Category Archives: Uncategorized

31things: Favorite year-end donations/charities

Inspired by my attempt last December and from my friend Stephanie, I’m going to try blogging each day in December — holiday themes, of course! I’m calling it “31things.” Click here for more details. Read below for today’s post.

If you know me, you know this answer is pretty easy! Though, over the past several years, I’ve added another charity to year-end thoughts.

I spend much of my life volunteering with the American Cancer Society, as you might know. So it goes without saying that I hope everybody can find a few dollars to offer toward patient services and research because too many people and their families are suffering from the effects of cancer.

But, I’ve added the Toys for Tots program to my list of nonprofits I think of at this time of year. Thanks to my good pals Mike and Bob at Pittsburgh’s 96.1 Kiss FM, I’ve realized something I’ve always known — every kid deserves a gift at Christmas.

The economy sucks, it really doesn’t seem to be getting better and more people are suffering. Lost in that shuffle are kids, whose parents are doing everything they can just to pay for food and rent. Mike and Bob and the fine folks at Clear Channel Pittsburgh have, for eight years now, hosted Stuff-A-Bus — a weeklong event geared at raising awareness, money and donations for the Pittsburgh area Marines Toys for Tots program.

Their efforts prompted me to write a story last year for the Trib’s community newspapers and to suggest that for this December, my newspaper, the Sewickley Herald, take on the Beaver County Toys for Tots program for our annual holiday project. The Beaver County chapter does not reap the benefits of the 96.1 FM Stuff-A-Bus event.

Please read my story and consider donating to the Beaver County Toys for Tots or your local chapter because no child should wonder why Santa skipped their house.

31things: Shopping

Inspired by my attempt last December and from my friend Stephanie, I’m going to try blogging each day in December — holiday themes, of course! I’m calling it “31things.” Click here for more details. Read below for today’s post.

 

I love the holiday season.

But I could do without the rage-filled Christmas shoppers.

I’m not sure how or when Christmas became this season that elicits such increased hateful rage at stores.

The throngs of people at stores and malls are OK to deal with, but only if people aren’t pushing and shoving.

Look at the mass chaos that is Black Friday. Shootings, pepper spray incidents, people being stomped to death (sometimes literally!).

It’s disheartening people think that gifts from a store are important enough to push shove and kill others.

I’m not certain where (maybe California?) it happened, but the woman who pepper sprayed others so she could hav a video game console this year was just awful. She taught her children that it’s OK to allow material items to become more important than love.

Christmas is NOT about crap from a store. Nothing made in China or Indonesia or even America is going to make me love somebody more. It won’t even make me love the holidays more.

I’d sooner receive no gifts and be able to spend time with friends and family. And I’m serious! I honestly do not need gifts. People ask me for a list and I make one, but I don’t need any of that stuff.

I just wish others could see that, too.

31things: Favorite Christmas decoration

Inspired by my attempt last December and from my friend Stephanie, I’m going to try blogging each day in December — holiday themes, of course! I’m calling it “31things.” Click here for more details. Read below for today’s post.

 

We have a variety of Christmas ornaments — from Pittsburgh stuff, to children’s show characters, to festive things.

But out of the hundreds of ornaments it seems we have, my favorite are the ornament balls from my grandmother.

She died in the mid-90s, so these ornaments help to keep her memory alive in our hearts.

They’re showing their age — some of the lettering and decorations are coming off. But others look great.

None are too flashy. All are simple, yet festive.

One in particular has a sleigh with deer and simply says “Merry Christmas.”

I don’t reach for these ornaments first. I wait until others are on the tree so that these ornaments find just the right place to hang.

My mom used to put them near the back, but a few years ago I moved them up. They now hang right in the center near the top.

I love these ornaments. If we put no other ornaments up, I’d be fine with that.

31things: Tree trimming

Inspired by my attempt last December and from my friend Stephanie, I’m going to try blogging each day in December — holiday themes, of course! I’m calling it “31things.” Click here for more details. Read below for today’s post.

Tree trimming
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with decorating trees.

I remember walking through the old Kaufmann’s department stores amazed at the elegant looking trees displayed.

When I was younger, my family put up several trees.

Downstairs, was the “family” tree — a 7.5-foot tree filled with multicolor lights, all of the fun and traditional ornaments we had collected throughout the years, and I always constructed a town below, complete with a train.

Upstairs, was our “Kaufmann’s” tree. That tree had white lights, red and gold ornament balls and some ribbons.

I loved both trees equally.

For whatever reason, we stopped putting up the downstairs tree and moved our family celebration upstairs. The Kaufmann’s tree was retired and replaced with multicolor lights and all of the family ornaments.

Underneath the tree are a few pieces of my Lemax and Kohl’s villages — depicting a slowed down approach to Christmas.

The current tree stands at 7.5 feet and has been with us for 10 or 11 holiday seasons. The first several years, I’d spend 12 or more hours lighting it before decorating began.

I hide the wires among the branches. After the first several years, I decided to build my own pre-lit tree, so I decorated six of the eight tree sections with their own set or two of lights. This way, I figured, when it came down, we could store the tree’s sections with the lights still in tact.

It’s been a beautiful process! I still spend anywhere from 4 hours to eight hours replacing lights and making sure the tree looks real.

Then we decorate!

I love spending time decorating the tree and making it look grand. People often ask if I get frustrated or stressed. And to be honest, I don’t.

But I still miss that Kaufmann’s tree. One day I’ll recreate it. And several others, too!