Holiday Guide 2012

See Patch's comprehensive holiday coverage.

'Carroll County Festival of Trees' Silent Auction at TownMall Closes Saturday

The Carroll County Festival of Trees benefits Shepherd's Staff.

Belk Court at TownMall has been transformed into a forest of beautifully decorated Christmas trees for the 6th Annual Carroll County Festival of Trees to benefit Shepherd's Staff. This year, 64 trees are up for auction. Each tree has its own unique theme, is hand decorated, and is sponsored, or donated, by residents and businesses throughout the county. Sports themed trees are very popular in Carroll County this year. As of Wednesday afternoon, the tree with the highest bid was the "Ravens Tree" sponsored by the Lehigh Cement Company which had a bid of $1,000. Other high bid trees include the "Maryland Terps" tree, sponsored by Ronnie and Larry Bohn with a bid of $310 and the "Baltimore Oriole's" tree sponsored by Carl Zamerelli with a bid…

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5 Local Gift Ideas for Educators

What do you get your child's teacher this holiday season that says 'thank you' without breaking the bank?

Although gifts certainly aren't required, the holidays offer a great opportunity to show special educators that they are appreciated. And the secret about gifts for teachers is that many teachers appreciate gifts that come from the heart more than gifts that come from the store. Involve children in the process, let them help decide what to get the teacher and try to personalize it if possible. Here are some gift ideas that will have teachers smiling. Personalized Ornaments: A Carroll County teacher told Patch that he loves holiday ornaments/decorations that have the student's name and year on it. He said he received many in his 30 years of teaching and each year enjoys decorating his tree with ornaments from past students. Make ornaments …

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Lisa Rossi

12:42 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Thanks for the feedback, folks! We'll keep that in mind for future coverage. We remain interested in Eldersburg and Sykesville news. Remember, anyone can post local events, announcements and blog posts on the site, which is another way to keep your neighbors in the loop of what's going on. Here's a story on how to do so: http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/3-ridiculously-easy-way-to-post-to-patch   more ›

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. Sign up for the Eldersburg Patch newsletter here and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for instant news updates and community conversations. 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 …

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