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Holiday Happenings

• Oregon College of Arts and Crafts Sale
• Village Gallery of Arts Gift Guide
• School Holiday Concerts
• River City House of Praise
• Visit Santa!
• Shelter Animals: Home for the Holidays
• Dinihanians has Christmas in store
• Giving Clutter Free Gifts
• UPS Store Thinks Outside the Box for the Holidays

Oregon College of Arts and Crafts Sale

The Oregon College of Arts and Crafts continues their sale of student and faculty work, including handmade beautiful bangles, enchanting earrings, gorgeous glass, charming ceramics, and much more! OCAC is open daily through December 22, 10 am- 3 pm. Visit their website for the special holiday hours. In general, members enjoy a 10% courtesy discount all year. You can renew your membership or become a member at the shop. Every purchase supports OCAC and their artists.

Village Gallery of Arts Gift Guide

The VGA, located next to the Cedar Mill Library, is proud to present their first annual gift-giving idea book, available online.The link will take you directly to their holiday guide; featuring bios of some of their artists and information about the art they have available for sale in the gallery this month. Gifts are going for as little as $15.

Holiday Show And Sale: Shop local and consider the gift of affordable fine art and craft items. Village Gallery offers a wide selection of gifts ranging in price from $20 to $200: original paintings, fused glass dishes and ornaments, handmade journals, pottery, jewelry and fine art photography. In addition to its regular business hours, the gallery will be open until 6 pm every Friday leading up to Christmas.

School Holiday Concerts

With Christmas approaching, so are the Beaverton School District Middle and High School holiday performing arts! During the month of December, schools all around the area are putting on many shows and concerts for the holidays.

• Cedar Park Middle School: Choir Concert, December 18, 7 pm. A Christmas Carol (Drama) December 12, 13, 14, 7pm.
• Stoller Middle School: Band Concert, December 17, 7 pm.
• Sunset High School: Choir Concert, December 17, 7 pm. Band Holiday Concert, December 19, 7 pm.
• Westview High School: Choir Concert, December 17, 7 pm. Band Concert, December 18, 7 pm.

River City House of Praise

The River City House of Praise is a radio-style gospel show filled with comedy, music, and sound effects! Presented at Christ United Methodist Church on NW Dogwood Street, this is a onetime event on Sunday, December 22 from 10:15-11:30 am. There is no cost so come by! For any questions call 503-646-1598, email office@cumcpdx.org, or visit www.cumcpdx.org.

Visit Santa!

Second Edition Resale is offering a visit with Santa on Saturday, December 14, 2-4 pm! Bring your children, grandchildren, and camera to Second Edition, located on Cornell Road, for no cost at all. For any questions contact Susan Still at 503-644-6395 or susans@wcdcls.org.

Shelter Animals “Home for the Holidays”

The Bonnie L. Hays Small Animal Shelter, located at 1901 SE 24th Ave. in Hillsboro, cares for lost animals, finds homes for abandoned pets, licenses dogs, enforces animal cruelty laws, and more. They are holding their second annual Gingerbread Dog House Contest at the Cedar Hills Crossing Mall on December 15. Proceeds from the event will help the shelter care for the animals that are dreaming of their homes.

The theme for 2013 is “Home for the Holidays". This could be the home where an animal will spend the holidays, their fantasy holiday destination, mode of transportation to get there, or anything in between. Judging categories are youth (12 & under), teens (13-19), adults (20&over), pet business/organization, culinary students, and culinary professionals.

Entries must be delivered on Sunday, December 15, between 10-11 am, to the Cedar Hills Crossing mall area at 3205 SW Cedar Hills Bl. The show will be open to the public for up-close viewing from 11 am-4 pm on December 15, with the winners announced at 3:30 pm. A People’s Choice Award will also be given to the house that receives the most donations between 11-3 pm. A selection of entries will be on display inside the mall for the rest of December.

There is no cost except a suggested $10 donation to the shelter with each entry. For questions contact Deborah Wood at 503-846-7148.

Dinihanians has Christmas in store

Dinihanians’ Farm Market is transformed during this season into a Christmas Store. In addition to winter produce, available through Christmas Eve, they carry a grand selection of trees up to 13’ tall. Lillian Logan, co-owner with her brother Vahan Dinihanian, says, “We have the largest selection of noble firs in Oregon, as well as other types of your favorite Christmas trees grown on our farms without spray or disease.” They are happy to cut the trunks and help you load the trees onto your vehicle.

They also have a vast selection of handmade decorative one-of-a-kind wreaths made with organic greens—over a dozen different types to fit any need. Mantelpiece decoration can fill your fireplace space with warmth and color, and are handmade with a variety of greens. Other decorated greenery pieces include swags for doors, mantles, indoor or outdoor; and yards of garlands for indoor or outdoor use, handmade with organic greens. They offer shipping anywhere in the USA for a flat fee that includes your personal note along with a wreath or swag of your choice.

Wreaths designed to fit candles for tabletop warmth and unique decorating, as well as tapers, sticks, and more, plus a whole wall of bows for gifts and decorating. If you want to design your own display, they offer Greens by the Pound: Aromatic branches from cedar, noble, and juniper trees. To round out your holiday season shopping, they carry locally-made crafts and gifts including aprons, soaps, cards, and more.

Winter produce includes fresh-pressed cider made with a special mix of sweet and savory apples; a variety of fresh pears and apples; pies made with their fruit; jams made with Hood River fruits; and “keeper” root vegetables from their farm while they last.

The store is open daily from 10 am-6 pm. Enjoy a complimentary hot drink, including a sample of their delicious cider, while you breath in the aroma of Christmas! Located on their holly and produce farm, with the entrance at 15005 NW Cornell, just opposite the Oak Hills Shopping Center—just look for the signs!

Giving Clutter Free Gifts

It’s that time of year when we begin to consider what gifts we will give to the people in our lives. We put a lot of effort into these gifts, but it is still often a challenge to find gifts that will not end up as clutter by the new year.

Here are a few gift ideas that will allow the recipient to appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity without adding to their pile of stuff:

• Gift Certificates:
  These can be very meaningful if you thoughtfully design them to be specific to the recipient. Draw on the information you know about them to provide things like a dinner at their favorite restaurant, a massage to help them relax after a stressful time, or a manicure before an interview.


• Involvement in an Experience:
  Everyone has dream activities or hobbies. Think about an experience your recipient would enjoy, and give them the tickets or admission for this experience. Some examples are, tuition for a series of cooking classes, game tickets for their favorite team, admission for time on a race track with a special car, or concert tickets for their favorite artist. They will enjoy the experience and recall your kindness, but they won’t be left with items that needlessly fill up space.


• Financial/Charitable Donation:
  You can help support a cause that your recipient is involved in or is passionate about. When a gift is given in their name, most charities will gladly send a card or note acknowledging them and the gift. The best part of this gift is that not only does the person you are giving to benefit from your thoughtfulness, but so does the charity and the cause it addresses.


• Talent:
  Although this is listed last, it certainly isn’t least. You, yourself, have much to offer. Perhaps you are a wonderful gardener and can help them with a few hours of spring flower planting, or you love to cook and can offer to prepare and freeze several meals for them. Maybe you are knowledgeable about computers and can offer to help them update their system. No matter what kind of skills you may possess, it is possible to give these as a gift to show you care.

Questions or comments, contact Beth Giles at beth@nworganizingsolutions.com or 503-709-0791.

UPS Store Thinks Outside the Box for the Holidays

While many customers know they can rely on The UPS Store to handle the hassle of packing and shipping their holiday gifts, they’re also discovering that they can check other items off of their holiday to-do lists at The UPS Store located at Peterkort Towne Square, 10940 SW Barnes Rd.

This time of year, we’re busy helping customers design and print holiday newsletters, invitations and programs. Customers can select from a variety of professional printing and finishing options.

Customers who do a lot of online and catalogue shopping can open a mailbox if they don’t want their items sitting on their doorstep while they are not at home. Plus, to make it even easier, The UPS Store will notify customers via email or text message when they have a package waiting for pick up, eliminating unnecessary trips.

Shoppers looking for last-minute gift ideas can find an assortment of wireless, cell phone, and laptop accessories, and miscellaneous gift items ideal for stocking stuffers and office gift exchanges available at The UPS Store.

The UPS Store advises customers that Mondays are typically the busiest shipping days, and Dec.16-20 is expected to be the busiest week of the year. Most UPS Ground packages require five days or less to reach their destination, but if you’re shipping coast-to-coast, it may take longer. Bad weather can also create unexpected delays. This year, Christmas falls on a Wednesday. If you wait until the week of Christmas, you’ll have to select a premium service for delivery on Monday, Dec. 23.

In addition, The UPS Store offers customers the opportunity to make a difference in their communities by contributing to the Toys for Tots Literacy Program. Through Dec. 31, participating The UPS Store locations will sell donation cards to benefit the Toys for Tots Literacy Program. Every dollar donated helps purchase books for less fortunate children in local communities throughout the U.S.

The UPS Store located at Peterkort Towne Square has convenient extended hours during the holidays. For additional information, visit their website or call 503-646-9999.

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