Georgia Home Wins Deck the House Contest and $100,000 Prize

After thousands of votes from across the country, a Dallas home was crowned the best decked house in the country and the winner of $100,000 for local schools.

Recycle Your Christmas Tree and Help Beautify Gwinnett County

Bring your Christmas tree to one of these locations in Lawrenceville and help Gwinnett County parks and properties.

Now that Christmas has come and passed, what to do with that old tree? Rather than just dragging the tired tree to the curb, why not give it a second life?   Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful is asking you to bring your old tannenbaums to their annual "Bring One for the Chipper" tree recycling campaign. From now until Jan. 18, 2013, Gwinnett County residents can take their undecorated Christmas trees to one of several locations for recycling. In Lawrenceville, they are: Click here for other locations across Gwinnett County. On Jan. 26th the collected trees will be taken to Bethesda Park in Lawrenceville, where they will be shredded. Much of the mulch will then be used to help keep Gwinnett County Parks beautiful. Volunteers are needed for the …

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When Will Santa Get to Lawrenceville?

NORAD is tracking Santa route this Christmas Eve. You and your children can follow him as he goes from house to house around the world.

For 365 days out of this year (2012 was a leap year), the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) spends its time tracking airplanes, missiles, space ships—anything flying near the United States and Canada.  But on Christmas Eve, a team of volunteers spends the night tracking a very special pilot: Santa Claus.  "We are the only organization that has the technology, the qualifications and the people to do it," NORAD said on its website. "NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows his route, which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house."  Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west, NORAD noticed, meaning he moves from the South Pacific to New Zealand, …

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Last Minute Holiday Shopping: Is That Gift Card a Good Idea?

The Better Business Bureau is warning that some gift cards may not be such a good, quick idea after all.

'Twas just hours before Christmas. And, if you still have shopping to do, a gift card may just end up being what you buy someone. However, some of those cards are actually more trouble than they're worth -- literally. The Better Business Bureau is advising consumers of what they should know before purchasing that all-too-convenient gift card. Gift Card Tips The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which took effect in 2010, established standards that give consumers additional protections when using gift cards. The standards prohibit retailers from setting expiration dates less than five years after the card is purchased and charging dormancy, inactivity, and service fees unless the card has not been used …

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GDOT Keeping Holiday Travel Merry

Because Christmas Day falls on a Tuesday, GDOT is anticipating more travelers on Georgia's highways during the holiday period.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will suspend construction-related lane closures on all interstates and major state routes from 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, through midnight Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, for holiday travelers. The exception will be incident management or emergency maintenance-related lane closures that could become necessary, according to a press release issued by GDOT. Also, crews may still be working, and heavy equipment may remain staged in close proximity to highways. Safety concerns may require some long-term lane closures remain in place.  GDOT anticipates more travelers than usual during the holiday period with Christmas Day falling on a Tuesday. The department reminds travelers to exercise caution due to the heavy …

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Check Out the Best “Decked” Houses Near Lawrenceville

You voted and these houses were the top vote-getters in Gwinnett County in our Deck the House contest. Could one of these win $100,000 for Gwinnett County Public Schools?

Who has the best “decked” houses in Gwinnett County?  According to users who voted in our annual Deck the House contest, these homes in neighboring Buford, Lilburn and Loganville-Grayson have the best holiday lights in the area.  We had tons of national entries in this year’s Deck the House contest and in our quest to find the most over-the-top holiday decorations in the country, we’ve seen everything from a life-size Santa to holiday lights so bright they could blind the neighbors. We loved showcasing everyone’s holiday spirit, but Deck the House isn’t over yet. We’re still looking for the one home so spectacularly decorated that it could be the national grand prize winner of our contest. We will choose 24 finalists from all our entries …

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How to Pick the Perfect Christmas Tree

How to pick out the best tree for your home, preference and price point.

Picking out a Christmas tree can sometimes make you feel like you're in "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Any given tree can either be too short, too tall, too bald, too bushy or have a myriad of other problems. So how can you tell which tree is the right one for you? To help select your favorite tree, the characteristics of the more popular species are listed below. Douglas fir:  This tree is generally available as a sheared tree and is the most common species found on tree lots. It has a nice fragrance and a medium-to-good shelf life. Because of the thick, bushy crowns, they do not lend themselves to large or heavy decorations.  This species is the easiest to grow because it is relatively problem-free.  It requires seven to eight years to …

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Recipes to Celebrate Hanukkah 2012

Make these brisket, latke, and sufganiyot recipes for Hanukkah.

This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 8, and it ends on the evening of Sunday, Dec. 16. Observing the Festival of Lights goes hand-in-hand with making special Hanukkah foods. Before you light the menorah, make sure you have all the ingredients for some great brisket, latke, and sufganiyot. Although there are many recipes, below are a few to try during the eight nights. Potato Latkes Ingredients Instructions Once they are ready to eat, try them with some apple sauce mixed with sugar & cinnamon, sour cream or just a sprinkling of salt. Brisket Ingredients Instructions   Sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) from chabad.org Ingredients Instructions What are your favorite things to eat during Hanukkah? Do you have any special or …

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One Cool Christmas Tree

Check out the Lawrenceville Patch tree and others at the Aurora Theatre's Festival of trees.

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Shipping & Mailing Deadlines from USPS for 2012 Holiday Packages

The USPS offers tips and suggestions so holiday packages arrive in time for the holidays.

Are you one of the many holiday revelers with families and friends spread all over the country and the world? If so, even before you dive into that gift list, it's important to know how early must you buy, wrap and post holiday gifts so they get to their destination in time for the holidays. “The holiday season is the busiest time of year for the Postal Service but we are prepared to deliver,” Atlanta District Manager Salvatore Vacca said in a press release. During this holiday season, Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, the Postal Service also expects: Here are some suggestions and mailing deadline dates from the USPS to ensure your gifts are delivered on time and in one piece: The Postal Service recommends the following mail-by dates to …

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