The Greeting Card Association says Americans purchase some 6.5 billion greeting cards every year. Of those, around 1.6 billion are Christmas cards. Exchanging cards is a great way for people to show their loved ones that they’re thinking about them, and such cards make for festive ornaments to display around homes. But when the holiday […]

With so much on our plates between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the holiday season can be hectic. Fortunately, there are many ways to save time and make the holiday season more manageable. · If you don’t have plastic clips to hang lights around windows and to the eaves of your home, inexpensive clothespins will […]

Norway’s Main Street, one of the longest walking Main Streets in Western Maine, has undergone many ups and downs throughout its history. The great fire of 1893 destroyed most of the businesses and devastated the local economy. A lot of hard work and the devotion and determination of business people and residents alike brought Main […]

She’s mother to her own three children ages 9, 11, and 13. Her mother, Susan Loughrey, lives nearby. But DeMerchant is also the publisher for Macaroni Kid Androscoggin, www.arv.macaronikid.com, a free weekly e-newsletter and accompanying website featuring items of interest for family-friendly events. DeMerchant estimated that her publication is read by over 10,000 busy mothers […]

During a season in which more is often more, it can be a challenge to cut back in an effort to protect the planet. But scaling back gifts, food consumption and travel can be effective ways to go green this holiday season. * Buy fewer gifts. Christmas gifts show others how much they are cared […]

Whether leaving cookies out for Santa or simply spreading some holiday cheer among family and friends, the following recipe for “Soft Glazed Gingerbread” from Elizabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson’s “Tartine” is sure to please this holiday season. Soft Glazed Gingerbread Yields 12 to 20 cookies Dough 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon cocoa powder […]