Gift giving can be such a rewarding experience. You enjoy giving and most people enjoy receiving, so what can be so hard about giving just the right gift? Well, some have learned the hard way that “the right gift” may be perfect in their sight but it may evoke only a feigned look of appreciation […]

 With cultural interaction ever increasing, there is a high possibility that you will someday have an opportunity to present a gift to a new friend or business contact. You may agree to host a foreign exchange student, or your child may take advantage of the opportunity to take classes abroad while staying with a host […]

 (MS) — Despite the economic downturn, there are a number of helpful ways to stretch your holiday dollars this season. Your child may be influenced by the hottest new toys on TV, but try not to be swayed. Invest in high quality classic toys. Board games, puzzles, dolls, train sets, craft sets, dinosaurs, pirate ships, […]

The Salvation Army, which many Americans associate with the red buckets and Santa Claus, actually has its roots in a Quaker graveyard in East London. Having abandoned the conventional concept of a church and pulpit, evangelist William Booth preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to London’s poor, homeless, hungry, and destitute. Among Booth’s first converts […]

Pet owners, on average, will purchase 3-5 gifts per year for their pet*. Buying holiday gifts doesn’t mean pet parents have to break the bank. There are pet gifts available that can save money and are beneficial to both pets and their owners. FURminator at-home grooming products range in price from less than $15 to […]

 Just in time for gift-giving season, Kim Carlson, eco-expert and founder of EarthSmart Consumer Certified, is ushering the holidays with the 12 ways of gifting. This is the perfect time of year to get in the green spirit. Many Americans are still on tight budgets with savings on their minds. Before disposing of commonly tossed […]

 The holidays, for many, is a time of celebration, tradition and reunion, when food and gifts are shared to express care and appreciation for each other. For others, however, the holidays are neither joyous nor comfortable. With so many neighbors struggling, perhaps this is the year to consider alternatives to traditional gift giving. To find […]

 Who could imagine that within a five minute drive from the heart of Lewiston-Auburn there’s a row of greenhouses with over 11,000 poinsettia plants set to bloom by Thanksgiving? To brothers Elmer and Buster Whiting, owners of Farmer Whiting on Summer Street, this comes as no surprise. For years, they’ve planted cuttings of poinsettias in […]

 Long lines. Low prices. Crazed crowds. That’s right: Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. Tomorrow! Local retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Best Buy, and the Auburn Mall open earlier than usual (anywhere from midnight to 7 a.m.) so that bargain-hunters can shop for popular items at great prices. For many locals, shopping […]

 The day after Thanksgiving, known to most as Black Friday, is always the most anticipated and chaotic shopping day of the year. Stores slash prices on select merchandise, and customers line up for hours to get their hands on must-haves and perfect holiday gifts at great prices. While shoppers spend weeks ahead of time browsing […]