NewsTribune_Peru Christmas Gift Guide_112421

Downtown Peru Gift Guide 2021 There’s no place like home for holiday shopping!

INFORMATION ON NEW PERU HOLIDAY EVENTS HOLIDAY SHOPPING TIPS & INFORMATION GREAT GIFT IDEAS FROM DOWNTOWN PERU MERCHANTS

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Decorating is one of the joys of the holiday season. Families often decorate together, and such traditions may include dressing the Christmas tree and hanging holiday lights around the house.

A day spent making homemade ornaments is another great way to decorate and spend quality time together as a family during the holiday season. Though families can let their imaginations run wild when making ornaments at home, the following are some great starting points that can serve as springboards for holiday crafting sessions.

• Snowmen: The holiday season simply wouldn’t be the same without snowmen. Homemade snowmen can be made out of ping pong balls, which are the ideal size when making ornaments for the Christmas tree. Those who want to go a little bigger can glue wiffle balls or large polystyrene balls together or create their own papier mâché snowmen to display on mantles or on console tables in a foyer or hallway.

• Santa Claus: Another staple of holiday decor, Santa Claus has inspired many a DIY holiday ornament over the years. A paper plate Santa Claus with a cotton ball beard glued on can make for a fun Christmas craft, especially for young children who can’t wait for the big guy to appear on Christmas Eve.

• Penguins: Though they might not have a direct link to the holiday season, penguins evoke feelings of cold weather, making them an ideal addition to holiday decor schemes. Make your own penguin family using polystyrene craft balls in assorted sizes and then hang them on the tree or place them around the house.

• Reindeer: Santa would not be able to get the job done each Christmas Eve without his trustworthy team of reindeer. Popsicle stick reindeer projects can be fun for kids of all ages and a great way for youngsters to recognize the efforts of Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, and, of course, Rudolph, among others.

• Cookie cutters: Family baking sessions are a holiday tradition for millions of people. Though that often leads to batches upon batches of tasty cookies, it also means families tend to have a surplus of holiday cookie cutters around the house. Surplus cookie cutters tend to be discarded or relegated to the miscellaneous items drawer in kitchens, but a more awe-inspiring fate can await them. A coat of paint, some glitter and a little bit of string or twine is all families need to transform their extra cookie cutters into colorful tree ornaments.

Holiday decorating sessions can be made even more fun when families take time to craft some DIY decorations together. HL21A341

Many people know someone who loves spending lots of time in the kitchen. Certain home cooks may enjoy whipping up favorite recipes, while others might get excited about experimenting with new flavors and ingredients.

A love of cooking paves the way for many different gifting opportunities.

Food-related gifts also come in a wide variety of price points, making it easy for shoppers to spend as little or as much as they want. Check out these 10 gift ideas for the foodie on your holiday shopping list.

1. Sheet pans: They may not seem like the most sexy or high-tech tools of the kitchen, but sheet pans are among the most versatile. They can be used for cookies, sheet pan cakes, oven-frying cutlets or fries, or even serving as the perfect bases for candy brittles.

2. Air fryer tool set: By now many people have hopped on the air fryer bandwagon, but they may not have all of the accessories to take air frying to the next level. From spatulas to tongs to silicone brushes, an air fryer tool set can make meals even more delicious.

3. Dutch oven: You’d be hard-pressed to find a more hard-working tool in

the kitchen than a Dutch oven. These heavy, often enameled cast iron vessels come in various quart sizes. They can be used to cook stews, breads, cakes, and much more.

4. Kitchen compost bin: Home cooks who want to cut down on waste will appreciate a countertop compost bin to gather food scraps.

5. Serving board: The rise in cheese and charcuterie boards means cooks will need something attractive to serve their spreads. Wooden and stone boards are attractive when serving sliced cheeses, crackers, chutneys, and other appetizer.

6. Electric wine opener: Wine is the perfect complement to many dishes, and what easier way to open bottles than with an electric wine opener?

Many are compatible with almost any bottleneck and can open several bottles on a single charge.

7. Spiralizer: The trend for pasta alternatives continues, and having a spiralizer that can turn vegetables like zucchini into spiraled “noodles” will be handy in most kitchens.

8. Apron and accessories: Home cooks need to protect their clothing in the kitchen. A fashionable apron and matching oven mitts can make a statement and keep clothes clean.

9. Meat delivery: The number of direct-to-home meat shipping providers continues to grow. Have quality cuts of meat delivered right to a home cook’s house so that he or she can cut back on trips to the store.

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10 gift ideas for people who love to cook

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Holiday shoppers relish the moment when a loved one unwraps a gift and immediately smiles widely.

Hitting the nail on the head in regard to a holiday gift is its own reward, and there’s no shame in looking around for some inspiration to find a gift loved ones will truly cherish.

Shopping for young professionals this holiday season could be a little tricky, as changes sparked by the pandemic continue to affect work environments. However, shoppers can still find gifts to make young professionals happy this holiday season.

• Home office essentials: Many businesses have welcomed workers back to the office, but some are taking a hybrid approach to being in the office.

Many professionals who once went into the office five days a week are now spending one or two days a week at home. Others may still be working remotely full-time. Holiday shoppers can take this into consideration when shopping for young professionals and look for some basic home office essentials. A comfortable office chair, a monitor that can be paired with a company-issued laptop and even a single-serve coffee pot for young people accustomed to getting their morning coffee on the way into the office can help professionals seamlessly transition from the office to their home office during the work week.

• Messenger bag: Looking the part can boost young professionals’ con-

fidence as they begin their careers.

A leather messenger bag is a stylish and sophisticated way for young professionals to carry their laptops and other workday essentials to and from work. Professionals working in especially formal environments may prefer a leather briefcase, which creates a more traditional look for young people who will be entertaining clients or shuffling from one business meeting to another.

• Business card holder: Though they might not be as prevalent as they once were, business cards remain an effective way for young professionals to build their networks. An elegant, monogrammed business card holder can help young professionals make a strong first impression.

• Luggage: Business travel may not be back to its pre-pandemic levels just yet, but many young professionals will undoubtedly still appreciate an upgrade over the luggage they used in college. If designer luggage is a budget buster, look for a sturdy, elegant alternative that young professionals will be proud to tote around on their first official business trip.

Business may still be unusual as the world continues to emerge from the pandemic. But shoppers can look to some old favorites as they search for the perfect gifts for the young professionals on their holiday shopping lists this season. HL21A370

What better ways to celebrate the diversity, uniqueness and creativity of independent, local businesses than by supporting them during the busiest shopping season of the year?

Plaid Friday was conceptualized in Oakland, Calif., several years ago in an effort to encourage holiday shoppers to slow down and shop locally at small businesses rather than partake in the frenzy of the traditional Black Friday rush at big box retailers.

Similarly, Small Business Saturday® was founded by American Express in 2010 as a community-centric day to support local businesses. Small Business Saturday was the catalyst for the generalized Shop Small® movement, which encourages consumers to patronize small businesses.

Local businesses are at the heart of their communities. In a 2015 survey by the Urban and Land Institute, researchers found that more than half of respondents said they wanted a neighborhood where they wouldn’t need a car very often. More than 40 percent specifically noted the desirability of

local shopping and entertaining as main features. A neighborhood with a Main Street or thriving local shopping hub can be a big draw. Consumers make these neighborhoods a reality.

Every time they grab a coffee from a local café, purchase a piece of artwork from a neighborhood artist or dine at a family-run restaurant, shoppers are supporting local business owners and strengthening their communities. Here are some ways to make shopping small a priority this holiday season.

• Take inventory of Plaid Friday and Small Business Saturday sales by keeping up on local social media.

Build holiday shopping lists around the offerings at local businesses.

• Dine out at local restaurants or shop smaller food merchants.

• Visit a local tree farm. When decorating for the holidays, support the farm or local nursery that grows Christmas trees and makes their own wreaths and garlands.

• Keep your money in your community at a local bank or credit union

rather than a large national bank.

Local banks may have special promotions to boost savings for holiday gifting.

The holiday season is the perfect time to support small, local businesses. TF21B508

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Shop locally on Plaid Friday and Small Business Saturday

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A guide to picking the perfect fresh Christmas tree Come the holiday season, perhaps no tradition evokes the warm and fuzzy “feels” more than a family outing to pick a Christmas tree. Whether it’s a trek to a live Christmas tree farm or a short drive to the nearest pre-cut tree lot, the process of selecting a tree that will serve as the crown jewel of the entire season is a great way to make lasting memories.

Selecting a tree is a yearly ritual and each person has his or her set of criteria for what makes the ideal Christmas tree. These tips can help families find the right tree.

CHOOSE YOUR SPECIES Do some homework on the type of tree you want prior to buying the tree.

Balsam fir and fraser fir are popular Christmas tree varieties, but there are many others, such as noble fir and Norway spruce. Balsams are known for having the most fragrant smell, but frasers tend to keep their needles the longest. For those who prefer a douglas fir, keep in mind that they sometimes drop their needles prematurely due to foliar diseases like needle-cast fungus.

SPACE FOR ORNAMENTS In addition to aroma and needle longevity, look for trees that have a desirable shape and allow for adequate space between branches, advises the home and garden resource The Spruce. Trees groomed to be lush and full will look beautiful unadorned, but once ornaments are added, full branches may cause those ornaments to hang low or even fall off. Trees with sparse branches allow for ornaments to hang straight.

MEASURE YOUR SPACE Trees in the field or in a lot may look much smaller than they do when brought into the living room. Don’t make the mistake of selecting a tree that is too large for your home. The agricultural firm Ragan & Masey says to measure the room from floor to ceiling and subtract the height of the tree stand and tree topper. It’s equally important to measure the width of the area where the tree will stand and allow for ample space for foot traffic around the tree.

PERFORM A NEEDLE CHECK Every tree will drop some needles, and most evergreens hold their foliage. Modest needle loss is not an indicator of a poor tree. However,

Decker’s Nursery in Greenlawn, NY says if 50 percent of the needles are lost when you swipe your hand down three to five different branches around the tree, the tree likely is not a good choice. In addition, avoid a tree that has glaring defects in the trunk as it can impede water flow through the tree.

HEAVIER IS BETTER A heavy pre-cut tree means it is full of water and has been cut more recently. A healthy, fresh tree is going to require an effort to lift. Older, dried out trees will not be heavy.

Upon arriving home, make a fresh cut off the tree trunk and get it in water as soon as possible — even if that’s a bucket until the tree stand can be set up. HL21A299

Did you know?

Lights on a Christmas tree may seem like a relatively recent phenomenon, but people who can’t wait to deck the halls each December may be surprised to learn that this beloved tradition dates all the way back to the late nineteenth century. Edward Johnson, a friend and colleague of Thomas Edison, introduced holiday light bulbs in 1882. Prior to that, candles were lit on trees and families would briefly gaze at this awe-inspiring bit of holiday decor before the candles were quickly extinguished. Johnson is credited with being the first to suggest light bulbs, which were invented by his friend Edison, be used to light trees in place of candles. While many were impressed

by Johnson’s eight-bulb holiday display, it remained a novelty until the 1920s, when preassembled lights became more accessible. Since then, Christmas tree lights have taken hold as a must-have piece of HL21A363 holiday decor in households across the globe.

After a 2020 holiday season in which the pandemic forced the postponement or cancellation of festivities, families are planning to get together once again in 2021. Many people will head home for the holidays this year, and the vast majority will take to the highway to do so.

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics says the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s holiday periods are among the busiest for long-distance travel. The highways will be busy with motorists criss-crossing the country to visit loved ones. Holiday travel may require covering a long distance in a limited amount of time.

Finding ways to be efficient in regard to time management can reduce stress and improve safety.

TRAVEL AT NIGHT If you can safely manage it, you may experience considerably less traffic in the evening hours than during other times of day. In addition, if kids are in tow, they may sleep much of the way, helping to reduce the number of times they ask, “Are we there yet?” Share driving responsibilities with another person so that each driver can take a break to prevent drowsy driving.

GET A VEHICLE MAINTENANCE CHECK No one wants to get stranded on the side of the road with a car filled with gifts and treats. It’s well worth the investment to have a mechanic give a vehicle a checkup prior to leaving. Get an oil change even if it’s a little early to do so. Look at tire tread

wear and ensure that you have the right tires for the road conditions where you’ll be headed.

PLAN YOUR ROUTE People often rely on mobile phone or dashboard GPS systems to get where they need to go. However, it helps to have a general idea of the route so that if service drops out you can still find your way. Scout out rest stops or acceptable restaurants online prior to leaving so you have a plan for making stops in safe areas.

STOCK THE CAR While presents may be taking up valuable real estate, pack a cooler with snacks and beverages to help reduce how many times you need to get off the highway. Also, games or other forms of entertainment can keep children occupied on long trips.

SLOW DOWN IN INCLEMENT WEATHER The holiday meal can be reheated if you’re late, so don’t feel compelled to speed or drive erratically when the weather is stormy. It’s not worth the risk of getting into an accident that can cause serious injuries. Travelers United, a nonprofit organization that represents all travelers, also warns that quick storms that pop up after a long dry spell can immediately make road surfaces extremely slippery. Use caution.

Planning and preparation are essential to getting home safely this holiday season. HL21A385

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Tips to ensure holiday road trips are safe and stress-free

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Join us Saturday, December 4th for City of Peru’s Christmas Celebration!

Lighted Parade 5 p.m.

Parade starts at Centennial Park and ends at Washington Park with Santa!

Light Up the Park Event to Follow!

Gifts, Hot Chocolate, Cookies, Games and Fun Following the Parade

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2ND WARD ALDERMEN Tom Payton Jason Edgcomb

3RD WARD ALDERMEN Dave Waldorf Mike Sapienza

4TH WARD ALDERMEN Aaron Buffo Jim Lukosus