we're back with more of "today" on a thursday morning the first day of december, 2011. chilly and crisp here in new york city. you know what? it's supposed to be. just 25 days to go until christmas. and we've got a big crowd out on the plaza. i'm matt lauer with savannah guthrie. ann is on assignment today. mr. roker is joining us as well. and joining us as well today's professionals. >> we have a lot of tomorrowipi discuss. herman cain says he is reassessing his campaign in the wake of allegations he had a

13-year affair with this woman. he says he needs to talk to his wife first. we'll talk to today's professionals about what they think. should teachers be graded? should the grades be made public to parents? star jones, donny deutsch, and dr. nancy will be here to discuss. >> all right. then managing your money in minutes. whether it's deciding about your 401(k) or improving your credit score we'll show you quick fixes to fit into your busy schedule and boost your bottom line whether you've got 15 minutes or a few hours. and we've got the most popular baby. a lot to get to. natalie is standing by with all the headlines. hi, natalie. good morning, everyone. the white house bid of one-time front-runner herman cain is now in the hands of his wife. the gop presidential hopeful has come under fire following a georgia woman's allegation that she engaged in a 13-year extra marital affair with cain while the republican candidate now says he has not seen his wife since the charge surfaced and says the accusation has taken an emotional toll on her.

cain says he'll decide whether or not to abandon his run for office within days but only after he meets with his wife tomorrow. wild santa ana winds are slamming southern california today with gusts of up to 80 miles per hour possible in some areas today and tomorrow. more than 200,000 people are without power there today and firefighters battled the blaze near the college campus sparked by the winds. wednesday night's scattered power outages left los angeles international airport in the dark for about an hour causing flight diversions and delays. penn state's new president is promising to raise ethics at the school to a new level. he told students at a town hall meeting last night that everyone on campus must do what's moral, not just what's legal. school officials have been criticized for failing to do more to alert authorities to alleged child sexual abuse by former defensive coach jerry sandusky. meantime the first civil suit in the case was filed wednesday. a new accuser says sandusky sexually abused him more than

100 times in a four-year period and threatened to harm his family if he told anyone about it. the reverend billy graham spent the night in a hospital near his north carolina home. a spokesman said doctors were testing the 93-year-old evangelist for pneumonia. and the world's top selling drug of all time will now be available in a generic version. pfizer lost u.s. patent protection over the cholesterol drug lipitor wednesday, and in an 11th hour decision last night the u.s. food and drug administration granted the indian company rambaxi the approval to sell a generic version. lipitor generated nearly $8 billion in u.s. based sales in the past year alone. santa claus was hanging by a thread when he tried to lower himself by rope into a florida shopping mall. santa's beard apparently got caught in his climbing gear and he dangled for several minutes until he was able to free himself while dozens of children below were watching and we're happy to report santa's pride

was the only thing that was hurt. he is okay. taking his pictures with the kids. it is now four minutes past the hour. let's go back outside to matt. >> a little embarrassing. >> slightly. >> thank you very much. mr. roker's got the weather. obviously the reindeer is stuck in the restroom. santa couldn't quite get in there. where are you guys from? >> kansas city. >> kansas city. that's all right. happens to me all the time, bud. no problem. thanks for coming down. let's check your weather and show you what's happening. santa ana winds squeezing between low pressure and the southwest high pressure up in the northwest in between the pressure gradient and it is pushing through. san diego, los angeles, wind advisories and high wind warnings until noon friday. gusts of 60 miles per hour in the passes and the canyons and then even as we move north into san francisco and san jose, wind advisories until 6:00 this afternoon for gusts of 50 miles per hour. big problems and then as you move a little east we've got heavy snow in the rockies.

denver looking at another 4 to 6 >> good morning.n the next 24 it is a chilly start. we will see plenty of sunshine today. temperatures are right around average, and that's your latest weather. savannah? thanks. now to today's professionals. our team of power players taking on the hottest headlines, studies, and surveys news. star jones is an attorney and author. donny deutsch is owner of the advertising agency deutsch incorporated and dr. nancy snyderman is nbc's chief medical

editor. happy holidays. let's talk politics. herman cain says he is reassessing his campaign in the wake of these allegations that he had an extra marital affair over a period of 13 years. so he is reassessing. what's your assessment, star? >> i have more of a problem with his explanation with the accusations. the explanation that he was trying to help a woman for 13 years, if i'm the wife i want to know, you're not giving me the money. you're not giving a mistress the money but you're giving a miscellaneous woman the money? that doesn't make sense to me. my lawyer's ear says it doesn't have the ring of truth. it is normally not my business but when you look me in the eye and tell me something, then it becomes my business. >> can we also get to the point, i want to say two words, bill clinton, the most popular politician in the world. we know his history in the white house. does infidelity even matter anymore? i'm not saying it's right but aren't we past that?

>> i think some damage -- >> he wasn't going to get elected anyway. with what's going on in the world today i'm not saying it's right but is that the way we're going to choose our leaders, whether they've had dalliance or not? >> if he were a stronger candidate and a real threat to the white house i don't think it would matter but if you're talking about someone who builds their entire campaign on family values. >> he is a buffoon. >> but he hasn't run his campaign on family values. we've seen that happen before. here's -- i sort of have two issues. one is if you have skeletons in your closet you must assume they're going to come out. so this is sort of crazy to me for anyone to delude himself that in this world of 24/7 news, these things are going to be found out. then the other thing is veracity. if you're found out, the best thing you can say is, i am sorry. >> yes. >> and then put it on the table. but the dribble dribble, that's what's fatal. >> that's what i wonder if it ultimately goes to the issue of

electability because the republicans want a nominee who can weather a tough, general election. >> i have more problem with newt gingrich taking credit for fighting communism and bringing down the wall than this. >> and two affairs. he needs to get that oust tt of way, too. >> affairs won't be the issue with herman cain. >> are you a left over woman or -- there is a word in chinese culture that means leftover woman. the chinese government is warning professional women, this kills me, over the age of 27, they will become spinsters if they don't marry by the time they're 30. oh, boy i didn't get married until i was 41 and, you know, what is the old adage? i had more chance of being kidnapped by a terrorist than actually getting married as an african-american 40-year-old. it didn't work. and i didn't get kidnapped by a terrorist. but i didn't feel like i was a leftover person. i felt like i waited the right amount of time for me. i don't know if i want to do it again. >> this is one of those times we have to be very, very careful not taking something that is

cultural and nuanced and applying it to western standards. this is china. the language is different. the terms are different. so to suddenly take that and apply it to us makes me somewhat nervous. >> by the way, any woman, in this day and age, to even think that 27 is -- by the way, i think the only issue that women, and it's not fair, have to deal with is when they get to their mid to late 30s and the biological clock. that's the issue that is unfair that women have to deal with that. >> i think that's it. it's the biological clock of reproduction more than having a mate. >> yes. >> look, look at diane keaton. phenomenal example of a woman who decided to have children, not marry, and is stunning. >> god bless her. >> with the god bless us to our next topic. grading the teacher. the los angeles school district is currently debating whether the district should publicly release teachers' evaluations to parents. this has caused a huge controversy. sometimes there is controversy whether they should even do the teacher evaluations.

do parents have a right to know? >> you have to do the evaluations. education and teaching is the most important thing to define the future of our country. to have a lazy, ineffective teacher being able to continue as joke. having said that you can't release it to the parents because all of a sudden every parent will be up at school. i want my kid in this class. seriously. >> what are you going to do -- >> by the way, they're going to use it to place the teachers. they don't have to include us in it. you can't do that. otherwise a kid is stigmatized if he is not in the right class. >> but education is a community obligation. and the community includes the parents. the parents have to -- >> no. what the problem is, this is the tail wagging the dog. we have a fractured, ineffective school system in this country that depending on where you live and your zip code and whether you're in a private or public school is very different. >> and who your parents are. >> doctors are rated, hospitals are rated, lawyers are rated. however, what you do with that is to fix things or apply certain standards for teachers

for raises. but parents already -- >> you can't do that. it has to be done. >> parents have to step out. >> i disagree completely. if parents are not involved in the education of their children -- >> i'm not saying that about the education. they can't be the one choosing the teachers for the kids. that is what is going to happen. >> they shouldn't be able to choose but they should be able to evaluate. >> parents are thorns in teachers' sides. >> well, bad teachers are thorns in parents' sides. >> i want to get to our next topic. sexual addiction. is it real? we all know we've heard the concept on the rise with nearly 9 million americans suffering from it. bye, donny. i guess the question is, and every time this comes up, i mean, there are certain people who say, come on. is that a real diagnosis? i suppose we should start with our doctor. >> i want to hear, doc. >> it is a real diagnosis. >> it is true? >> it is. look, there is a part of your brain that gets rewarded for certain things. sex, certain foods, cocaine,

gambling. now, there's no doubt -- there is no doubt there are certain things that are true addictions and there are a few centers in the country that really deal with it. the problem is these people are few and far between and it's used as a cop out. but is it real? yes. it is absolutely real. >> no. it is invented by a publicist whose client got caught cheating. what does sexual addiction mean? some guys, women want to have a sexual time, some don't? >> i get nancy's point. >> when sex or pornography totally interrupt your work, relationships with others, and it becomes overpowering and you can't turn it off that is addictive personality. just like alcohol. >> when does it cross into an illness i guess is the question. >> what nancy is saying is when you cannot function as a human being because sex has overtaken your ability to use -- that is what we're talking about. whether or not you -- seriously -- >> could we just do a poll?

guys? who is sexually addicted here? hands up? come on. >> we're hiding their faces. okay. >> i think what the problem is we've allowed people to use this as an excuse. >> yes. >> when they truly do not meet the criteria. >> which demeans people who really do have problems. when celebrities get ushered off to clinics for this or that addiction it really waters it down. >> we are an over diagnosed society. >> a recent study found they think of sex on the average of 19 times a day. >> it is truly way too low a number. men think about sex three to five times a minute. >> i agree. >> for our last question we ask you to be grinches. what is your least favorite thing about the holidays? star, go. >> you know what? i think it's not being able to say "merry christmas" because it's politically incorrect now. >> you can say merry christmas. >> some people get offended all of a sudden. i want to be able to say merry christmas. >> say it to me.

>> merry christmas. >> i say the same thing. i got tired of saying happy holidays because i don't know what it means. i say merry christmas. i know who my jewish friends are and i don't say merry christmas. my big thing is i hate the ebay ads that are offensive and over the top and this cramming of commercialization and i don't like christmas before thanksgiving. i like holidays in order. >> donny? >> forced fun. you have to have a good time. >> fake fun. too much pressure right? >> yes. >> staying home in your footy pajamas. >> so lovely to see you this morning. >> me too. >> merry christmas. happy holidays. happy hannukah. >> happy kwanzaa. >> see you next time. >> just because i'm black doesn't mean i celebrate kwanzaa. >> i think we got a topic for next week. star jones, donny deutsch, and dr. nancy, thank you all. coming up next, how to manage your money when pressed for time. all it takes is 15 minutes. and then designer holiday gifts for a hundred bucks or less. but first these messages. these warm hearty creations

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past five years' tax returns. high school report cards. and i'm gonna need to see a receipt for that watch you're wearing. you know, you really should provide us with a checklist of documents we're gonna need up front. who do you think i am? quicken loans? at quicken loans, we provide a checklist of the mortgage documents you'll need up front. it helps keep you in the know every step of the way. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. this morning on "today's money" managing your finances in no time. whether you have 15 minutes or a couple hours there are things you can do right now to boost your credit score and your savings while trimming your expenses. sarah humphries is the executive

editor of "real simple" magazine and donna rosato the senior writer for "money" magazine. good to see you both this morning. donna, you have some suggestions and these are based on the amount of time a person has to, you know, kind of contribute and take a look at their 401(k). >> right. that's one of the things that "money" readers and "real simple" readers say. they feel they're not saving enough money for retirement. you can come up with a smart retirement plan in 15 minutes or less. >> how? >> one of the things people say, if you even have a plan, you're going to save three times as much money as people who don't have a plan so it starts with figuring out how much you need for savings. go to a retirement calculator. we like t. rowe price.com. they'll tell you how much you should be saving and the next step is if you're falling short, you can add to your 401(k). you can put 1% more in your 401(k). you'll never feel you're missing it and you'll get ontrack for your goals. >> okay. sarah, we're all using smart

phones, with apps on them. you say there are these apps that can really help you save. >> part of managing your finances is managing day-to-day spending. groceries and household goods can eat up about 25% of your monthly take-home pay which is a huge amount especially during the holidays. there are a million coupon apps we love. there are two particularly we love and they're both free which is great. one is coupon sure. it delivers coupon codes directly to your phone. you use it to scan and store. card star is also great because it gathers all of your loyalty merchant codes and cards that you have on to your phone so you never miss out on a good offer. >> a lot of times you don't have a car -- don't have the keys. >> drives you nuts. one thing people don't think about until after it happens is when there is a disaster. you say having plans can save you. >> we have had an incredible year. earthquakes on the east coast, freak snowstorms in october. people think about saving their photos not their financial documents. an easy way to take care of

this, you have an hour. gather your documents, your marriage certificate, will, scan them into your computer. put them on two cds. leave one at home and one in a safe place. if you have to leave your home quickly grab the cd. >> this one was kind of interesting. it's about, if you've got an hour, you can increase your marital happiness. >> right. so again, about being a great financial saver and smart person, is to communicate about your finances and no surprise 9 of 10 married americans say they avoid talking to their spouse about money. we suggested doing something called a dollar date. it's an hour-long thing. if that turn causes you to run away in horror change it to another term. that's what it is. the first down you want to sit down and register, upload your account information and in about 15 minutes it will spit out things like your balance sheets and cash flow so you can analyze that together and spend the rest of the time prioritizing your financial goals whether that is reducing debt or saving for vacation. it can help you track and make your progress. >> and you also talk about s

shrinking your bills. >> bill shrink.com. wireless bill, credit card bills, even how much you pay at your gas station. put in your usage information and it gives you alternate plans and providers that are less expensive. >> you say if you have two to three hours you can boost your credit score and that can make a big difference at the bottom line. >> it can make a huge difference. you can save hundreds of dollars if you've got a credit score say 740 or higher than someone who has them in the 600s. how do you juice up your credit score quickly? one way to do it, there are a lot of mistakes on credit reports. get a copy of your credit report. take a look at it. 9 of 10 have errors on them. get those fixed. that could boost your credit score. the other way to do it is call your credit card company and ask them to raise your credit card limit. don't spend the extra money but the more credit available to you the better you look to lenders and it's going to boost your score. >> all right. sarah humphries, donna rosato, thank you so much. still looking for the perfect gift? bobbie thomas has fashionable

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>> good morning. the sun is out this morning. a little on the chilly side. i am not sure we will go back to the 60's and 70's in the near term. with the high pressure sitting overhead it looks like we are good for a couple of days. sunny skies today. 50-55 of the high, a little

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prairie." you know, what i ate for breakfast. >> yes. >> not kind of a guy sort of thing. we used to watch "f troop" and "the wild, wild west." >> all right. well, i don't think john boy made the cut but we do have the top baby names of 2011. >> johnny. >> exactly. >> a lot of celebrities impacted some of the names we see at the top of the list and then we'll check out how our names are moving up the list. >> somebody is getting pretty popular around here. yeah. all right. >> rhymes with natalie. >> savannah is moving on up. >> albert has to be a fast mover. >> could be worse. it could be hoda or kathie lee. >> whoa. >> their names, just the names. the ladies are hot. meanwhile speaking of name dropping, and somebody else is doing name dropping around here. that's bobbie thomas and the names she is talking about. chanel, dior. she has some of the hottest must have fashion and beauty products

that are perfect gifts each for under a hundred dollars. >> nice. >> how about the forecast? well okay. i was going to tell you about the cocktail party planning. but no. >> let's do that. >> we have a nice picture of this nice lady and her pears. we'll have perfect pairings in today's kitchen. >> oh, boy. >> okay. >> now can we check the weather? >> i was going to blame itdepde up with the tree lighting too. saturday sunshine up and down the eastern seaboard. heavy rain texas into the mississippi river valley. sunny and cool in the pacific northwest. sunday the sunshine continues along the east. cold in new england. more rain in the ohio river valley and the lower mississippi river valley. sunny and cool along the west co >> good morning. we're off to a chilly start on this thursday.

we will be a little below average temperature-wise. that's your latest weather. >> it has been such a great week for our toy drive in its 18th year. we've had so many great special guests helping out collecting gifts for families facing difficult times. nearly 90% of the children on our toy drive list live in poverty so your donations are much needed and greatly appreciated. >> in fact, the fine folks at kohl's have been very good partners of ours. julie gardner is the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at kohl's. it's always good to see you. thanks for being here. >> merry christmas, al. nice to be back. >> merry christmas to you and

again every year you guys have been so great to us. what are you doing for us this year? >> as you know, al, our donation comes as a result of our kohl's cares program where we sell books and plush throughout the year and 100% of the net profits go to children's health and education. this year we're selling the nancy tillman series "the spirit of christmas" and plush that goes with it. 100% of the profits going to children. and we've been with you seven years. thank you for being our partner. we've given $12 million to the toy drive here. >> wow. >> this year we're donating an additional $1.1 million to help make a nice holiday for some kids. >> amazing. wonderful. that money goes a long way in helping needy kids. i know you all have, it's your mission at kohl's to really help those kids as well. >> yes. you know it's been our mission for a long time but i think we all know that maybe now more than ever there are more kids that have needs and if we can help what you all are doing here, it's really important to

all of our family. >> julie gardner and kohl's, thank you so much. >> thank you very much for having us this year. >> we want to remind everybody if you want to be able to donate you can do it online. go to our website and donate here on the plaza. we really need your help so please do donate. there is still time. coming up next the most popular names of baby names of 2011. we'll see how natalie, savannah, and al do among others. >> yes. [ 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?

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it's got tender white meat chicken. the way i always made it for you. one more thing.... those pj's you like, i bought you five new pairs. love you. did you see the hockey game last night? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. this morning on "today's moms" the top baby names of 2011. >> you may be surprised by some celebrity names that are climbing the charts. >> linda murray is the global editor-in-chief for baby center.com and keeps track of this stuff. good morning to you. let's get to our top five baby names on boys and girls sides. people really want to hear this. >> it is really exciting this year. we don't usually see a lot of change in the top five but we have a brand new name on the boys' list. mason first time in the top ten. >> wow. >> that is maybe the kardashian effect. >> it is definitely from the kardashians. that's what moms tell us. >> are you serious? >> very popular. he is the most popular

kardashian we have right now from a baby naming sense. >> how do the others do? are more people naming their kids khloe, kourtney, k something? >> for the most part no. >> thankfully. >> the only names on the rise in the kardashian family are mason as we mentioned but kim's flame is actually up and kendall's. but all the other ones, kourtney, khloe, khris, all on the decline. anderson cooper is our baby name man of the year. this is the first time we've ever seen a first name and last name rising on the list. anderson is up 101 spots on the list. very popular. >> wow. >> these are for babies that have gray hair? >> yes. that's right. >> or very, very blonde hair. >> and cooper as well you've seen. >> cooper is, yes. which might be bradley cooper. he is the sexiest man alive this year. there may be something going on there. >> victoria and david beckham had harper an old fashioned name. is it making a comeback? >> harper is our fastest rising girls name in the top 100. david and victoria's names are

doing well too. the whole beckham family is doing well. >> what about the royals? >> everybody loves the royals. we expected to see kate and william rise and of course they have but harry and pippa are way up and pippa as a name in its own right. >> are you kidding? >> baby pippas out there. >> i love it. all right. now we have to ask. let's get to us. >> we have a little fun with your names. i can tell you you're all on the rise. everybody is rising. >> the three of us. not the others. >> albert is rising? >> well, al is actually on the rise. >> wow. >> by 3%. >> it's a small increase but an increase. that does show how names are trending. >> savannah is up 17%. >> 17%. there you go. >> how about natalie? >> in terms of total popularity natalie is the most popular of all of your names. >> yay! speech! >> back in my day nobody was named natalie. i was named after natalie wood. >> this is the time of year for natalie, too, because the christmas sound to the name, the latin for natalie is christmas. >> natasha.

>> this is the time. natalia. >> the only decline is ann from your team but it is very unusual so if you're looking for an unusual name it is ann. >> and kathie lee zero babies were named kathie? >> it's true. >> and hoda is on the rise. two babies right? >> yes. we have two babies named hoda. >> go hoda. >> named after our hoda. >> they have to be. >> thank you so much. >> thank you so much. coming up next designer gifts at bargain prices. bobbie, whose name is on the rise, too, thomas has her favorite finds under a hundred bucks right after this. set out to create a different kind of cold remedy using powerful medicine and natural ingredients from around the world. he called it vicks vaporub. today, the vicks journey continues. introducing new vicks nature fusion cold & flu syrup. powerful multi-symptom medicine flavored with natural honey

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[ female announcer ] hallmark interactive story buddies. why se ttlefemale announcer ] hallmark interactive story buddies. for a why se one-note cereal? ♪ more, more, more... get more with honey bunches of oats 4 nutritious grains come together for more taste, more healthy satisfaction. get more with honey bunches of oats. the abrasives in the toothpaste actually create those micro fine scratches in the denture,

and that's where bacteria can grow and thrive. these are the very bacteria that can cause bad breath. dentists do recommend that you soak your denture in polident. polident doesn't scratch the denture surface, and it kills 99.9% of bacteria that are responsible for causing bad breath. by using polident and soaking your denture every day you can feel confident your dentures fresh and clean. this morning on bobbie's style buzz designers for less just in time for the holidays. today's style editor bobbie thomas is here with some of her very favorite fashionable finds all under a hundred dollars. bobbie, good morning. >> yes. >> we have a lot of designer names on the table all under a hundred dollars as we mentioned. and some gift sets are here. let's start off with some beauty items for the ladies and for the guys. >> this is one of my favorite finds. you have so many designer sample sets in this package so for $50

you can get somebody on your list because you're not, when it comes to fragrance it can be personal. >> very. >> the opportunity to sample all the designer fragrances but the best part for the 50 bucks is you get a gift certificate included so they can go ahead and get a full sized bottle of whichever fragrance they like. >> a great gift. >> i loved that idea. this is a limited edition from ysl, and i love this because the makeup alone will cover the value of the $65 but you have this bag that left over is essentially a clutch. >> very fashionable. i want this. >> yes. >> this is such a great -- it will cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. >> it is fantastic. this is dior right here. >> every year they come out with a great holiday palate collection. what i love is of course you get all of the fantastic makeup in there and then if you take it out this is also a great keepsake case to store jewelry when you travel or anything else. i think it's such a great buy. this is the time of year to look for these kinds of sets.

this is a lip palate. of course chanel. this is a great cosmetics bag with their two glosses, lip pencil, and the sharpener. you're getting your value for the makeup plus something extra. a great gift. >> absolutely. okay. now let's talk about something to help warm you up a little bit here. we've got these great scarves and also some belts. very classic for men. >> for the guy. when you want to think about what to get him, you want to upgrade some of those accessories. he may not want to splurge on or get for himself. but coach offers these really great scarves. all the guys in the studio were looking at these. >> beautiful. >> a belt, sometimes a guy can always use a new belt and this key chain has a hidden bottle opener, so i loved that. >> that will come in handy very much so. >> boesand these are pajama pan. fantastic, fun splurge for him. he'll probably never buy designer pajama pants but you can steal them after you get them. >> nice and soft too. okay. now jewelry. ladies. who doesn't love a little jewelry. you found some great things here

for us as well. >> yes. when it comes to jewelry, i think when it comes to gifting jewelry if you're not going to go with diamonds and high end look for something fun and statement wise. rachel, rachel, one of my favorite designers, she does such a great job with her jewelry collection. it's affordable, accessible. she has the bold, geometric pyramid options. so many fun cocktail rings. love this collection. >> the whole color blocking trend too. >> this is one bracelet. not even four. you get a really big statement for your money. >> cool. wallets are always great gifts and something we hate to buy for ourselves. >> they get beat up through the years. >> right. >> michael coors offers this wallet at macy's. it zips around so, you know, this is fashion and function. of course, you know, the designer name. it comes in a pretty box. >> bright colors too. >> there you go. >> you want to keep it warm here again, great hats and scarves. >> dyny. i love the idea. this is an infinity scarf that wraps around but it is knit and faux fur which is a big trend

this season. the hats, too. really love that. >> running out of time to say for hostess gifts you've found some great items as well. >> diane von furstenberg love her personality and prints. she has these great accessories for your ipod and everything else. feel like a woman wear a dress. coasters for just $25. great buy. designer candles from neiman marcus. >> gorgeous. >> you name it. >> and books. these are gorgeous. fashion books. >> i love this. amazon. only $25 to get the alexander mcqueen book everybody was trying to get at the met. and of course if somebody is a fan of ticket or label this is going to benefit, be on the coffee table. >> thank you so much. coming up next, pairing pears. we've got the recipe for a successful cocktail party. but first this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's" holiday kitchen the perfect pairings for a cocktail party. we are inspired by one ingredient, pares. vanessa, why pears? >> i love pears. you can incorporate them in so many ways into your holiday parties, cocktails, sweet, savory. >> so we're doing a cocktail party. >> yes. >> you have a pear cocktail. >> yes. when your guests arrive always start with a special if i cty c. this is a spiced winter cocktail. it has a little bit of pear nectar. you can use pear juice as well. i like nectar. it's a little thicker. >> you can find it in stores pretty easily. >> absolutely. this is a cinnamon simple syrup you can make in advance. we'll put freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice to cut the sweetness. >> what were you pouring this into? >> this has my favorite spirit which i just discovered this summer. it's distilled grape.

it's called remi martin v. i love it because it is clear and doesn't change the color of your drink. it has a nice, fresh flavor and is great for mixing cocktails. so this lemon juice is great. it's meyer lemon. if you can't find meyer lemons use regular. mix it around. i like to use a pitcher because you can, if you're serving a lot of people. then strain it into a little martini glass and some freshly grated nut meg. >> okay. >> that's where the spiced comes from. >> very nice. we're making kind of a pear pizza almost. >> this is great. i love making flat braeeads because you prepare all the ingredients in advance. the flat bread takes about ten minutes in the oven so once your guests get there just mix and match with toppings. >> how do you make the dough? >> well, i have a wes phave a rn find on today show website. i have a really nice recipe. i like a nice dough. we're going to brush a little olive oil on here. >> right. >> then some salt and pepper.

this recipe we're going to use brie, pancetta and arugula. >> very nice. >> you can use brie. if you don't, actually pear works so nicely with so many cheeses. you could use cheddar or creamy goat cheese. >> then fan this out. >> yeah. >> how long do you bake it? >> about ten to 15 minutes. >> now we got a nice sweet back here. >> yeah. so like i said, pear is good for everything -- sweet, savory, cocktails. you know, you like caramel apples? >> sure. >> i like caramel pears. take the pear. put it in with the caramel. then we'll put some salted peanuts. >> nice. >> i like the salted peanuts because they add that salty sweet. >> sure. >> kind of like a pay day bar with the fruit in the middle. >> exactly. >> very nice. >> vanessa, thank you so much. >> thank you. the recipes are on the website