patching...
Update: Are you a proud soccer parent? Add photos of your kids playing sports to the new Neighborhood Sports Gallery. »
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Holiday 2012

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Pet Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

Share these tips with your family and friends to keep man’s bestfriend safe.

This holiday season is almost over, and as you toss plants and holiday decorations away make sure to keep the family pet in mind. Five Quick Tips: Read more: 20 Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe this Holiday Season Join Patch’s Local Voices! We want to provide a platform for your message. Email Tamika Smith, the Community Manager for Montgomery County, at Tamika@Patch.com to sign up.

Recycle Your Trees After the Holidays

The trees will be turned into mulch.

When the egg nog is gone and the gifts are unwrapped, make sure to recycle your Christmas tree with the county. The Prince George’s County Department of Environmental Resources’ (DER) Waste Management Division will provide County residents with Christmas tree collection and drop-off services for recycling of their live Christmas trees, at no charge, beginning Dec. 26 and continuing through Feb. 1, 2013 Residents should put live, undecorated Christmas trees at the curb before 6:30 a.m. on their regularly scheduled collection day. Residents may also bring their undecorated tree, at no charge, to the Prince George’s County Yard Waste Composting Facility located at 6601 Southeast Crain Highway in Upper Marlboro, Monday through Friday from 7:30…

Friday, December 21, 2012

NASA Finds Holiday Ornament Nebula

Planetary nebula called NGC 5189 that looks a lot like a glass-blown holiday ornament.

Do they celebrate the holidays in space? Looks like it. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured a nearby planetary nebula called NGC 5189 that looks a lot like a glass-blown holiday ornament with a glowing ribbon entwined.  

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Bus, County Services Closed Christmas Day

There will be no trash collection on Christmas Day.

Even the government closes for Christmas. Here are the closings for the the Prince George’s County Department of Environmental Resources on Dec. 25.   Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill             Closed Brown Station Road Public Convenience Center   Closed Electronics Recycling Acceptance Site (Located at the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill)   Closed Household Hazardous Waste Acceptance Site (Located at the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill)   Closed Missouri Avenue Solid Waste Acceptance & Recycling Center Prince George’s County Yard Waste Composting Facility   Closed     Closed Trash Collection in County-Contracted Areas No Collection (Collection will resume on the next regularly scheduled collection day)   Curbside Recycling…

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Saffron Buns Dominate St. Lucia's Day Food

Lussekatter is St. Lucia's Day's most identifiable food.

Any great holiday comes with great food associated with that holiday. St. Lucia's Day is no different. From meatballs to saffron buns, the holiday takes you deeper into Swedish cuisine than you can find at Ikea. St. Lucia's day is a Swedish feast day dedicated to St. Lucia and observed every year on Dec. 13. The holiday has some dark origins. The tradition traces back to a martyr who died in 304 and the Swedish legend of Lucia as Adam's first wife, who consorted with the devil. "It was a dangerous night when supernatural beings were abroad and all animals could speak. By morning, the livestock needed extra feed. People, too, needed extra nourishment and were urged to eat seven or nine hearty breakfasts. This kind of feasting presaged the …

Monday, December 10, 2012

Has Regifting Become Socially Acceptable?

Try one of the thrift or secondhand stores in Prince George's County or other DC neighborhoods for holiday gifts.

Have you ever regifted? You know, taken that unwanted desk adornment you got from your uncle last year and given it to a co-worker. While regifting has traditionally been frowned upon, the economy and environment may be helping shed some of the stigma associated with it. Some see it as a smart way to keep items out of landfills, while others view it as an opportunity to save money. In fact, regifting websites are cropping up all over the place, each with their own spin on the closeted practice. One site has proclaimed Dec. 20 as “National Regifting Day,” another has given prizes for the best regifting story and a third offers a “Gift Giver’s Guide to Gracious Regifting.”   Even if you don’t have some unwanted gifts on the top shelf of your…

Adelphi Sky

10:23 am on Monday, December 10, 2012

What it boils down to is timing and waste. Either the gift is going to sit in some box for years until it is given away or it will be thrown in the trash or given to goodwill. Save yourself some clutter and just regift. My goodness.   more ›

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Save the Date for 2013 Polar Bear Plunge

The 17th annual plunge where participants run into the chilly Chesapeake Bay will take place on Jan. 26, 2013, at Sandy Point State Park.

  Before you know it, 2013 will be here and so will the annual Maryland State Police (MSP) Polar Bear Plunge. Each year, thousands take a quick dip in the Chesapeake Bay to raise funds for Special Olympics Maryland. The Plungefest, which is open to the public, is set for Jan. 26, 2013, at Sandy Point State Park. Frigid Friday for participating schools will take place the day before the Plungefest. To participate in the plunge, you must collect a minimum of $50 in pledges—and if you're younger than 18, you must have a parent or guardian's written consent. It's still early but more than $200,000 has already been raised for Special Olympics Maryland to date, according to the event's website that also has a running countdown until the event. …

Friday, November 30, 2012

Christmas 2012 Gift Advice: No Towels or Sporks for Grandma

Study reveals we buy according to our age and life stage. But, for gifts, is cemetery lot maintenance really a crowd pleaser?

  During the holiday season, many struggle with the anxiety of wondering if a recipient will really like his or her gift. Are you considering opera tickets for your great aunt? What about purchasing a photograph session for a person under 30? Or, maybe grabbing a game for granddad? If the data in a recent article on The Atlantic’s website is any indication, you may want to think foremost about a person's stage in life before purchasing. The article cites a report from HS Dent, an economic forecasting firm that looked at U.S. Census data regarding spending behavior by age groups. Some of the data is less that shocking – spending on hearing aids, prescription drugs and the upkeep of cemetery lots rises dramatically as we age. Expenditures on…

hongfeng

10:12 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 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 ›

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Turkey Fryer Safety Tips

The Prince George's County Fire Department offers these tips to reduce the risk of fire and injury when frying a turkey.

Thinking of going a less traditional route this Thanksgiving and deep frying your bird instead of roasting it? According to the Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGFD), the growing popularity of turkey fryers is cause for concern as they have the potential to cause fires and injuries if not used correctly.  If you are deep frying your turkey this Thanksgiving, the PGFD asks that you follow these federal government recommended steps to maximize safety and minimize the risk of fire and injuries:

mike

1:29 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013

why is it that nobody ever suggests turning the fire off before placing a turkey in hot oil   more ›

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Are Target, Walmart, Other Retailers Ruining Thanksgiving?

Retail 'sale' creep hits the all-American holiday big time this year.

  If all you can wait to do after you chow down on your Thanksgiving meal is start the holiday shopping marathon, retailers are ready to help you. Other Americans, including some retail workers, are saying they want to keep one Thursday in November free of American capitalistic intrusion. Target, Walmart, Sears, KMart and Toys"R"Us have all announced they will open as early as 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, making 2012's holiday shopping season of 32 days and four hours perhaps the longest ever due to the way the calendar fell this year. At least one online petition says enough, already. A campaign on the site Change.org entitled, "Target: Take the high road and save Thanksgiving," had been signed by more than 230,000 users as of Friday night. …

Peggy Anne

10:31 am on Friday, November 23, 2012

Black Friday ? Why not play the Funeral March ? Of course consumers in human form have the right to shop 24/7. They have a right to be trampled, poked in the eye with an umbrella, make fools of themselves, and buy discounted caskets. Why not ?everything else is on sale. Big brother brainwashing is alive and well. I like to shop sensibly. Give me an old thrift shop, a rainy Monday, and an ebay …   more ›

Got a Hot Tip?