There’s a long-standing tradition at my kids’ elementary school.  The Monday before Christmas, the eighth graders stage what is known as The Reindeer Dance.  You’d think that this would involve a DJ and some punch.  But you’d be wrong. Armed with...

Holiday Sales Outlook Brightens by Doug Desjardins Retailers received some unexpected good news heading into the final week of the holiday shopping season when the U.S Commerce Department reported a 1.3 percent increase in November retail sales, one...

It was a lot easier when the kids were little.  A trip to the toy store, another to the bookstore, and shopping for their holiday gifts was done. Now I have two teenagers and it’s way more difficult to figure out how to shop for them.  I had one...

Last week I had to go to the mall to pick up a couple of things for my mother-in-law.  At 1 in the afternoon on a weekday, it was absolutely insane. There were almost no parking spaces left.  And it’s not like they were giving stuff away in...

Did you know that December is Safe Toys & Gifts month?  With little more than a week to go until the Big Day, it’s time to check those toys twice and make sure they’re appropriate for the children who will receive them. Manufacturers put age...