Last-minute Shopping Deals, Free Shipping & Holiday Markets

OK, Christmas is just around the corner and if you're anything like me then you haven't even begun to shop! I know, I know, there was Black Friday... and Cyber Monday... but oops! I kinda bought stuff for myself :-o

Now it's crunch time. What do we do?

Online shoppers: you can still find post-Cyber Monday deals on sites like Groupon and Living Social where you can literally buy a store credit at 50% off or even more, print it out and use it the next day. 

But, if you have to ship a present to say family in Skokie, Ill. or Dubuque, Iowa then you can save on shipping with coupon codes, which are all listed on Freeshipping.org. The site also lists major online retailers, like Best Buy and Macys who offer free shipping through the holidays.

Old School Shoppers: (meaning you actually leave your house and buy items in person) then consider heading down to your local craft market for cool and unique finds. Because the craftsmen are usually business owners, too, then you might be able to negotiate on prices if you plan to purchase multiple items.

The Downtown Holiday Market at the corner of 7th and F Streets in DC is open from noon until 8 o' clock everyday from now through Thursday, Dec. 23. 

Check out these cool finds I discovered during a recent visit.  

Turquoise and gold snowflake earrings. $24

Hand painted Gothic-inspired jewelry boxes
by Paul Bierman of Box Boy. Prices vary.

Eclectic mini posters set in sculpted frames. $20 

Photographic Collages of DC landmarks designed
by this lover of all things historic, Matthew Parker.

Mmm... dessert by Curbside Cupcakes.
A sweet gift for anyone.

My favorite find? A $2 finger puppet. Perfect gag
gift for bosses, managers and all other
"puppet masters" in your life.

Free entertainment... a gift to enjoy for yourself
while shopping for others. 

xoxo,

Markette

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Boys II Men Debacle, Holiday Events and Real vs Fake (Christmas trees!)

The famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is up and glowing. 

Each year we get to watch this annual tree lighting ceremony that has become a star-studded holiday tradition. The live telecast this year featured performances by an impressive line-up of celebrity guests including the larger than life Maria Carey. (OK that was a bit of a jab-she looked gorgeous in red and was absolutely glowing. )

Soulful songstress Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban and Millie Vanillie--I mean Boyz II Men.  Oops. What the?? The R&B group were more than caught lip synching during the live broadcast in NYC.

After the group performed "This Christmas," Natalie Moralis went to introduce the next performer Charice, but instead the Boy II Men track started replaying for a good ten seconds.



Twitter and online forums were all abuzz after the incident. But the trio claims that it was "a tech in the control room who made the mistake." Ok whatever. I'm not against lip-synching unless you are selling tickets to fans who believe you will be performing live. Like what Ashley Simpson did on Saturday Night Live, now that's a big no no. And although it certainly made for an awkward moment to be broadcast on live television (more so for performer Charice then anyone or anything.)

But at the end of the day, the tree was all lit up and absolutely breath taking to see, the atmosphere was delightful, and so I say let the festivities continue...

And speaking of festivities don't forget to celebrate the start of the holiday season for the LIGHT UP ROSSLYN ceremony at 1100 Wilson Blvd., under the ABC/WJLA JumboTron. 

Morris Jones will be doing the honors of lighting up the city. Will be sure to ask him all about it on our weekly entertainment segment on Monday. There will be four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree all there! OK not really but there will be hot chocolate and chili from Santa Fe Cafe and cookies and cider to eat and sip while listening to holiday classics from the Beltway Brass and Potomac Harmony Chorus. 

And don't forget it's the third annual Merriment in Georgetown this Saturday. 

Walk the cobbled streets of Georgetown and enjoy some major store discounts, a live performance from the popular kids band Milkshake, complimentary horse-drawn carriage rides, and sit on Santa's lap and take home your photo with him. Gourmet hot chocolate and tasty winter treats will all be on- hand to enjoy. So come one come all! 

And right after that I'm going to go and buy my tree. But the question is should I get a real live Christmas tree or an artificial one? I grew up with artificial ones, but I thought maybe this year I may go to a local Christmas tree farm and try out the real deal. Not sure I'm still on the fence about it. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think! 

REAL CHRISTMAS TREE VS. ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREE

REAL

VS

FAKE

Which one should I choose this year? 

I'm weighing out the pros and cons of both...

Cons for a real live Christmas tree

• Maintenance. The upkeep and  frequent watering is mandatory or your tree will dry out and call it quits on you before you can say Merry Christmas. I've heard some people say their real one only lasted two weeks! 
• Even if you do water and take good care it still has a shorter shelf life than an artificial one.
• Real Christmas trees lose their needles, sometimes all at once causing more time for upkeep or it can be problematic with young children crawling on the floors as some needles can be very sharp!
• Budget wise in the long run it's supposedly better and more cost-effective to buy a tree that you can use over and over. So fake wins over real on that. 
• The sheer number of trees that get discarded after every holiday can be a big waste issue for municipalities that aren't prepared to mulch them for compost.
• Allergies

Cons for an artificial Christmas tree

• It's fake, a phony, and nobody likes a phony. j/k
• It doesn't have that fresh pine scent of a real live Christmas tree.
• Regimented shapes, some look very artificial
• Initial cost
• No aroma
• You don't get the family outing and bonding experience of visiting a tree farm and choosing your tree. 

So after reading that what do you think? Let me know ASAP and leave a comment. Time is a tickin.'

That's it from DC ON HEELS. "Bringing you the best in food, fashion, and fun, in the metro area."

Besos xoxxoxo Vanessa

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