> carl. >> we get mistaken for each other all the time. meantime, overseas, prince william and his bride are getting into the spirit of the season with a visit to a charity dear to the heart of his mother, princess diana. the duke of cambridge showed off some pretty smooth dance moves on the dance floor. nbc's stephanie gosk is at buckingham palace. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. this was really the perfect event for william and kate. it was laid back. they didn't have to get dressed up. they were comfortable around the cameras and the kids. prince william at one point even said to one of them, i look forward to bringing my own children here one day. just days before christmas the duke and duchess of cambridge had one official visit of the year left, to center point, a homeless shelter for young people. casually dressed, william and kate mingled easily, chatting with kids, baking cookies. >> kate made me this for my 18th

birthday. it's really beautiful and i'm going to cherish it. >> reporter: there was even a little dancing. the prince showed off hip hop moves no one knew he had, impressing the kids and, clearly, amusing his wife. >> they seemed like they were quite comfortable and so that was a nice thing to see. >> reporter: of all the charities william supports, center point is probably the most important here. it was his mother's favorite. the prince famously spent the night sleeping outside with the homeless two years ago. now kate is by his side and looking very much at ease. >> she seems to be genuinely interested in what she's doing with regard to the charity work that she's become involved insofar. >> reporter: the young royals get a break now after a whirlwind week of holiday events and they will need the rest. 2012 is going to be a very busy year for the royal family. william and kate will play a high profile role in the year's two most important events, the olympics, and the queen's diamond jubilee, a celebration

of her 60-year reign. >> they'll play a focal role in all the celebrations in london, including being by the queen's side when she sails down the thames at the head of a flotilla of a thousand ships. >> reporter: the royal family will also visit dozens of the uk commonwealth countries as part of the jubilee. the duke and duchess will be traveling the furthest, to the tiny tuvalu islands in the south pacific. the queen and prince philip were last there in 1982. for now, william and kate will gather at the queen's estate and it will be her first christmas as a royal. but after a year of firsts, the duchess has proven she fits right in. now, speculation is swirling over what william is going to get kate for christmas. the general consensus at this point is that the duchess of cambridge is getting a puppy. i hope i haven't ruined any surprises. carl? >> stephanie gosk, in london,

thanks. just ahead, where is ayala? the frantic search for a missing toddler last seen sleeping in her bed. we'll hear from the girl's

the most expensive home ever purchased in new york city, a whopping $88 million. just wait until you find out who gets to live there. >> then another famous home at the north pole to check on santa after your local news. honey, check your email! [ cellphone chimes ] [ cat yodeling ] kids! [ cat yodeling ] sing, larry, sing! [ cat yodeling ] we should have got a cat. [ male announcer ] get low prices on gifts to stay connected. order your last-minute gifts at walmart-dot-com and get free same-day pickup on select items. save money. live better. walmart.

good morning. it's 7:26 on this thursday, the 22nd of december. we are enjoying unseasonably warm weather, and meteorologist tom kierein will tell us how long it might be around. >> not much longer, and we will have highs reaching 60 right now under a cloudy sky and temperatures in the 40s throughout most of the area and sun this morning and cloudy this afternoon and more rain likely tonight and then chillier weather begins to arrive here tomorrow. and sun back tomorrow afternoon, falling out of the 50s and into the 30s by dawn on saturday. 40s for christmas day. there's a small chance of rain.

>> we'll take a break and come

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7:30 on this thursday morning the 22nd of december, 2011. it is a hectic time to be at the north pole for sure. how are santa and his elves holding up, we ask? we'll head there actually for a live update. meantime, we have our own enjoyment this morning in rockefeller plaza. we'll step out and say hi in a bit. i'm ann curry alongside carl quintanilla in for matt this morning. just ahead a very serious story. a mysterious disappearance of a very young girl, 20-month-old girl in maine. >> ayla reynolds was last seen friday night when her father said he put her to bed. the next morning she was gone. now the fbi is getting involved expanding the search.

coming up we will hear from the girl's distraught mother. also ahead, a new trend in real estate. young foreigners buying america's most expensive homes, including a record-setting $88 million condo here in new york city. guess what? the owner is just 22 years old and only lives there part-time. we'll get the latest on that. plus the hottest fashions of the holiday season and where you can still find them at affordable prices before you head off to your family holiday parties. we'll get that for you. we begin this half hour with that frantic search for a missing toddler. we go to waterville, maine for the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. it is hard to find a place in this small, new england town where investigators have not looked but police are expanding their search to include trails and new waterways hoping for a happy ending to this mystery. inside a local church wednesday, a solemn crowd held candles, praying for a flicker of hope,

as the search expands for missing 20-month-old ayla reynolds. miles away, a mother in pain. >> i want to see her face. i want to see her eyes. i want to feel her touch. i want to tell her i love her and i feel like i can't -- >> reporter: police say ayla was last seen friday night by her father, justin dipietro. he told investigators he put his little girl to bed in her green, polka dot pjs bearing the words "daddy's princess." the next morning he says ayla was gone and the search for her began. on wednesday, fighting icy conditions, police drained frozen ponds and searched a nearby river. the fbi, going door to door. >> we want to rule out every possible area we can in our efforts to find ayla. >> reporter: ayla's father who has not commented publicly, released a statement saying, quote, i have no idea what happened to ayla or who is responsible. >> my biggest fear is that she

is scared and she has nobody to turn to. >> reporter: trista reynolds says she last saw her daughter a month ago and told the associated press ayla was staying with dipietro while she was in rehab. according to police, ayla recently broke her arm from an accidental fall and was reportedly still wearing her soft cast the night she went missing. reynolds says she and ayla's father don't have a formal custody agreement but the day before ayla disappeared she filed for full custody. >> since she's been there she has a broken arm, she ended up missing. you know what i mean? i wasn't trying to be secretive by going to the court. i just didn't want to fight with him anymore. >> reporter: police have not named any suspects and say both parents are cooperating. in a statement dipietro says i have shared every piece of information possible with the police. my family and friends will continue to do everything we can to assist in this investigation and to get ayla back home. as investigators and volunteers scour the area, a mother waits

and worries. >> where is she? because i'd like to know. i just want her home and i want her home safe and sound. >> reporter: nbc news did reach out to ayla's father. he did not return our phone calls. we also reached out to maine's office of child and family services. they declined to comment as well. investigators say they received more than 160 tip calls from people in the public. they intend to follow through and check in on all of those leads. carl? >> nbc's aditi roy, thanks. nbc news analyst clint van zandt is a former fbi profiler. good morning. ayla's dad said he put her down at 8:00 p.m., went back to check on her 12 hours later and she was gone. what is the first thing that jumps out at you? >> well, 12 hours. i am a parent and grandparent and i can't ever recall a time when i put one of my children or grandchildren down and either didn't go back and check on them, realize there was supposedly a second baby sleeping in the same bedroom,

and t was the victim's biological father, his mother, and some people who were nonrelated so there were a number of people within this house. someone, surely, would have had some reason to go in that bedroom. so i think law enforcement has to figure out the reason why nobody had any contact with that little girl for 12 hours. >> speaking of law enforcement, you've been involved in cases like this. >> yes. >> what are the police and fbi doing right now behind the scenes? >> one thing they have to do, carl, is create a timeline. they have to take a look at like 24 hours before until the baby was actually reported missing. we know the father says the last time he saw the child was 8:00 at night. who can confirm that? who saw the child actually other than the father? and again, as you showed in the setup piece, it's a relatively small house. who could have got in and out of that house? what other known offender when there are other adults and a baby in the house would have not

disturbed anybody and carried the child out? >> state authorities reportedly gave the father temporary custody when the mother was in rehab. then the day before she goes missing she files for sole custody. how seriously should police consider the custody dispute? >> timing is always very important. as investigators you don't like a coincidence. that's a very significant coincidence. but, carl, you know we look back in time and there are very few children that are actually taken out of their house. you and i can go back to 1932. we looked at the lindbergh kidnapping, we know of polly klaas, elizabeth smart was taken from her bedroom. nbc has covered the story of lisa irwin, the little girl who went missing in kansas city in october. even though there are very few times a child is taken out of their own bedroom about 110 times a child is kidnapped by an unknown person each year, could this be one of them or could it

be something perhaps more sinister that originated maybe even inside the house from where that little girl disappeared? that's what law enforcement, the fbi has to figure out. >> the second missing toddler case in which the family members allege a stranger took the child. you point out the odds of it being a stranger are very small in part because of the challenges of knowing a child was there and being able to get in and out of the house undetected. >> yes, again, with that many people allegedly in the house, carl, it is a very small house, i mean, who targets that house? who drives in the middle of the night? who comes through her door or like in the other story in kansas city, supposedly crawls through a window to target that little child and take them out again? i is it plausible? yes. perhaps. is it possible? yes. but law enforcement again, they know the odds are far more important when you think of the people within the house and those closest to the child as opposed to an unknown offender. but that's why you do a two-track investigation.

track number one says, we'll go along with the idea. it was some unknown predator who got in under mysterious circumstances. track number two says we'll go with the probability that it's those closest to the child but, again, it's a terrible time any time a child goes missing. we're supposed to protect children like that. >> yes. >> and especially this time of the year. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, carl. >> let's check the weather with maria in for al. >> today's weather is brought to you by jared, the galleria of jewelry with five times the selection of ordinary jewelry stores. good morning, everyone. it's still no rain or snow on the plaza this morning but we have greetings all the way from idaho. guys, it's b ae's been a dry se? >> absolutely. no snow yet. >> you're from boise? >> yes. >> out west on the first day of winter it definitely feels like it. we're looking at that big winter storm from denver southbound. you're looking at heavy snow. we still have winter storm

watches extending all the way to the mexican border so el paso even for you winter storm watch in effect. as we look at the totals ahead for the next 24-48 hours, 6 to 9 inches, a few isolated spots could be picking up a foot. denver, you've already received several inches. across the map too also want to point out severe weather potential across the southeast today. looking like a little bit of a break before more rain for the coming for the northeast. good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. the eastern sky crisscrossed with com-trails on this thursday morning. we will have a lot of clouds later today. temperatures around the reen into the 40s. 47 at reagan national. it will continue to climb into the upper 50s to near 60 by early afternoon. and then rain likely again tonight after sunset and ending by sunrise on friday. there's a small chanc >> you can check your local

forecast 24 hours a day at the weather channel or at weather.com. cal? >> thanks. still ahead, how to dress in style for your next holiday get together without spending a fortune. but up next, would you buy your kid an $88 million part-time pad? the most expensive home ever sold here in new york city. right after this. [whistle blows] - hey. he went to jared. - he definitely went to jared. that's a peerless diamond. that's the ideal ideal-cut diamond. what? female announcer: jared has five times the selection of ordinary jewelry stores, with thousands of loose diamonds and hundreds of settings to create your own one-of-a-kind ring. - that's an extraordinarily... [sniffs] beautiful moment. - yo, man. you crying? - [sniffs] no. announcer: that's the power of selection. that's jared, the galeria of jewelry.

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brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. back now at 7:43 with the other end of the housing market. while you might be struggling to

pay your mortgage young foreigners are busy scooping up some of the most expensive homes in this country. nbc's craig melvin is on new york's upper west side with more on this story. good morning, craig. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. it's the kind of story that makes the 99% cringe. this is 15 central park west in new york city, one of the most exclusive addresses in the most expensive condo. with so many struggling to pay rents and mortgages a college student just bought it and it will not even be her primary residence. it's a sweeping view that's breathtaking and record breaking. for the new, young own ter's just a part-time pad. the ten-room penthouse graced the cover of "architectural digest" magazine just last year. it sits atop what is considered the most expensive building in all of new york. outside a wrap-around terrace overlooking central park. inside, guests can tour the

private library. but those guests could be college students. that's because according to "forbes" magazine the new owner is the 22-year-old daughter of a russian billionaire. she is studying at an undisclosed college in america, but she is a resident of monaco. price tag for her new part-time place? $88 million, all paid for by daddy. >> the trend right now is you're seeing a lot of money come from overseas to purchase these super high end properties. it's a great investment for them and a lot of people think it's safer than the stock market. >> reporter: in 2008 katarina's father also bought this 33,000 square foot florida estate from donald trump. he paid the donald $95 million in cash. he may reportedly lose it though in an ugly divorce battle that could cost him half his worth. but the new york penthouse should be safe. it's in katarina's name. just last year british heirs and

socialite used trust money from her dad to buy herself a multimillion dollar part-time home. it was this 57,000 square foot mansion in los angeles built by the famous tv producer aaron spelling. tory spelling once lived here. there is a bowling alley and a rumor her mom candy. at the time it was the most expensive house in america. petra doesn't live in hers full-time either. she calls london home. >> america is on sale. okay? to these people overseas, it's a great buy. >> reporter: former citigroup ceo sanford wile owned this penthouse and says he plans on donating the proceeds to charity. ann? >> that is one positive note in all this. craig melvin, thank you so much. coming up next, we'll go live to the north pole to see how santa is getting ready for the big day. that's coming up after these messages. would you like me to read you a story?

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you think you've got a lot to do with three days to go until christmas? imagine what it's like at the north pole. that's where nbc's bob riddell is standing by this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. first off i want to apologize about our camera situation here. when we got here to the north pole we didn't realize that santa was going to require us to use a local photographer. [ laughter ] >> reporter: i tried arguing with santa about this. go back behind the camera. all right? i tried to argue with him about this situation but then i realized he is at least 2'4". i'm not going to mess with someone that big. the other elves and santa are inside the shop right now obviously working overtime trying to get these toys ready to put on a sleigh on time for christmas eve, which, you know what, i want to check on the reindeer pulling this sleigh. let's see. there we go. we got dasher, dancer, there's prancer. vixen in the background.

cupid, donner, blitzen. wait. go back. no. the other one. that's blitzen. and obviously that one is donner. i am so stupid. mixed those guys up. >> you did a great job. i think there are a lot of names to mix up. i understand that the reindeer are going high tech. they actually have a dash cam, perhaps a dasher cam? >> reporter: they do. rudolph, who happens to be inside right now charging his nose, they've gotten him a little camera on there so basically it's a virtual look of what he is doing and of course santa can take a look at what he's got going while he is in the sleigh. one thing going for them this year is the temperature. last year it was minus 40. this year it's a much more reasonable temperature. looks like we're around minus 1, zero. actually a heat wave. get to 5 and we'd be out here in

our speedos. i'm sure you're wishing it was 5. >> only six layers this morning. only six. >> any santa sightings, bob? we all want to know. >> reporter: you know, he is inside right now. we weren't even sure we'd be able to get in there he has been so busy. he did squeeze us in yesterday. he's been so busy though with all the kids coming on his lap, asking for the ipad, i-touch, the kindle, barbies and legos have been around forever but he is still getting requests for that. >> bob, i know this is your eighth year up there. thank you so much for being up there and i know the kids will be really happy to see santa when he gets to their homes. much more coming up, including striking images of 2011. ♪ ♪

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good morning. our time is 7:56. we have sunlight out there and clouds out there. 52 balmy degrees, though. >> it will be the last day of this unusually warm pattern for late december, and it will climb up to 60 this afternoon and more rain likely tonight after the sunset. then sun is back tomorrow and turning colder and going to the 30s by dawn on saturday. highs in the 40s on saturday, and then christmas day, there's a small chance of rain. ♪

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good morning. traveling 66 eastbound, starting to see some delays at monument drive. they continue as you make your way towards nutley. travel speed is 17 miles per hour. and then you were jammed at coalville road, but now looking better. not so bad. joe, back to you. >> thank you very much. we will have another news update in 25 minutes. now back to the "today" show now back to the "today" show after a sh. welcome to carmax. hi. i was on carmax dot com and i think i found the one. great car. and i think, it's right over there... (sighes)... finding your perfect car is easy at carmax because we carry only the highest quality used vehicles. and at carmax dot com, you can choose from nearly

30 thousand cars with most available for transfer to the store nearest you. so come find the one for you today... at carmax. busy day! yes it is! 8:00 now on this thursday morning the 22nd of december, 2011. that means that christmas is just three days away. the holidays are in full force here in rockefeller plaza as we go outside to say hello to a very happy crowd. meantime i'm ann curry with carl quintanilla in for matt this morning. good morning again to you. coming up, affordable holiday fashions whether heading to an office get together or family party. you can still look like a star without spending a fortune. >> you look like a star every day. >> oh, my. >> you could probably do that. >> i get professional help every

day. i need it. >> with all the hustle and bustle, it's sometimes easy to lose the meaning of christmas. >> yes. >> the true spirit of the season. coming up, joel osteen, senior pastor of one of the country's largest churches, will help us remember what the holiday is really all about. >> that's important especially as we're so stressed out. it's going to be a good reminder. we also have a performance in our studio this morning of the fray. one of our favorites. i know. they're pretty cool. we're looking forward to that. first let's get a check of the morning's top stories from natalie at the news desk. good morning, ann and carl. good morning, everyone. we begin with deadly attacks in iraq this morning. at least 60 people are dead and 200 wounded in the worst violence to hit baghdad in months. at least 14 separate bombings apparently coordinated coming just days after the last u.s. troops left iraq. russia's president dimitry medvedev responded today to the huge protests over fraud in this month's parliamentary election.

medvedev proposed reforms to the russian election system in his state of the nation address but also warned the government will not allow anyone, domestic or foreign, to threaten the country's stability. americans are increasingly frustrated that congress can't compromise on the extension of the payroll tax cuts. on wednesday president obama urged congressional leaders to return to washington to pass a short-term measure favored by the senate before new year's day and work later on a full year measure which the house is insisting on. now let's head to wall street and cnbc's mandy drury at the new york stock exchange again for us this morning. what's going on there? >> today's market will be driven by how healthy the u.s. economic recovery is with data on both growth and jobs. many of you use yahoo, right? we continue to watch the stock today as it does consider a plan to cut stakes in its asian assets. that could reap yahoo billions of dollars. i did a check on gas prices. they're up despite the recent decline we had been seeing in the price of gasoline.

this year, nonetheless it's an average record for prices up $3.50 a gallon and that is the highest an american family spends on gasoline in about 30 years. those are pretty interesting facts. back to you. >> all right. mandy drury, thanks, at the new york stock exchange for us. a soccer match in the netherlands was halted just a half hour into the game when a fan ran on to the field and tried to attack a rival team's goalie. the goalie managed to trip the fan and continued kicking him while he was down, earning a penalty. the goalie's coach was so enraged he ordered his entire team to walk off the field in protest. wow. now taking a look at what is trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. a snap shot of the kiss seen around the world has splashed across the internet today. two women shared the navy's coveted first kiss wednesday when the u.s.s. oak hill returned to its base in virginia beach. this shows the tradition has caught up with the repeal of the don't ask/don't tell rule on

gays serving openly in the military. on google people are reading about new research by scientists that may refute the popular theory the shroud of turin was created during the middle east and is in fact a miracle. earlier in the show we saw a glimpse of julianne moore as sarah palin and in the new movie "game change" now people are going online to see whether moore or tina fey does a better impression of the former vice presidential candidate. that is a close call. hard to tell on that one. it is 8:04. let's go back out to ann and carl. what do you think? >> i think tina has been a lot funnier. julianne is more -- all right. let's get a check of maria larosa who is always true to form and giving us our weather forecast. hi, maria. good morning, ann, good morning, everyone. we have a huge texas contingency. you guys are from austin? >> yes. >> getting a little bit of the new york weather? it's actually colder in parts of

texas this morning. let's head to indianapolis for our pick city of the day. we expect cloudy skies with showers and temperatures that will be cool only into the 40s. indianapolis the 40s. indianapolis, hosting the super bowl. as we look at all the conditions of the day, big time storms in parts of the southeast, and severe weather likely. we have a tornado watch for portions of louisiana and mississippi, and that could extend into places like atlanta. cold and dry behind the front. minneapolis is 25 today and the snow continues in the rockies, and some places could pick up a couple feet. >> good morning. sunrise on the thursday morning, and high cloudiness. temperatures under these clouds are in the 40s in most locations. 49 at reagan national. later today in the 50s to near 60, and then we could pick up an inch of rain tonight. turning colder friday afternoon,

and saturday morning in the 30s, and in the afternoon in the 40 carl back inside to you. >> thanks. up next joel osteen will help us rediscover the spirit of christmas. then fabulous fashions for the holidays that won't break the bank. right after this. my phone, i got internet! hotspot five dollars. hey, hey, hey, hey. i can see who's on my network people! lance? lance? yes, yes you are next. all right. dave, i'm in. ♪ katie! what are you doing, sweetheart? supplementing my allowance. how long have we been gone? [ male announcer ] get low prices on the latest 4g phones, starting at $28.88. save money. live better. walmart.

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[ laughs ] [ woman ] i want to see that. careful. careful. careful. good. ♪ [ female announcer ] they're for bringing us together. ♪ this holiday, select hallmark cards come postage-paid. back now at 8:10. hot style looks for december, the month to get dressed up and celebrate the holidays. from red carpet premieres to stars showing off their love for the season it's a fun time for fashion. 'tis the season to dress up. america's first reality family, the kardashians, released their holiday card complete with style and sparkle. kim kardashian in a tuxedo style outfit, while mom chris jenner pops in a touch of color. they aren't the only celebrities

all about holiday fun. selena gomes and her friend paved the holiday road with fancy foot wear while mrs. klaus aka heidi klum gets ready to go off to work. mariah carey celebrates a white christmas in los angeles. in d.c. the first family celebrates christmas in washington with some of santa's cutest helpers. and in london, the duchess of cambridge wowed the crowd in a strapless black alexander mcqueen dress at a gala event honoring british soldiers. believe it or not, you don't have to spend a fortune to look fabulous. our style contributor and also host of tlc's what not to wear joins us. good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> the big question is how can we do this on a budget? you say it's possible of course it's possible. the thing is you don't have to dress in a way that is just like the celebrities to feel like a million bucks.

you don't have to spend a lot of money. it's also about dressing you and not dressing yourself to look like a kim kardashian. >> yeah. >> you want to be yourself. >> absolutely. that goes without saying. and speaking of someone who looks like herself, we've got sandra and we should mention that she is the mother of one of our favorite today show staffers, leslie oliver. she is wearing winter white. >> yes. now, here is the big thing. a lot of people don't know how to wear winter white. they don't know how to wear white at all. they actually ask can you wear white after labor day? yes. but especially during the holidays. i love white when you mix up the textures. this is a great look especially going straight from work to a holiday party. i realize christmas is close but the idea that basically you could go from work to an evening function, you mix your textures, look for warm tones of white so they give you contrast and look really beautiful on the skin.

>> stunning. the little sparkle under the underpinning as they call them. >> i treat white as black. it's a neutral. okay? all you want to do is make sure you get the right cut. it will look just as flattering as black or gray or brown as long as the cuts are correct. if you are feeling uncomfy in a white pant by all means try a spanx. always good during the holiday season when you know you may over indulge and it raises the tush. >> i was thinking i want to get the heck off the stage now. >> no, no. >> you did a great job. thank you so much for your look. now for our next model we're looking at the casual holiday party and take a look at that with cassidy. she is showing off a new trend this season. >> it's interesting. this is just casual. this is a little bit hard core. this is super for the season. one of the things a lot of people have seen lately is the laminated jean, leather jean both of which could be very

difficult to fit and very expensive. this is a stretch rubber. it's inexpensive and it is a legging basically. but what you can do with the legging like this, not only match it with a high heel to give you some nice leg length. pair it with a blouse that gives you a waist line and brings the attention up toward your face with a little embellishment. this is an easy sort of feminine meets masculine look. >> it has a kind of cool to it. it is not the ugly christmas sweater at all but the opposite. it has this kind of coolness to it. >> you'd never see that from me, ann. >> i don't know why i even said that. >> the embellished top, yes. what i like about this is that it's easy. these twor very ea very easy pi almost any body type can wear when paired together. >> thank you so much. now for the cocktail party. you know, really what's great for perhaps new year's eve or maybe christmas eve we have nancy and she is modeling for us something very sparkly. >> yes. >> and cozy.

>> sparkly and cozy. one of the things that i love about christmas is that people dress up for the holidays but i have some rules like do not wear reindeer antlers like those head bands. don't wear ugly christmas sweaters. don't wear santa caps. don't wear red and green together. you can in fact wear them by themselves. i love the idea of a cocktail dress that is a color, that isn't black. so them he recalled green is really a color that flatters every skin tone. it looks amazing on nancy. it's got a cap sleeve. this is something that balances out the body. add a faux fur stole like this and you really have an hour glass silhouette going on with that belt at the waist. >> it is adorable. i like the bracelet quite a lot. >> isn't it gorgeous? >> i like everything. it's all good. well done. >> very sophisticated i think and just to mention like your dress, ann, it's matte. we always think of cocktail dresses as having tons of shine but you can do a matte dress and

add shiny accessories and it elevates it. >> for our final look, what about family parties with everybody from all different ages? we have karina with her baby andre. >> andre is asleep so, shush. but one of the things that i think is really important is that comfortable and cozy does not have to mean schlumpy. right? it doesn't have to mean messy. if it was christmas day and you're going to the in-laws or to your friends, knits are a great way to go. add a little sparkle into the knit. wear a dark washed jean but nice high wedge. you have a long, lean body line here and put together without trying. this is easy for drinking egg nog and eating food and bringing your baby, who is wearing baby guess except for the pants but i love this. >> and on his sleeves. >> i know. >> you look just beautiful. you know, so well behaved at

this hour of the morning. >> i know. so amazing. >> hopefully he is getting a good nap as we bring out all of our models for one last look. thank you so much, all of you, for joining us this morning. come here, wesley. give your mom a hug. she is a model extraordinaire. >> wesley was so happy. >> we love our wesley around here. he is so great. anyway, happy holidays to all of you. we've got much more coming up, including pastor joel osteen who is going to be telling us how you can get back to the true meaning of the christmas season right after this. i can't keep a secret, so i'm doing christmas last minute...

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by kelley blue book's kbb.com. and with amazing deals, now's the time to get the toyota you've been waiting for. others have tried to copy it. but in the end, there's only one...toyotathon. the biggest and best sales event of the year is going on now! there morning on today's countdown to christmas the spirit of the holiday. it is the most wonderful time of year but it can also be very stressful and overwhelming. how do you bring out the true spirit of the season without getting lost in all the commercialization? joel osteen is the senior pastor of lakewood church in houston, texas one of the largest churches in america, also the author of the best selling book "every day a friday, how to be happier seven days a week." joel, good to see you, as always, good morning. >> thanks. >> merry christmas. >> great to be with you. >> it should be a great time of year, right? supposed to be about family and giving but there are some people for whom times are tight financially or maybe they'll be

lonely this christmas. how do you pick yourself up at a time where everybody else appears to be happy? >> well, you know what? i think it is important to realize, carl, god has you in the palm of his hand. that nothing that you're going through is a surprise to him, and that seasons come and go and i think sometimes we're looking for that perfect christmas, for everybody to be home and the gifts to be perfect and the food, but that's not always reality. and so if it's not the perfect christmas, just make this christmas the best that it can be with the people that you have here. i'm convinced 20 years from now we'll look back and say those were the good old days so my encouragement is don't miss it. >> what do you say to people who come to you and say, it's turning into one big advertisement. i can't get out of the -- it's like a commercial. how do you bring them back? >> you know, it is. it's what we're bombarded with all the time. you just have to realize the true meaning is not about what you're going to get but what can you give? how can you make that memory with somebody else and i just think not getting caught up in that, the stress of the perfect gift and just saying, you know

what? i'll go make memories with my family. because most of the time, i remember a few gifts growing up but most of the time i remember all the cousins there and the family and the fun that we had together and so just remember the memories are more important than the gifts. >> that's important, too, in that it teaches a certain lesson to your kids, right? not too much about you and your spouse or whatever but what the message that the children are absorbing. >> i think so. so much of what our children learn is what's modeled in the home. so i think when they model that we're excited to give, who can we be a blessing to, i've always learned, you know, if you'll make somebody else's day, god will make your own day. when you get excited about helping others and really not just the christmas season but, you know, take it 365 days a year. >> what is christmas like at lakewood church? is it much different? is it two weeks and then the rest of the year is different? >> you know, no. lakewood is a celebration all the time. we celebrate god's goodness and it'll be a fun time and, you know, like you said earlier. some people don't have their families. so we try to make, realize when they come into the services

that, hey, hug somebody before you leave. make somebody's day today. so, you know, it's a time of -- i find when you give, healing comes. and so that's why we teach the people, be a blessing. >> you often say make someone else's christmas and it can make your christmas even sweeter. >> i think so. >> over the weekend "saturday night live" had the sketch about the denver broncos quarterback tim tebow who has been open about his religion and faith. in the sketch he is in the locker room after the game and jesus comes and the video has gone viral. let's take a quick look. >> i pray you to before every game. >> i know. i appreciate that. here is something else you should do before the game. stretch. you know? get the arm warm. you know? read the playbook. all right. do you read that? >> the holy bible is my playbook. >> oh, great. that's great. >> that aired and now televangelist pat robertson had this to say about that. anti-christian bigotry that is just disgusting. if this had been in a muslim

country and they had done that and had muhammad doing that stuff you would have found bombs being thrown off. how do you react to his reaction? >> to pat robertson's reaction? well, you know, i think he is acting as a parent protecting his children in a sense and so, you know, i think my take on it is persecution comes from your faith at times and i don't know, you know, it's probably best in my opinion not to be, you know, making fun of jesus in any way. i don't know if they were trying to but, you know, for a christian, he is our savior, someone that is revered. i think that's the take that pat robertson had. >> tebow is a little polarizing. has that surprised you? >> you know, it's interesting. it is a surprise in a sense because he's a good guy. he stands for faith and values and it's the way he chooses to worship. i don't think you can criticize him for it. >> merry christmas. >> thanks, carl. my pleasure. >> joel osteen. still ahead a traditional french recipe perfect for your christmas feast, coming up after your local news.

good morning. we are waking up to another balmy morning here in the washington area. we are going straight to meteorologist, tom kierein, to find out what is going on with the weather. >> one more mild day and then december will act like a winter month finally as wet get to the weekend. up to around 60 degrees later this afternoon, and right now in the 40s to near 50, and likely rain will be coming in tonight, and then on saturday with the sunshine, it's going to be cold in the morning, afternoon highs in the mid-40s. christmas day, a small chance of rain and otherwise mostly cloudy and highs in the mid-40s. >> thank you, tom. [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices...

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♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ 8:30 now on this thursday morning. it's the 22nd of december, 2011. it's a pretty nice day in midtown manhattan. 52 degrees. we have a delightful crowd. we want to thank everyone for stopping by. we've got somebody here -- i'm

ann curry with carl quintanilla in for matt and also our natalie morales. and we have a lot going on this morning, including cooking ahead and what we're going to serve our holiday guests. w our chef will be showing us how to make beef stroganoff, a favorite from france and also there is wine involved. >> i used to call him eric repair then i realized i was mispronouncing it. he'll tell me. >> he has a beautiful accent as well. >> jenna bush hagar is here to talk about a recent bush family trip to africa where a lot of people are finding some very special programs. >> very cool. and the grammy nominated group the fray is here. they're going to be sharing a song with us live in studio, coming up, as well. >> plus they're out with their

new album in february, the first in three years. so we're going to also go over and find out what the weather is going to be like for the coming days from maria larosa in for al. good morning, guys. we have some wonderful news to share. i just found out you got engaged last night. >> yes. in the skating rink. >> reporter: by this handsome devil? >> true. >> yes. >> our weather producer is a patriots fanatic. >> nice. >> extra points for you today. >> thank you. >> extra points for you today. definitely a very happy season. let's look at christmas, and it's going on right now with the rockies. a few snow showers in the great lakes will keep that christmas white, and then snow is just in time for the christmas in the rockies. winter storm watches, by the way, sent all the way down to the mexican border. santa ana winds in california,

and air stagnation in parts of the pacific northwest. good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. the clouds will pick up as the day progresses. temperatures under the clouds in the 40s in most locations. 49 at reagan national. and then later today, climbing in the 50s to near 60 by later this afternoon. and then rain tomorrow, and getting colder tomorrow afternoon and for the weekend, a small chance of rain for christmas day. you can check your local forecast 24/7 at the weather channel or weather.com. >> thanks. coming up next, turning out a hearty holiday feast. this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:35 with today's holiday kitchen. this morning a hearty soup that is perfect for a winter meal. it's a french recipe for beef and we're getting ready to have a lesson on how to do it the old fashioned way from eric ripert, the chef and owner of a restaurant here in new york city. i hope i'm saying everything correctly. i've been practicing. >> perfectly. >> i wanted to make this dish really forever. >> it is simple to make. people think it is difficult. it is very, very simple. >> beef stew essentially with a lot of red wine. >> a lot of red wine and we usually take pieces of beef that are not tender so they need to be cooked for a long time. so it's not like other dishes. it is a cheap cut in a sense but you marinate it with some red wine overnight. >> you can use a lot of --

>> really not expensive beef essentially. you put carrots and onions. >> celery. garlic. some mushroom. then wine. >> how much wine? >> you see, two bottles of wine. it is a lot of wine. >> now you see why i like this recipe. now how long do we marinate this? >> overnight. >> okay. >> and the wine is going to tenderize the meat. >> right. so you get the chance of taking a cheap cut of meat but making it succulent. >> you will make it very, very tender. >> i want to show people what it is. this is the herbs? >> parsley, thyme, bay leaves. and some black pepper. >> right. then you'll wrap them up. >> a little sachet. we do this because -- thank you very much, ann. it is to control the power of the herbs. they have a lot of flavor and bring a lot of power to it.

we have a nice sachet. >> control the power of the herbs. >> then when we add this we put it in our meat. >> and we've taken it out of this. >> we took it out of the bowl. >> but not the vegetables. >> separated for the moment from the meat. i cooked some bacon before. >> take a look before you put it in. there you go. >> so we add the vegetables. now we cook it and when this tastes like herbs you remove it. what is very important to do, we are going to flame so we put in brandy. >> more alcohol. >> it's going to be a big flame. if not it would be very -- >> it would taste too -- maybe take the wood out. it won't burn? >> it won't burn.

>> all right. >> then i also remove the alcohol from the wine because it would bring bitterness to the stew. >> the same wine you had in the marinade? >> exactly. so you cook that for a little bit. the alcohol cooks off. >> and we are going to put some flour in it. >> just to thicken it. >> just to thicken it. not too much. a little bit. that is going to cook now under a very low flame or fire. >> oh, that smells so amazing. >> for about an hour and a half. >> only an hour and a half? tenderized already. >> exactly. then you find out this is very, very simple. you press with your finger here and the meat should be like this. >> look at that. it breaks apart. >> very tender. so i made some carrots here that are cooked with a bit of -- they are tender. >> you slice them very thin.

parsley. >> which is not necessarily -- obviously it brings good flavor. you can serve it also with pasta. we are going to put our meat on top of the carrots like that. >> that's beautiful. >> the sauce will bring flavors to the carrots as well. >> and something that looks really healthy. you know? and has -- >> it's very healthy. i am putting a lot of sauce here. >> oh, boy. >> just like that. >> looks amazing. >> then always when i eat this i have a salad. when i finish the dish i put the salad in my plate and oh -- >> yes. we are causing. i should have turned that off. we're good. >> don't worry, ann. >> okay. >> never worry with you in the kitchen. >> we are fine. so when you finish your dish, you add the salad in it and you

mix the sauce with the salad and it's just delicious. it is really nice. if you want crunch add croutons or something like that. >> a wonderful idea. thank you so much. happy christmas. what are your plans this christmas? >> i'm going to the caribbean. >> oh, good for you. it is very hard to run a restaurant and to feed so many people. thank you so much. this is great. i am actually going to have a bite. >> you see it is very, very tender and you have this kind of a rustic flavor. >> mm-hmm. >> everything comes together. the vegetables and the wine. >> it is really amazing. >> and you don't have anything to do. >> i'm not going to be drunk from eating it. >> you have to drink wine really on the side of course. >> thank you for speaking so i could finish my bite. thank you so much. coming up next, we have jenna bush hagar sharing her bush family recent life saving trip to africa. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:43. ten years ago hiv/aids was a death sentence in africa. when president bush was in office he launched a federally funded program to save lives, a program still in effect under president obama. today jenna bush hagar is here to tell us about her recent trip to africa, which sounds amazing. >> it was terrific. good morning. my parents have continued working in africa traveling this time to visit programs with proven track records including a new initiative to fight cervical cancer, linked to aids. they invited my sister and me to join them, a family trip that became so much more. a new day is dawning in africa. a tangible sense of hope is on the horizon.

a decade ago, aids threatened to wipe out an entire generation of africans. but today grass roots efforts are changing the destiny of africa's people. our trip begins here in tanzania. it's a place hit hard by hiv/aids and cervical cancer. my family brought us here to check out some of the places that are making a big difference. our first stop, one of those projects funded by the u.s. program. jipende means love yourself and it is an organization transforming hair salons across tanzania turning hair dressers into health care educators. >> the focus has been hiv/aids but the program also covers other health areas including family planning as well as breast exam. >> how long has the program been in existence? >> we started the program in february, 2010. to date we've been able to enroll a total of 70.

>> visits here have become so much more. they're life saving lessons. how important is it for you to make sure you learn how to protect yourself and to keep yourself healthy? >> this is more important to everybody. health is the thing to make you live. you have to be healthy and about hiv there has to be more. >> reporter: across town at the ocean road cancer institute, women who are living with hiv are now sick with cervical cancer. on this trip, an announcement of a new initiative using public and private funds to fight cervical cancer and save lives. we're here on world aids day. what is it like to be back in africa after -- >> well, it's uplifting. we've seen first hand the lives saved. i am grateful to the american people's generosity and i'm hopeful that that generosity continues.

>> this as cancer hospital we're in and many of them have cervical cancer, which is entirely treatable and preventible. we're going to do through the bush institute now in partnership with the state department cervical cancer testing, treatment, and vaccine. >> reporter: we leave tanzania inspired by stories of hope and survival. our next stop? another african country making great strides against aids. >> here comes zambia, day two. ready to land. we arrive in the capital city. >> hi! nice to meet you. how are you? >> hi. >> to a warm welcome from a fiercely proud people who hold traditions close. from there we travel to the george urban health center a clinic which battles hiv and

cervical cancer. we meet nipile. her name means gift and she says her gift on this day her newborn baby girl. >> reporter: how long ago was she born? >> two hours. >> reporter: two hours ago? how long have you known you have hiv? health care workers here say ten years ago every baby in this ward would have been born hiv positive. today it's just one in 20. they promise to fight for a better future and an aids free generation. and so on this day they sing a song of hope and celebration. as we witness the gift they hold most precious -- life. tomorrow on "today" we'll interview some inspiring young women who say that they are the future leaders of zambia. it was an amazing trip. >> incredible. just looking at the maternity

care that woman's baby had been born two hours prior and the amount of time she has in the hospital is what? >> eight hours. >> eight hours. >> we actually saw her leaving, walking through a village holding her baby. when you think about the health care we have here it's unbelievable. >> shows you the challenges you're up against. then the tanzania part, if you were going to get the word out about something you would tell the hair salons, right? >> listen, we know here we talk with our hair dressers about everything. we get advice. we talk to them. these hair dressers tell these women how they can keep themselves healthy, their babies healthy, and their families healthy. >> the most incredible thing you saw when you were there? >> that woman was incredible. she said, we walked into the clinic and she said i have hiv and i want to share my story. she said my name means gift. this is my gift. this baby will most likely, 99.9%, not have hiv. >> a great piece. we can't wait for tomorrow, jenna. thanks. jenna bush hagar. >> thanks. up next a live performance by the hit band the fray but first this is "today" on nbc.

since early 2002 grammy nominated band the fray has produced hit songs like "how to save a life" and "over my head."

>> now the band is preparing to release their third studio album. the fray, guys, good morning. >> great to have you here. listen, you're about to come up with your first album in three years. it comes out in february? right? so there is a lot of excitement about this. what do you want to tell us about this album? i understand you deal with some pretty serious topics. >> we do. we traveled a lot for this record and we wrote in new orleans and rwanda and london and we think -- >> you wrote about rwanda almost being in the form of a person. >> yeah. i met with the president for his birthday last fall and just got to talking about kind of the loneliness of leadership and his story is crazy and just really inspired me to write, start that song. we wrote it about kind of rwanda getting back on. >> meantime you're going to help us feel really good this morning with chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

we're grateful to hear that from two of the four of you. by the way, i also want to mention more guys from denver. >> yes. a fifth one five guys from denver. we'll step out while you perform this song. "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" by the fray. ♪ ♪ chestnuts roasting on an open fire jack frost nipping at your nose ♪ ♪ yuletide carols being sung by a choir and folks dressed up like eskimos ♪

♪ everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe will help to make the season bright ♪ ♪ tiny little tots with their eyes all aglow will find it hard to sleep tonight ♪ ♪ they know that santa's on his way he's loading lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh ♪ ♪ and every mother's child is going to spy to see if reindeer really know how to fly ♪ ♪ and so i am offering this

simple phrase to kids from 1 to 92 although it's been said many times many ways merry christmas merry christmas to you ♪ [ applause ]

and we're waking up to a mild morning here in washington, and we might see some sun here and there throughout the day. good morning. it's 8:56. let's get straight to meteorologist, tom kierein, to find out about the weather. >> enjoy it while you can. a big change on the way.

a cool change beginning tomorrow, but right now temperatures are hitting 50s throughout parts of the region. washington national is now at 50 degrees, and later up near 60 and cloudy this afternoon. and rain ending by sunrise on friday, and then temperatures getting colder tomorrow afternoon and evening. and down into the 30s by dawn. and then for christmas day, we could get a little rain. on monday, tuesday and wednesday of next week, we dry out.

traveling 66 east, you look much better. we had a lot of delays, but as you can see here heading

back now with more of "today" on this thursday morning the 22nd day of december, 2011. that was the fray performing in our studio. we'll hear more from them a little later on. meantime, out here on the plaza i am ann curry on the first day of winter with tamron hall and carl quintanilla. >> you wouldn't know it's winter though. >> i know. >> 52 degrees by the temperature

reading there. so this is pretty amazing. the first day of winter, guys, right? we have a great crowd here on the plaza as we celebrate the holidays coming. also we want to mention matt has the day off and al also has the day off. we'll be talking about health and basically a guide for women by the decade. many times women of course put other people's health first but new year is a good time to schedule the screenings and check-ups. we'll give you a guide on what test you should be getting from your 20s all the way up to your 60s. >> that's right. also even though it is almost the end of the year not too late to start saving on your taxes for this year. we'll talk about whether you have last-minute medical bills. maybe you want to empty out the flex spending account. we'll tell you what you should do before the end of the year to put more money in your pocket. >> all right. >> i'll help you spend the money you save. >> viewers have been writing in with their fashion emergencies especially looking for advice on what to wear for the holiday

parties. i love the fanfare. style editor bobbie thomas is here with the answers and trendy, affordable picks. >> speaking after trend h iningt this? sparkle in your skirt this morning. you look so cute. let's get inside. we have natalie morales at the news desk with some serious stories to get to. hey, natalie. thank you. good morning, everyone. president obama is pressuring house republicans today to allow a vote on the two-month extension of the payroll tax cut approved by the senate. the president said it is the only way to make sure 160 million americans don't get a holiday tax hike in ten days. he says the extension will also give congress time to work out a full-year extension which house republicans are insisting on. baghdad is in chaos today. a wave of at least 14 bombings ripped across the city this morning killing at least 60 people and wounding 200. it's the worst violence in iraq in months. the attacks came just days after

the last american forces left iraq and in the middle of a major power struggle between shiite and sunni politicians. unrest intensifies today in a chinese village where residents there have been locked in a ten-day standoff with government officials. villagers smashed cars and threw bricks at police in protest against the planned power plant. russian president dimitry medvedev proposed reforms to liberalize russia's political system in his state of the nation address. his promises come two days before a scheduled mass demonstration against a disputed parliamentary vote. opposition leaders say the changes would be welcome though insufficient and vowed to keep up their push for new elections. bank of america has agreed to pay a record $335 million settlement to resolve a federal complaint that its countrywide mortgage unit discriminated against black and hispanic borrowers by making them pay higher fees and interest than

whites with similar credit profiles. the fbi says it has new evidence that the so-called geezer bandit wanted for 16 holdups in california may not be elderly after all. they released video showing the suspect sprinting away like a young man when a security dye pack exploded after a bank robbery this month. witnesses also said the robber wears a mask and gloves. it's a sign of the times in times square. the giant number two has arrived to round out the 2012 sign that will glow brightly after the ball drops on new year's eve. this new model uses 78% less energy than the 2011 sign. and in a season of home comings, two extra special examples. a 10-year-old iowa girl performing with her sign language choir at a basketball game didn't notice the giant gift box sneaking on to the court. as you see it there, turns out it was her dad, army staff sergeant home early from iraq. then last night at a hockey game in north dakota a family was called on to the ice to see if

they could put a puck past the goalie and win a prize and it turns out the goalie was the prize. it was their soldier dad home from kosovo for christmas. doesn't get any better than those reunions. now five minutes past the hour let's go back outside to ann, carl, and tamron. >> so touching. that is so great. and such good timing. >> the home coming in time for christmas is incredible. >> our hearts are also warmed by all the nice, wonderful people coming out on our plaza. maria la rorosa in for al. >> good morning, guys. i'm all for family harmony. your brothers are back there sleeping and you're here? >> yes, yes. >> on tv? >> yes. >> what would you like to say to them now? >> hi. >> perfect. welcome to new york. as we take a look at what we're dealing with today we have a lot of wacky weather going on including severe weather. right now a tornado watch until 1:00 this afternoon forhunderst

through right now. a lot of rain as well. and eventually, this will push up into the northeast. severe weather could push into places like birmingham and atlanta, and then there's damaging winds and even a few tornados. now, our big winter storm and santa ana winds continue in southern california. >> good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. we will have increasing clouds throughout the rest of the day. temperatures in the upper 40s near 50, and a little chillier further west and north. and then tonight after sunset until sunrise tomorrow rain likely and might get an inch, and then sun back tomorrow afternoon, and chilly friday night into saturday, and sunshine on saturday, christmas eve, and then >> to keep with the family unit you want to say hi to anybody?

>> hi, grandma. >> thanks for watching. >> all right. natalie, back to you. thank you, maria. this morning on "today's health" decade by decade health checks for women as we approach the new year. always a good time for women to make health checkups and screenings the top priority. here to help us dr. carrie peterson a contributor to "women's health" magazine. good morning. >> good morning. >> women tend to be care givers and tend to neglect our own health. it's time to take charge. why is it so important for us to really make sure we're getting these check-ups annually? >> each decade, more diseases are prevalent as we age and it's just really important to detect them early so we can stop them all together or prevent any complications. you mentioned that women tend to forget to take care of themselves. studies have shown when women take care of themselves, the health of their family improves as well. >> so there you go. there is reason number one to make sure you do it. okay. let's start off with our 20s and what kinds of things should we already be thinking about? because prevention really is the

key here. >> it is. the first thing to consider is examining your moles. once a month just do a thorough skin exam to look for any changes in the size, shape, or color of your moles. and then once a year have your doctor check it as well. >> okay. pap smears as well. at what age do we start getting those? >> pap smears are necessary to screen for cervical cancer and you should start getting those at age 21 or three years after you've become sexually active, whichever comes first. and in your 20s you need to do them every single year. >> okay. then also cholesterol and blood pressure. we'll group those together. >> yes. >> usually they're done together. >> both should be checked starting in your 20s. your cholesterol you should find out all three parameters, the bad, the good, and the triglycerides. check it every five years. for your blood pressure in your 20s start getting it checked every two years. it should be below 135 over 85. >> okay. then moving on into the 30s a lot of those same tests are going to be continuing from your

20s on. new ones as well. you say start to get your thyroid checked out. >> correct. in your 30s is when thyroid disease starts to become prevalent. you'll notice you may have some fatigue, weight gain. that should be checked every three years starting about age 35. >> then you added the tetanus vaccine. >> it is a good reminder in your 30s to think about it. many people get it when they entered college in your late teens, may not think about it in your 20s. in your 30s, get one every ten years. >> when you cut your finger every once in a while you have to get the tetanus. we'll start off with the mammogram in your 40s. this is controversial. >> there is mixed advice on this. >> but the consensus still is begin at age 40 and do it every one to two years in your 40s and once you're in your 50s do it annually. >> once every two years. >> one to two years. talk about that with your doctor. >> then diabetes screenings as well. >> that's correct. start that about age 45 especially if you have a family

history. that should be done every three years as well. >> good time to get your eyes checked. >> it is. not just for vision but also for screening for glaucoma. that may present with no symptoms but it is a leading cause of blindness. in your 40s go to your eye doctor every two years. >> i think your eyes may remind you of that at 40 anyway. that's when you start needing it. right? then also a good thing to do is get a fecal blood exam. this is not a colonoscopy. >> it is an initial screening test for colon cancer. the doctor does a rectal exam to check for microscopic blood and it will screen for colon cancer. >> next moving to the 50s when we start thinking about colon cancer screenings. >> in your 50s you should start getting a colonoscopy every ten years unless you have a family history then you may need it earlier. check with your doctor. >> a hearing test right? >> once you're in your 50s 1 in 6 people start to develop some degree of hearing losses specially with the high pitched sounds. you may notice you're saying

what in a res traunltaurant. get it checked. >> moving on to our 60s, going through a lot of hormonal changes so what are some things to be thinking about here? >> typically women have reached menopause at this point so you should start thinking about osteoporosis screening. you don't need to start getting checked until you are 65 unless you haveu)ái factors. there are many risk factors. if you have a family history of osteoporosis, drink excessive alcohol, or hit menopause very early that puts you at earlier risk of developing the disease. >> okay. now the influenza vaccine you should be getting yearly. >> you should. once you're in your 60s your immune system starts to weaken and you are more susceptible to getting several diseases you require vaccine for. one is certainly the influenza vaccine. get it every year especially in your 60s. in addition you need the vaccine given two shots, five years apart and also consider getting your shingles vaccine to prevent the severity of this disease. once you're in your 60s there is a much greater chance of getting

it. a lot to get through. thank you so much. did you it and i got a lot of check-ups i have to schedule. coming up next, from medical expenses to charitable donations. what you need to do by the end of the year including that checkup to save on your taxes. then one charitable couple, william and kate, carry on princess diana's legacy of giving during the holidays. we'll tell you what they're doing, but first these messages. cuban ca jun raw seafood pizza parlor french fondue tex-mex fro-yo

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and 2 minutes to christmas? [ mumbling ] ...enny days, 8 hours, 9 minutes... 18 days, 17 hours... [ mom ] let's go, young lady. [ female announcer ] they're for building excitement for christmas. 12 days, 18 hours... come on. it's no days! [ female announcer ] the hallmark countdown to christmas ornament. 5 hours and 59 minutes and 41... 40...39... 38...37...36... this morning on today's money year-end tax savings. nbc's financial analyst vera gibbons has your tax checklist to put more money in your pocket hopefully in the new year.

vera, good morning. good to see you. so we would like to be thinking about shopping and eating but the reality is we have to focus on our taxes. >> yes. there are some things you can do now to lower your taxes. >> it doesn't have to hurt. time to put together your tax saving list to save on 2011. where do we start? >> well, start by making some charitable contributions. charities will be happy to accept cash, checks, appreciated securities, even your used items providing they are in good or better condition. you just have to itemize, get receipts for donations $250 or more and you have just a few more days to make those donations. >> how do you estimate the value if you're not giving a cash contribution and maybe donating a sofa to an organization? >> there is a tool called it's deductible to help you figure out the fair market value, what it would sell for at a thrift store. >> you recommend selling losing investments in taxable accounts. >> you might have to live within your portfolio. now is the time to unload them. deduct up to $3,000 of losses.

>> up to 3,000? >> that is the maximum. >> okay. >> and carry it over to other years. if you have some gains, some winners in your portfolio you might consider actually taking action there, too, and giving those award winning shares to your low income earning kids for example the 10% bracket, the 15% bracket, they can sell that stuff. the assets at a profit not being a capital gain or give appreciated shares to your favorite charity. you get to deduct the full market value and pay no capital gains. >> it's all legal. >> okay. what type of expenses do you prepay? >> we're talking about things like your mortgage interest, contributions to the 529 plan. if you live in one of the 34 states that gives you a break for that contribution, state taxes, local taxes, property taxes. unless of course you're going to be subject to the alternative minimum tax which doesn't allow for deductions like state and local taxes for example doesn't allow for personal exemptions so if you think you'll be hit by the alternative minimum tax you

have to run the numbers both ways under the amt rules and under the regular tax code and then pay whichever one is higher. it gets a little confusing. there are calculators on the web that can help you or you might want to talk to a turbo tax -- there are some enrolled agents and tax attorneys and other pros and you can run your questions by. >> plenty of resources available. >> doesn't have to be as complicated as it probably sounds. >> something that often seems complicated but i know you'll clear it up, flex spending accounts. what do we do if we have money left over? >> use it or lose it. some employers have a deadline of mid march but others have december 31st. find out when your deadline is and if you have any funds have you to go out and spend it. so schedule last-minute appointments, go buy glasses, contacts, first aid kit, sun block, plenty of expenses are eligible for reimbursement.

>> what about the people who are self-employed? a lot of people tried to start new businesses on their own with the economy being so slow. what if you're self-employed? >> there are 42 million contingent workers right now. about one-third of the work force is doing part-time work, doing contract work, doing freelance work. this is the time of year when you take a look at essentially how you did in the year and how you expect to do in 2012. you have to figure out whether it's in your best interests to accelerate deductions or vice versa. write offs, now is a good time to buy the lap top or printer and take the break for 2011. i would also suggest if you are self-employed you set up a retirement account if you haven't done so already. solo 401(k) for example. >> okay. >> a great tool. you only have until december 31st to set this up even though you don't have to fund it until tax filing deadlines. >> what about expiring tax provisions? >> we have a few that are due to expire. the tuition and fees deduction for example which is a decent break. you can lower your taxable

income by up to $4,000. you might consider prepaying tuition that's due the first three months of the year. might consider prepaying it now. >> oh. >> in order to get the break for 2011. we've also got the educator expense also due to expire. so if you're a teacher, counselor for example, good time to load up on supplies, software, whatever else you think you might need. we've got the home energy credit too. >> if you want to make your home more energy efficient, time to do it now. don't wait until the new year. >> installation of energy efficient windows, doors, everything has to be done by the 3st. this is worth up to $500. you might want to run out to home depot and buy the supplies. >> real quick if you have a big purchase to make before the end of the year get it done. >> get it done particularly if you live in one of those states that doesn't have an income tax such as florida, texas for example because the optional sales tax deductions scheduled to go away. this is a deduction in lieu state and local taxes. if you live in one of those states and you're in the market for a big ticket item such as a

car for example you might want to consider doing the purchase now instead of waiting. >> good information, vera. thank you very much. >> thanks, tamron. >> still ahead bobbie thomas to the rescue. she has the answer to some style tips for you for holiday fashion emergencies. first these messages. i'm good about washing my face. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. developed with dermatologists... it's clinically proven to remove 99% of dirt and toxins and purify pores. and with natural willowbark it contains no dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. dirt and toxins do a vanishing act and my skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena naturals. [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser hey. hey mom! what are you doing? what is that? what is this? it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. we're dipping our feet in it. why? because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! sick of it!

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♪ it rides in limos. it has a crew. it gets invited to parties with paparazzi. it hangs out poolside. it has millions of drooling fans.

it knows the recipe for success. there's nothing like it. the big mac. it doesn't do interviews. and don't miss the mac snack wrap while it's in the house. the simple joy of famous flavor. ♪ the simple joy of famous flavor. wait a second... with olay challenge that. new regenerist wrinkle revolution... relaxes the look of wrinkles instantly, and the look of deep wrinkles in 14 days. ready, set, smooth... regenerist. from olay. still ahead bobbie thomas answers your questions about looking stylish but comfortable during the holidays. >> and in today's kitchen we are making gingerbread houses from

scratch. delicious. >> and the fray will perform for us. sears last minute gift sale is on now! get our lowest price ever on this samsung 46-inch 3d tv, just $999.99. all craftsman mechanics tool sets are up to 50% off. plus, earn $100 back in rewards points with all fine jewelry. sears nyquil tylenol: we are?ylenol. you know we're kinda like twins. nyquil (stuffy): yeah, we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. tylenol: and i relieve nasal congestion.

nyquil (stuffy): overachiever. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. we have got clouds across washington. good morning, everyone. it's 9:26 on this thursday, december 22nd. winter temperatures are around the corner. let's go to meteorologist, tom kierein, for the latest. >> we wl turn colder as we fwet into the christmas weekends, and right now it's in the 40s and will be in the mid-50s. and later today with increasing clouds, highs near 60, rain likely after sunset tonight and could pick up an inch of rain overnight. and tumbling out of the 50s midday tomorrow, and then mostly

cloudy on christmas day. a small chance of a shower. >> a look at your roads when we [ screaming ] [ zapping ] there goes dwayne's car. oh, man. there goes dwayne's house. whoa! whoa!

and there goes dwayne. man, that thing does not like dwayne. [ male announcer ] state farm's got you covered. nice landing. it was. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. good morning. traveling 66 eastbound on the parkway, an accident blocking the roadway. and i-65, you are in the clear at this time. if you are traveling the beltway, this is the view at route one. i am not seeing any issues

there. and outer loop at route 1, you are looking at at 57 miles per hour. another news update in 25 minutes, but for now bac

♪ oh, what a night ♪ why did it take so long to see the light it seemed so wrong but now it seems so right sweet surrender what a night ♪ that. >>'s the tony award winning musical "jersey boys" featuring the music of the four seasons and tomorrow on "today" it's too good to be true. the cast of the broadway hit will be here performing a couple christmas medleys off their new album "seasons greetings a jersey boys christmas." i love it already. >> makes you want to dance. >> and the crowd's reaction is always amazing. >> excellent. coming up in this half hour

prince william carrying on the charitable legacy of his mother princess diana. he and katherine stopped by a homeless family to spread little holiday cheer and even hit the dance floor. oh, what a night. >> there you go. >> we have a live report from london. >> got some moves. also, do you have a fashion emergency? well, it is bobbie thomas to the rescue. she is answering your questions and is going to show us how to dress up without wearing a dress for the holidays. we're getting our hands a little bit dirty building gingerbread houses from scratch. we'll show you how to create and decorate your very own gingerbread house. it'll make a great center piece for your mantle or holiday table. i love that. >> it's beautiful. >> first let's check the weather with maria larosa in for al this morning pretty in pink. >> thank you. good morning, ladies. it is a rough start in some areas. the potential for severe weather across the southeast that could really mess up travel plans including the damaging winds, maybe isolated tornadoes. we do have a tornado watch out for portions of the southeast. in portions of the southeast.

and the colorado rockies getting socked in with more snow today. essentially as we get through tomorrow, some of the energy is pushing more rain in the northeast and so another rainy day from new york to boston tomorrow. and still looks overall quiet on the west coast. that's a look at the weather across the country and here's a look at what you can expect. >> that southern storm will bring us rain tonight. temperatures under a mostly cloudy sky. 50 at reagan national, and rain likely after sunset tonight, and the sun is back tomorrow and getting colder tomorrow afternoon. and then saturday afternoon, sunshine and mid-40s. cloudy on christmas day. a small chance of rain, natalie, tamron, back to you. >> thank you. now let's say hello to actress, author, and comedian here to talk about her new movie "pariah" a stand out film at the

sundance film festival. happy holidays and merry christmas. the reaction, a dramatic role for you. people often think of you and your family as the comedy legend but you said you wanted to spread your wings and you did. >> i did. i've been looking for a challenge like this for a while now but you get put in a box out in hollywood and people think of me as a wacky comedian so those doors aren't usually open but i snuck in this time and got it. >> this is a very tough role for you. you play audrey and she is a tough mom and has been described as disapproving and overly religious mother. apparently she is very upset with her daughter's gender nonconformity and sexual preference. why did you want to take on this role? >> i read the script. it was so beautifully written and i just felt like it was such an important film and such a relevant film especially in light of all the children committing suicide, gay children because they can't find a safe place to go and they don't feel accepted. and i just thought it had a very

powerful message about accepting and being nonjudging and it was a beautiful film and i wanted to be part of it. >> i'm curious what your brothers' reactions were to this film. >> they loved it. we screened it for them and they were moved and affected by it and very, very proud of me and the entire cast. they just think it's an amazing movie people really need to see. >> i know the director's family also just had a powerful impact on her relationship with her parents. >> it did. she had been estranged from her parents for a while because they had a difficult time accepting her sexuality and came to see the film and were just so moved by it and they loved it and they loved -- told her how much they love her and how proud they are of her and we've seen this happen over and over again at different screenings where people have really been affected and have talked about going home and relating to their children in a different kind of way and it's just been an amazing journey. >> hopefully it opens people's eyes and hearts. >> yes. >> kim wayans thank you so much.

powerful film. it opens on wednesday, december 28th in select theaters. up next, what are you wearing for the holidays? >> i don't know yet. >> bobbie thomas has style suggestions. >> the answer right after this. you can look beautiful for the holidays. ♪ ding dong ding, dong ♪ hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, ♪ ♪ throw cares away, christmas is here, bringing good cheer, ♪ ♪ to young and old, meek and the bold, ding dong ding, dong, ♪ ♪ that is their song, with joyful ring, all caroling, ♪ ♪ one seems to hear, words of good cheer, from everywhere, ♪ ♪ filling the air, oh how they pound, raising the sound, ♪ ♪ o'er hill and dale, telling their tale, gaily they ring, ♪ ♪ while people sing, songs of good cheer, christmas is here. ♪ ♪ merry, merry, merry, merry christmas ♪ this was the gulf's best tourism season in years. all because so many people wanted to visit us... in louisiana. they came to see us in florida... nice try, they came to hang out with us in alabama... once folks heard mississippi had the welcome sign out, they couldn't wait to get here.

this year was great but next year's gonna be even better. and anyone who knows the gulf knows that winter is primetime fun time. the sun's out and the water's beautiful. you can go deep sea fishing for amberjack, grouper and mackerel. our golf courses are open. our bed and breakfast have special rates. and migrating waterfowl from all over make this a bird watcher's paradise. so if you missed it earlier this year, come on down. if you've already been here come on back... to mississippi... florida... louisiana... alabama. the gulf's america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home.

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magic. [ grandma ] ...grandma loves you. goodnight, grandma. goodnight, grandma. [ female announcer ] be there to read them a story every night. read it to me again. [ female announcer ] hallmark recordable storybooks. this christmas, make it wonderful. ♪ ♪ jingle bell jingle bell rock >> this morning on bobbie's style buzz she is talking about holiday couture i guess we could say. the phone has been ringing off the hook with people wanting advice. so today's style editor and bobbie.com bobbie thomas is here to answer holiday fashion questions. good morning. >> we call it the holiday hope line rather than the hot line. >> i got it. a lot of people have stress this time of the year because you don't know what to wear. >> you're overwhelmed. it is like being in a candy store. sequin and glitz and everything else but you don't want to be over dressed but comfortable. >> very nice.

we have checked the internet, facebook, and the most common questions. the first person says, so i generally avoid dresses but i need to dress up. any festive looking ideas that are not dresses? >> i was surprised how many times this question came up. >> really. >> there are so many women who just don't want to be in a dress. i can kind of understand for comfort. the key i would think to look for is the striking silhouette or striking color. a poncho is a really great idea. i love a poncho. i'm wearing this one. >> that looks beautiful. >> from maya boutique. wear it with jeans or pants. these are other examples. we have on our lovely model irene, she is showing off a poncho from hsn. this has embellishments and so chic she could wear it to a party. >> she has simple pants on, nice pair of flat shoes. then the poncho just pops the whole outfit. >> the trick with the poncho or anything is it has the drama. a little bit of flow. not that expensive. she can wear it again.

if you dress it up with the nice slim pants, heels, earrings. it is very festive especially with the embellishment. >> just hold your hands out. you look like diana ross. >> your supreme moment. next up, bobbie, the next question is this time of the year is so hectic and i never seem to have time to get home after work before going out. besides keeping a clutch in my handbag what other ways can i go from day to night? >> again, so many women still suffer from how to get from day to evening. >> all right. >> accessories are your best bet. you heard so much about a statement necklace. that is still a great idea. but i want to point out that everything on these two pads is under $10 with the exception of this. some of these rings are $3.80 from forever 21. >> really? >> and feel the weight of those. my point is, don't pass by your daughter's teenage trend store because the jewelry at forever 21 is great. if you are at the office, we have a basic suit we got at bloomingdale's. you want to wear a pretty blouse underneath during the day and

then at the end of the day we added lip stick, earrings, and if she takes off the blazer you'll see what a difference just a festive blouse makes. >> wow. >> and this looks like she's got a little black dress on. >> pretty. and the earrings, rings, just put inside your work bag and pop them on as you walk out the door. >> i love a statement earring. these are from macy's. it really frames your face and putting your hair up can give it that very elegant party feel. >> very nice. absolutely beautiful. the next question up is, help. i love having family and friends over for the holidays but i'm stuck cooking and have a hard time finding something stylish and practical to wear. so what do we do? >> okay. this is another big problem. we do want to look nice and dress up but at the same time they're going to be at your home and you want to be cozy and chic. nancy is a great example. dress up your denim. these are a metallic pair of jeans from zahra, really fun. wear it with something classic so you don't go overboard but a classic turtle neck, even slippers. this is really festive.

colored jeans. >> ebony has on a great dress. >> that dress is $14.95. i was so excited. a cotton dress, a faux wrap dress with a print, really comfortable. sit on the couch and watch movies with your family and friends. >> right. >> such a great idea. you don't have to be dressed up in a cocktail dress to look good. you want to be able to take your shoes off and hang out with the family. >> thank you, ladies. you look amazing. bobby, thank you. if you have holiday fashion dilemmas and need help from bobby send your questions at today.com. up next one of britain's most stylish couples, william and kate get in the holiday spirit. then fun for the entire family. making gingerbread houses for the family in today's kitchen. [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands

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the duke and duchess of cambridge william and kate are getting into the spirit of the season and honoring the legacy of the princess diana with a visit to a charity dear to diana's heart. >> william apparently took some time to show off pretty smooth dance moves. stephanie gosk is at buckingham palace. good morning, stephanie. >> reporter: good morning, natalie and tamron. you know, princess diana used to take harry and william to centrepoint charity when they were little boys to show them how difficult some people have

it in the city of london and in this country. last night it was prince william with his new wife and he told one of the kids there that he is looking forward to bringing his own children one day. just days before christmas, the duke and duchess of cambridge had one official visit of the year left, to centrepoint, a homeless shelter for young people. casually dressed, william and kate mingled easily, chatting with kids, baking cookies. >> kate -- katherine made me this cookie for my 18th birthday and it's really beautiful. i'll cherish it. >> reporter: there was even a little dancing. the prince showed off hip hop moves no one knew he had. impressing the kids and clearly amusing his wife. >> they seem like they were quite comfortable. that was nice to see actually. >> reporter: of all the charities william supports, centrepoint is probably the most important to him. it was his mother's favorite. the prince, famously spent a night sleeping outside with the homeless two years ago. now kate is by his side and

looking very he mumuch at ease. >> she seems to be genuinely interested in what she's doing with regard to the charity work that she's become involved insofar. >> reporter: the young royals get a break now after a grueling week of holiday events. they will need the rest. 2012 is going to be a very busy year for the royal family. william and kate will play a high profile role in the year's two most important events, the olympics and the queen's diamond jubilee, a celebration of her 60-year reign. >> they're going to play a focal role in all the celebrations in london, including being by the queen's side when she sails down the thames at the head of the flotilla of a thousand ships. >> reporter: the royal family will also visit dozens of the uk commonwealth countries as part of the jubilee. the duke and duchess will be traveling the furthest to the tiny tuvalu islands in the south pacific. the queen and prince philip were last there in 1982.

but for now, william and kate will gather at the queen's estate. it will be her first christmas as a royal, but after a year of firsts, the duchess has proven she fits right in. speculation is swirling about what william is going to get kate for christmas. the general consensus and it is still rumor at this point is that the duchess of cambridge is going to get a puppy. back to you guys. >> that's nice. >> it always starts with a puppy first. >> there you go. >> oh, boy. >> thank you, stephanie. coming up next, nothing says christmas like a gingerbread house. we have creative ideas in "today's kitchen." first this is "today" on nbc. the droid razr by motorola.

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today's holiday kitchen is brought to you by hershey's kisses, delightfully delicious, one of a kind kisses. >> this morning in today's

holiday kitchen we are creating a signature of the season gingerbread house. pastry chef extraordinaire david collier and daniel manjone of the ritz-carlton are here to help us build them from the ground up. good morning. good to have you. >> good morning. >> thank you. >> we are looking at this unbelievableable radio city music hall. that is inspiring. i don't think any of us will try that at home. how long did it take you? >> about 50 hours. >> that's it? >> yes. took a team. >> amazing. every single candy on it just about. >> we try to create a variety with the candies and shapes. it's a good color. >> it is actually gorgeous. this is something we love to do at home. right? let's show people how we can make it from the ground up. >> something that the family will enjoy. >> a few quick tricks when building a house. you can find the templates at michael's craft store. >> okay. >> roll your gingerbread, cut it out, bake it. >> you can buy some of those

kits. that's not the real deal right? >> we make our own. >> okay. >> once you have your gingerbread baked, simply pipe your icing on each side of where you want to build it. >> is there a trick to making sure the icing sticks? >> just make it thick. >> okay. make it thick. okay. >> that is the best way. >> we use some water bottles as your holder for the gingerbread house. >> okay. >> so that will hold up that end. that will hold up that end. >> a nice little trick. >> it takes about six hours. you can finish that and then you move to this one where we have the sides done. >> completely dry. >> you can feel it. >> don't have to worry about it. okay. >> then the last missing element is your roof. so you just want to bring your icing down the sides. >> wow. >> go ahead and apply the roof. >> and then how do you get that from not falling? >> again, the water bottle has the grooves in it. i was really thirsty one day.

>> figure out what is going to work better. >> and you start out decorating. >> the best part. normally i suggest you come up with some kind of game plan of i think they tend to look better if you have like a discernible pattern. you can, you know, it's more fun for the kids to just throw handfuls on there. one thing, since we do so many of the workshops with the children i tend to try to not fill the bags as much because it's easier for people with smaller hands and we kind of wrap them around your thumb a little bit so have you more leverage. >> and if you don't have the bags you can use just sort of like -- >> you can use a zip lock bag and just snip the end off also. >> great. >> you don't even have to buy the expensive piping. >> i like the color icing you made as well. >> absolutely. so you can go two different ways. you can either pipe right directly on to the gingerbread. >> okay. >> and, you know, apply your candies and your preplanned form. >> grab the candy, can we snack on it? >> absolutely. as long as you have a 50% success rate of what hits the

building i think you're okay. >> great. >> my house it would be less than 50% for sure. >> you're not going back -- >> that's exciting. >> what's great is they can actually preserve them and bring them out year after year, right? >> certainly. >> make great center pieces. we've had more than a few families that will spray them with spray rom home depot or something and then they'll last for, yeah. they'll last for years as long as you keep the -- crowd control. when one we actually left the top fairly open for more like a buffet feel. you can fill the top with candy and people can snack on it as they come into your living room. >> a great idea. >> awesome. >> we also took sugar to make the bands here and we were able to put your picture on here with the "today" show logo. >> do we get to keep this now? well great. yay. thanks. if you have o

good morning, everyone. 9:56 is the time. thursday, december 22nd, 2011. right now we are following breaking news in the district where a vehicle containing six special needs students has been involved in an accident. it happened on blair road northwest not far from kansas avenue. we do not know how many people that were hurt or the extent of their injuries. we will bring more details as

they become available to us. another mild day with highs near 60. we are climb into the 50s. a lot of clouds around this afternoon, and then maybe on christmas day, a small chance of rain. and 66 westbound, still slowing you down between the dulles toll road and the parkway. still slow at leesburg pike. >> coming up -- join us for [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices...

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captions paid for by nbc-universal television ♪ chestnuts roasting on an open fir ♪ >> hey, everybody, it is thirsty thursday. that is a new take on that. december 22nd, the first day of winter, though it feels like spring here. close to 60 degrees here. >> it will be around 60 by noon. it's the shortest day of the year. we thought it would be a nice time to go visit the north pole since it's not cold here.

we have a live shot of santa's workshop. >> it looks deserted. >> maybe they're napping. >> i hope they're hard at work inside. a lot of kids very excited. >> the reindeer up there we hear, they are gearing up for the big day. they have streets up there like snowman lane, blitzen way. >> i wonder if this modern technological world made it easier for santa. how did he do it before those things? >> neigh niece skyped with him. i was leaving the gym, walked out the door, rockefeller center 7:00 in the morning. this is what i saw walking right past me right there in front of the gym, had a hump on his back. >> had a hump, which is a clue. >> it's coming. it was a full-on camel. i couldn't believe it. i stepped out of the gym.

what is that doing there? >> little egyptian friend. is that a picture you took, hoda? >> it's clear. who said it was blurry? >> was there a wiseman on there? >> they were walking around. >> you know what's been fun? every year we expect salvation army with their kettles out every year. they do the most amazing work year after year after year. have you noticed it ain't your grandma's salvation army? they are jazzing it up. this gentleman in front of the nbc experience store is a guy i see all the time. he is shaking it up. look at him. he's like that all the time. i love him. >> we have some of the guys from the salvation army here. they are going to show us how they've spiced it up. >> merry christmas. >> how are you? >> you guys are at penn station, right? >> yeah, penn station. >> show how you get people to give a little money. let's hear it. ♪ angels we have heard on high

♪ sweetly singing ore the plain ♪ and the mountains in reply ♪ echoing their joyous strain ♪ gloria in excelsis deo ♪ ♪ gloria ♪ in excelsis deo >> that was perfect, you guys. >> he is doing a whole lot more choreography than you guys. >> he's not singing. >> what about the jackson 5? >> if i was as talented as the jackson 5, i wouldn't be here. >> god bless you guys. bless you. >> thanks again. thanks, mack, you were great. >> that little boy mack is so

adorable. he is the beautiful son of our producer who shall remain nameless joanne lamarca and her beautiful husband tyler. >> he's hot. he works at cnbc. here is christmas by the numbers. most of the people around the country celebrate christmas, 93% exchange gifts. only 93%. 88% put up a christmas tree. of those who believe in christmas. what was the other one? something about wrapping. >> not that many wrap. >> not many people wrap their presents. >> the first tree, i think it was 1931 was 20 feet high and by 1999 it was over 100 feet. >> do you like to wrap presents? do you do that? >> you know what? i've got to give a shout out to my ivy. there is ivy books over at

bloomingdale's. she is the sweetest woman. she has been helping me with christmas craziness for, how many years, christine? 25 years. she has elves that do a lot of it. this year i was wrapping things at home. cody and cassidy walked in and you would have thought their mother had gone to heaven and martha stewart was in the house. they hadn't seen it in a long, long time. >> when you wrap a present, you're very good about the corners. >> yes, i am. >> we had a little wrap-off. they did something for today.com. one of our video producers put us to a competition together. we haven't seen it, so let's check. ♪ >> you guys up for it? >> please. >> i was born to do this. >> ready? set, wrap -- go! ♪ >> this is so simple. this tape, by the way. kath, i'm almost done.

>> i can imagine what it looks like. >> my tape -- >> no, no, no. it's not in the christmas spirit to share. >> look at this. >> so sad. >> give me some tape. >> no! >> by the way, the truth was mine -- let me tell you why mine was better. those were huge wine glasses. you didn't know what mine was. it looked like a big blob. you knew immediately kathie lee's was a wine glass because it looked like it because it was so perfect. >> thanks to kyle. if you want to see the whole thing go on our website. he is a doll. we have so many great people, young people, fresh out of college and stuff here. makes me feel very old. >> this is a cool book. if you're looking for a nice book to give away. >> other than "the three gifts," this is really good. >> this is called "the carpenter's gift."

it is a terrific tale. >> it really is. >> it involves the rockefeller christmas tree. >> with a twist and a beautiful christmas message in it. it's -- i loved it. i thought it was adorable. >> i just read it in my dressing room this morning. it is a trouble book by david ruble and illustrated by jim lemarsh. >> i don't think it's available at the nbc experience story. you have to go to your favorite book store. >> there is always a picture of the child on santa's lap. sometimes you hit a home run and sometimes the kids are screaming and out of control. these are some photos that came on our website courtesy of today.com. you never know what you're going to get. >> think about it, it could be a scary process. >> look at these two. both crying. sometimes you get a good one. sometimes they start working out.

that's cute. oh, oh! look at that. >> stop it. >> just eat him up. >> yesterday because you have a ton of family in town so you didn't go with me. sunny and i went to see a terrific play called "the mountain top" with two unbelievable actors. you know it's going to be good when you see samuel jackson and angela bassett. he plays martin luther king the night before he was assassinated at the lorraine hotel. she plays ostensibly you thinks she is the maid, but you discover she is not as she appears. they are just so great to watch. it's only two people. it's 90 minutes and no intermission. it's spellbinding because of the work they are doing. it's really moving. it turned out it was samuel's

birthday yesterday. >> it was? >> yes. i went backstage to say hello. i think we have a picture they sent of the picture of -- there we are in front of a big cake. al sharpton couldn't stay away. here is the picture that showed up in the paper. >> somebody wasn't in it. she was over here. >> the other side. i'm sure it was a mistake. david corkery took that. he took that picture and left and i got in the picture afterwards. nobody tried to be mean to kathie lee. >> let's play christmas music. if you want a good christmas movie to watch, one of my favorite movies of all time is called -- what is it? "love actually." "love actually." you're rude. that's just mean. that is mean-spirited. at this time of the year. >> me? i didn't say a word.

that was sara. >> she said "love actually." this song came it from. this is michael buble's version of it called "all i want for christmas." hit it, michael. ♪ hey jude >> how dare you ruin my song. ♪ don't want a lot for christmas ♪ there's just one thing i need ♪ don't care about those presents ♪ ♪ underneath the christmas tree ♪ ♪ so i just want you for my own ♪ ♪ more than you could ever know ♪ ♪ make my wish come true ♪ you know that all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> i love michael buble. >> congratulations to him on top of the billboard charts for four weeks running now. good music still does exist. >> is it okay or not okay for brides to call all the shots for

their wedding? s i thought that was a particularly strange question. >> i thought that was the only way it was. >> you said totally up to each couple. it's good practice for the, hopefully, years ahead. >> yes. hodi said, yes, it is okay. it is the bride's day. then she puts in parenthesis, phew. >> you thought maybe they are upset because don't we have a say in this? >> no. guys just want to show up with the tux on and go. that's what they want. >> you have this from your years of experience. >> years and years and years of experience. we have a great show coming up. up next, you've got about 48 hours to do it. >> how to change your attitude. you know who you are. about your inlaws.

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if your inlaws are already with you, you might want to turn down the volume. if your husband has a problem with your parents, set the dvr. we are about to tackle tensions with injure spouse's parents. >> lesley jane seymour and psychiatrist dr. janet taylor. >> i'm terrific because i have no inlaws. >> who has the inlaws. >> this has been going since the beginning of time. >> great movies. >> can you imagine the cavemen? >> that's something we've seen for years and years. >> you think about it, especially with mothers and their sons, that is the primary attachment. here comes this woman that is going to compete with her son. reality is i'm lucky, i get along well with my mother-in-law. wants you buy into a family you're linked for life.

>> you do marry the family. >> let's pretend it's a holiday gathering. you prepare all this stuff and your mother-in-law walks in and says, oh, the dip is dry or it's too cold in here or starts with the criticism. what should one do? >> show her the door? >> if you want to ignite a flame. i don't think that is a good idea. people don't know what they are saying. they let their guard down. they are in the family situation. they don't realize how caustic and awful they are. you have to say, what you're saying here is hurting my feelings. i'm trying to make a great event here and that hurts my feelings. >> if you're newly married, you don't want to rock the boat, sometimes you'll stay silent and that builds resentment. so it carries over to the next time. if you're fortunate enough to speak up, you can. unfortunately, most people don't. >> there is also the other, why don't you try that? some people are like that. no matter what you do, they are

not going to be pleased. other people, the simplest thing makes their dar. >> one of the most interesting things i wanted to say was do you realize the average age of being a grandmother in the u.s. is 48 years old? 48, okay? a lot of the people who are listening are actually in the inlaw situation already. what the inlaws have to realize, this is not your day for you. you had that day. act like a grown-up. be the big one. leave the kids alone. >> it's a control issue, isn't it? >> it is control. >> it's frustrating when you look at your husband saying, aren't you seeing what's happening? you would think it would be easier for him to say, ma. >> the husband or wife could be used to it. you don't want to put either one in the middle. it's best to speak up or use humor or say, that's the way they are. i'm not going to let inlaws get in the way of my relationship because it can if you don't

address it. >> what about -- i'm sorry. did you want to say something? >> by not sticking up for you, isn't he siding with them? >> what can he do? i've seen this so often. men are so passive. they don't want a confrontation. they are never going to stand up for you. >> then why did you marry him? >> the nicest guy is not going to. they are not. that's just men. you're going to have to live through this and hope that they move far, far away. and that you only see them at this moment, correct? >> it can ruin the holidays, too. if you don't get along, isn't it better to say, look, we are going to stay here, you guys stay there we wish you well. there is too much tension in our family. god bless you, see you next year? >> maybe you break it up. a lot of families would be highly insulted. >> so what? >> think about your kids, too. you don't want your kids not to know their grandparents. >> maybe you do.

>> maybe that's why they call them the outlaws. >> every situation is completely different. what if you're newly married and there is battling going on between where to go that first holiday season? who wins? >> what's interesting what some friends have done where you do the, i'll come here for christmas eve, go to your house for the next one, or vary year by year. then another friend which is really interesting, they actually create a neutral ground. we'll meet in washington, d.c. everybody is going to come to a hotel. we'll do it that way. >> that's also expensive for a lot of people. i guess there is no way around it. suck it up. >> or find humor in it. >> that's always possible. okay. ladies, have a great holiday. up next, if none of that advice works, we have webtastic videos to ease the tension in any home. brad, where we going? just a second. just, just one second. ♪

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we are back with a special holiday webtastic when we show you the videos you won't be able to keep yourself from. >> pack your ipad when you head to see the relatives. you'll want to share these with everybody. >> up first, the glass duo's performance of "the dance of the sugarplum fairies" done on, what else? glasses. ♪ 45,000 hits. this is annina and arkidushe. they travel to festivals doing that. >> what do you say on your

passport for occupation? >> glass player? >> that is amazing. >> if that didn't get you in the holiday spirit, here is another video sure to put a smile on your face. it features two of my favorite things, puppies and presence. check it out. ♪ >> literally, good night that made this releases a new video every week and borrowed a friend's puppies and another guy's house to shoot this. i felt what better at christmas than puppies and presents. >> he is a talented film maker. >> over a million hits. >> i thought that was a commercial. >> thank you, sara.

>> thank you. >> still to come, we'll get you all wrapped up no matter how big the gift. >> "mission impossible." >> guess who is here? the fray. shop kmart and get after christmas prices now... at the christmas blowout sale! take up to 60% off family sleepwear and robes... this faux fur comforter is just $49.99! plus all fine jewelry is up to 75% off! now that's kmart smart.

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all at mind-melting speeds. powered by verizon, this droid is too powerful to fall into the wrong hands. we are back on this thirstday counting down to the holidays. we don't want to scare you, but you're running out of time. hopefully you're ready to wrap. >> we've got tips on how to wrap all those presents with a little ingenuity. >> it is getting down to the wire a little bit. >> it is. this is the fun time. this is when we get excited and get things finished up and wrapped. >> put some carols on the spinet. >> that's right. one of the important things is the wrapping. i watched y'all's contest you did. >> some things are more difficult to wrap up. >> one of the fun things is to

disguise what the gift is, which you said you could tell what kathie lee's was. >> it was a big wine glass. >> if you have something challenge for example like this tennis racket, i have a trick for you. we kept leftover boxes. i keep all those boxes. yes, i'm one of those people. i just cut out this shape out of two layers. i made a ten it in racket sandwich and used that firm shape to wrap around. >> you made it a lot harder, a lot more work. >> now you can't guess what it is. then the paper got a little messy underneath here so i just added this band like this to cover the mess up. i made. >> that's adorable. just a lot of work. >> what could this be? >> that's a little sleigh. >> how do you know? >> it's a rocking horse. we want to disguise what it is. i bought a table clost on clearance. >> that is smart. >> i used that. there are no opinions or

anything. it's gathered around because we don't want the kids to get hurt. >> i bet your house is beautiful. >> you're sweet. >> we want to see a picture of your house next time you come. >> you can do it with a bed sheet and ribbon. anything on clearance that is big and large. another great wrapping tool are these tubes. you can buy these mailing tubes and shove anything soft inside. oops. you just shove it in and gather it up like a tootsie roll. >> i would do that in a minute. >> this is one of my favorite ones if you wouldn't to add glitz and glam. take a small little box and add a little bit of glue to the top. isn't that fun? the kids could do this, which is fun. >> a lot of work. a lot of cleanup. >> but it is fun. >> speaking from years of experience. the minute the kids get out the glitter, your home is never the

same. >> look how pretty that looks. >> it's pretty. >> it is special. you add a little bow. we love anything that's homemade. these are basic tags. we kept scrap ribbon, scrap wrapping paper. you can add a little glitter. it's so inexpensive. >> how do you tie the perfect bow? i've been wondering forever. >> this is one of my favorite things to do. take a big length of ribbon and fold this over. >> i love the ribbon with the wire. >> that's really the trick, getting the wired ribbon to give it whatever shape you want. >> you make these the same size. >> see how type a she is? >> i love it. i'm the same way. tie it up and tie another bow on top of it. >> i love this. >> then you spread it. >> those are cool. 30 seconds. >> show us what you've got. >> keep your empty wrapping paper tubes. make a slit at the top and when

you unwind your lights, wind them around. they won't get tangled. another one of my favorite -- >> stop making the bow. it's over. >> i like to be organized. >> hoda does, too. >> these are tension rods you get at the hardware store. put them in a cabinet, in a trunk, whatever you want. you have all these loop for your ribbon. >> who is doing that? >> that is an awesome idea. >> but who is doing it? >> lots of people do. >> that was a great, great idea. thank you, honey. merry christmas. >> coming up next, "slum dog's" anil kapoor is here. ♪ [ horse neighs ] you're leaving. it is my destiny. ♪ take this. it is a piece of me. ♪ [ male announcer ] it's movie time. with a wii twist. netflix now delivers unlimited tv episodes and movies

instantly through wii and nintendo 3ds. all for only 8 bucks a month. seriously, what is it? well, this necklace is awesome. honey, you're getting a necklace! see what i mean? i'll surprise you. please. [ male announcer ] the only place to go for last-minute christmas gifts. walmart. [ female announcer ] kleenex brand tissues are america's softest... no wonder people want to share them on and on. send a kleenex brand share package for free today at kleenex.com and start your own chain of sharing. in return, you'll receive a sample of new kleenex cool touch tissues... the only tissue that actively releases a cool sensation to soothe a sore nose on contact. kleenex. softness worth sharing.

♪ but the fire is so delightful ♪

nothing melts away the cold like a hot, delicious bowl of chicken noodle soup from campbell's. ♪ let it snow, let it snow i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams.

my inspiration for quitting were my sons. they were my little cheering squad. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. anil kapoor spent years in baliwood films. >> now he plays a billionaire who holds valuable information that can only be obtained

through the art of seduction. >> you know they believe they i had mire most subconscious of desires. >> that's what i love. >> still going for it. >> anil, so good to see you. that was your third or fourth time with us. we love it when you come here. >> thank you so much. >> that paula has quite the punch, huh? >> absolutely. i want her to do it again and again. >> you animal. >> i loved it. i said slap here. >> the other side. you play a sleazy guy. >> you're a nasty man. >> i don't accept it. i'm a good guy. i'm innocent. i'm funny, warm. he doesn't know.

>> he's just going about his billions. >> you have a great cast you worked with. paula patton. tom cruise. what was he like? >> and simon pegg. >> i was blessed to have this team. tom cruise, sharing screen space with all these actors was phenomenal. >> you were in your native india. was it the premiere of the movie? >> we had the fan screening. >> he came to your house, did you have him over for dinner, tom cruise? >> no. it was not in my house. you stay in hotels so it was a hotel. >> we heard he came to your house. >> no, he didn't. >> that's the way rumors get started. >> yes, of course, i stayed in india, india is my house. >> what places did you take him? >> he landed in the morning. >> just hanging with tom.

>> he is a great guy to work with, right? he's known for treating his cast and crew members terrifically? >> he is so generous. he is perfect 360 degrees. a great human being, a family man, physically fit. >> did little suri come on the set? >> yes. >> was she wearing high heels? >> no. >> that's big news in america. >> his wife was. >> she is gorgeous. >> she loves wearing high heels. she loves wearing heels. she loves to look taller. >> you've been a huge star forever and ever. i didn't realize you have almost every member of your family is in the film business. >> yes. i have two daughters, both are in films. my younger daughter is an actress, my other daughter is a producer and my son is an aspiring writer. >> that is your daughter? she is gorgeous. >> you have maybe the best head of hair since lyle lovett. >> maybe i should shafsh it? >> no.

don't touch it. >> i don't want it like that. >> we want to rub our fingers. no. >> americans like this hairstyle. i love that hairstyle. >> we like this. >> i love it. >> anil, thank you. come visit us again. >> i love visiting you. >> have a lovely new year, too. "mission impossible, ghost protocol" in theaters right now. >> last-minute stocking stuffers. captain, we have to keep going! [ growling ] one step at a time. come on, snowy. look! did you ever see a more beautiful sight? captain! it's just a mirage. - snowy? what is it, boy? - [ barks ] what do you see? [ yipping ] [ woman announcing ] just like snowy, your dog's one of a kind. overactive imagination and all. [ barking ] long live your buddy. long live your dog. [ tintin ] snowy! purina dog chow. see the adventures of tintin, only in theaters.

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[ female announcer ] it's the holiday sale at famous footwear. ♪ ♪ winter wonderland, oh, my [ female announcer ] buy one pair of shoes, get another pair half off. ♪ we'll make today famous, it's true ♪ [ female announcer ] spectacular savings on the brand names you love. famous footwear. make today famous.

time to open today's holiday gift guide and check out last-minute stocking stuffers. >> if you're like me and still shopping, laurie shack, co-founder of toy insider.com is here for ideas for the big and little people in your lives. hello, laurie. >> we never outgrow these fun

things. let's start with the trekkie fans. these are the "uss enterprise" bottle opener and a klingon corkscrew. coffee talk. this is a social game for adults. has fun topics like husbands, cocktails, even kathie lee and hodel. >> oh, my. >> it does. it's fun. and we never outgrow elmo and cookie monster. now we have a way to protect all our i-toys with these great covers. >> these are for grown-ups? >> i don't know about that, but all right. >> sponge bob square pants. >> i do love sponge, bob. >> this is portable, connects to your laptop and spill proof. >> for you, hodi. >> why should kids have all the fun when they go out? i can wear my curious george hat. comes in adult and kid sizes.

fragle rock. these are one size fits all. >> allegedly. >> we'll test that with hoda. >> this looks like -- >> it does fit. >> wow. >> i'll take it. >> this looks like a package of m&ms, except you have a great wallet that is fat-free and sugar-free. we have minis and regular sizes. great place to write, wash it. >> what do they do? >> you write on them and clean them off in the wash. you write notes to your kids that say, "clean your room." this is an arts and crafts kit. kids do the sticker by number, but it's a nice gift to give to your mom or sister for kids to do. you're not afraid of bugs? these are hex bugs, robotic bugs. >> i don't like that. >> boys love stuff like that. >> not just little boys. for executive desks. we have remote-controlled

spiders. they are cool. this is the disney i-home. alarm clock. you can put any ipod in here. we have kermit the frog. wake up to your favorite music. >> who is this? who is joining us? >> this is giordana. >> her daughter. >> this is deepak chopra. this is very intuitive. it's all about the mind/body connection. >> what are you doing it? >> she is using her third eye following the colors. it's wonderful. it's about experiencing. there are all tools in here so you meditate, you relax. that teaches you how to do it and you practice it. it's awesome. you want to try? step in. >> you just stand there? >> come on. bring your hat. >> we've got to go. >> just one. lean and pick just one color.

>> i like it. >> you guys, coming up next, we have great music. thank you, sweetie. >> best stocking stuffer music from the fray after this.

that about does it for us today. tomorrow guess who are here? >> our moms sami and joni will be cooking for us. >> and two ambush makeovers. >> we leave you with a song from the grammy-nominated band the fray. they are about to release their third studio album called "scars and stories." here they are. ♪

♪ we're in a truck on the highway ♪ rain coming down snoit i can feel the breath on your body "we've got to keep on running till we see the sun ♪ you've got a fire and it's running in the rain ♪ love song ♪ if you love someone ♪ i'm feeling you hold me ♪ you're coming around ♪ coming around ♪ coming around ♪ you've got to love somebody ♪ love somebody

♪ i feel you hold me ♪ i'm trying to put it all back together ♪ ♪ i've got a story and i'm trying to telling right ♪ i've got the kerosene and a desire ♪ i'm trying to start it ♪ you've got a fire and it's running in the rain ♪ if you love someone ♪ you love them all the same ♪ i'm feeling you hold me ♪ coming around ♪ coming around ♪ coming around ♪ you can love somebody ♪ love them all the same ♪ you've got to love somebody ♪ love them all the same

♪ i'm feeling you hold me ♪ ooh ♪ ooh ♪ ooh ♪ i know memories rushing into your mind ♪ ♪ i want to kiss your scars tonight ♪ ♪ oh baby ♪ you've got to let me in ♪ let me in ♪ ooh ♪ i'm feeling your heart beat

♪ coming around ♪ coming around ♪ coming around ♪ you've got to love somebody ♪ you've got to love somebody ♪ you've got to ♪ saying ooh ♪ i'm feeling you hold me ♪ feeling your heart beat ♪ i feel ♪ your heart beat -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com