Thursday, December 20, 2012
Five tips to help you keep your resolution.
Are you making a New Year's resolution this year? Do you want to lose weight, gain a new skill or organize your house? Whatever your resolution is, here are some tips to help you stick to it throughout the year. 1. Make it attainable. Be sure that your resolution is attainable. Sticking to your monthly budget is attainable—making a million dollars may not be. 2. Tell everyone. If you tell everyone about your resolution, you are more likely to keep it. If you want to quit smoking, you can even go as far as telling your friends that you'll give them $50 if they catch you lighting up. 3. Be specific. If you want to get fit in the new year, set a specific goal. For example, instead of saying you want to get fit, say you want to lose 10 pounds …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
You voted — see the results.
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Who has the best “decked” house in Watertown, and beyond? We had tons of national entries in this year’s Deck the House contest and in our quest to find the most over-the-top holiday decorations in the country, we’ve seen everything from a life-size Santa to holiday lights so bright they could blind the neighbors. We loved showcasing everyone’s holiday spirit, but Deck the House isn’t over yet. We’re still looking for the one home so spectacularly decorated that it could be the national grand prize winner of our contest. We will choose 25 finalists from all our entries across the country. From Dec. 18 to Dec. 28, vote for your favorite and that person could win $100,000 for his or her local school district. All you have to do is visit this…
Monday, December 17, 2012
Shopping online? Here are some tips to help prevent someone making off with a package before you even know its delivered.
It's an unfortunate reality, but during the holiday season thieves are looking for opportunities to steal. In Burlington, the police logs in the past week had two calls of people coming home to packages missing. In both instances the delivery companies stated in their tracking services that the parcels had been delivered, but they were nowhere in sight. The following tips come courtesy of the Somerville Police Department:
Friday, December 14, 2012
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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Friday, December 14, 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
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Consumerism surrounds the holiday season: is greed inevitable, and how do you avoid it?
For those children who celebrate, Christmas' biggest connotation can be a pile of gifts under the tree. With this in mind, a panel of staff contributors at The Chicago Tribune tackled the question of whether it's inevitable to see greed in their kids around Christmastime. The parents weighed in on suggestions to remind kids of Christmas spirit. Among their suggestions? Help your kids round up some old toys to donate to charity before giving them new toys. Sign them up to participate in a community service project. The Tribune's advice got us thinking at Patch about how we were taught or are teaching our kids to be less greedy around the holidays. Some of our suggestions? Find a giving tree and let your child pick a name or two off of it…
With trees, extra lights and candle in many homes this month, it's important to be aware of the fire hazards they present.
As beautiful as holiday trees and lights are, they present fire hazards many people may not be aware of. The American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts is urging homeowners to use extra caution this time of year to keep the season merry and to prevent holiday fires. The Red Cross provided the following tips to ensure a safe and happy holiday: Christmas Tree Care Holiday Lights and Decorations Holiday Candles
Monday, November 26, 2012
Knocking out your holiday shopping today? Or not?
Today is Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year. It's a day to scour the Web, as big deals on merchandise abound. Retailers are offering online discounts on everything from TVs and appliances to clothes or books. Are you shopping on Cyber Monday? Stocking up on holiday gifts, perhaps? Or maybe you prefer to do your shopping in person. Tell us what you're hoping to score a deal on — and, if you do score a good deall, tell others about it in the comments. Or, are you all shopped out after Black Friday or Small Business Saturday? Tell us in the comments.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Celebrate next week's holiday by reading some of these Thanksgiving-themed books.
Although it's not as famous as Halloween or Christmas, the Thanksgiving holiday does have it's fair share of literature dedicated to it. Whether you're young and still reading picture books, or an adult, we have a little something for everyone in our Patch Reads book list. So grab your turkey and enjoy some books as side dishes! Younger readers: 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving—In a switch on the classic Clement Moore poem, some boys and girls have an eventful Thanksgiving eve. If You Lived In Colonial Times—This book outlines what the lives were like for the Pilgrims and Colonists from 1565 to 1776. The First Thanksgiving—Geared toward beginner readers, this book tells the story of the first Thanksgiving with lots of illustrations…
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Here are some recipes for Thanksgiving's most popular side dishes.
What would a turkey be on Thanksgiving without its faithful side companions? Often more popular than the turkey itself, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and other favorites are staples of the food coma-inducing meal. Try one of the recipes below to bring a new taste to your Thanksgiving feast. Irish Sausage Stuffing Directions: Brown the ground sausage thoroughly. Drain and cool. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil until a fork can separate them. Drain and cool. Dip the stale bread quickly into a bowl of water and then squeeze out all the water. Alternating the ingredients, begin running everything through the grinder. Grind only once. In a large bowl, add the celery salt and poultry seasoning along with a couple of dashes of …
Saturday, November 17, 2012
If you need a new recipe for your Thanksgiving turkey, give one of these non-traditional twists a try.
There are many ways to cook everyone’s favorite holiday bird. Each family has its own special technique for cooking a turkey, whether it's using an old family recipe, adding a secret ingredient or shopping at a certain store in town that helps make the turkey taste all the better. If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, you can try any of the recipes below to add a new kick to your feast. Or, check out our vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes. Just the name of this recipe makes my mouth water. An Allrecipes.com user contributes this Greek take on turkey, which combines ground beef and pork with tangerine juice, rice and other ingredients for an in-bird stuffing. This one requires no pre-made brine. Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for a Cajun-spiced …
Kathleen Surdan
11:58 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Yes, I am shopping online today. My list is long--lots of names on it--so getting an early start is a required strategy. Having things delivered to my doorstep is wonderful! more ›