Gift Guide for 2022

The Maple Leaf Cheese Store has been in the current location at W2616 State Road 11 and 81 STE C, in Juda, Wis. since 1995.

Maple Leaf Cheese Store offers 150 cheeses from Wisconsin

The Maple Leaf Cheese Store has been in the current location at W2616 State Road 11 and 81 STE C, in Juda, Wis. since 1995.

Owners Gordon and Ruth Bergemann, along with their daughter Shauna, take pride in the quality and selection of local products.

At the store you’ll find more than 150 different varieties of cheese - cut and packed fresh every week. We sell cheese from eight of the factories in Green County, Wis. along with other local goodies like fudge and maple syrup.

Don’t forget to stop by on every Thursday for fresh squeaky cheese curds. We also specialize in the best Cheese

Trays around with fresh local cheese and sausage. Our wonderful staff can personalize them for any occasion.

Our family owned business is proud to work with the local cheesemakers in the area to provide a wide selection for our customers.

We are back open to serve all of our wonderful customers. Our customers and employees mean the world to us, so please help us maintain social distancing when in the store, and limit your party size to less then 5. Our staff sanitizes high traffic areas often, and we have some other precautionary measures in place.

We will still have curb-side pickup available, as well as local delivery.

Sleigh Bells Are Jingling at CherryVale Mall

Start working on those Christmas lists, because Santa Claus is almost here! Santa invites all the little elves to line up to welcome him and help countdown to the special tree lighting kicking off the 2022 holiday season!

Santa will then start hearing Christmas wishes at his workshop in Center Court, located on the lower level.

This year, we’re sharing our Christmas cheer with the Rockford Park District. They invite you and your family to an official ribbon cutting of the reimagined Indoor Soft Play Area. This year the mall unveiled the new and improved indoor play area which is located near Tilt. The custom indoor play area has been located at CherryVale Mall since 2007 and is free to enjoy.

After his big arrival, Santa will be available through Dec. 24, when he heads off for his holiday trek around the world.

Your little elves can visit with Santa Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3 to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 2:30 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Visits are always free, and a variety of photo packages are available for purchase.

“This is going to be a fantastic season,” says Susan Angelin, Marketing Manager for CherryVale Mall. “We’re so excited to welcome Santa Claus back to the mall, not to mention start sharing the great sales going on at your favorite stores!”

Check out the Community events below:

• Rockford Park District Ribbon Cutting of Reimagined Play Area: Friday, Nov. 28 at 5 p.m. • Pet Photo Nights: Monday evenings Nov. 28-Dec. 12, 4-7 p.m. •

Show: Friday, Dec. 9-Sunday, Dec. 11

SUBMITTED PHOTO Holiday Gift Guide

Five affordable holiday gift ideas with a personalized touch

Are you struggling to find thoughtful gifts for everyone as you make your holiday shopping list? Well, it’s time to get personal!

By giving a personalized gift, the recipient will feel special knowing it was created and picked just for them. Here are a few customized gift ideas that they’re sure to love that won’t break the bank.

1. Make Their Holidays Magical with Video Greetings. Perfect for spreading holiday cheer, SmashUps from American Greetings are highly personalized, smileinducing, shareable videos. There are options for everyone, like a message from Santa that calls the recipient out by name and location, or a customized winter greeting delivered by a talking penguin.

SmashUps can check the box for holiday greetings, or you can include a digital gift card to fulfill your gift giving needs.

With a subscription, you’ll unlock access to all of American Greetings’ digital offerings, meaning you can send unlimited SmashUps year-round. Subscriptions are $6.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

2. Photo finish. Photos are a simple and affordable way to personalize gifts. Start by choosing your favorite pic with the recipient and then determine how you’d

like to deliver it.

Whether it’s in a unique frame, or printed on a personal item, such as a mug, blanket, keychain, phone cover or even an ornament for their tree, the recipient will know how much they mean to you each time they view it.

3. Initial thoughts. While not everyone wants to be in pictures, adding personalization to a gift item by using your recipient’s name, initials or monogram, can be a great alternative.

And with a wealth of online sites, from boutique stores like Marley Lilly to major

What will holiday shopping look like this year?

If it feels like the holiday season is getting longer and more reliant on technology every year, you’re not imagining it.

According to the Sensormatic Solutions 2022 U.S. Holiday Consumer Sentiment Survey, 52 percent of respondents already started or plan to start their holiday shopping before November, and pre-Labor Day holiday shopping more than doubled over 2021. That said, the top busiest shopping days in the United States are all expected between Black Friday and the day after Christmas.

Whether shoppers are making a list and checking it twice as early in the season as possible or waiting until the last minute, they are also likely to be thinking all the ways to shop, including integrating digital options with a traditional brick-and-mortar experience, both which offer key consumer benefits.

“The past couple years have fundamentally changed the way we celebrate the holidays, starting with how we shop,” said Kim Melvin, global leader of marketing, Sensormatic Solutions. “This year, shoppers are using the very same tools they once turned to for health and safety reasons to make the experience more convenient and affordable.”

Sixty-four percent of respondents cited convenience as their top reason for using buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) or curbside pickup this holiday season, while 37 percent are leveraging these options to access online-exclusive deals.

Shoppers are also blurring the lines between the digital and physical shopping experiences, using their phones while in stores to read product reviews, access coupons, check on product availability and conduct other research -- 27 percent use their phones to supplement their shopping experience every time they shop in-store and an additional 31 percent do so most of the time they shop in-store.

“While the majority of shoppers feel very comfortable making their holiday purchases in-store this year, factors like price, product availability and convenience are at the top of everyone’s minds,” said Melvin. “A combination of traditional brick-and-mortar visits and alternative shopping methods, such as BOPIS and curbside pickup, are helping consumers take these factors into consideration as they complete their holiday wish lists.”

As part of its mission to solve complex retail challenges, Sensormatic Solutions is providing its top strategies to improve your holiday shopping experience:

• If staying within your seasonal budget is a priority for you or you

harbor supply chain concerns, consider leveraging shopping holidays such as Black Friday. Doing so can help ensure product availability, and thanks to holiday promotions, help you secure reasonable pricing on needed items.

• One of the most frustrating aspects of holiday shopping is not finding what you need on store shelves. Using alternative shopping methods such as BOPIS and curbside pickup can offer greater convenience and help ensure that when you visit a store, you won’t leave emptyhanded.

For more holiday shopping tips and insights, visit sensormatic.com.

retailers like Amazon offering this service, you’ll have endless options—at various price points—to meet your shopping needs.

4. Eat, drink and be merry. They often say the way to the heart is through the stomach. So, whether it’s a foodie friend or a family member who has it all, making their favorite meal, treat, drink or dessert can be the ultimate thoughtful gift.

Plus, it can provide you quality time together as you deliver the delicious treats to their home or host them at yours -- that is… if they’ll share!

5. Write a message by hand. In an age where everything is digital, seeing a loved one’s handwriting—whether it’s scribbled by a child or printed by a grandparent— can be a special memento and unique way to customize a gift.

Gift ideas could be handwritten messages and affirmations; a recipe book of your family favorites; or your handwriting could be inscribed onto a gift item like a keychain, picture frame or necklace.

Just remember, it’s the thought that counts. And luckily many personalized gifts don’t have to be costly to be remembered.

Festive ways to thank your holiday host

As you make your way to holiday gatherings this season, be sure to show your hosts gratitude for opening their homes to you.

There are many thoughtful ways to thank a holiday host, but the best gestures are those that include personalized touches to leave an impression on the recipient.

For example, don’t just bring a bottle of wine with you to the party.

Share on the label why you selected that particular variety for your host. Sending thanks the next day?

Go above and beyond a regular message with something unforgettable, like a video greeting from SmashUps by American Greetings, which features celebrities and fun characters and can be personalized.

While gifts for hosts don’t need to be grand gestures, showing your appreciation for holiday hospitality is a great way to leave an impression and score an invitation to next year’s party.

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Personalized gifts don’t have to be costly to be remembered.

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PHOTO Holiday Gift Guide

Though this holiday season may resemble the last few years in many ways, shoppers’ motivations for going digital have changed. Having a game plan can help you score great deals and find what you need.

STATEPOINT PHOTO Holiday Gift Guide

How to create the perfect charcuterie board for your holiday party

Are you hosting a holiday party and looking for a simple way to impress your guests?

The Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop is sharing steps for building an eyecatching and mouth-watering charcuterie board that will add color, flavor and variety to your holiday table.

1. Grab a platter or surface to display your charcuterie. Anything will work, even a simple cutting board. Just be sure to choose a size that you can fill completely.

2. Use dishes or ramekins of mismatched sizes, shapes and colors to hold dressings, toppings and sauces. This will keep your board clean and add fun visual details to the display.

3. Include two to four cheeses of contrasting flavors and textures to please all palates, and to complement other elements of the board. The varieties you select should represent these basic categories: hard cheese, (such as Chardonnay Bellavitano) soft cheese, (such as brie) and blue cheese (such as French Roquefort).

4. While a traditional charcuterie board typically sticks with cured meats, the holiday season is the perfect occasion for adding depth and richness to your feast with grilled meats, such as filet, sliced into strips.

Those from Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop are lean, flavorful, and melt in your mouth, making them a natural choice for a hearty holiday spread. Whether you are firing up the grill or preparing on a cooktop, allow any cooked meats to rest

well before adding them to your board.

5. No charcuterie board is complete without some crunch. Add two to three options like pita crackers, crusty breads or toasted baguettes that will stand up to the weight of your meats and cheeses.

6. Now, add some brightness and sweetness to your board. Fresh fruits like blueberries, strawberries and green grapes, and preserves such as peach pepper jam, will add contrast to rich, salty meats and cheeses.

Don’t forget seasonal sweets and treats like soft peppermints, peanut brittle, chocolate dipped pretzels and candied nuts.

7. You’ll want your charcuterie board to look as if it’s overflowing. So, as you’re building it out, start with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats first, followed by smaller items like crackers, fresh produce and sweets.

Fill in any holes with sprigs of aromatic rosemary for trimming, along with additional portions of the smaller items. The various elements of the board should pair well together, so it’s okay if they touch.

For additional hosting tips, or to shop for seasonal gifts and your holiday spread, visit trbutchershop.com. For 15% off your order, use the promo code PARTY15.

To wow your guests and their tastebuds, take your charcuterie board to the next level with seasonal treats, grilled meats and a cornucopia of sweet and savory flavors.

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Alp and Dell Cheese Store: A must visit in the Midwest

Tony and Esther Zgraggen, owners of the Alp and Dell Cheese Store, immigrated in the 1980’s to the United States from Switzerland. At that time they had a Dairy farm and for 5 years took cheese to the farmers market in Madison. After being absent from the Dairy industry for several years, they found the way back to the “cheese” with the purchase of the Alp and Dell Cheese Store in April 2009.

The Alp and Dell Cheese Store is located in Green County, the Heart of Wisconsin’s Dairy and Cheese Industry. Green County has about 400 Dairy farms producing 530 million pounds of milk annually. In the

remaining 13 Cheese factories in Green County, many master cheesemakers are busy turning this farm fresh product into Green County Gold.

The Alp and Dell Cheese store is a leader in quality, selection and price. Along with the local cheeses, Alp & Dell offers a nice selection of well known imported cheese from Europe. A well balanced selection of wines from throughout the world and some locally brewed beers round out our assortment. The Midwest magazine picked the Alp and Dell cheese store as one of the “must visit places” in the Midwest in 2011.

Alp

Great holiday gift ideas for kids

Stumped for holiday gifts for kids? Brighten the season for little ones by checking out these great gift ideas below:

Unique experiences

One-of-a-kind experiences can expand a child’s worldview and help create lifelong memories. There are numerous ideas to consider that will appeal to a broad range

of interests.

For a sports enthusiast, consider a oneon-one outing to a major or minor league game. Many teams host special theme nights for fans, so you may want to do a little research so you can dovetail your plans with an event geared toward kids.

For a budding musician, consider a

gift certificate to a local music center that could be put toward the instrument of their choice or lessons with an instructor.

Finally, if your gift recipient loves exploring the natural world, gift them tickets to the zoo or aquarium, or take them on an outdoor adventure where you can hike the trails and spot real-world flora and fauna.

Notable toys

When it comes to selecting the best toys, you can take some of the guesswork out of the equation by referring to the Toy Foundation’s Toy of the Year Awards (TOTY). Toys nominated for this distinction represent the best of the best, and are beloved by kids and parents alike.

Nominated for the Infant/Toddler category this year is the VTech Level Up Gaming Chair. Boasting a swivel chair, joystick and pretend headphones, this preschool game station gives little gamers an opportunity to be just like big-kid gamers. With no WiFi required, the interactive gaming tablet teaches letters, numbers, animals and music with gaming sound effects, and progresses with kids to teach words and meanings. The tablet even detaches from the tray to be taken on-the-go.

Nominated in the Plush toy category is the LeapFrog My Pal Scout Smarty Paws, a

cute, cuddly and customizable friend. Little ones can touch his front paws, ears and back paw for silly reactions, music, lullabies, games and mindfulness exercises.

You can even personalize the play and learning across more than 15 activities by programming Scout with your gift recipient’s name and their favorite food, color and animal.

Scout introduces first words, counting, feelings and emotions, and even teaches kids how to spell their own name.

A third TOTY finalist you’ll want to consider putting on your gift list is the LeapFrog Clean Sweep Learning Caddy, which shows kids that cleaning can be all fun and games with boogie-down dance breaks and silly directions like, “Hop while you mop!

Now dance to the left and dance to the right!” The cute face on the bucket lights up and sings as kids pretend to clean, with a press of the pedal the mop spins, and as you pump out imaginary soap it makes funny squirting sounds. To shop these and other TOTY-nominated toys, visit amazon. com.

From tailored experiences to this year’s best toys, you can have all your gifts for kids covered and avoid some of the usual stress of the holiday shopping season.

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Five screen-free holiday gift ideas for families

Holiday shopping for families with children? Check out these five totally screen-free gift ideas that are sure brighten the season by getting families to spend some much-needed quality time together.

1. Upgraded outdoor games: Give outdoor play an upgrade with KidiGo NexTag from VTech, designed for ages 5 and up. Way more than just tag, it’s a high-tech spin on 20 different backyard games including capture the flag, freeze tag and hide-and-seek. To play, all you need are the four included electronic units and adjustable arm bands.

A friendly voice explains the quick and easy-to-learn rules and no referee is required -- the game lets you know who got tagged, who’s safe and who’s it. With single- and multi-player options, the whole family can get in on the fun, especially when you combine two systems. Play indoors or out with a 135-foot range between units. All you have to do is press the big button and tag, you’re it!

2. Kitchen assistance: Introduce adults and kids alike to the fundamentals of baking with a family-friendly baking kit subscription. Each month, a new kit is mailed to your recipients’ home with recipes, activity booklets and all the ingredients needed to create something delicious.

3. Swim time: The weather may be frightful, but that’s no reason why families can’t enjoy a delightful day at the pool. Consider gifting your favorite family with a day pass to an indoor aquatic center or water park.

For families with young children, look for a facility that offers splash pads and swim lessons. For those with older kids who are already proficient swimmers, check for amenities like water slides and wave pools. Want to take it a step further? Sign your recipients up for an indoor pool membership until summer returns.

4. Inspiration: Give families all the ideas and inspiration they need to beat boredom, create new traditions and make memories with “The Adventure Challenge: Family Edition.” This journal offers 50 adventures in different categories, along with space to share thoughts and photos about each experience.

5. Board – not bored: Encourage some good old fashioned family fun with board games. From chess and checkers to modern classics to the latest trendy games, this is a gift option that’s sure to engage family members of all ages.

Five holiday gift ideas for grilling enthusiasts

The most thoughtful holiday gifts are often those that show your loved one you support their hobbies and passions. To brighten the season for grilling enthusiasts, check out the following gift guide:

Hand-trimmed steaks

From perfectly aged bone-in ribeyes to

tender, juicy NY Strip steaks, the Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop is an ecommerce site that specializes in restaurant-quality beef any home chef will be delighted to throw on the grill or stovetop.

With prices to meet all budgets, you can order specific cuts for your recipient – which will arrive in a Styrofoam cooler,

packaged with dry ice and individually sealed -- or opt for a gift card, so they can make their own selections. Each order helpfully comes with preparation instructions and tips -- from the thawing and seasoning to the grilling temperature and doneness.

The brand also offers a wealth of recipes and resources on its site to guide gift recipients as they create delicious meals. To learn more, visit trbutchershop. com. For 15 percent off your order, use the promo code: GRILLGIFT15.

A grilling thermometer

Even the best cuts of meat can be compromised when they aren’t cooked to the ideal temperature. To help your gift recipient achieve perfectly grilled steaks and other meats every time, take the guesswork out of the equation for them with a grilling thermometer.

Beyond all the features you’d expect in a grilling thermometer, today’s hightech options also connect to apps, so that enterprising cooks can step away from the grill to attend to other food prepping tasks.

A personalized apron

Whether you go for a standard monogram, a full name or include a catch

phrase or other design, a personalized apron makes a great gift for home chefs and grill masters.

Just be sure your choice is made from a material that conducts heat poorly and is durable, stain-resistant, low-maintenance, and features pockets of various sizes to stash mitts, tools and other kitchen supplies. An adjustable neck strap and back tie can also help ensure the apron fits as intended.

A tool rack

High-quality grilling tools are only useful when the griller knows where they are. For easy organization, deck out your gift recipient’s deck or patio with a stylish mounted tool rack where they can keep their tongs, spatula, grill brush and other supplies handy.

A portable grill

Let your recipient take the show on the road with a portable grill. Great for camping, tailgating and other adventures, handy lightweight designs travel well and set up in a snap. With charcoal and gas varieties available, you are certain to find a model that fits your recipient’s needs and preferences.

Alpacas Farm Store

Pacesetter Alpacas Farm Store is open now through Christmas with regular weekend hours of Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday Noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment. If you need something for that “hard to buy for” person, we have lots of warm and soft alpaca hats, scarves, mittens, blankets, rugs, yarns and socks, socks and more socks. Give the gift of “warmth” this holiday season. We wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season.

Pacesetter Alpacas is located at 5546 W. Plymouth Church Road, Beloit.

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