Gift Ideas to Help Unplug, Recharge

Not every gift this season has to come with a battery charger.

In this increasingly digitalized world, we can’t go anywhere without packing the chargers, the battery packs, the DVDs and the game systems. But what happens when the power goes out? How do we escape from it all? Yes, there truly is life and entertainment outside of the electrically-charged world. Here are a few gift ideas to help friends and family unplug and recharge. Books Check out Barnes and Noble in St. Peters for the newest bestsellers or tried-and-true classics. Bookstores’ shelves are stocked with adventures waiting beyond the front cover. Have a traveler in your posse? Check out the travelogues. So your mother-in-law is hooked on reality TV shows? You’ll find plenty of drama in the fiction section. Nothing beats cozying up in …

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Patch Picks!

Patch Picks: Six Perfect Father's Day Gifts

From the bookworm dad to the foodie freak, these gift ideas are bound to make your one and only dad happy as a clam.

Father's Day is coming up soon, and you don't want to get stuck scrounging up another tie or bottle of cologne to give dad. You know how much he means to you, so this year, take the chance to show it. This week's Patch Picks brings you specific, well-thought out gift ideas for you to choose from, or that might inspire you to come up with your own perfect way to say, "You're my # 1 dad." Patch Picks: Six Perfect Father's Day Gifts

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Mother's Day: Fast Facts About Motherhood, Part Three

Lake Saint Louis Patch celebrates moms!

Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day in 1908, quickly became disgusted with the commercialization of the holiday, especially by the floral industry. She tried to stop a 1923 Mother's Day event and petitioned against a Mother's Day stamp that featured a vase of white carnations. (Thanks, MothersDayCentral.com) In honor of Mother's Day, Lake Saint Louis Patch offers five fast facts about Mother's Day gifts, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau: So don't fret, there's probably a store somewhere still open where you can pick up something nice for Mom!  

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Shopping Around

Wedding Gifts: Shopping Without the Registry

Your guide to finding presents that aren’t clichéd or closet-sitters

Once the flowers start sprouting and the birds start singing, you know it’s getting to be that time of year again — wedding season. Nowadays, couples usually have a registry set up at their favorite department stores, but what if the only things left on it are out of your price range? Maybe you don’t want to be “Aunt Laurie who gave us that ugly toaster.” Perhaps there’s no registry at all and you’d like to make a non-monetary gesture. What, then, is out there that you can buy that won’t ultimately end up at a garage sale? When my husband and I were composing our registry, we never thought to include wedding-related décor or giftware. Someone had to give us a photo album for us to remember we didn’t have one! First, then, I would recommend…

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Shopping Around

Valentine’s Shopping for the Dedicated Duo

Get something special for a very special someone.

Even if you’ve made it past the first few awkward occasions of romantic gift giving, you still might need a few new ideas for this year. You might even have a little extra money to spend. In both cases, a whole new range of gifts has opened up for you. Would you like to give something sparkly? Something useful? Or perhaps something to help rekindle the romance? Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking.   You’ve probably taken plenty of pictures together by this time, and plenty of stories to go along with them. So, why not tell a story with your pictures? There are loads of collage picture frames available, at WalMart, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond for all sorts of decorating tastes. For high-school sweethearts, assemble a collection…

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Shopping Around

Valentine's Day Shopping for the Casual Couple

Check out these gift ideas for those of you just starting down the Road to Romance.

If you’re in a new relationship and faced with the obligation of romantic gift-giving that the Valentines holiday represents, it’s easy to understand that you might be uncomfortable searching for a thoughtful and cute gift that’s just appropriate enough for someone you’re getting to know. The last thing you want to do at this point in a relationship is to scare someone off with an engagement-like ring or personalized his and hers towels. So what does the shopping guru recommend for this situation? Really, it doesn’t have to be that hard. Just think of everyday things. Start with a nice photo of the two of you. You’ve probably got a load of candid pictures on your phone already, right? Print and frame (or, for a nicer finish, take your …

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Florist Offers Variety to the Last-Minute Shopper

Gregori's has a selection that goes far beyond bouquets and can be ordered round-the-clock.

There are only a few days left until Christmas and it's a busy time for all -- decorating, gift purchasing, get-together organizing. Sometimes it can become a little overwhelming and you might find you need some help getting it all done. Gregori's Florist can help. While they no longer have a storefront to call their own in Lake Saint Louis (they lost the lease on their Lake Saint Louis Boulevard address), they continue to create and deliver beautiful flower arrangements in the area that can instantly and easily brighten up your home for Christmas or add that final last minute touch to your holiday party. Gregori's has been in operation for more than ten years. According to their website, Gregori's offers "an exceptional variety of fresh …

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Ten Things...For the Holidays.

Ten Things That Drain Your Wallet Besides Presents at Christmas

Why are there so many things that cost you money in December when you need to spend your dough on gifts?

Unless you've been contributing to a Christmas club fund all year, chances are you'll be taking your Christmas spending out of your general account, or worse putting it on a credit card.  And while we all love Christmas, let's be honest, we're paying for it for the other eleven months of the year.  Perhaps if we could get a break on a few other (what I will deem unessential) costs in December, the holidays would go down a lot easier.  Still, maybe these are the essentials and all the stuff we want to buy is just stuff.  You decide. 

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