(ARA) – Every year, lists fly around the Internet and airwaves, parents line up in stores and everyone talks about what the season’s hottest toys will be. All the chatter can make it seem like everyone’s forgotten the single most enduring “toy” at the disposal of every child – imagination. Plenty of high-tech toys encourage [...]

(ARA) – When you were a kid, the high-tech items on your back-to-school shopping list probably consisted of nothing more exotic than a pocket calculator and the latest leading-edge running shoes. Times have changed, and back-to-school technology has kept pace. Today, technology is an integral part of school life for students from kindergarten to college. [...]

For years I would kill myself trying to find all the loved ones on my Christmas list their perfect gifts.  I would drag myself all over town and fight horrible traffic and long lines.  That was until last year when I discovered the ease of giving gift cards! I love to receive gift cards so [...]

(ARA) – Buying holiday gifts can be a fun and easy experience when you go to the right place, and there is a certain joy that you get when you see someone opening a gift they’ve been waiting for all year. No matter the age of the person you’re buying for, there is one kind [...]

(NC)—What do your children wish for this holiday season? You’d probably be surprised if they asked for clean water, education, and at least one meal a day. But children in developing countries would like nothing more than these basic essentials we often take for granted. Two-time Olympic champion Catriona Le May Doan experienced this reality [...]

(NC)—Plenty of hand-wringing takes place this time of year over what to give a teacher, a co-worker or the person who has everything. Thankfully, there are plenty of options at our fingertips—particularly in the category of charitable giving. Often, a gift that gives twice is the best gift of all, particularly when your gift recipient [...]

(NC)—This holiday season there are sound environment gift options for every taste. Choose greener gifts by keeping three guidelines in mind: locally sourced, thoughtfully personal and smart wrapping. A simple option is to find something grown or crafted in your area. Local wines, cheeses or seasonal arrangements are always a welcome gift. During the holiday [...]

(ARA) – People are more interested in food and wine than ever. Turn this passion into a fabulous holiday gift: one that will have the recipient enjoying his gift throughout the year. A new trend is emerging with more people developing interest in a carefully cultivated wine and food lifestyle. People are creating their very [...]

(ARA) – The past few years have been hard on the American pocketbook – and psyche. Just when we think we see the light at the end of the recessionary tunnel, something happens to make us pull our belts a little tighter and dampen our spirits. Many of us have had to curtail spending for [...]

(ARA) – The holiday season is upon us. With your goal to wrap up all your holiday shopping by June long since passed, the pressure to find that impossibly perfect gift for everyone on your list now has an overbearing timestamp as well. But fear not, holiday shoppers. The following list of gift ideas and [...]