Friday, December 28, 2012
Enjoy a look back at some of this season's holiday lights and before taking yours down, make sure to take a photo of the display and share it with other Clearwater Patch readers.
Not so fast. Before taking down the holiday lights, make sure to take a photo of the display and share it with other Clearwater Patch readers in this gallery. Still in the holiday spirit? Check out our collection of pictures taken throughout the yuletide season. Thanks to Kai Lani for sharing the pictures of the lights at Clearwater Beach in our Pics and Clips gallery. Related coverage:
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Tis the season for gathering and celebrating with friends and family. Here are some holiday fun facts from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
The holiday season is about giving, sharing, getting together with friends and family and celebrating the holiday that means the most to you. But this time of year also brings with it some interesting facts regarding spending, decorating and other fun stuff. Here's a look inside the holidays from the U.S. Census Bureau: Rush to the Stores $27 billion: Retail sales at the nation’s department stores in December 2011. This represented a 45 percent jump from the previous month when retail sales registered $18.6 billion. No other month-to-month increase in department store sales last year was as large. Other U.S. retailers with sizable jumps in sales between November and December 2011 include: Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business and Industry …
Monday, December 24, 2012
Christmas tunes are on the airwaves. Which songs get you in the holiday spirit?
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Monday, December 24, 2012
Whether you love it, hate it or merely accept it as an unavoidable component of the holiday season, we want to hear your thoughts on Christmas music. What's on your holiday playlist? Does Wham's, "Last Christmas," make you break out in song and dance? Do you serenade your special someone with Mariah Carey's, "All I Want for Christmas is You?" Does The Pretenders', "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" get you into the holiday spirit? Let us know by posting in the comments, or adding a YouTube video of the song to our gallery (just scroll over the "Upload Photos or Videos" button, click "YouTube" after it pops up, and paste the URL.
Need a quick holiday cookie recipe? Make one of these for your parties this season.
One of the most important holiday questions to ask yourself is: What kind of cookies will you be baking this season? From sweet to savory, holiday cookies come in all tastes as well as shapes and sizes. And what’s better than to top off a tray of cookies than a glass of homemade eggnog? You can also check out myrecipes.com to learn how to host a successful cookie swap and view more holiday cookie recipes. Eggnog In a saucepan over low heat combine milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cinnamon stick and clove. Bring to a slow boil (this will take between 5-7 mins). Once the milk mixture starts to boil remove from heat and leave cinnamon stick in for a couple of minutes, then remove. Put egg yolks and sugar into a bowl. Using a hand held mixer…
The North American Aerospace Defense Command has a website that offers a Santa tracker mobile app to follow the jolly man's magical flight.
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Monday, December 24, 2012
They sent him their wish lists, sat on his lap, and left cookies and milk for his arrival. Now the only thing left for children to do is track Santa's progress as he delivers gifts around the world on Christmas Eve. Thanks to the folks behind the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) website, families worldwide now can follow Santa's Christmas journey in real time. The tradition started in 1955 after an advertisement for Sears Roebuck & Co. misprinted a telephone number for a special "Santa hotline." Instead of reaching Kris Kringle, the number put kids through to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Commander-in-Chief’s operations, according to a description on the NORAD Tracks Santa Facebook page, which has more than a …
Don't let potential thieves know what great gifts you got this year, throw out computer, video game console, flat screen TV and other boxes safely at these locations from Dec. 24 through Jan. 2.
After unwrapping the computer, video game console, flat screen TV or other big gift, don't let the box sit out by the curb, that could invite a burglar to see what else is inside. "It's like window shopping for a thief," Clearwater Police Deputy Chief Sandra Wilson said in a release. "When he or she sees a bunch of boxes at the curb, all they have to do is decide which home has the items they would like. So what you thought was a simple act of taking out the trash actually increases your risk of becoming a burglary victim." The Clearwater Police Department is partnering with the city's Solid Waste Department for a second year of Operation Safe Disposal. Each of the following drop-off locations will have a recycle bin for safe disposal of …
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Martha Stewart isn't the only one with holiday craft ideas that will leave observers speechless and full of cheer.
Take these how-tos and create one-of-a-kind decorations for the holidays or craft and gift your piece of art. This roundup of tips is also good for kids to stay busy over the winter break. Better Homes and Gardens offers instructions for a number of crafty creations, including: The ever popular social media site, Pinterest is gold mine for crafting ideas: Huffington Post Home offers these creative gems: Craftbits is a reliable source for all types of crafts and activities, including holiday-related ones: In case you missed it, there are a few more craft ideas in our frugal gifting guide.
Here is a list of what city facilities will be closed during Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Want to know what is closed and when in Clearwater this holiday season? Here is a list of what city facilities and their Christmas and New Year's operation. Christmas Eve: The Beach Library is closed all day. Main, Countryside, East and North Greenwood Libraries will close at 2 p.m. Recreation facilities close at 6 p.m. Christmas: City offices, libraries, recreation facilities, and non-essential operations are closed. The Solid Waste Department is closed. Collections usually made Tuesday will be made the next day (Wednesday). New Year's Eve: The Beach Library is closed all day. Main, Countryside, East and North Greenwood Libraries will close at 2 p.m. Recreation facilities close at 6 p.m. New Year's Day: Clearwater offices, libraries, …
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Still need to mail your holiday cards or some packages? Here are the suggested mailing dates from the U.S. Postal Service.
The U.S. Postal Service says these are the suggested dates for mailing items if you would like them to reach their destination by Dec. 25. U.S. Postal Service Holiday Hours, according to the website- For more:
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
At this time of year, people ask how Scientologists observe the holiday season. To answer that question, the Church of Scientology International provided the following.
Gregory Digiovanni
6:30 am on Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Thank you, Patch, for putting this together. I love reading facts like these. I looked up Santa Claus, GA and it's about 6 hours away from Clearwater. Although the town is tiny, it could be a fun trip! more ›