SVM-SS3_12032015

A Marketing Supplement To Sauk Valley Media & Ogle County Newspapers Thursday, December 3, 2015

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

Gift Guide

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Holiday Traditions

Sauk Valley Media • December 3, 2015

Merry Christmas to all … and to all a great year!

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December 3, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media

PAGE 3

Holiday Traditions

GIFT IDEAS | AUTOMOTIVE

Christmas shopping shifts into high gear From under the hood to under the tree, here are some gifts for the ‘gear-heads’ LONNIE C. MILLER Special To Holiday Traditions

Most people know at least one “gear-head,” that guy, or gal, who loves their car, truck, motorcycle, boat, or power tools.

But if you’re not a motorhead yourself, it can be a challenge to know what to shop for at Christmas.

Thankfully, there are professionals out there who can help you present some pretty awesome gifts to your favorite guys and gals this year.

Aaron Spencer, manager at Audio Visual Connection in Dixon, said “Remote starters are always popular, and we have two good ones.

One has a range of a halfmile, it runs about $350 installed; and another, our “Elite,” has a range of a full mile and costs about $500 installed.

Other really trendy gifts this year are back-up

cameras for your vehicle and Apple Car Play, a system that allows users to engage the GPS, Apple maps, and other updated software from your phone to your vehicle’s radio.

You can control the apps with your vehicle’s radio, and see the GPS system on your radio screen.”

Aaron points out that stock sound systems are often outdated within months, but those connected to your phone’s system are consistently updated with the latest versions. You can find more information about these systems on carplay.com.

You might also consider gift certificates to auto parts stores, like AutoZone or O’Reilly Auto Parts. Gift certificates or cards will allow your recipient to pick exactly what they need to keep their motor running.

For folks who don’t want to get under the hood, you can pay for someone else to do it by buying gift certificates for services such as oil changes, new

tires, and other maintenance needs.

Another option is car washes – a much appreciated, and needed, gift during the messy

winter months.

Octopus Car Wash offers a number of car-wash combination packages for the holidays, ranging from $10 for a basic wash cer-

tificate to $39.99 for more extensive packages that include both interior and exterior options.

AUTOMOTIVE CONTINUED ON 4

Where to go

A partial list of places to get gifts for the gear-head Audio Visual Connection – 117 S. Hennepin Avenue, Dixon; 815-2854900 Octopus Car Wash – 407 E. Third St., Sterling; 815-625-4804 Ace Hardware – 900 N. Galena Ave., Dixon; 815288-7841 Grummert’s Hardware – 424 Locust St., Sterling; 625-2587; 1112 First Ave., Rock Falls; 625-2040 AutoZone, 1385 N. Galena Ave. – Dixon; 284-0180; 1200 1st Ave., Rock Falls; 626-1100 NAPA Auto Parts, 713 N. Galena Ave. –

Dixon; 284-6272; 218 W. Third St., Sterling; 625-3300; 134 S. Mason St., Amboy; 857-2220; 101 E. Washington St., Oregon; 732-2189 O’Reilly Auto Parts – 1260 N. Galen Ave., Dixon; 288-6670; 907 First Ave., Rock Falls, 622-4990 Workman Harley Davidson – 1903 First Ave., Rock Falls, 815626-1213 Dixon Tire Center, 1110 E. River Road – Dixon; 815-284-3324 Brent’s Upholstery – 405 Elm Ave., Sterling; 625-3169

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Sauk Valley Media • December 3, 2015

Holiday Traditions

12 Months Interest Free

Safety and comfort make good gifts for vehicle owners. Back-up cameras (top) and remote starts (bottom) are popular gifts for the drivers on your Christmas list.

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NEW FURNITURE FOR YOUR HOME Don’t forget the holiday hardware THIS CHRISTMAS! AUTOMOTIVE Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

CONTINUED FROM 3

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“Some folks come in and buy several $10 certificates, or we can customize the offerings for you,” says Teresa Meiners, customer service specialist.

Don’t forget your local hardware store as a place to find practical and fun gifts for gear-heads.

Ace Hardware in Dixon has a rental/sales department that offers toys for grown-up guys and gals such as leaf and snow

blowers and all kinds of garden or lawn tools and accessories that make those tasks easier and more enjoyable.

Consider, too, a “loaded toolbox” for those who are just setting up their garage or shop.

Maybe you know someone who’s purchased their first vehicle, or setting up housekeeping, whether they’re apartment renters or new homeowners, or a college student headed off to a dorm room. They’ll all appreciate tools that

make working on their favorite vehicle or maintenance tasks easier.

Bret Maynard or Chris Kelly, or any of the staff at Ace will be happy to help if you don’t know what brands to buy or what type of tool is required for a task.

So, don’t grind you gears trying to figure out what gets someone’s motor running. Check with local retailers, who are happy to spark some ideas, and help you plug away at that Christmas list.

December 3, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media

PAGE 5

Holiday Traditions

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Sauk Valley Media • December 3, 2015

Holiday Traditions

GIFT IDEAS | FOOD

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Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Candy Bouquet in Sterling has holiday-themed candy bouquets for the season that would make perfect gifts or centerpieces for holiday parties.

Food for thoughtful gifts A way to a gift recipient’s heart is through their stomach LONNIE C. MILLER Special to Holiday Traditions

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Looking for the Perfect Gift?

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Are you one of those people who wrack your brains trying to come up with the perfect gift for aging parents? Or, for the single friend, college student or high school student who’s perpetually living on ramen noodles because they live on a budget or don’t cook?

Let’s face it, everybody has to eat, so food can be a wonderful, practical and fun gift – be it a gift certificate for a meal out, a candy bouquet, or a gift card from a local grocery store.

Julie Tunk, who owns River’s Edge Inn in Dixon with her husband, Richard, said giving someone a gift certificate gives them a chance to get off their feet and into a seat

Where to go

A partial list of where to go for gifts of food Candy Bouquet – 2522 E. Lincolnway, Unit E, Sterling; 815-632-3577; candybouquet.com Dixon Food Center – 500 Chicago Ave., Dixon; 815-288-3603; on Facebook Oliver’s Corner Market – 748 Brinton Ave., Dixon; 815-288-7480; on Facebook Schaeffer Fish Hatchery – 21985 Waller Road, Fulton; 815-589-3368; schaferfish.com for a good meal.

Restaurants offer gift certificates and cards year-round, but the holidays can be especially harried for the cooks in the family. They would probably appreciate a certificate for a night off.

“Let us cook for you or your loved ones, and give them a break.”

She said the restuarant offers hot, home-style meals, “with good service and a beautiful view of

the Rock River.”

The Candy Bouquet in Sterling has a lot more to offer than just candy.

Although you can hardly go wrong with great chocolate, Brian and Chris Babel’s store also has gourmet coffees and teas, flavored peanuts and nuts, cake mixes, mocha and latte, chai, and numerous other goodies to include in a custom gift basket.

FOOD CONTINUED ON 8

December 3, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media

PAGE 7

Holiday Traditions

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PAGE 8

Sauk Valley Media • December 3, 2015

Holiday Traditions

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BY SHELBY KUEPKER Special to Holiday Traditions

Sometimes, the cold days of winter can bring us down this time of year, so what better way to brighten up someone’s day than with reminders of the warm weather to come? Even though it’s wintertime, you can still find floral and gardening gifts throughout the Sauk Valley.

K&R Greenhouse in Morrison is just one of the businesses that can supply customers with green gifts when the white stuff is on the ground.

K&R’s owner, Roger Meiers, 63, of Morrison, said poinsettias are the most popular gifts because they “make wonderful decorations at Christmas time.”

And K&R has plenty of poinsettias to choose from. Meiers said they raise about 2,000 of the flowers in ten different varieties.

FOOD

CONTINUED FROM 6

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Meiers suggests all kinds of plant-oriented gifts to surprise your loved ones with this winter. K&R sells house plants, tropical plants, cacti, and miniature gardens.

He said terrariums, which were popular 30 years ago, are becoming popular again. Another holiday favorite: Christmas wreaths – and you don’t have to decorate your door with plastic cheer.

K&R sells wreaths that aren’t artificial Fairy gardens are another popular gift this holiday season. The tabletop gardens are sure to be a hit with the gardener on your list, or anyone who just wants a little taste of spring to put on their table as winter winds whoosh away outside.

Pre-grown gifts from the garden are lovely, but don’t forget about the gardeners in your family who love to raise the plants themselves.

GREENHOUSE CONTINUED ON 10

Food fits everyone on your list

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Heated Seats

GIFT IDEAS | GARDENING

Chris says they’ll make a basket or bouquet that fits your recipient’s tastes perfectly.

Local grocery stores are a good option for food gifts, too. The older kids might have outgrown toys, but they never outgrow food, and they’ll love getting a meat bundle for their freezer each year, or other gifts they can sink their teeth into.

Dan Willard, owner of Dixon Food Center said, “We have gift cards in all denominations, so your recipient can come

in and pick exactly what they want, from roasts and steaks to liquor and produce. Gift certificates for groceries are always appreciated.”

Tim and Patty Oliver, owners of Oliver’s Corner Market also offer quality meats, produce and gift baskets from the selection of goodies at their store.

Although small in size, both stores offer a huge selection of fresh meats, quality produce and fruit baskets, and they can customize your gifts.

For those looking for something a little different, and classier, than the meat-and-cheese tray or fruit basket idea, Schaef-

fer Fish Hatchery in Fulton has a line of seafood and caviar for custom gift baskets.

Nonie Schaver, a customer assistant at Schaeffer’s, says the store carries a “variety of seafood including scallops, lobster, shrimp, calamari and caviar.” You can arrange a collection of fresh, unique seafood products for your gift giving.

Food is a gift that you can give to everyone on your list. If you buy a bundle of certificates, you’ve got the perfect gift for everyone on your list, and even a backup gift for an unexpected guest that accompanies the family for the holidays.

December 3, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media

PAGE 9

Holiday Traditions

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PAGE 10

Sauk Valley Media • December 3, 2015

Holiday Traditions

GIFT IDEAS | BANKS

Money: By all accounts, a good gift LONNIE C. MILLER Special to Holiday Traditions

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There are more novel ways to give money as gifts than sticking it in a card. While that’s certainly an option that’s always in style, always the right color and always welcome, local banks offer their own takes on Christmas cash, with gifts that keep on giving by adding interest to the money.

Don Lovett, a vice presi-

dent at the Dixon branch of Sauk Valley Bank, said he fondly recalls the gift his grandfather gave him – a gift that he started up when Don was born.

“Grandpa [Lovett] started a savings account for me. I still had it 43 years later. It taught me the importance of saving, and of course, later I learned about ways to compound interest and invest other ways. It was

a good life lesson that I’ll always remember.”

Melissa Glessner, branch manager at the US Bank in Dixon, added her spin on the savings account idea. “My parents give money for my kids every year, not only for Christmas, but for birthdays, graduations, other special events and holidays.

MONEY CONTINUED ON 12

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GREENHOUSE

CONTINUED FROM 8

Just because spring is still months away doesn’t mean you can’t get a gardening gift to give the green-thumber a head start.

Anne’s Garden Center in Dixon has all kinds of gardening accessories and decorations for the garden. From colorful pottery and gazing balls to their garden art and statuary, you’ll be hardpressed to leave Anne’s without the perfect gift for your gardener. And the store doesn’t pack up its pots and soils when winter comes; it’s open year-round.

K&R Greenhouse also offers gift baskets for the gardeners that include gardening gloves, plant food, gardening sheets, an indoor flower bulb, and bug spray in a “gift basket with a bow on top” said Meiers.

Another greenhouse worth visiting is Palmy-

Places to shop

A partial list of greenhouses in the area that are open year-round: Anne’s Garden Center – 1200 N. Galena Ave., Dixon; 815-288-6060; annesgc.com and on Facebook K&R Greenhouse – 15543 Bishop Road, Morrison; 815-772-4595; on Facebook Palmyra Greenhouse – 489 Palmyra Road, Dixon; 815-285-2800; palmyragreenhouse.com and on Facebook ra Greenhouse, located between Sterling and Dixon. Co-owner James Fifielski, 56, of Dixon, said the year-round greenhouse is “healthy, and beautiful” this time of year. The business specializes in plants, and Fifielski suggests their poinsettias, Cyclamens, Paperwhites, Amaryllis, Norfolk Island Pines, and Christmas cacti as gifts this holiday.

They also sell all kinds of potted plants, and Fifielski invites everyone to come see how beautiful the greenhouse is this time of the year. Although it’s cold outside, “it is wonderful to come into

a living, working greenhouse filled with living things all over the place,” he said.

If you don’t feel up to the challenge of picking out a specific gift for your gardener, get them gift certificate so they can choose their own gift.

Whoever you’re buying for, you can find a gift at your local greenhouse.

Whether it’s a beautiful bouquet for the lovely lady in your life, or the perfect garden decoration that will beautify mom and dad’s garden, you can put a little more green in the greens and reds of the holiday season.

December 3, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media

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Holiday Traditions

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Sauk Valley Media • December 3, 2015

Holiday Traditions

MONEY

CONTINUED FROM 10

“I invest that money in Certificates of Deposit for each of my kids, adding the bits of money that come in over the year. It all adds up and doesn’t just get spent on trivial things.”

Colleen Geary, customer service rep at Sterling Federal Bank in Sterling, said that she advocates savings accounts for minors with a parent, guardian or grandparent as co-owner.

Those accounts can be turned over to the recipient at an age-appropriate time, such as college, or even later. The account bears interest over the years, and the child learns the importance of saving for long-range goals. Such accounts can be earmarked for specific things, like a wedding, honeymoon, college, trip-of-a-lifetime, or car upon graduation. Ideas are endless. Check with your local bank for the availability of this type of savings account.

US Bank and Sterling Federal Bank also offer pre-paid gift cards such as VISA. There is a minimum amount at Sterling Federal Bank, $10, and the maximum is $1,000 per card. US Bank’s minimum is $25 and the maximum is $500. Prepaid gift cards are especially nice for junior

high and high school students because they can be used anywhere.

While you’re at the bank, you might consider giving yourself a gift too: The gift of peace of mind. A Christmas savings account – sometimes referred to as a Christmas Club – is a good way to avoid a last-minute scramble for cash as the holiday approaches. The accounts give customers a way to set aside some money each week so they can have a nice little nestegg come Christmas time.

It is never too early to teach financial strategies that create peace of mind and good stewardship. You might consider a good financial planning book and/or workbook to go along with your monetary gift.

Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace” and the accompanying “Financial Peace” workbook, are examples of mentoring tools that can help with financial management for beginners of any age.

Ramsey stresses that “If you’ll live like no one else today [by saving and establishing good financial relationships, creating budgets, spending carefully, and avoiding debt, etc.] you’ll be able to live like no one else later.” You’ll be able to afford the things that those who don’t manage their money can’t.

Money and wisdom, a great gift combination.

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Have a few of those hard-to-shop-for people on your list? Banks in the Sauk Valley offer gift cards.

Places to go

A partial list of area banks Sauk Valley Bank – 300 Walton Drive, Dixon, 815-284-2300; saukvalleybank.com Sterling Federal Bank – 110 E. Fourth St., Sterling; 815-626-0614; sterlingfederal.com US Bank – 160 Keul Road, Dixon; 815-288-3315; usbank.com

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December 3, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media

PAGE 13

Holiday Traditions

G t Subscrip ions M ke Gr at G s! f Tales o

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PAGE 14

Sauk Valley Media • December 3, 2015

Holiday Traditions

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ANTIQUES • COLLECTIBLES • HAND MADES Shop Hours: Thursday & Friday 10AM -7PM Saturday 10AM - 5 PM ourhouseantiques@comcast.net

All major cards & Paypal accepted

     Primitive & Country Home    Decor, Gift Ideas, Ornaments...     Handmade for the Home       

GIFT IDEAS | PERSONALIZED GIFTS

A custom-made Christmas gift Printers can give your gifts a personal touch quick turnaround time from order to finished product.

The holidays are a good time to show You can get your family portrait or a your loved ones how much you care, cute picture of your cat printed on the and what better way than with a gift front of a hoodie. How great would that is made specifically for them? Sauk it be for your grandparents to have Valley businesses produce all kinds of their very own T-shirts with all of their personalized products that will wow grandchildren’s faces on it? your friends and family.

JJM Printing in Sterling, owned by From T-shirts to can koozies, from Jason Fargher and John Brady, has phone cases to blankets, you can put a been providing screen printing and personal stamp on just about anything promotional products to customers for nowadays.

2 years, and can print on just about any Bill Mart T’s is the place to go in product you can think of.

Milledgeville for all of your T-shirt “We can work with anything that needs and more. Marty Stage, 62, of you would want your logo on, includMilledgeville, and her husband, Bill, ing pens, can coolers, shopping bags, operate their business out of their drink ware, and magnets, to name only home, producing tons of T-shirts and a few,” Production manager Kayla Farproducts for local gher said. businesses, school Employee Amanda sports teams, and Where to go O’Brien, 32 of Stervarious events and A partial list of shops that ling, says they print a benefits. School and offer personalized gifts lot of school-themed sports apparel is Bill-Mart T’s – 319 W. Sixth apparel, but that always a great holiSt.; 815-225-7200 or 815just scratches the day gift for teens, 535-4049 ; billmartts.com; . surface of what they and “it’s good for the Scottee Shirts – 217 Washdo, especially during parents, too,” Marty ington St.; 815-631-1600 and this time of the year. said. on Facebook.

You can find They also print on JJM Printing – 311 First any T-shirt design baby clothes; whethAve.; 815-632-3913.; jjmprintonline, bring it in, er it’s a school logo ing.com and on Facebook and JJM will replior a funny saying, cate it, from reverent you can make the to irreverent. In the little one on your list even cuter with a past, they’ve made sweaters with the personalized product.

Bill Mart T’s can also print designs and saying “Merry Christmas, ya filthy anilogos on hats, can koozies, and blankets. mal” on the front.

JJM can print signs for your wall with Get dad a cool hat that says “World’s Greatest Dad” or grandma a blanket cool sayings or anything that tickles with your school logo to help keep her your fancy.

They can print customizable phone warm when she comes to her grandson’s cases or plaques of all sorts. Maybe football game on a chilly fall night.

Scottee Shirts in Prophetstown is mom and dad would like cell phone another area business that can satisfy cases with a family picture?

Personalized gifts are the best way to your T-shirt needs this holiday.

Owner Cindy Hartzell, 50 of Proph- your friends and family’s hearts this etstown, now offers glitter font and holiday season. Whether it’s a customphoto printing on her shirts. The best ized T-shirt with your face on it or a part is, she offers “no setup fees, no meaningful quote on a phone case, artwork fee,” and no minimum order your loved ones would appreciate any requirement – and the store has a gift made just for them.

BY SHELBY KUEPKER Special to Holiday Traditions

December 3, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media

PAGE 15

Holiday Traditions

Please visit the best kept holiday secret in the region - the gift shop and art gallery in the Northwest Territory Historic Center.

205 West 5th Street Dixon, IL 61021 Phone: 815-288-5508 E-mail: info@nthc.org Web Site: www.nthc.org NTHC is formerly Dixon Historic Center

SHANNON • POLO • LAKE CARROLL

Shannon (815) 864-2111

Polo (815) 946-2777

www.fsbshannon-polo.com

Lake Carroll (815) 864-2125

PAGE 16

Sauk Valley Media • December 3, 2015

Holiday Traditions

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