Happy Holidays from The Beacon House Inn!

It's almost December! Twinkling lights, the scent of evergreen, and poinsettias abound as you deck the halls! As we grow closer to Christmas, you probably have gift giving on your mind. Looking for something unique and thoughtful? Let us be your elves this year - call us for relaxation packages, romance packages and gift certificates to bestow upon your loved ones!

Don't forget that you still have time to getaway before the holidays - take advantage of our best rates of 2011, and treat yourself to a holiday before the holidays at a price that won't break your gift-giving budget!

And by the way, the beach is fabulous place to spend the holidays! Consider a Christmas by the Sea, a memory your family will surely treasure forever.

Call us for more information: 910.458.6244, or visit our website.

READ ON TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN EARN $10 IN BEACON BUCKS JUST FOR REPLYING TO THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR OPINION!

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Here are a just a few reasons you'll want to visit Pleasure Island for the holidays:

3rd Annual Christmas by the Sea

11/25-12/24
Beginning Friday, November 25 the Boardwalk oceanfront landscaped coves will come alive with merriment and decorations, thanks to local businesses and groups who have sponsored the various coves. Festive activities (Santa's Workshop, fire pit, live nativity, hot cocoa, etc) continue every Saturday through December 31. Presented by the Boardwalk Makeover Group. For more information, visit www.boardwalkmakeover.org. 910-470-8666

Island of Lights Christmas Parade

12/2
The Christmas parade furnishes exceptional night time electric displays, featuring floats, bands, queens, clowns, horses, Santa Claus and much more. The hour and a half parade brings festive fun and entertainment to all. Bring your chairs, blankets and snacks to enjoy the fun time. Public parking is free, parade starts at 7:30pm. For more information call 910.458.8434 or email famassey@charter.net. or visit: www.islandoflights.org/parade.html

Island of Lights Holiday Flotilla

12/3
Fishing boats and pleasure crafts electrically decorated with thousands of lights present a spectacular display on the Intracoastal Waterway. The parade of boats will cruise from Snows Cut to Carolina Beach Boat Basin and back. A unique coastal tradition sure to please the hearts of all. Cash prizes are awarded. View from one of the Winner Boats or anywhere along the waterway. Public parking is free and the Flotilla begins at 6pm. For more information or for an application to enter your boat call 910.458.8434. www.islandoflights.org/flotilla.html

Fort Fisher Holiday Open House

12/6
Enjoy our wassail bowl, decorations, refreshments and live seasonal music of the Civil War period. Special discounts in the gift shop for those history lovers on your gift list. Friends of Fort Fisher. 910-458-5538 or www.friendsoffortfisher.com

Kure Beach Christmas Fantasy Show

12/9 -12/11
Come join the fun of singing, dancing and characters galore as we celebrate the holidays with the Christmas Show. This event is free and open to the public but remember to dress warmly as it always snows at the show! A pre-show featuring South of K bluegrass music begins at 6:30pm. Don't miss this little slice of Americana just down the road apiece in Kure Beach! Call 910.279.0459 for more information.

Island of Lights New Year's Eve Countdown

12/31
The New Year's Celebration will be held at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk near the Gazebo. Don't miss the giant lighted beach ball being dropped at midnight followed by a spectacular fireworks demonstration. This free family-friendly event will feature a DJ and dancing with refreshments and party favors available for purchase. In an Island of Lights tradition, there will be a raffle, with the winner taking home the original artwork for the 2011 official Christmas card and ornament. Bring the family to join the festivities.
Elope at the Beacon House Inn

The Beacon House Inn has the perfect package for the two of you! The Just the Two of Us
wedding package is designed to provide you with a memorable and romantic union on an intimate scale. A wedding or vow renewal ceremony with only the two of you will allow your day to be stress free! Allow us to take care of the details, so you can enjoy your special occasion.

Package includes:
* A private ceremony with a non-denominational minister
* Early check-in of 1:00 p.m.
* Bride's bouquet
* Groom's boutonniere
* Photography
* A bottle of sparkling wine and 2 keepsake flutes
* A beach themed wedding cake for two

$999 (plus the cost of your suite or room, two night minimum stay required)

We also offer Beach Wedding Packages. The perfect solution for an intimate wedding with a few guests. Check out our wedding packages, or call us for details! 910.458.6244.
The Ultimate in Relaxation…

Enhance your stay at The Beacon House with a soothing massage. With two massage therapists in house, we can schedule individual or couples massages on site. We also offer a variety of spa services, including: Spa Package Specials.

Call to inquire about special discounts on massage when you book it at the same time as your stay!
Make the Most of Your Vacation…

Looking for a way to add some romance to your stay? Or, traveling with friends, and want to make this vacation memorable? Try one of our packages.
FREE BEACON BUCKS FOR YOUR OPINION!

That's right, just email us to tell us what you think about the following question and we will give you $10 in Beacon Bucks, good toward your next stay!

Here's what we're wondering:

When you stay in a rental house or cottage (not a Bed and Breakfast), do you prefer to bring your own bedding or to rent your linens?

Email your thoughts to: innkeeper@beaconhouseinnb-b.com and we will send you some Beacon Bucks!

Holiday Traditions

As we draw closer to Thanksgiving, we'd like to share some heartwarming holiday traditions started by other families. Here are a few inspirational ideas that will take you from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year's (courtesy of Family Fun):

1. WHO'S GOT THE RUTABAGA?
The highlight of Christmas morning for the Dirmeyers of Maryville, Tennessee, is not opening presents or feasting on goodies. Instead, it's finally learning the answer to the burning question "Who's got the rutabaga?" The family's root-vegetable ritual began when 16-year-old twins Joseph and Haley were 3. Mom Debbie teased that Santa just might leave a rutabaga in their stockings, and a tradition was born. "For the last 12 years, we've given a rutabaga to the person who has had a particularly wonderful year, overcome some adversity, or shown amazing perseverance," she says. The year Steven, age 10, survived bladder surgery, he got the turnip trophy. And once-shy William, 13, received it for bravely joining a musical theater group. A photo album shows each year's winner holding up the treasured veggie. "Squeals of joy can always be heard from the recipient as they exclaim, 'I got the rutabaga!'" says Debbie. "What began as a joke has turned into a unique tradition that means a lot."

2. EXAMPLES OF GRATITUDE
During Thanksgiving meals, the Kirby family of Northbrook, Illinois, had always talked about what they were grateful for. But a few years back, mom Gerri began noticing a trend. "Every year, I got the same responses: a roof over our heads, the food on the table, and our family," she recalls. While these were certainly worthy blessings, Gerri wanted to inspire her three sons -- then ages 10, 14, and 15 -- to be more thoughtful and not just go through the motions. So she asked each family member to bring to the table three things that represented what they were thankful for. "Cell phones and iPods were first," she recalls. "My eldest son brought a letter from a favorite high school teacher that meant a lot to him." No matter what the item, the discussion it prompted allowed them all to learn what really mattered most to each family member.

3. TRIM THE TURKEY, THEN THE TREE
After the Rhoads family of Shippenville, Pennsylvania, finishes the last morsel of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, it's time for the sweetest part of their day: making Christmas ornaments together. "I beg my mom to let me start making them as soon as I get up," says Aidan, age 7. But it's not until the feast is eaten and the dishes put away that he and his siblings -- Katelyn, 11, and Clayton, 8 -- sit down with mom Amanda for this special crafting session. Treasured creations range from simple (paper pine trees) to spectacular (ornate candle shapes made of beads). The tradition continues in December: as they put up their tree, they love talking about who made each ornament crafted in previous years.

4. LEAF IT TO YOUR LOVED ONES
For staying close with far-flung family -- and keeping kids busy on Thanksgiving -- we still love the classic FamilyFun idea of making leaf-rubbing cards, first suggested by mom Drew Kristofik in our November 1995 issue. The fun starts with a leaf-collecting hike (pick leaves straight off the trees; dry ones will crumble if the artist gets too enthusiastic). Rubbings are then created by slipping the leaves (vein side up) between the halves of a folded sheet of paper. Have your kids rub over the leaves with colored pencils to create the card's cover. Remove the leaves and write greetings inside the cards. Mail these notes to wish friends and relatives a happy holiday from across the miles.

5. A SWEETER ST. NICK'S DAY
On December 6, St. Nick's Day, the Harris family of Vancouver, Washington, carries on a tradition that's been alive in mom Mindi's family for more than 50 years. After nightfall (but before bedtime), dad Ethan leaves a special surprise at the front door, knocks, then dashes away. When their four daughters -- Emma, age 7, Elsie, 5, Erin, 3, and Lexi, 1 -- open the door, they find bags brimming with coloring books and games, plus plenty of baking supplies for their annual cookie-making session. "A few days later, on St. Lucia Day, we spend all day baking," Mindi says. "The kids love making the goodies together." This year, Ethan is stationed in Iraq, so Mindi will temporarily take over his bag-dropping duties. Family traditions like this are a comfort in his absence, because they remind the girls of their father, Mindi says.

6. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
Dividing the work doubles the fun for these two families. One day each December, the Harrisons of New Braunfels, Texas, set up a gift-wrapping assembly line. Each member of the family of four takes a task: choosing the gift and box, boxing the item, wrapping it, or writing the gift tag. While wrapping, they eat popcorn and watch movies. It's great fun, and, says mom Sherry, "We get a daunting task accomplished in one sitting." The Mongilio kids -- Brian, age 14, and Jessica, 11 -- have been part of the family's annual Christmas card assembly line since Brian was 3. ("He'd put all the stamps on crooked, which was so cute," recalls mom Janet.) The Parkersburg, West Virginia, family sends more than a hundred cards. "While we work, we love swapping stories about the people who will be receiving them," Janet says.

7. SANTA FOR SOLDIERS
When Samantha Platkowski was a little girl, her parents would invite single soldiers who couldn't go home for the holidays over to their house for Christmas dinner. Samantha's mother even asked the soldiers for favorite family recipes, then made them from scratch so they could have a taste of home. Now that Samantha has a daughter of her own -- Hannah, age 5 -- the Green Bay, Wisconsin, mom honors that family tradition by sending care packages to the troops every Christmas. "I get soldiers' addresses from auntnancyusa.com, then Hannah helps my husband and I shop for things like sunblock, batteries, and hand wipes a few weeks before Christmas," says Samantha. The family has a great time loading up the care packages together, she says, and it's a great chance to talk to Hannah about how much the troops sacrifice.

8. A WARM AND WOOLLY DISPLAY
The nativity scene set out each December in the Lancaster family's Knoxville, Tennessee, home serves as a reminder not only of the holiday's true meaning, but also to do good deeds, particularly during this special time of year. Mom Susan fills a small bowl with short bits of yarn and places it near the Nativity. Each time one of her three sons, ages 4, 10, and 13, does something kind, he gets to take a piece of yarn from the bowl and put it in the manger. On Christmas Eve, the family gathers around the scene, its manger now brimming with yarn, and each person tells stories about some of the good deeds he did. "We talk about how being kind is like giving a gift to God in gratitude for God's gifts to us," says Susan.

9. CHEERS FOR A GREAT YEAR
For these two families, looking back on the previous year is an ideal way to kick off the new one. f As the year comes to a close, the Haddads of Holt, Michigan, create a Year in Review list, recording the year's activities from A to Z. Their three kids -- ages 5, 7, and 15 -- pitch in, and together they decide what event best represents a (astronaut costume), b (building our house) and so on. Throughout the year, the Eshnaurs of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, write down special events and "momentous moments" on pieces of colored paper to stick in a "memory jar" that sits in their kitchen. On New Year's Eve, the family reads them aloud in chronological order, then saves them in an album. "Even though my sons are now 14, 18, and 20, they still love the family jar," says mom Dawn. "It's fun to go back and remember what you thought you'd never forget!"

10. THE HOLIDAY LIGHTS CONTEST
As the Welkers of Canby, Oregon, drove around town viewing holiday displays one year, Kendyl, then age 7, was so impressed by one house's light setup that she suggested giving a prize to its owners. The idea stuck, and now, three years later, the annual tradition is going strong. Each year, the Welkers drive around searching for the house with the most beautiful display. When they reach a decision, they all jump out of the car and present the home owners with a prize of homemade treats that Kendyl, now 10, and her brother, Carson, 7, help make beforehand. "One family was so excited, they even invited us inside to meet their entire extended family!" mom Kelly says.

The Journals

Hi there! We are Charlotte and Noah, the Innkeepers at the Beacon House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, and we would like to share one of our favorite parts of innkeeping with you - the Beacon House guest journals!

Each room has a journal for guests to write in at their leisure. Some visitors share insights about their trip, travel tips about the area, or the story of how they are celebrating a special occasion or milestone in their life. Others give us great feedback about their stay at the Beacon House Inn. We love to learn more about our guests in this unique way!

Here are a few anonymous journal entries:

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"Husband's entry: We stayed just two days here, but really found the hosts Noah & Charlotte to be friendly and helpful. At 9 a.m. each morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast whipped up by Charlotte. Yesterday was the "Cowboy Christmas Breakfast", and today we had scrambled eggs with apple cinnamon pancakes and bacon - yummy!

Unfortunately, yesterday while I was swimming in the ocean, I lost my glasses (I should have known better as the water was quite rough and choppy). This was a problem, since I see very poorly without my glasses and my wife has little experience driving my 5 speed truck. I asked our hosts if they had any old glasses around, so that I may try them out and get some benefit. Well, they both were willing to let me try on their own glasses (which were way too mild to help my poor vision!) So, I can say that Noah & Charlotte were very kind in trying to help us, and went the extra mile however they could. :)

Soon we pack for our 3 1/2 hour trip home...and my wife will quickly gain lots of experience driving the truck.

Wife's entry: The wife does not enjoy driving the truck at all...especially since this is an anniversary trip!! :( But she sure did enjoy all the yummy seafood restarants & the Saturday night party cruise! And playing in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time...lots of shells to go home with us! :)"

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"This is a hard time in my life. Beacon House Inn was the exact place I needed to be! Everything was perfect! Thank you!!"

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"We had such an enjoyable visit here. The bed was comfortable, the breakfasts were delicious, and we could truly relax. There were days we weanted to just stay here with short walks on the each because we were so relaxed! Thanks to Noah and Charlotte we had the perfect getaway vacation for our first anniversary!"

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"My husband just returned from a tour in Afghanistan, so for his July 4th holiday, we decided to go to the beach...Breakfast this morning was superb. I mixed the sausage and quiche together for an excellent combination of flavor. The fresly prepared blueberry muffins were quite tasty, too! Yesterday we made our way up to the Boardwalk area for lunch at a sports bar. From there, we drove down to Fort fisher and the Aquarium. By the time we made it back to the Inn, it was prch-sitting time...time to head to the beach!
Our visit has come to an end. Unfortunately, we didn't have time this morning to walk on the beach - so much to get accomplished back home. Yesterday's breakfast was another trium, a bked stuffed french toast. It was stuffed with sweet cream cheese, blueberries and fresh Carolina peaches. Charlotte is an excellent cook, and she's given me her recipe for the french toast.
A very good B&B!!! Enjoy!"

Pumpkin Bisque

We think nothing quite says "Fall" like a hearty pumpkin soup! If you've never had this variation on pumpkin, you've definitely been missing out! Consider it seasonal comfort food that will warm you up from the inside out. You can use canned pumpkin, as the recipe calls for; or, feel free to roast your own and mash it up. Just make sure you use pie pumpkins, not the Jack O'Lantern variety! Here's a simple recipe that we suggest you try alongside some crusty French or Italian bread:

Pumpkin Bisque
Serves 4

Ingredients:

* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
* 2 cups sliced peeled yukon gold potatoes
* 2 cups canned cooked pumpkin (or mash your own)
* 1 3/4 cups milk
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon yellow or red curry powder
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 cup sour cream + 2 tablespoons whipping cream (optional, add a tablespoon of lime juice)
* 3 green onions sliced thinly, at an angle


Directions

1. In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the broth, potatoes and pumpkin; cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool. Puree half of the mixture at a time in a blender or food processor until smooth; return all to the pan. Add the milk, 1/2 c. heavy cream, cinnamon, curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper; heat through. Meanwhile, combine the sour cream and remaining heavy cream. Ladle soup into bowls; top each with a drizzle of sour cream/heavy cream mixture and sprinkle with sliced green onions.

Some folks prefer their pumpkin bisque garnished with other yummy things. Also consider: toasted pumpkin seeds, minced cilantro, shaved gruyere cheese or even crumbled goat cheese.

Yum!

Mark Your Calendar for the Island of Lights...

A Pleasure Island Tradition Continues...

"Every holiday season Pleasure Island turns into
an Island of Lights.

The light up ceremony officially begins the month long Island of Lights Festival in Carolina Beach, NC.

This event is a free, and family friendly!

The 2011 ceremony is on Friday, November 25 starting at 7pm.

The brief opening ceremony, prior to the actual lighting, will feature the President of The Island of Lights committee, Pleasure Island Mayors, and musical entertainment.

Local Boy Scouts provide the Honor Guard and display the Flag for the singing of the National Anthem.

Families can walk one mile around the lake to view the beautiful lighted displays.Santa will visit the celebration and free cocoa and cookies will be served prior to the Lighting."

Please plan to join in on the first Pleasure Island event of this holiday season!