SANTA SAYS >>>>

It was a sad day for North Pole farmers when it was announced several months ago that Mother Nature would be shutting down her pilot compost collection program because of the budget crunch.

The test program, in which 121 igloos had their food scraps and other organic waste regularly collected by the Pole via green versions of the Pole's curbside recycling carts, had been going strong for a while thanks to donations from the Miser brothers and Burgermeister Meisterburger. The three chaps aren't all bad.

Looks as if home composting in Thurston County is having better results than up here.

Thurston County Solid Waste and Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County are teaming up to offer residents the opportunity to purchase the perfect holiday gift - reduced price home compost bins.  There is guaranteed delivery by Christmas Day.

Santa has to run down to the Monster High Toy Division to fix a problem. Read the press release on the home composting bins from the Thurston County Solid Waste Department after the jump:

Read more...

Comment On This Post

SANTA SAYS >>>>

Discovering a beader is akin to kissing someone for the first time. You walk away from the experience giggling to yourself, agog over how warm the sun feels, how bright the future looks. Everything seems possible.

Many of these sunny folks hangout at Shipwreck Beads. I wandered around the Lacey store awed by the amount of people milling about. I counted 20 individuals at a couple of different points in time.  While there were a few who appeared to be holiday shopping, there was also a pair of young girls working on a project with the help of a salesperson. There were a few grand-matronly types in holiday sweaters looking interestedly at the Christmas project packages, and most surprising to me, there were four men. Only one of these was hanging on to his wife's arm.

A young adult guy was asking a salesperson for project tips while another; older hippie-type was wandering the bins, waiting to check on a special-order bead. The last guy piqued my interest the most: he looked like the kind of guy you'd see quaffing beers with his buddies at the Viking Tavern after a hard day of pouring concrete, but rather than sitting on a barstool, he was standing by the bins of small silver beads and findings. He was poring over the selection, trying to find the perfect ones for a necklace for his girlfriend.

Santa has found Shipwreck's selection inspiring enough to hook me into wanting to be more involved in the hobby of beading. I bet the elves could also use a hand creating beaded poinsettia dollies, beaded poinsettia bathroom mats and beaded poinsettia shower curtains.

Santa says, "Be the bead" - even though I don't really know what that means.

[Shipwreck Beads, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, 8560 Commerce Pl. Dr. NE, Lacey, website]

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

LINK: Santa Says RSS feed

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Give the Weekly Volcano a "LIKE" present

PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 Best of Olympia Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

SANTA SAYS >>>>

Today is Black Friday. Do you know where your hand sanitizer is?

Go Local Tacoma and the national Shift Your Shopping campaign reminds the looming Black Friday swarm to take it easy on the big box stores and see what's being sold at the Mom 'n' Pop.

I'm buyin' local this Xmas, thereby "strengthening the North Pole economy, creating local toy jobs and building communities." Yes, building, bringing people together ... unlike the GOP's order of importance on immigration policies, which was, quote, "[to be] richer, better, and more inclusive."

Oh my.

The Weekly Volcano folks have the word on this whole Shift Your Shopping movement here.

And the local rag also has a toy bag full of local gift suggestions here. Help generate up to two to three times as much economic activity in the community, and get some sweet gifts too.

PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 Best of Olympia Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

LINK: Santa Says RSS feed

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Give the Weekly Volcano a "LIKE" present

SANTA SAYS >>>>

Descending into a Goodwill Christmas Shoppe, you are instantly hit with all things Christmas. From the décor to the gift to the employees - it's all about the holiday season.

Oh, and those employees ...

They dance with jang-jinglers,
tide up to their hells.

They blow their floo-flounders,
they bang their tong-tinklers.

They blow their who-hoovers,
they bang their jang-tinglers.

They beat their tram-tookers,
they slide their sloo-slunckers.

They beat their flam-fluckers,
they whack their who-wonkers.

They play noisy games like Zuziv Ka Zev,
a Roller skates tapler "La Crosse."

And then they make pretty noises like the lux,
on their great big electro-who-cardio-flux.

They show you their chimes, ribbons and bows.
They show you their cups, plants and all that glows.
They show you their trees, bulbs and bowls.
They show you their decorations, ornaments and coals.

Oh yes. The Goodwill's Christmas Shoppe is a one-stop shop for holiday joy, décor, trimmings and gifts - all at a great value.

After a successful 2010 debut, Tacoma Goodwill expands to operate five Christmas Shoppes this year, with locations next to neighborhood Goodwill stores, dedicated exclusively for the sale of holiday treasures.

The Christmas Shoppes - located in Kent, Spanaway, North Tacoma, South Lacey and Puyallup - boast an inventory of more than two million pounds of items starting as low as 99-cents - with new items stocked daily.

And what's the most wonderful of all? Every dollar spent at a Goodwill store is put back into the South Sound community to help people get to work through job placement, training and services.

For the address of the five Shoppes, click here.

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

LINK: Santa Says RSS feed

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Give the Weekly Volcano a "LIKE" present

SANTA SAYS >>>>

With Thanksgiving looming large, you must succumb to the siren song of the approaching Holiday season.

The folks at the Weekly Volcano have posted its first round of holiday events in the South Sound. Yes, they present this list awfully early this year. That's so them!

Click here for the scoop on movies, plays, dance, concerts, outdoor activities and festivals coming your way between now and the end of the year - plus other events that defy categorization and enough Nutcrackers to satisfy even those dance enthusiasts who don't know the difference between a pas de deux and the shag. There's also a searchable database of events here.

The Weekly Volcano will also offering four print holiday guides, the first hitting the street Wednesday.

Once you've baked enough cookies to last until Easter, spent three weeks worth of paychecks, and played all of your Christmas albums backward, break out those wool socks and long underwear and hit the area for something new.

LINK: Santa Says RSS feed

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Give the Weekly Volcano a "LIKE" present

SANTA SAYS >>>>

I love speed. I love to feel the cold wind blow back my beard. I love leaving Snow Miser and Heat Miser in my dust. I love the smell of candy cane in the morning – but that's a different story.

Sometimes, those damn reindeer only operate at 8-deer power. That just doesn't work.

And this might come as a shock to you, but I'm a bit too fat for my bicycle.

This past year I've been riding my Harley, thanks to Mrs. Claus last Christmas. Papa Elf and I sometimes ride until the wheels fall of, man.

Last August in Sturgis I took a bit of heat for the red coat and pants. That ain't cool.

This coming year I'm looking to amp up my imagine with a little Harley brand name clothing

Ho, ho, ho imagine me turning my head to nod up the chimney with leather biker chaps over my furry pants.  Ho, ho, ho I can't wait.  

And I know just where to get my Harley gear - Northwest Harley-Davidson in Lacey. It has all of the latest gear and clothing in its South Sound showroom.

Born to be wild, man. Born to be wild.  

[Northwest Harley-Davidson, 8000 Freedom Lane, Lacey, 360.705.8515]

LINK: Santa Says RSS feed

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Give the Weekly Volcano a "LIKE" present

SANTA SAYS >>>>

Psst! If you know a couple with pets and a child between the ages of 2 and 3, and if you despise that couple, but want, for any number of reasons, not to reveal your contempt, and if you like the child, or otherwise feel obligated to give him a Christmas present, remember these three words: Refillable Squeaky Toy.

OK, the squeaky toy I speak of is really for pets. Pets grow tired of squeaky toys. Small curious children don't. Small children will squeeze the hell out of a Kong soft toys for hours.

Mud Bay, with several locations in the South Sound, sells Kong soft toys starting at $6.95. Yes, Mud Bay is known for carrying 450 unique formulas of dog and cat food. They also carry squeaky toys for pets ... with replacement speakers.

Wrap the squeaky toys and tag the Kid's name to the gift. Then, every time you visit said couple, throw a pile of replacement speakers in the kid's toy chest.

The squeaking could last several years.

[Mud Bay, locations in Olympia, Lacey, Gig Harbor, Tacoma, Puyallup and Sumner, www.mudbay.us]

LINK: Santa Says RSS feed

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Give the Weekly Volcano a "LIKE" present

SANTA SAYS >>>>

Double coupons are good. Last week I received 20 percent off a sweet sleigh runner tune-up along with a free bag of reindeer food. I found it on livingseasonal.com/northpole. Check it out.

For the folks living in the South Sound, Michaels is offering a very nice double dip that includes 60 percent off their entire custom framing stock plus $10 off the final sale price. The coupon, valid Nov. 1-Dec. 10, can be found in the Nov. 3 editions of the Ranger and Northwest Airlifter newspapers, or go to wwwmichaels.com/ framegifts.

[Michaels, various South Sound locations, including Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup and Lacey, website]

LINK: Santa Says RSS feed

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Give the Weekly Volcano a "LIKE" present