Wishbook 2017

holiday Local Deals Inside

Wishbook

Brookings

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 3

Brookings Frost Fest, February 16-18, 2018

The 4th Annual Frost Fest is back for another weekend of chills, thrills and hot cocoa! Brookings area attractions are prepping for a multi-day festival to encourage locals and visitors to “Embrace the Chill.” Bring the family and enjoy all the great amenities the winter weather provides, as well as experiencing Brookings attractions and all they offer year-round.

This year’s Frost Fest is sure to include ice fishing, a tasteful tour of hot drinks from around the world, and many snowy activities all kids can enjoy. The festival weekend kicks off Friday night at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota with the Snow Ball Dance. Dress up and get down with music, crafts, a photo booth and more! This special event is for little ones and their parent or guardian, similar to a Daddy/Daughter dance, but not limited to dads and daughters. Saturday warms up with a Plein Air Paint In and snowy adventures at Dakota Nature Park. Stay up to date on the festival schedule at Visitbrookingssd.com.

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 5

Holiday Wishbook

Finding the Perfect Gift

Holiday shopping can be stressful.

Much of this stress originates from wanting to please, surprise and delight the recipient.

We want to give people something they won’t return, especially due to already owning the gifted item. Shopping locally is an easy way to mitigate this stress and purchase something special.

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Know the Story

Because small shops are highly invested in their success, this often translates into putting extra care in the products and items they sell. This makes it more likely that the shop owners will know the “story” behind a particular item.

This also is great if you think you will ever need advice on care or maintenance of an item. You can ask where something was sourced or how it was made, and the shop owner will undoubtedly have an answer for you.

Continued on page 8

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 7

Brookings

Finding the Perfect Gift Continued from page 6

“One-of-a-kind” Wares

Local shops are the best places to find “oneof-a-kind” items. While big box stores stock a broad inventory and purchase from their suppliers in bulk, local shops tend to purchase from local artisans more often and support the wares of other small businesses.

This is why you are more likely to find items in local shops you won’t be able to find at major retailers. Supporting local artisans and hand-crafted items is a point of pride for small and locally owned businesses. Purchasing a more unique item also can bring the fun back into the holiday shopping experience — you can focus less on the stress of purchasing a duplicate and focus more on the look on the recipient’s face when the gift is opened.

Another perk of purchasing gifts locally is that you are supporting not only the store but the maker of the item. This ensures that both the business and the artisan’s wares will stick around in your town.

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Great Gifts for Out-of-Towners

Locally bought items also make perfect gifts for friends and family that live elsewhere. This can be a great opportunity to introduce them to the “local flavor” of your town. And you are pretty much guaranteed they won’t have anything like it.

While big box stores must buy in bulk so they can stock multiple stores, small shops only need to stock one space. This means they can take their time and purposefully purchase their inventory.

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 9

Holiday Wishbook

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Holiday Wishbook

The Brookings Register • 11

Brookings

Caring at Christmas Don’t forget about our less-fortunate animal friends during the holidays. Offering your help this holiday season is a great tradition to start.

According to the American Society for the Prevention teer more long term, consider volunteer Needed Donations

• Pet food and treats • Puppy and Kitten formula • Collars and leashes

• Towels and blankets • Grooming supplies • Kitty litter • Newspapers

Donating Your Time & Talents

If you would like to do more than drop items off, shelters can always use extra hands. Walking animals, cleaning kennels and doing laundry are all never-ending tasks with which shelter staff constantly strug-

Holiday Wishbook 2017

• Paper towels • Cleaning supplies • Crates and carriers • Food bowl

gle to keep up.

Even volunteering one Saturday could make a big impact on your local shelter. If you are looking to volunteer more long term, consider volunteering to transport animals — a duty needed in order to get ani-

mals to vet appointments and adoption fairs.

And don’t forget any talents or skills you could donate. For example, if you have decent photography skills, offer.

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 13

Brookings

Holiday

Movie Lineup

Classics

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): George Bailey has a wonderful life, and he will leave you feeling like yours is pretty great, too.

White Christmas (1954): Starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, two of the greats remembered year after year for their renditions of Christmas classics.

Animated

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992): If you ever doubted that Kermit the Frog and Charles Dickens could create magic, this film is here to prove otherwise. Kermit as Bob Cratchit and Michael Cain as Ebenezer Scrooge make this film a casting win.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964): This stop-motion animation is a classic. It’s time to introduce a whole new generation to Rudolf and his misfit friends.

Feel-Good Family Movies

A Christmas Story (1983): We all had that one toy we wanted desperately as a child. For Ralphie Parker, this was the Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and “this thing which tells time.”

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989): Clark Griswold has big holiday plans. But like most plans, things don’t go as expected. In other words, disaster, Griswold style.

Home Alone (1990): Left at home at Christmas by mistake, Keven McCallister is left to fight off two reckless burglars with creative pranks only a child could imagine.

Elf (2003): Buddy the Elf is lovable and full of so much Christmas cheer, he will remind any Scrooge of the true meaning of Christmas.

The Santa Clause (1994): Tim Allen provides a whole new (comedic) possibility to the origins of Santa Clause.

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 15

Holiday Wishbook

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Holiday Wishbook

The Brookings Register • 17

Holiday Wishbook

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 19

Brookings

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 21

Brookings

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Holiday Wishbook

The Brookings Register • 23

Holiday Wishbook

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Brookings

The Brookings Register • 25

Volga

The Nutcracker

It is not uncommon during the holidays to see little wooden soldiers in various shapes and sizes lining the mantles of fireplaces or quietly guarding rooms from other perches.

These regal little soldiers are nutcrackers, and they’ve become an iconic symbol of the Christmas season.

The Tale that Made them Famous

The wooden figures got a major publicity boost when the story of The Nutcracker was set to music by Tchaikovsky in 1891, and premiered the week before Christmas in 1892.

The Nutcracker Ballet has become an iconic Christmas tradition. A ballet in two acts, the story centers on a family’s Christmas Eve celebration. The production is now performed by hundreds of ballet companies across the globe each year.

An American Fascination

While nutcrackers are wildly popular now in Christmas decor, this was not always the case. They only became popular in the United States approximately 50 years ago. During World War II, American soldiers brought the figurines home from Germany as gifts and souvenirs.

Their popularity exploded, and mass reproductions followed. With the increased availability of pre-shelled nuts, their design changed. While original nutcrackers were designed with mouths large (and sturdy) enough to crack open a nut, modern designs are purely ornamental.

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Volga

The Brookings Register • 27

arlington

Holiday Wishbook 2017

arlington/Desmet/lake Poinsett

The Brookings Register • 29

dell Rapids

Holiday Wishbook 2017

dell rapids/madison

The Brookings Register • 31

Holiday Wishbook

Holiday Wishbook 2017

sioux falls

The Brookings Register • 33

Holiday Wishbook

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Holiday Wishbook

The Brookings Register • 35

sioux falls

Holiday Wishbook 2017

sioux falls

The Brookings Register • 37

Holiday Wishbook

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Holiday Wishbook

The Brookings Register • 39

sioux falls

Holiday Wishbook 2017

sioux falls/pipestone/elkton

The Brookings Register • 41

hendricks

Holiday Wishbook 2017

hendricks/ivanhoe

The Brookings Register • 43

Holiday Wishbook

Give jars of love Canning might seem to be outdated and hard work, but homemade jams and jellies are easy to make without extra equipment.

If you’re a beginner, jams are right up your alley. Jams contain bits of the fruit while jellies are made from the strained juice of the fruit (read: more work).

Strawberries are a great place to start, as those bright red jars make great holiday gifts.

Hardware

Strawberry Jam 5 cups or 3 pounds crushed strawberries 1/4 cup lemon juice 6 tablespoons powdered pectin or the liquid equivalent 7 cups of sugar 8 8-oz canning jars with lids (If you don’t have a very tall pot, use the short, wide-mouth ones.)

1. Combine strawberries and lemon juice in a large pot. Stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.

2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring back to a full boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off the foam.

3. Ladle the hot jam into jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace inside the jar. Wipe the rim, then place a lid and ring on the jar. Don’t screw the ring on too tightly. Place the jars back into the boiling water, making sure there’s at least 1 inch of water above the top of the jar.

You’ll notice bubbles coming out of the jars; that’s fine, as it’s the water forcing air out of the jar for a good seal.

4. Process the jars for 10 minutes. Remove the hot jars to a towel.

You might hear popping as the jars cool and seal. After 24 hours, check for a good seal by lightly pressing on the center of each lid.

If you can pop it in and out, reprocess the jar. If a jar won’t seal, refrigerate and use immediately. Dress up your cooled jars with a sticker or a bit of festive cloth and a bow. Be sure to label your jam with the month and year it was made.

Holiday Wishbook 2017

You’ll need a supply of canning jars.

Thanks to a resurgence in the craft, most grocery stores now carry a selection of jars and lids, as well as other tools such as jar lifters, funnels and a magnet for fishing out lids. Look for a kit of basic canning tools to get you started. If you use small, wide-mouth jars, you won’t need a special canner; a large Dutch oven or stock pot will work fine. Fruit jams and jellies don’t need to be canned under pressure.

Software

While you’re in the canning section, look for a liquid or powder pectin.

You’ll also need sugar, lemon juice and a fruit. Strawberries, which have plenty of natural pectin, are a great fruit for the beginning jam maker. You can use frozen berries as they will be cooked.

Science

The first step to safe and delicious canning is to sterilize your jars, lids and gear. Put a large stockpot of water on to boil, then drop all your hardware inside. Allow to come to a simmer — not a full boil, which can damage delicate jars — for about 10 minutes. Sterilize your jar and lid lifters and funnel first, then your jars and lids.

Put the jars right-side up and make sure the water covers them by about 1 inch.

Place them on towels to cool and try not to handle them until you fill your jars with jam.

marshall/lake benton

The Brookings Register • 45

Holiday Wishbook

Center of Attention Set holiday celebrations aglow with a vibrant, showy centerpiece on your table. Chances are, you probably already have most of what you need to turn on the shine this season.

Candles galore

Set candles of varying heights and widths on a charger or platter to protect your table linens.

Go monochromatic, play with different textures or stick with just a few complimentary colors. Try to get scent-free candles; too many smells might overwhelm guests. Worried about little fingers? There are a wide variety of LED candles on the market that light up with the flick of a switch.

Holiday Wishbook 2017

Go green

Set an elegant table using fresh greenery from your local florist. Holly, set off with bright red berries; fir wreaths or garlands; even weepy cacti with pale pink or white blooms are all easy to find this time of year. Greenery also brings in some of the smells of the season and can be a good way to get that fresh Christmas tree smell without dealing with an entire tree.

Ornaments and lights

Fill a pretty bowl with glass ornaments — silver reflects colored glass well — and place it on your table. If you’re worried about sentimental or heirloom pieces on the tree, this is a great place to show them off where everyone can see them. Look for LED mini-lights to wind around larger ornaments set on a pretty holiday runner for a little extra sparkle. Bowls not your thing?

Reach for a glass jar. Fill them with miniature ornaments, twinkling LEDs, pine cones or anything festive that will fit.

flandreau/watertown

Simple Holiday Decorating Holiday cheer can be used carefully and sparingly and still create a big impact. Whether you are trying to embrace a minimalist lifestyle or you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to decorating, these ideas will bring holiday cheer into your home in no time at all.

Utilize Your Walls

Wall space is an often-overlooked part of our home for holiday decor. Because it is vertical space, we can decorate it easily without feeling the intrusion of another item into the living space of a room.

Consider hanging stockings from a branch instead of from a mantle, or set them on a piece of furniture. Hang festive wreaths along a line of windows.

Simplify by Going Big

When choosing holiday decor, sometimes the best way to approach trimmings is to first think about how you will clean around them. Would you rather dust a cluster of small decorations or pick up around one larger piece?

Large decorations can create a big impact, reducing the need for many decorations in order to feel as if you’ve decorated.

Remember the Good Ideas

The best decor arrangements are inspired spontaneously.

If you enjoy how a room or arrangement turned out, don’t forget to take a photo. This will help you recreate it in following years, and help you incorporate new items later.

The Brookings Register • 47

Holiday Wishbook

Holiday Wishbook 2017