Christmas Tree & Trash Collection: 12/27 Urbandale Morning Report
Directing Urbandale readers to the most relevant or entertaining news on metro sites this morning.
Holiday Guide 2011
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
PATCH POLL: What Is the Best Christmas Movie?
Readers: Weigh in on your favorites. Are the old standbys like "It's a Wonderful Life" best? Or do you prefer newer comedies like "Elf"?
After the presents are unwrapped and the feast is settling in your tummy, do you sidle up to the television for a little movie viewing? There's no better time for a holiday movie. Tell us what your favorite film is and vote in our holiday movie poll. The television schedule is teeming with your favorite flicks on Dec. 25. From Lifetime and Hallmark's original tear-jerkers to the marathon of "A Christmas Story" on TBS. What's your style? Do you love the sound of angels getting their wings, a la "It's A Wonderful Life?" There are no less than seven film versions of A Christmas Carol. Which do you wait all year for, "Scrooged" with Bill Murray or the 1951 version with Alastair Sim? Does your family remind you of "National Lampoon's …
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Friday, December 23, 2011
Urbandale Women Write Letters for Santa
Two Urbandale women spend time in December trying to bring some Christmas joy to worried children who write to Santa for help.
Big changes at the North Pole this year: Santa is getting so much mail from children, he's had to go to a form reply letter for the first time this year. It's a little secret leaked last week by volunteer elf (Darlene Freeman) and Mrs. Clause (Joy Bridenstine), both of Urbandale. For five years, these two women have been writing Santa's replies to letters from children across the United States and Canada. They are among about a dozen volunteers who spend two to three full days each December to reply to all the letters to Santa that are forwarded to the main post office in Des Moines. Des Moines Post Office Specialty The Des Moines post office has a rep for being tight with Santa -- it even has the coveted North Pole cancellation stamp -- …
Urbandale Children 'Shop With a Cop'
The Urbandale Police Department took 18 children shopping for Christmas gifts at the Super Target Thursday evening. The officers help the children pick out their gifts, pay for them and wrap them.
Jazmyne Smith, 11, of Urbandale always gets lost in Target. This year, she had no trouble finding Christmas gifts for her sisters when she had Officer Randy Leventhal by her side. “We didn’t get lost,” Leventhal said. “We found everything we needed.” With help from various community organizations, the Urbandale Police Department was able to help 18 needy children by taking them shopping for Christmas presents Thursday, Dec. 22. Officers carted the children around Super Target for the second annual Shop with a Cop program. “We had such a fun time doing it last year,” said Police spokesman Randy Peterson. “It’s just another way of getting out there in the community and giving back.” The program allows officers to personally assist a child …
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Thursday, December 22, 2011
Layaway Angels Spread Generosity Beyond Urbandale
Urbandale Kmart assistant manager Christine Embree estimates that 20 anonymous donors have paid off about $3,000 in layaway bills for customers.
Across the country, anonymous benefactors have dropped into local Kmarts and paid off layaway balances for families with children. It’s difficult to tell where this trend of generosity started -- you can see reports of the donations that Patch sites across the country above -- but it’s clear that where “layaway angels” tread, tears of joy follow. Christine Embree, assistant manager at the Urbandale Kmart said donors began showing up at the store shortly after news reports last week of the anonymous donors at Kmarts in other states. "That started the whole thing," she said. "It basically started here on Saturday." She said at least a dozen donors have come to the store -- mostly middle-aged to older men or couples -- who say they want to …
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Three Days Till Christmas: A Gift of Good Times
Be confident in giving wine as a gift or bringing wine to a holiday party. Here's a quick holiday drink guide from the previous owners of Urban Liquor.
Give the gift of good times to friends and family with a gift of wine or by serving a new Christmas cocktail. Lynn Schoelerman, who operated Urban Liquor for 25 years, and her daughter Nicole Schoelerman have these recommendations:
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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Branstad Encourages Video Message to Troops
Send a holiday greeting to the troops via YouTube.
Want to give a really great gift to Iowa soldiers who can't be home for Christmas? DesMoinesRegister.com has a story about a Google-YouTube collaboration that makes it easy for you to record a message to a loved one or all solidiers. The video will be played on the American Forces Network through the holidays. You can watch Gov. Terry Branstad's YouTube video to hear what he has to say then record your own message at this YouTube site.
Four Days Till Christmas: Gourmet Gifts to Eat
Tastebuds owner Linda Slycord suggests going for simple but delicious mixes for a great holiday gift or a stocking stuffer for under $10.
The most popular food gifts this year at Tastebuds Specialty Foods & Cafe are simple soup, bread and brownie mixes -- all of which sell for about $7 a box, said owner Linda Slycord. The bread mixes are especially popular because Slycord says many people like to bake a loaf of flavored bread and then bring it with a dip to a party. Decadent brownie mixes with names like OMG! are also popular, she said. And simple dried soup mixes, the ones you just add water to and simmer are popular as well. Slycord also carries a range of soup mixes that require more ingredients added and some that are similar to the popular home-made soups she makes for diners at her cafe. One soup takes the vestiges of your Christmas dinner, the ham and even the …
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Monday, December 19, 2011
Win $100,000 for Urbandale Area Schools, $500 for Yourself in Holiday Contest
There are just a few days left to enter Patch's Deck the House contest for find the best outdoor Christmas lights.
Theres only a week left to enter Patch.com's nationwide contest, Deck the House, to find the best dressed home in its Patch communities. The winner’s school district will receive $100,000, no strings attached. Dec. 26 is the deadline to upload photos of your decked home here. Here’s how the contest works: Enter now and let's see Urbandale shine!
Six Days Till Christmas: Stocking Stuffers for under $10
Who doesn't want to be pampered? Unfortunately your personal masseuse or masseur is not always willing or available. That's when these two stocking stuffers come in handy.
These two nifty self-care items are on sale at the A-Tech/Easy Living Store in Urbandale. Together the back scratcher and the scalp massager are less than $10, said saleswoman Michele Light. The scalp massager was a popular item at our family Christmas gift grab last year. It really does feel good!
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