Saturday, December 22, 2012
As you look over the list of gifts you need this holiday season, an unsettling feeling starts. How will I pay for all these gifts? How about homemade gifts?
Gift-giving is meant to be a time for sharing how much you appreciate others, but rising prices and tight budgets take the feel-good vibes right out of gift-giving traditions. This year, take the money stress out of the holidays by turning to homemade gifts. Homemade gifts are a great way to show you appreciate someone while also adding a personal touch. Gifts don’t need to be expensive to be special. Get the family involved in the fun and you will be creating memories while making unique gifts for those who mean the most in your life. Patch explores the homemade holidays in hopes that you will find something to inspire you to enjoy the season more. Healthy options: Pack energy in a jar with healthy snacks like energy bars, dark chocolate…
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Here are ten ways to have fun and spread holiday cheer in Chatham without breaking the bank.
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Thursday, December 20, 2012
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 Barnes & Noble in East Hanover or Livingston, or on Amazon.com. 2) Have fun together and create a festive decoration by making a gingerbread house. You can bake the gingerbread …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Need a quick holiday cookie recipe? Make one of these for your parties this season, and leave a recipe for your neighbors to try.
One of the most important holiday questions to ask yourself is: What kind of cookies will you be baking for your get-togethers this season? From sweet to savory, holiday cookies come in all shapes and sizes. And what’s better than to top off a tray of cookies than a glass of homemade eggnog? Sugar cookies are popular around the holidays, especially with holiday decorations in icing on top. Most local bakeries, including the Chatham Bakery in the borough and Woodland Bakery in the township, have such holiday cookies available. In my parents' house, though, the big Christmas cookie isn't a cookie at all. It's biscotti. My mom bakes about five different kinds of biscotti around the holidays—a cranberry biscotti, a traditional almond biscotti…
Our Patch Elf on the Shelf has gotten ahold of our computer and now wants to know what his buddy elves are up to. Share your photos here!
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Hi friends! I'm the Patch Elf on the Shelf. Call me Patchy. I've heard about more of my friends hanging around the area lately, and I wondered what they were up to. Could their families post pictures here on Patch to show me? I'd love to catch up with them. We all go back to Santa on Christmas Eve, but in the meantime, we'll be watching you! Cheers, Patchy the Elf Add your photo by clicking on the green "Upload Photos and Videos" icon.
Three decades of dancing to Elvis and Sinatra brings joy to dancers
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Fitness instructor Carol Baumgartner brought her choreographed Christmas aerobics routine to the Madison Community House for the 30th year this December. Baumgartner, the former dance director at the Madison Area YMCA, came up with moves to some of the Christmas favorites: Elvis “Blue Christmas,” Jingle Bell Rock, Ricky Martin’s Ay yi yi It’s Christmas and other holiday selections by Frank Sinatra and John Lennon. For 29 years, a group of women known as the “Joy ladies” got in the Christmas spirit with the conga, kick ball change and cha-cha-cha wearing silver bells on their sneakers and dancing with Santa hats. “It was always great fun,” said Madison resident Ros Seneca. This would have been the first year without the routines had it not …
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What's the latest you can send a package this year to ensure pre-Christmas delivery? We run down the options in the area.
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
If you're the type to put off holiday shopping until the last minute, not to worry—there are plenty of speedy ways to ship your items nationwide and ensure that they'll arrive before Dec. 25. Below is a rundown of USPS, UPS, and FedEx deadlines for pre-Christmas arrival. Cost, of course, goes up with the speed of the service. The absolute latest option nearby? Express mailing your package from the post office by 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 22. U.S. POSTAL SERVICE (at any post office) Method Last day to ship First Class Mail Thursday, Dec. 20 Priority Mail Friday, Dec. 21 Express Mail Saturday, Dec. 22 FEDEX Method Last day to ship FedEx Express Saver Wednesday, Dec. 19 FedEx 2Day Thursday, Dec. 20 FedEx Standard Overnight, FedEx Priority …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Without proper care, a Christmas tree can turn into the perfect kindling. Borough and township fire chiefs offer tips to stay safe.
Fire safety is important all year long, but during the holidays, a dry tree, lights or other decorations can become a real fire danger. Jim Pignatello, Jr., the chief of the Chatham Township Fire Department, said, "A real tree can pose a fire hazard if not properly placed or cared for. Each year, more than 400 residential fires involve Christmas trees, and approximately 40 people die and 100 people are injured nationwide from these fires." Pignatello offered the following tips to residents to keep your family's Christmas trees from going up in flames: With a dry tree, just using the wrong set of lights can make a difference in staying safe. Here are some safety tips when it comes to your Christmas lights: The U.S. Fire Administration has …
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Rides lasted nearly an hour, children treated to special visit from St. Nick.
A unique way to celebrate the holidays is to take a historic train ride with Santa. Trains departed from the Whippany Rail Museum throughout the day on Saturday.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Dawn Paskalides hosts a shopping event with women-owned businesses as a fundraiser to help local single moms in need.
Dawn Paskalides and the Women Business Owners of Chatham (WBOC) offer a chance for Chathamites of all ages to do their Christmas shopping and help out their neighbors at the same time. Twenty Chatham women with their own businesses will gather in Paskalides' home at 3 Karlin Dr. in the township from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday. A percentage of proceeds from the sale will go to benefit single mothers in need in the Chathams, and to fund a $1,000 Girl EmPOWERment scholarship, which will go to a graduating senior from Chatham High School. Paskalides has held the event in her home for several years. "To date, 33 single moms in Chatham have been helped," she said, to the tune of $35,000. The event will also feature wine and cheese, and a …
Stores in the Chatham Mall and Hickory Square will offer special discounts to shoppers Thursday.
After a delay caused by Hurricane Sandy, business owners in Chatham Township are ready to show how they work for the town. From 5 to 7 p.m., stores in those two shopping centers will open their doors and offer special bargains to customers as part of their first organized shopping night, Chatham Township Works. The event includes a visit from Santa Claus and deals at some of your favorite stores, including IYO Frozen Yogurt, The Hallmark Store and more. According to Laura Ali Nonnenmacher, who organized the event, the goals for the business community are: The Chatham High School Key Club has helped to publicize the event, which was originally scheduled for Nov. 1 and was postponed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy.
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11:32 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
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