liz crenshaw has more on holiday hazards to easily prevent. >> trying to be as individual lent as possible. >> reporter: at the consumer product testing center in rockville, maryland they showed us the reality of holiday hazards. how a live, dried out tree like this can go up in flames in seconds. >> a dried out christmas tree can burn faster than newspaper. have a person in the family who is the designated waterer and make sure it's watered every day. >> reporter: if you buy an artificial tree, make sure it's fire resistant. >> please don't use a string of lights where some work and some don't. that could pose as a fire hazard. >> reporter: avoid lights with a broken socket or damaged cord. >> look for frayed wires. if you see that, throw the decorations away. >> reporter: the safety director for underwriters laboratories tests products for hazards. they warn against buying counterfeit lights. >> if they don't have a safety seal, you are asking for trouble. >> reporter: safety seals cig any fie they meet standards. you want to make sure you know the difference between indoor and outdoor s

. >> i'm liz crenshaw, why do some stores change their return policies during the holidays? that's the question. the answer is coming up on ask liz on news 4 at 5:00. >>> >>> are poinsettia plants toxic? how do you get a letter postmarked from the north pole? liz crenshaw joins us with the holiday edition of ask liz. >> kriss kringle here for you. >> our first question comes from emily. emily wonders if the popular poinsettia plant is toxic to humans or pets. i have always heard warnings related to pets. >> we found the answer at the american society for cruelty of animals and the american florists. ohio state university tested all parts of the popular holiday plant and concluded the poinsettia is nontoxic to humans and pets. the poinsettia is not meant to be eaten and can cause degrees of discomfort. they agree to keep it out of reach of young children and curious pets. i think it's an irritation issue, not a poison issue. >> good to know. the next question from ann in reston, virginia. is there a way to get a letter from santa postmarked from the north pole. >> the postal e

search liz crenshaw and on facebook.5:00 tonight, what are the rules when it comes to traveling by air, if you want to bring gifts or wrapped packages. where does the money go when the airlines sticks you on the tarmac and they pay the fine. what happens to the national christmas tree after the holidays. >> do tell. >> we'll do that at 5:00. >> thanks, liz. barbara? >> coming up, new world's shortest woman is crowned. for the first time, the world's oldst man script of the ten commandments is on display. >>> i'm wendy rieger. coming up on news 4 at 5:00, a veteran loses hundreds of thousands of dollars after investing with what he thought was a christian business. >>> an airport [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios hone for our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement. it's an amazing holiday deal. but don't wait. it's only available for a limited time. so go to verizon.com/supero

liz crenshaw reports. >> they think i'm rich, i guess. i cannot give to all these people. >> nancy wine of silver spring, maryland consider herself and her husband charitable people, but not rich. >> we do give to six, seven, eight charities or something and then through the church. >> the problem, comparets continuously solicit the wines throughout the year. multiple mailings often arrive at the same time j this is like in one day. >> kidney walk, komen cure, feeding america, toys 4 tots. >> there is a lot of competition to get attention in your mail box. charities are competing with each other. >> how do people end up with so many different appeals. >> a lot of different charities. >> the better business bureau puts charities up against its actability standards. >> we look at 20 different aspects of a charity's operation ranging from governing to finances to webside disclosures. >> you can check out a charity report on the bbc's web site. it includes the ways the charity spends its money. the bbc says 50% of the charity it checks out me

news 4's liz crenshaw was there. >> we're trying to be as vigilant as possible to protect the public. >> reporter: at the consumer products safety commission testing center in rockville, maryland. the chairman and her team showed us the reality of holiday hazards. how a live, dried out tree like this one can go up in flames in just seconds. >> a dried out christmas tree can burn faster than newspaper. always have a person in your family who is is the designated watererer. >> reporter: if you buy an artificial tree, make sure it's fire resistant. holiday lights can also be hazardous if they're not working properly. >> please don't use a string of likes where some work and some don't. >> reporter: avoid lights that may have a broken socket or damaged cord. >> take a look at them. look for frayed wires. throw the decorations away. >> reporter: the safety director for underwriters laboratories tests products such as holiday lights for fire and mechanic kl hazards. the government warns against buying counterfeit lights. >> if you buy a counterfeit lights that don't have a safety seal then

. >>> i'm liz crenshaw, shopping on your smartphone or tablet? beware of cyber shopping dangers. [ female announcer ] at verizonfios.com, you can choose your channel package. ♪ you can choose your own internet speeds. ♪ you can even choose to chat with a live person. ♪ now you can choose to save $35 a month for fios tv, internet and phone for just $79.99 a month, plus get a $300 verizon visa prepaid card with a 2 year agreement. but hurry, offer ends soon only at verizonfios.com. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. >>> shopping online this holiday season? you are not alone. more than 100 million americans bought online just one week ago, cyber monday. >> the thieves are targeting you online shoppers, especially those of you using smartphones. we have the most common threats. >> most of us have our home computer loaded with virus protection. what about your smartphone or tablet? h more than half of consumers say they plan on using their phone to shop online this holiday season. the question is, are you

. >> i'm liz crenshaw. tricks of the trade for making fabulous holiday desserts. my story is coming up. >>> news 4 is just getting started, stick with us. >>> if you are planning on throwing a holiday party, sweets are a must. >> how do you set them on the table that look and taste good that you can make yourself without going crazy? we ate some of these. >> there is a trick to making homemade desserts look and taste good. we went where a local pastry chef showed us how easy it can be. we are here with mallory of the 1789 restaurant. she's dwot tricks of the trade. where are we going start? >> a cranberry pecan upside down cake. >> the sauce, then cranberries and pecans. >> it's like making a pineapple upside down quake. >> don't overmix the batter. >> overcreamy causes it to rise too much. you want volume in your cake, but not too much. after 30 minutes in the oven, it's time to turn the cake upside down. >> it's easier if you put your cake on top first. slide it. flip. >> a gorgeous cranberry pecan upside down cake. next up, chocolate peppermint trifle. >> add m

>>> i'm liz crenshaw. where does the money go when airlines get fined for sitting on the tarmac too long? that's the question. >>> away in a manger, a mystery has been solved thanks to facebook. police tracked down the baby jesus that was stolen in fredericksburg after someone posted a picture of the stolen statue online. pat collins has that story. >> reporter: they found the little baby jesus. >> oh, praise god. that is wonderful. >> it's great news. it's what christmas is all about. >> it's not how to story is told in the bible, but baby jesus returned to the proper place in the manger in the arms of a police sergeant. >> you have been on the police force how many years? >> 23. >> reporter: i bet you have recovered a lot of stolen property. >> i have. >> reporter: have you ever recovered anything quite like this? >> no. no, i haven't. >> reporter: the little baby jesus stolen tuesday night. he weighed eight pounds. he had been stolen before some years ago, so they filled him with concrete to keep it fro

liz crenshaw will join us.cks of the trade for the holiday setting. >>> take a look at this video, a good look here from hamton roads, virginia. he abducted his wife, led authorities on a high speed chase on highway 234. went to downtown norfolk. he jumped into the elizabeth river. the coast guard scooped him out of the river. he's charged with felony, abduction, alluding police and driving without a license. >>> toys that come with mcdonald's happy meals are no longer free in san francisco. it presents them from offering free toys with kids meals that don't meet certain nutritional requirements. the meal, not the toy. the current mcdonald's happy meals don't meet the requirements. if parents want the toy, they have to buy it for ten cents. the money will be donated to the ronald mcdonald house. it affects mcdonalds, burger king and subway. it's designed to address the growing childhood obesity. >>> an honor student is fighting a terrible disease. why one school says he's not welcome to take classes there. >>>

have no fear, liz crenshaw is here with her latest tricks of the trade to help make your china and dinnerles of the pots and pans and the stress of making your glasses sparkle. the ritz carlton shared their tricks. here at 22nd and m streets in washington, d.c., every day is a holiday. the man who needs to make it all shine, the director of stewarding. he and his team make sure every piece to a place setting sparkles. for a recent event, they cleaned 7,000 glasses, 5,000 dishes and 4500 pieces of glassware. >> we want to make sure our guests walk in the door, everything is sparkling clean. >> a huge undertaking. he says there are tricks to making it all shine. dig out your old tarnished silver. he has simple remedy. line the bottom of a glass or plastic tub with aluminum foil. fill it with hot water and let the silver soak. >> this is environmentally safe? >> you don't need to use a chemical. >> no rubbing? >> no. >> it's been ten minutes. let's look. >> oh my goodness. wow! >> sparkling. >> you have a second trick for cleaning silver, what is it? >> toothpaste. >> yes, he said toothpaste

liz crenshaw has some dos and don'ts to keep in mind before heading out to the mall. >> reporter: you'veist and checked it twice. now you're ready to spend. but are you willing to haggle the price? >> do i haggle the price? no. >> reporter: our first do, do haggle the price. consumer reports says only 13% of people surveyed said they tried to haggle the price at a store. it says consumers saved a median of $105 on televisions, $53 on digital cameras, $43 on dvd blu-ray players just by haggling. >> sounds good to me. >> reporter: do check your credit cards rewards balance. real simple magazine says you may have racked up more points than you realized. >> like shopping online but hate the shipping fees? >> sometimes they can be outrageous. >> times i'll say i'm not going to buy that because shipping is too much. >> reporter: consumer reports says check out freeshipping.org. it will tell you the online merchants that participate on free shipping day, december 16th. don't fall for the extended warranty pitch. consumer rep warranties are a waste of money for most household appliances and elec

. >>> liz crenshaw looks at the hot new gadgets in the stores this holiday season. >> i'm erika gonzalez. it's puppipalooza at the university of maryland. students trying to destress with faces li ♪ [ male announcer ] it's easy to see what subaru owners care about. ♪ that's why we created the share the love event. get a great deal on a new subaru and 250 dollars goes to your choice of five charities. ♪ with your help, we can reach 20 million dollars by the end of this, our fourth year. [ female announcer ] get 0 percent apr financing on select models for thirty-six months and we'll donate two-hundred and fifty dollars to your choice of five charities. now through january 3rd. >>> earlier this month, george mason university law school brought puppies to campus to help students destress. it's catching on. the university of maryland is the next school to follow suit. erika gonzalez is here with the story. >> hey, pat. doctors recommend exercise, tea or deep breaths to help relieve stress. what about holding a puppy? >> yeah. >> i don't know about you, but i'm getting an a on my finals. >> r

liz crenshaw has more in this consumer alert. >> they think i am rich, but i cannot give to all these >> nancy considers herself and her husband charitable people, but not rich. >> we did give to six, seven, eight charities or something, and then for the church. >> the problem? charities continued to solicit them throughout the year. multiple mailings often arrive at the same time. >> and this is like in one day. being america t,he komen cure, this goes on and on. they keep coming and coming. >> many charity appeals come with gifts. >> we have some grocery lists, we have all the return addresses. >> you had better live here together, -- forever picks i know, what am i going to do with all these things? >> gullett dilks lead to giving. >> there is a lot of competition in your mailbox. how do people in up with so many different appeals? >> little amounts to a lot of different charities. that is how you get on numerous mailing list. >> the better business bureau puts it charities up against its accountability standards. >> we look at 20 different aspects of a charity's operations, rangin

liz crenshaw joins us once again with all of it for us. >> hi there. nice to see you again. >> our first question comes from a viewer who wants to know about christmas tree lots and farms. it's about safety, liz. how can you prevent your christmas tree from becoming a fire hazard in your home? >> we did check with the national christmas trees association for this answer. it says, first you simply keep your tree hydrated. place the tree in water as soon as possible. there should be one quart of water per inch of stem diameter in your christmas tree stand. check the water level often. some trees may have taken a lot of waters especially within the first few days. also, keep your tree away from any sources of heat such as fireplaces, heating vents, direct sunlight, and turn off those tree lights when you're leaving the house or going to bed. remember that for the season. >> indirect sunlight. that's good to know. good tip. our next question comes through an e-mail from grover. are half-dollar coins still out there circulating? >> do you ever see them? the

and just a reminder, liz crenshaw puts toy recalls and everything on the website as well.always have that information available for consumers. >> good information. make sure you get safe toys for your kids, your grandchildren, r

the experts open their kitchens to liz crenshaw for the tricks of the trade. i love that segment. joining us for "news4 at 4:00" this afternoon. barbara. >> i like that, too. thank you, patted. >>> it is time now for a final check on your forecast. here is tom. >> good morning for a very cold start, things are warming up a little bit. it is not warm by any means. there is the high cloud cover drifting over us right now. live view from the sky watcher camera looking into virginia from upper north west. temperatures right now, approach the noon hour, are in the upper 30s to 40 degrees from the blue ridge east of the day and around the eastern shore. farther west, though, just not beginning to get above freezing most locations, mountains as well as the had an dough a valley. view from space showing the high cloud cover drifting over generally from the southwest, heading northeast. and with us off and on into the afternoon. clearing out later tonight and by dawn tomorrow clear and during the day tuesday, lots of sun, bit warmer tomorrow. still chilly. chilly again wednesday. mid 50s t

liz crenshaw will have that report on holiday hackers. the day's the latest news on "news4 at 4:00" this afternoon. >> we will be watching. thank you. >>> it is time for a final check on the forecast. here is tom. >> we have clouds over the nation's capital. it is a great monday. don't let that get you down. there's going to be rain tomorrow. >> something to look forward to. >> right. so -- enjoy the clouds while you can. right now into the 50s throughout most of the region. had sun in west virginia. into the 60s now. and there's rain farther west and that area of green and yellow. an area of rain advancing northeast and staying way west of us today. doesn't look like it. it is coming tomorrow. rain moving in. here is another uplifting thought. it will be rainy and colder on wednesday. isn't that nice? >> putting a positive spin on things. may actually end with wet snow wednesday night. very early thursday morning. then sun back and cold but sunny weather coming in for friday, saturday, sunday. that's the way it looks. we will see you tom