Find Last-Minute Christmas Gifts in Potomac and Bethesda

If the holidays leave you with little time to shop for gifts, try these stores in Potomac and Bethesda for great last-minute gift ideas.

With all of the tree trimming, cookie baking and partygoing, there is so much to do during the holidays that it's easy to leave shopping for Christmas presents until the last minute. But by then, the malls and chain stores are usually chaotic and the mere thought of battling crowds is exhausting. Here are some ideas for easy gifts that can be bought locally and require little stress: Tell us: What are some of your own last-minute gift ideas? Share in the comments below. 

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Tasty Image Opens In Westfield Montgomery Mall

The new store will offer personalized chocolates, catering and gift options.

When Tasty Image opens later this month in the Westfield Montgomery Mall, Bethesda and Potomac residents will have a new option for personalized gift-giving. The franchise’s first Maryland store will open on the lower level of Montgomery Mall Dec. 21, according to Mercedes Bendeck, the store’s senior catering specialist, and offers an assortment of chocolate boxes and personalized chocolate products. In addition to catering and gift options, Bendeck says the store will have enough space for in-house parties. “Our specialty is the personalized gifts – really putting your name on it,” she said. Edible color photos on chocolate lollipops, gift boxes and coloring chocolates are some of the more popular items the store offers, Bendeck said, and…

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A Homemade Culinary Delight: Infused Olive Oil

Great for gifts or parties: Learn the delicious and artful skill of infusing olive oil with herbs, spices and flavor.

  One of my absolute favorite foods is fresh baked bread dipped in good, quality olive oil. There are few other culinary combinations—to me—that are so deliciously simple. Increasingly, bread and infused dipping oils make appearances in restaurants and at parties. One might think that it is a complicated process to infuse oil, but I assure you that is not the case. Infusing olive oils—and really any oils for that matter—is a simple process that yields a classy and unique hors d'oeuvres or gift. Below are five pointers to help guide you to your own special variety of infused oil: 1) Be creative. There are so many potential combinations of ingredients with which you can infuse oil. Consider spices and herbs that you enjoy. Chances are those …

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Washington Redskins Player Greets Fans In Cabin John Mall

Autograph tickets are $25.

Lorenzo Alexander, special teams captain for the Washington Redskins, will be in Potomac to sign autographs Saturday afternoon. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Hall of Fame Cards in the Cabin John Mall, Alexander will greet fans and sign photos and helmets, in addition to other items for purchase in the store. Autograph tickets are $25. For more information call the store at 301-299-9201.

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Holiday Shop To Benefit Bethesda Cares

Bethesda Row's Ten Thousand Villages will donate 15 percent of purchases made from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday to the outreach group.

This holiday season, many of us are thinking about ways to help out the community's needy and ways to give back to friends and family with the perfect gift. Thursday, you can do both at the same time by shopping at Bethesda Row's Ten Thousand Villages. The shop will donate 15 percent of all purchases made from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 6 to Bethesda Cares, a local advocacy group that works to help and house the community's homeless. The group offers services to those living on the street in Montgomery County and Washington, DC. It also helps needy residents with eviction prevention and works towards permanent housing for the homeless, many of which have been living on Bethesda's streets for years. The group recently helped house a 72-year-old …

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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…

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Black Friday Deals Around Bethesda And Potomac

Check out this list of door buster deals around Montgomery County, including Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Bethesda Row Announces Black Friday Deals

Check out the deals at these stores if you're looking to avoid the malls this Black Friday.

Westfield Montgomery Mall, Target and Best Buy aren't the only shopping centers gearing up for Black Friday. Bethesda Row businesses will be offering discounts and deals through out the day as well. Here's a few of the bargains: American Tap Room, 7278 Bethesda Ave. Capital Teas, 4806 Bethesda Ave. Daddy & Son, 4836 Bethesda Ave. Ginger, 7114 Bethesda Ln. Le Creuset, 7116 Bethesda Ln. Pink Palm, 4867 Bethesda Ave. Redwood, 7134 Bethesda Ln. Sassanova, 7134 Bethesda Ln. Secolari Olive Oil and Vinegar, 7249 Woodmont Ave. Urban Country, 7117 Arlington Road Check out this list of Black Friday deals for more events across the county.

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