patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Holiday Guide 2012

Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Fun Facts and Trivia

How much will we spend this year? And what's the best-selling Christmas song of all time? Find the answers below.

We know that there were three Wise Men, 12 days of Christmas and that Santa delivers all his presents around the world in one night. But did you know... $23,439.38  How much it would cost to buy your "true love" all the gifts in the 12 Day of Christmas . 12.9 billion hours, $447 billion How many hours Americans were expected to spend shopping, wrapping and returning gifts last year. That was about 42 hours and $688.87 per person.  Get your postman/postwoman a gift According to Hallmark, Christmas is the largest card-sending occasion . Nearly 1.5 billion cards are sent to friends and family every Christmas Season. (That's actually down 400 million cards since 2004.) $983 million The value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from …

Scott Helming

1:21 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Actually, there is no firm evidence there were three wise men. We know if three gifts, hence the thought of three persons...An ongoing mystery!   more ›

Cooking the Perfect Prime Rib for Christmas

Prime rib is a holiday favorite for many in Mendham and Chester.

Prime rib is a very expensive "company's coming" cut of meat, and typically it only goes on sale around the holidays.  I like to buy Sheffield & Sons “Angus” standing rib roast which has large, traditional prime rib bones and a good grade of meat (USDA Angus Choice Beef). It is typically three to four pounds. (With tall college guys in my family, we usually think a pound per person, including a bone with each slice.) Select a roast that is "marbled" with bits of fat "speckled" in the center of the roast (ask their meat manager to help you select if you have a question). This "marble" will give the roast the best flavor and ultimately the juiciest texture as the fat dissolves into the slices when baking.  Another option is the "Semi-…

Merry Monster Truck Rides In Chester

Kids of all ages got a chance to ride on a modified version of 'Santa’s Sleigh.'

The North Pole elves love to play jokes on each other and Santa. This season, they borrowed Santa's sleigh and turned it into a Monster Truck. On Dec. 15, the monster truck made its way to downtown Chester and provided free rides to kids and parents who came. While waiting the crowd was entertained by Archie Cobblepot, a clown and balloonist.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Five Tips for Taking Fantastic Photos of Christmas Lights

Follow these tips, courtesy of Dan Landau—photographer and Fairleigh Dickinson University PR assistant—and take your holiday photos to the next level.

White Christmas May Be Seen in the Region

A weak storm front expected to bring up to two inches of snow starting Monday night.

Cross your fingers. As of Sunday, weather projections indicate a storm front entering the region that could give us—gasp—a white Christmas. According to the National Weather Service, there is a 20 percent chance of snow on Tuesday, with a temperature ultimately reaching 38 degrees. Stephen Pellettiere, with Ion Weather based at the Morristown Municipal Airport, said current projections appear to have the small storm begin producing at about 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve, tapering off at the latest 6 a.m. Tuesday morning. "A little storm is passing to our south," he said. "There's a tenth of an inch of moisture, which translates to about an inch of snow." Some areas, including southern Morris County, could see as much as two inches of the white …

hongfeng

9:11 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013

http://www.coachoutletonlinebfd.com/ Coach Outlet Online http://www.guccibeltstb.com/ Gucci Belt http://www.coachoutletonlineste.com/ Coach Outlet Store Online http://www.cocoachoutletonline.org/ Coach Outlet Online http://www.coachoutletonlinetsy.net/ Coach Online Outlet   more ›

Where's Santa? Track Him Live

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has a website that now offers a Santa tracker mobile app to follow the jolly man's magical flight.

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 can now 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 …

Pub Crawl Draws a Thousand Santas to Morristown

An estimated 1,200 participate in annual holiday event.

The cold temperatures didn't deter the spirits of the more than 1,200 participants in the 2012 Santa Pub Crawl VII.  The event was held in a host of bars and restaurants around the Green in Morristown. Lines of Santas waited to enter the eight bars that were part of the event. 

CSS

6:41 pm on Sunday, December 23, 2012

28 of 74: "Where am I, and why am I in this suit?"   more ›

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Top Kid Toy Picks for 2012 Holiday Season: Gift Guide

A look at the hot toys for tots this holiday season.

Every holiday season, the mailbox fills with the latest toy catalogs. Children peruse the pages as they scribble their lists, daydreaming about what they will find under the tree come Christmas morning. Parents pull out their pocketbooks, spending hard-earned cash as they anticipate the joy on those little faces. What will be the runaway favorites this year is always a guess, but here are some of the latest trends, mixed with tried-and-true perennial favorites.  jChews Smartphone teether by Jellystone No tears for parents or babies. Babies love nothing more than to gum Mom and Dad’s cell phone, but now they’ll be too intrigued with their own smartphone to chew on. The Jellystone smartphone teether comes in seven funky colors and is BPA …

juicy outlet

12:39 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2012

You can get yourself JC products and wear them with their slogan of "Made in the Glamorous USA" anywhere and be chic. http://www.mbtshoesukshoes.com/ http://www.burchshoes.com/ http://www.tory-flats.com http://www.bagsforgirl.com/ http://www.borsegucci-italia.com http://www.gucciuk-bags.com http://www.gucci-outlethandbags.com/ http://www.gucci-forsale.com/ http://www.louboutin-shoescheap.com/ …   more ›

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas to Take Money, Stress Out of Christmas

As you look over the list of gifts you need this holiday season, an unsettling feeling starts. How will I pay for all these gifts? How about homemade gifts?

Gift-giving is meant to be a time for sharing how much you appreciate others, but rising prices and tight budgets take the feel-good vibes right out of gift-giving traditions. This year, take the money stress out of the holidays by turning to homemade gifts. Homemade gifts are a great way to show you appreciate someone while also adding a personal touch. Gifts don’t need to be expensive to be special. Get the family involved in the fun and you will be creating memories while making unique gifts for those who mean the most in your life. Patch explores the homemade holidays in hopes that you will find something to inspire you to enjoy the season more. Healthy options: Pack energy in a jar with healthy snacks like energy bars, dark chocolate…

Thursday, December 20, 2012

How to Celebrate the Holidays on a Budget

Here are ten ways to have fun and spread holiday cheer in Mendham and Chester without breaking the bank.

This year’s holiday season can be special for you and your family regardless of your budget. Here are some fun tips for creating new holiday traditions while saving money. 1) Make your cards from recycled materials. Cards can be made from paper grocery bags, cereal boxes, used file folders and even last year’s holiday cards. Feature your family’s artwork and use recycled wrapping paper or paper from catalogs and magazines for backgrounds. A great resource for making cards from recycled materials is "Creative Correspondence" by Michael and Judy Jacobs, available at Mendham Books or on Amazon.com.  2) Have fun together and create a festive decoration by making a gingerbread house. You can bake the gingerbread yourself and use royal icing to …

Got a Hot Tip?