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The Good Morning Tri-State Email Newsletter is written some days by anchor Kathrine Nero and other days by producer Mark Sickmiller. You can receive it as a daily email by sending an email to LISTSERV@lists.scripps.com with nothing in the subject line and only the following in the body: SUBSCRIBE WCPO_GMTS@LISTS.SCRIPPS.COM
Good Morning Tri-State Email Newsletter
Friday, December 19th, 2008
Tomorrow is allegedly the busiest shopping day of the year: the Saturday before Christmas. If you're into ritualistic torture, visit a Toys R Us or Target around 11:00 a.m. Should be fun.
I say allegedly, because there are all kinds of days claiming to be the busiest. I guess the days aren't into the glory, it's the retailers, but I digress. Some say it's the day after Thanksgiving. Others say it's the day after Christmas. Either way, we're in the crux of crazy right about now, and I hate to admit I have shopping left to do.
And if you do too, I have some suggestions for some easy, last-minute gifts that will keep you panic attack-free. I'm channeling my inner Martha Stewart here, so bear with me...
--The gift card barn: You've seen them. Tons of grocery and drug stores have them. You can buy gift cards from anywhere: iTunes, movie theaters, restaurants - and you don't have to go anywhere near a mall - even to buy gift cards for stores IN the mall.
--Magazine subscriptions: You can buy them online, print them, and voila, instant present. If you want to be all fancy, add a can of Skyline chili to a Cincinnati magazine subscription, put dog treats with K9 magazine, or some tea towels with Better Homes and Gardens. And the best part: you can buy the extras without going anywhere near a mall.
--Think Outside the Mall: Seriously. Walgreens and CVS have great kids toys, and you can put together a food/wine/coffee/tea gift basket at any decent grocery store. You can also pick up plants and flowers there, which are great to have around for those folks on the Christmas gift-giving bubble. You can also go green and buy something from a site like World Vision, which takes your donation and turns it into something that can help people across the world in need. From mango trees to ducks to basketballs, you choose what you'd like to give, donate that amount, and print the receipt for your eco-centric friend. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
--Go Homemade: Something from the kitchen is always nice. You can give a gift of mulled wine - bundle cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in cheesecloth and tie it around a bottle of wine. Push some cloves into an orange and it's a pomander. Chocolate covered pretzel rods and homemade cookies can be paired with a couple of your favorite holiday recipes on index cards. But make sure your cookies or decent or the recipe cards are toast.
So there you are. Gift giving without the stress. Happy Holidays.
My favorites from today's GMTS:
--Baby Barry: Sickmiller told you yesterday that Lance Barry became a dad on Wednesday - and now there's video confirmation. Check out little Benjamin Brock Barry, who already has his dad's head of hair.
--The Ultimate Baby Monitor: Who knows if Lance would have liked this - I'm guessing no. A guy in New York put together a contraption that gave his iPhone an alert every time his unborn baby kicked. His wife had to wear a gigantic yellow poofy belt get these alerts to her husband's phone. Let me just say that kind of thing isn't all that slimming.
Tri-State Trivia question from today's GMTS:
True or False:
If they lose on Sunday vs. the Browns, the Bengals will be losing the Battle of Ohio.
(answer below weather)
Today's distracting link:
Yes, it's in a foreign language, but seeing celebrities yawn is great in any language.
Tri-State Trivia answer from today's GMTS:
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Yes. Right now the Bengals vs. Browns series is tied at 35-35.
