A Moose Mug For You

Here's a toast to the Griswold Family Christmas.

The moose mugs from which Clark and Cousin Eddie swigged eggnog in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" are now being reproduced in acrylic by Illinois sport collector Roger Dewey and his company, A&R Collectibles. The mugs are modeled on Marty Moose, the WallyWorld mascot in the film's predecessor, "National Lampoon's Vacation."

They're dishwasher-safe and unbreakable.

The mugs are $59.95 a pair and can be ordered at www.ARCollectibles.com or 888-667-7767.

FROM SHACKS TO MANSIONS

Our ancestors' homes, like ours today, were so much more than shelters. They were the places where life happened, with all its joys, hardships and mundane activities.

In "Where We Lived: Discovering the Places We Once Called Home," historian Jack Larkin explores all those aspects of the dwellings of early Americans.

The book explores American life from 1775 to 1840 through the context of home. It portrays how Americans really lived, including such unglamorous realities as crowded beds, smelly chamber pots and homes crawling with bugs, while also celebrating the country's architectural diversity. It looks at homes of all sizes and economic strata, from grand mansions to slave shacks.

Supporting the story are hundreds of photos from the Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey, a project started in the Depression to document our country's early structures.

"Where We Lived" is published by The Taunton Press and sells for $40 in hardcover.