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Thrifting, regifting and bargain hunting: The etiquette of gift-giving on a budget

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

Five years ago, Julie Blais Comeau received a present. Then she learned the Christmas-themed apron and dish towel weren’t for her — originally.“I got a gift from somebody that was intended for someone else,” she said, laughing. The gift tag hadn’t even been swapped for one with her name.Regiftingremains one of many fraught areas of trading presents with family, friends and colleagues, a holiday dance as delicate as a Christmas ornament. And as consumers grapple withhigher interest rates and inflation, questions about how to juggle second-hand items, bargain hunting and personal expectations loom larger than ever.An Equifax survey found that some 68 per cent of respondents plan to budget for holiday shopping this year, up from 57 per cent in 2022.One starting point is simply talking frankly with loved ones or co-workers to lay out ground rules — guardrails, hard or soft, that aim to accommodate everyone’s financial situation.“Have that family meeting,” said Blais Comeau, an etiquette...

Chicago excited for 89th annual Thanksgiving parade

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

CHICAGO — Before thousands sit down for a great meal, residents will be able enjoy the 89th annual Chicago Thanksgiving Parade downtown.The route proceeds down State Street from Congress to Randolph and kicked off at 8:40 a.m.A favorite of paradegoers, the giant, five-story tall helium balloons make a return this year.Some favorites that will be featured will be Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Tasmanian Devil and Tweety Bird. Mostly sunny Thanksgiving for Chicago area It's the 89th annual parade and Reyna Roberts, Tayler Holder, avery r. young, the Poet Laureate of Chicago and the Chicago Korean Dance Company are scheduled to perform.

Why are turkeys associated with Thanksgiving?

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

(WHTM) -- As people across the country prepare their holiday meals, here's some food for thought: Why are turkeys associated with Thanksgiving?According to Britannica, many people believe that the pilgrims ate turkey during the very first Thanksgiving in 1621. But there is no real proof that turkey was served. The only bird mentioned by the pilgrims during that time was the "wild fowl." If your frozen turkey weighs this much, take it out of the freezer today Fowl could mean turkeys, geese, or ducks were served on the first Thanksgiving. Turkeys may have been served, but the Old Farmer's Almanac states that back in that time, turkey was not a typical food.By the turn of the 19th century, turkey had become a popular protein on holidays. Britannica said there are a few reasons why. One reason is that turkeys were common, with roughly 10 million being in America at the time of European contact. Another reason is that a turkey can feed a family. Ashley Rose Young, a historian at the Sm...

How should you put out a grease fire?

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

(WHTM) -- With many people in the kitchen cooking Thanksgiving meals, there is always a risk of fires. Most types of fires can be put out with water, but there is one type of fire that you should always keep away from water. Grease fires occur when cooking oil becomes too hot. According to Brigade Fire Protection, when cooking with oil, first it will boil and then smoke. If you do not then take it off the heat, the oil will catch fire. It can take less than 30 seconds for smoking oil to catch fire.But why can't you use water to put out that fire? That's because the molecules in water and oil do not mix. According to ADT, water can cause flaming oil to spread. Oil has less density than water, so when the water comes into contact with a grease fire, the water sinks under the grease, which pushes the oil to the surface. Pennsylvania officials offer tips to avoid holiday cooking accidents The water will rapidly heat and vaporize. Since the water is under the oil, the vaporized water c...

Qatar says Gaza cease-fire will begin Friday morning, with aid to follow 'as soon as possible'

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A four-day cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas will began Friday morning, Qatar said, a day later than originally announced, as negotiators worked out final details of the deal, which is to lead to the release of dozens of hostages held by militants and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.The diplomatic breakthrough promised some relief for the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, as well as families in Israel fearful for the fate of their loved ones taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.The deal appeared to hit a last-minute snag when Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, announced a one-day delay late Wednesday, without providing a reason. The cease-fire was originally set to begin Thursday morning.On Thursday, Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, which played a key role in mediating with Hamas, announced the cease-fire will start at...

Thomas Friedman: The rescuers

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

RAHAT, Israel — I confess that as a longtime observer of the Arab-Israeli conflict, I aggressively avoid both the “From the river to the sea” activists on the pro-Palestinian left and the similarly partisan zealots on the “Greater Israel” Zionist right — not just because I find their exclusivist visions for the future abhorrent but also because the reporter in me finds them so blind to the complexities of the present.They aren’t thinking about the Jewish mother in Jerusalem who told me in one breath how she just got a gun license to protect her kids from Hamas, and in the next about how much she trusted her kids’ Palestinian Arab teacher, who rushed her children to the school bomb shelter during a recent Hamas air raid. They aren’t thinking about Alaa Amara, the Israeli Arab shop owner from Taibe, who donated 50 bicycles to Jewish kids who survived the Hamas attack on their border communities on Oct. 7, only to see his shop torched, apparently by hard-line nationalist Israeli Arab y...

Readers share why they are thankful for their pets — and why their pets are thankful for them

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

Every weekday in the Morning Report, our free newsletter, we summarize the local news of the day and sign off with photos of our readers’ pets.While the photos are mostly of cats and dogs, we also have shared pictures and stories of bunnies, guinea pigs, parakeets, Betta fish, miniature donkeys and many other creatures great and small.Recently, as Thanksgiving approached, we asked newsletter readers to tell us why they are thankful for their pets — and to consider why their pets might be thankful for them.Sarah and Eric Walburg with their dog Penny, a terrier mix, while on a walk in their Como Park neighborhood in St. Paul on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. Adopted from Happy Tails Rescue in Fridley, Sarah writes “I am thankful for Penny because she helps my husband and I get outside every day for walks, which has led to meeting lots of wonderful people around the neighborhood.” (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Sarah Walburg of St. Paul responded with a shoutout to Penny, the dog s...

Qatar says Gaza cease-fire will begin Friday morning, with aid to follow ‘as soon as possible’

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

By WAFAA SHURAFA and KAREEM CHEHAYEB (Associated Press)DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A four-day cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas will began Friday morning, Qatar said, a day later than originally announced, as negotiators worked out final details of the deal, which is to lead to the release of dozens of hostages held by militants and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.The diplomatic breakthrough promised some relief for the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, as well as families in Israel fearful for the fate of their loved ones taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.The deal appeared to hit a last-minute snag when Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, announced a one-day delay late Wednesday, without providing a reason. The cease-fire was originally set to begin Thursday morning.On Thursday, Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, which played a key role in media...

Police patrols to increase over Thanksgiving weekend

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Police patrols are on the rise this Thanksgiving weekend, for what many departments consider one of the busiest weekends of the year for revelry. Colonie Police Department has announced that extra officers will be deployed around Colonie this weekend - as other departments will do across the state. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! In a release on Thursday, the department said extra care will be taken to spot impaired drivers this holiday weekend, Nov. 23-26, and get them off the streets safely. The patrols support Albany County's STOP-DWI initiative, as well as state efforts to curb the number of crashes, injuries, and deaths stemming from impaired driving."The night before Thanksgiving has become an especially popular night for revelry as so many people return home for the holiday and renew old acquaintances. Police caution those going out to celebrate throughout the weekend have a plan for returning ho...

Tips to avoid food-related illnesses this Thanksgiving

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:32:37 GMT

As many Americans look forward to sharing a meal with their loved ones this holiday season, the chances of getting sick increase, especially from a foodborne illness.Commonly known as food poisoning, a foodborne illness can occur when you eat something contaminated by disease-causing germs like bacteria, parasites or viruses.Food contamination usually happens when food isn’t cooked or reheated thoroughly, stored correctly or mishandled, along with other causes. Here’s where to get a Thanksgiving meal if you don’t feel like cooking According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, about one in six Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases.The CDC has compiled a list of tips to help ensure Thanksgiving meals are cooked correctly and won’t get anyone sick.Store the turkey properly If you purchased a frozen turkey, it should be stored in a freezer at zero degrees or below. The turkey should re...