Try Ginger Crinkles (PDF), a recipe from the White House Pastry Kitchen.

Gaining one or two pounds during the holidays doesn’t seem like a lot, but these gains can add up over the years. Although the holidays may not be the ideal time to try to lose weight, you can take steps to maintain your weight.

Read 10 tips on how to enjoy your food, but eat less of it (PDF) and make exercise a regular part of your day.

Find more holiday tips to help you celebrate the season.

Whether you plan to do all your holiday shopping online or you’re going brave the crowds at the malls, the Federal Trade Commission offers shopping tips to protect you from fraud, over-paying at the cash register and more.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2010, more than 10,000 Americans died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes - one death every 48 minutes. That’s nearly one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. Meanwhile, 17 percent of traffic deaths among children involved an alcohol-impaired driver. In half of those crashes, the young victim was riding in the vehicle with the alcohol-impaired driver. Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18 percent of motor vehicle driver deaths.

Scheduled to coincide with the holiday season, December 2012 is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. Whenever your social schedule involves alcohol, make plans so that you don’t have to drive after drinking. For example:

• Prior to any drinking, designate a non-drinking driver when with a group.
• Don’t let your friends drive impaired. Take their keys away.
• If you have been drinking, get a ride home or call a taxi.
• If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver; offer alcohol-free beverages; and make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.

Electricity bills can grow during the holidays if you decorate with strings of lights. Consider switching to LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights to save energy and money. In addition to the energy and cost savings, LED lights are much cooler than incandescent bulbs, reducing the risk of fires.

Every holiday season, fires claim lives and cost millions in damage. To prevent holiday fires in your home, use nonflammable decorations; do not overload electrical sockets; regularly water Christmas trees; and avoid the use of lit candles. As you should do year-round, ensure that your smoke alarms are working.

Get more holiday tips.