Tuesday, December 25, 2012
How much will we spend this year? And what's the best-selling Christmas song of all time? Find the answers below.
We know that there were three Wise Men, 12 days of Christmas and that Santa delivers all his presents around the world in one night. But did you know... $23,439.38 How much it would cost to buy your "true love" all the gifts in the 12 Day of Christmas . 12.9 billion hours, $447 billion How many hours Americans were expected to spend shopping, wrapping and returning gifts last year. That was about 42 hours and $688.87 per person. Get your postman/postwoman a gift According to Hallmark, Christmas is the largest card-sending occasion . Nearly 1.5 billion cards are sent to friends and family every Christmas Season. (That's actually down 400 million cards since 2004.) Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered …
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The holiday season can bring many dangers to the pet in your life.
The holiday season is filled with family, friends and parties but don't forget about your pets. Here are a few helpful tips to keep your animals safe and happy this holiday season. Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here. Fore more ways to keep your animals safe during the holiday season check out ASPCA.org.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Whether you're low on funds this holiday season or you're looking to give some handmade treasures, Sarasota Patch has compiled some of the season's most creative gift ideas.
For some, making gifts from scratch is an annual affair. For others, this may be the first year you're trying on your creative chops for gift-giving. Either way, it's the perfect time of year to combine thoughtfulness and resourcefulness. Check out this list of almost-completely-homemade how-tos: The main cost of this project is the clear ornaments you'll need to purchase from the nearest craft store. Depending on the amount of ornaments you buy, there could be anywhere from six to 12 gifts in one sitting! Amplify the appeal of a $5 gift card with a custom snow globe. Most of the tools you'll need are probably already in your office, and an empty pickle or salsa jar will serve as the globe! Local stores like Walmart usually have a $5 bin …
Friday, December 21, 2012
Here are ten ways to have fun and spread holiday cheer in Sarasota without breaking the bank.
This year’s holiday season can be special for you and your family regardless of your budget. Here are some fun tips for creating new holiday traditions while saving money. 1) Make your cards from recycled materials. Cards can be made from paper grocery bags, cereal boxes, used file folders and even last year’s holiday cards. Feature your family’s artwork and use recycled wrapping paper or paper from catalogs and magazines for backgrounds. A great resource for making cards from recycled materials is "Creative Correspondence" by Michael and Judy Jacobs, available at local bookstores or on Amazon.com. 2) Have fun together and create a festive decoration by making a gingerbread house. You can bake the gingerbread yourself and use royal …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Second Chance-Last Opportunity's annual Community Christmas Festival is expected to fall short unless neighbors pitch in.
A Sarasota non-profit that provides help to low income youth and families is making a plea to the community to help volunteer and donate so Sarasota kids in need have a Christmas this year. Second Chance Last Opportunity's annual Community Christmas Festival is Saturday, Dec. 22, but despite the toy drives there aren't enough toys for the families. Second Chance Chief Executive April Glasco is concerned that "the 150 families will be disappointed and the children will have no gifts this Christmas. Our clients have worked hard to make a change in their lives, attending our life skill classes, and putting into practice what they've learned. Letting those children down is unthinkable." Collection points for unwrapped toys (newborn-12) are …
Sunday, December 16, 2012
When did you last receive a whole bunch of Christmas cards?
Yesterday, I received my first Christmas card of the season. I really appreciate it —and any others I get—especially since I'm not very good about sending any out myself. In the last decade, the sale of Christmas cards has pretty much gone down in proportion to the rise of social media. Those people we never communicated with except for that once a year Christmas card, well, we now know pretty much when they last had a cup of coffee—and even that it was in their living room in Australia. With Facebook not costing any more than your Internet connection, and the cost of postage stamps on the rise, it just makes sense to use Facebook — or maybe a musical e-card from Hallmark. I mean, why not? With time such a precious commodity these days, it…
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Saint Nicholas is busy preparing for Christmas Day. Please leave a message after the beep and his elves will be with you shortly.
Santa Claus is a busy dude. The guy doesn't just work Christmas Day. Have you seen all the parades and shopping malls he's visited? It seems like the guy has the ability to clone himself to make his job collecting Christmas lists a bit easier, but sometimes, you just have to wait for Santa. That's why Santa started up a hot line to help speed up the Christmas Wish lists. Kids of all ages can call 951-262-3062 and leave Santa a message. "This is Santa Claus and this is my personal hot line," Santa greets callers after a jolly ho-ho-ho. A Long Beach, Calif.,-based company, FreeConferenceCall.com established the hot line in 2009. The company provides businesses with a free way to host conference calls, and it appears even Santa can get stuck…
Do you think there really is a war on Christmas?
So this is Christmas, or maybe happy holidays? When it comes to season’s greetings, a new poll shows the majority of Americans prefer “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays.” The survey from Rasmussen Reports finds that 68 percent of the people polled prefer the traditional “Merry Christmas” while just 23 percent like "Happy Holidays," which can cover a variety of occasions. When it comes to holiday signs, a whopping 70 percent of shoppers polled said they prefer to be greeted with “Merry Christmas” in stores rather than the more neutral Happy Holidays, according to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But it doesn't end there. There have been "Christmas Trees" banned or replaced with "Holiday Trees," nativity scenes scrapped to …
Sarasota's Southside Village merchants will offer specials, raffle prizes and Santa Claus.
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Thursday, December 13, 2012
The Southside Village in Sarasota is once again hosting its annual Holiday Stroll on Friday, Dec. 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. Gather with friends, family, and loved ones while you ring in the Holiday Season enjoying live entertainment, superb dining opportunities, fabulous shopping, and highlighted by a special visit from Santa Claus. Bring your camera because Santa will be taking pictures with holiday strollers inside the Comerica Bank. Come enjoy the festive atmosphere and Holiday cheer with merchants, restaurants, and businesses in Southside Village. Let kids experience the magic of the season with face painting and an encounter with a mountain of snow for sliding at the Gecko’s Grill & Pub parking lot. There will be free parking at the …
Saturday, December 1, 2012
The Sarasota Holiday Parade returns at 7 p.m. Saturday on Main Street.
The Sarasota Holiday Parade brings Santa Claus to town tonight when the parade kicks off at 7 p.m. on Main Street. The parade involves street closures and parking restrictions. Here's what you need to know: The staging area will shut down starting at noon and will not open until about 9 p.m. The staging area includes: North Washington Boulevard will close at 5 p.m. from Fruitville Road to Ringling Boulevard. It is anticipated that Washington Boulevard will remain closed until approximately 9 p.m. The parade route will be closed to traffic at 5 p.m. and expected to re-open by 10 p.m. The parade route includes: The 1600 block of Main Street will not close until 5:30 p.m. to accommodate traffic from a previously planned event “Singing …
Rich Unger
9:53 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Why isn't The Community Foundation supporting this cause with toys? more ›