Westfield Montgomery Mall Hosts Festival of Trees

Westfield Montgomery has teamed up with 5 local non-profit organizations for a Festival of Trees.

Eye Safety Tops the List This Holiday Season

Five quick tips for keeping toys safe for kids.

  As the countdown to Christmas Day continues and parents rush out to get their children gifts this season, safety tops the list for one expert. Local Voice’s blogger Anna Schmitt from the American Academy of Ophthalmology advises parents to keep in mind their kids' eye safety. Schmitt says toys such as airsoft guns, bb guns and paintball guns can be particularly hazardous. Read more: Keep Eye Safety in Mind When Choosing Gifts 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.

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Officials, Volunteers Serve Up 24th Annual Goodwill Dinner

The yearly feast for the needy is a community tradition.

Last Day to Mail Christmas Presents Nears

Take note of these holiday shipping deadlines, and plan accordingly.

  Time is running out for holiday gift and card shipping through the U.S. Postal Service. Mail parcels and packages by Dec. 14 for parcel post delivery by Christmas, and cards by Dec. 21, the post office's blog advises. If you miss those days, though, you're still OK—as long as you're fine with paying a little extra. Here are the absolute-last-day deadlines to keep in mind, according to the U.S. Postal Service's holiday calendar: One more date to keep in mind is Monday, Dec. 18: Traditionally, the post office's "busiest day is ... the Monday before Christmas as people mail cards and packages they prepared over the weekend," The Huffington Post reported last year. A good way to cut down on time spent waiting in line is to order your holiday…

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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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Bo Obama Offers Tour of 2012 Christmas Decorations

First Canine gives a sneak peek at the 2012 White House Christmas decorations in new video.

Before some 90,000 people walk through the White House to see the 2012 Christmas decorations, Bo Obama, the dog in chief, gave a behind the scenes tour in a new video. “This year’s theme is ‘Joy to All.’ It celebrates the many joys of the holiday seasons: the joy of giving and service to others; the joy of sharing our blessings with one another; and, of course, the joy of welcoming our friends and families as guests into our homes over these next several weeks,” First Lady Michelle Obama said in a prepared statement. The 2012 Official White House Christmas tree is an 18-foot-6-inch Fraser Fir from Jefferson, N.C. To continue this year's theme of service, many of the ornaments were created by military children living on U.S. Military Bases …

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Where to Get a Christmas Tree in Potomac

How to pick out the best tree for your home, preference and price point.

  There are plenty of places in Potomac to pick out this year's Christmas tree, including: The River Road location is open on weekends from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and weekdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Potomac Farm Market offers fresh-cut Fraser Firs in a variety of heights from 2 to 12 feet tall, as well as wreaths, firewood and other holiday decor.  Trees between 5 and 6 feet tall are $69, trees between 6 and 7 feet tall are $79 and trees between 7 and 8 feet tall are $89. The business offers a delivery service within the area for $25, and a setup service for $35. Behnke Nurseries, open weekdays and weekends this holiday season, offers fresh cut Fraser Fir trees, starting at $30. Trees measuring 6 to 7 feet tall are $54.99. Trees measuring 8 …

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Katie Griffith

10:29 am on Friday, December 7, 2012

Thanks for your comment! You're right. This isn't an exhaustive list and there are plenty of other places around the area to pick up a tree. Especially if you've gone to the darkside... I guess we could have mentioned Target and Costco, too.   more ›