Percentage of U.S. adults who are optimistic that 2013 will be a better year for them financially than years past, up from 48 percent who said the same at the start of 2012, according to a CouponCabin.com survey: 52

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they plan to overhaul their finances in 2013: 39

Source: CouponCabin.

Percentage of U.S. adults who have some type of goal that they would like to achieve in 2013, according to an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Strayer University: 93

Percentage of adults who have health-related goals, such as being more active, eating more healthily or getting more sleep: 54

Percentage who have a socially oriented goal: 37

Percentage who have a leisure-related goal: 34

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

With winter officially under way, the record low winter temperature among continental U.S. cities, held by Bismarck, N.D., according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 44 below zero

Absolute coldest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. in Prospect Creek, Alaska: 80 below zero

To put a different perspective on the word "lowest," record low temperature in Honolulu, Hawaii: 53 degrees

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Value of the sapphire-and-diamond pacifier in the classic Princess Diana style that was offered to Kate Middleton and husband Prince William on the same day that Buckingham Palace confirmed the couple were expecting their first child, according to Mead Jewelers: $1.5 million

Source: Mead Jewelers.

Ranks of dentist, registered nurse, pharmacist and computer systems analyst on the list of the best jobs of 2013, classified as such by offering a mosaic of employment opportunities, good salary, manageable work-life balance and job satisfaction: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: U.S. News & World Report.

Ranks of Sophia, Emma, Olivia and Isabella on the list of the top 100 baby names for girls in 2012, according to Baby Center's annual baby names survey: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of Aiden, Jackson, Ethan and Liam on the list of the top 100 baby names for boys in 2012: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: BabyCenter LLC.

Percentage of American workers who had not yet taken all of the vacation days allotted to them by their employer, as of the end of November, according to a survey by Adecco: 75

Percentage of workers who are allotted three weeks or more of vacation time annually: 36

Source: Adecco.

Percentage of employees who said they plan to actively look for a new position in 2013, according to a poll of U.S. employees by Right Management: 86

Percentage who said they may do so and are already networking: 8

Source: Right Management.

Percentage of U.S. workers who expect either "weak" or "robust" economic growth in the next 12 months, according to the results of the 2012 Mercer workplace survey: 73

Percentage who anticipate a recession, down from 40 percent a year earlier: 27

Percentage of workers who are still concerned about losing their jobs: 36

Source: Mercer.

Ranks of Bella, Max, Buddy and Daisy on the list of the top 10 dog names of 2012, according to information from the Banfield Pet Hospital: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of Kitty, Bella, Tiger and Max, on the list of the top 10 cat names of 2012: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Banfield Pet Hospital.

Idle Thought

"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen." -- Jerome K. Jerome, humorist and playwright

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of Americans who usually make New Year's resolutions, according to Statistic Brain: 45

Percentage of people who are successful in achieving their resolution: 8

Percentage of Americans who have maintained their resolution through the first week: 75

Percentage who have lasted past six months: 46

Source: Statistic Brain.

Number of brides who married on 12/12/12 -- a 1,446 percent increase over the prior year, according to David's Bridal estimates: 75,000

Date of the second-to-last consecutive series of the century, and though it falls on a Tuesday, many brides have already chosen that day to wed: 11/12/13

Source: David's Bridal Inc.

Percentage of people who have broken up with someone to avoid buying them a Christmas present, according to a survey by JustSingles.com: 5

When single respondents were asked what was at the top of their Christmas list this year -- a relationship, an iPad or an experience day (such as skydiving or a spa visit) -- percentage who chose a relationship: 77

Source: JustSingles.

Percentage of people who say relatives overstay their welcome after a day or less, with some saying their family members wear out their welcome as soon as they arrive, according to a HomeAway Vacation Rental Marketplace Report: 22

Percentage who say their relatives never wear out their welcome: 33

Source: HomeAway.

Percentage of ties sold annually that are Christmas gifts, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 20

Value of the necktie-making business per year in the U.S.: $390 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Whether trimming a Christmas tree or preparing a festive meal, percentage of Americans who report that they can't celebrate the holiday season properly without the right music, according to a survey by Pandora: 90

In picking the perfect music to accompany their get-togethers, percentage of people who admit they prefer classic holiday tunes from artists such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole, rather than new releases from today's chart toppers: 75

Source: Pandora.

Cost of the Christmas show tree encrusted in diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other jewels that the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, put up in 2010, according to Bloomberg: $11 million

Source: Bloomberg.

Percentage of companies that said they could attribute better relationships directly to past holiday gift-giving programs, according to an Advertising Specialty Institute survey: 62

Source: Advertising Specialty Institute.

When U.K. adults were asked why they regretted spending money on an ex's presents, percentage who said it was because they broke up with their partner soon after giving them, according to research by MoneySupermarket: 39

Percentage of women who stated they didn't think their former partner was worth spending that much money on: 35

Percentage of men who said the same: 25

Source: Money Supermarket.

Percentage of online shoppers who say they are not likely to make additional purchases from websites that charge shipping on returns, according to a survey, commissioned by ShopRunner: 81

Percentage of these shoppers who feel that returning items purchased online is a complicated process: 69

Source: ShopRunner.

Idle Thought

"When money speaks, the truth keeps silent." -- Russian proverb

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage increase in the prices of gifts in the holiday classic "The Twelve Days of Christmas, according to PNC Wealth Management: 3.5

According to the 29th annual survey, current price tag for these gifts, $1,168 more than last year: $25,431.18

Cost if you want to buy the whole shebang from a single partridge to twelve drummers drumming for each verse (that's 364 separate pieces of Christmas joy): $107,300.24

Source: PNC Wealth Management.

Year that the first Christmas tree debuted at Rockefeller Center, erected by construction workers eager to receive a day's pay in the depths of the Great Depression and decorated with tin cans and scrap paper, according to Bloomberg Business Week: 1931

Height of the 1931 tree: 20 feet

Height of the 2012 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a New Jersey survivor of Hurricane Sandy: 80 feet

Source: Bloomberg.

Percentage of senior managers who say their employees are less productive the week before a major holiday, according to a survey by Accountemps: 34

Source: Accountemps.

Percentage of executives who said they look forward to Christmas celebrations, according to an executive survey by Korn/Ferry International: 56

Percentage who said they attend them when they can: 38

Percentage who said they generally do not attend or have little interest: 6

Source: Korn/Ferry International.

Estimated percentage of homes that still put up and decorate a real Christmas tree each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 20

Estimated percentage of U.S. households that now use artificial trees to decorate for the holidays: 50

Value of artificial Christmas trees imported into the U.S. from China during the first nine months of last year: $80 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Average amount of money companies expect to spend on each client gift this year, down from $30 last year, according to Advertising Specialty Institute's 2012 corporate gift-giving survey: $26

Ranks of food baskets and tins of popcorn branded with a company's logo, gift cards, calendars and writing instruments on the list of the most popular gifts for clients or prospects: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Advertising Specialty Institute.

Percentage of event planners and administrative professionals who said they would be disappointed if their holiday festivities were canceled, according to the Holiday Parties and Office Morale survey conducted by BizBash and Seamless: 90

Percentage who said that the holiday party is important to the team dynamic: 90

Source: BizBash.

Percentage of Americans who hadn't done any holiday shopping as of the first week of December, according to Consumer Reports Holiday Poll: 36

When it comes to deciding which gifts to give, percentage of Americans who said they simply buy what the person they're shopping for requested: 65

Percentage who rely on advice from friends or family: 40

Source: Consumer Reports.

Ranks of sleep, time and money on the list of biggest challenges faced by moms, according to a BabyCenter.com survey: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of parents who get less than six hours of sleep a night: 30

Percentage who can't remember the last time they slept eight hours: 30

Source: BabyCenter LLC.

Percentage of American workers who are retired, according to poll conducted by Ipsos Observer on behalf of Quicken: 21

Among those who are still in the workforce, percentage who believe that they won't be able to retire by the age of 65: 53

Source: Ipsos Reid Public Affairs.

Idle Thought

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." -- Albert Camus

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)