Charitable Giving

Charitable Giving
'Tis the season for giving. Find opportunities to volunteer and to donate in the Charity Guide.

Find a Tree

View a map of local tree farms
Find the perfect tree (or cut your own) with the interactive tree-farm map.

Letters to Santa

Letters to Santa
Dear Santa,

Dear Santa.

Just one time it would be nice to participate in a contest that someone plays fair in. With 800+ votes, it seems like this vote might have been rigged by someone. Not gonna name names.

Maybe next year, you will choose to verify every email address and make sure that the contest is played on even ground so that everyone can win.

Thank you Santa.

Oh yeah, and I want World Peace too!

From,
Jaded Contestant

House Decorating Contest

Check out houses decorated for Christmas from all over Northern Ohio. Rate them. Submit your own. The house with the highest rating at midnight on December 28th wins a $500 gift certificate at the Diamond Collection in Norwalk.

Christmas Eve traditions for the whole family

Christmas is the time when many families look forward to reviving traditions that have been passed down through the years. If you don’t have one that comes to mind, why not start your own? There are plenty of ways that you can make Christmas Eve as memorable and special as Christmas morning – a... 

Featured blog: "8 tips from a last minute Christmas shopper"

For those of you last-minute shoppers who have yet to hit the mall, we've found the perfect blog for you. Hopefully, Beth Dean's humor will make the idea of setting foot into an overrun store of crazies a bit less cringeworthy. Read on.

"8 tips from a last minute Christmas shopper... 

Recipes of the week: Gourmet Spanish Pork Chops & Coquito

Looking for something special to fix for the family on Christmas Eve? Then try these gourmet pork chops. This recipe is so delectable because it has a variety of flavors that are all very well balanced -- you get salty, sweet and savory in every bite. Check out our recipe for

Gift idea of the day: gadgets galore, part 2

These gifts may seem most appropriate for gadget geeks and travelers, but the truth is, anyone can benefit from them. There’s a nifty, high-tech camera (which is great for beginners), a personal MiFi so you can link into internet hotspots wherever you go and a Slingbox Pro-HD, which lets you wat... 

Holiday hints & tips: how to wrap the perfect gift

After attempting to wrap some stocking stuffers this weekend, I realize that I needed some help from the experts (and that tissue paper is not ideal for wrapping paper). My shoddy job, wayward tape and ripped paper convinced me that I shouldn’t wrap any more presents until I provide myself with ... 

House Decorating Contest extended

Still want to enter our House Decorating Contest? You still have time. Due to technical issues with the site, the deadline has been extended until midnight on December 28th.

The Firelands Christmas House Decorating Contest features houses from all over northern Ohio. The winner of th... 

This week's holiday picks: Pink Toast, parties & carriage rides

It's finally here: the week of Christmas. Busy? Make some time this week to get out of the house with family and friends. The upside? You're not entertaining, so you don't have to worry about a thing!

There's Christmas karaoke in Vermilion, a delicious holiday buffet at Kalahari, an... 

Featured website: Etsy.com

Today’s featured site is Etsy.com – “your place to buy and sell all things handmade.” The site is a great place to find extremely unique, handmade gifts from a variety of creative crafters and vendors. Etsy also has numerous how-tos, ranging from sublimely easy (like the DIY 5-Minute Paper Doil... 

Countdown 'til Christmas: last-minute gifts

In case you haven’t noticed, Christmas is exactly a week away. And because stores close super-early on Christmas Eve (usually around 6 p.m.), that means you have less than a week to get all of your shopping finished.

What’s that, you say? You haven’t even started? Well,... 

Your holiday lights could win you a $500 gift certificate

Lights. Camera. $500 gift certificate? That’s right.

The Firelands Christmas House Decorating contest is in full swing, featuring houses from all over northern Ohio. The winner of the contest, determined by the number of user votes, wins a $500 gift certificate to the Diamond Collec...