By: Mary Grace Donaldson
Posted In: Opinion
Photo credit: Tim Lee/MCT Campus
Prepare yourself: Armed with all of today’s necessary holiday essentials, Super Shopper conquers the holiday season.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year once again! But alas, it’s also the very end of the semester. Don’t worry — all is not lost! Here are some well-devised tips from a seasoned Christmas elf for staying in the spirit, even as time for holiday cheer appears scarce. To be sure you make the most out of your time at home before Dec. 25, I’ve also included a few more tips for what to do once you’re done for the semester. You are sure to not be a Grinch with these tips.
In Newport, before and during finals:1. Yes, it may be pricy. But Starbucks has those once-a-year holiday drink favorites. Head on down to Thames St. and grab a Peppermint Mocha, an Eggnog Latte or even a Caramel Brulee Latte, complete with caramel sprinkles on top. The atmosphere’s full of Christmas cheer to boot, with Christmas tunes usually playing and the halls are truly decked with decorations and coffee-related Christmas goodies. If you’re really feeling like you’re in the true spirit of the season, pick up a cup or an ornament off the tree in the front window. The Christmas wishes of the kids from our local Boys and Girls Club are written on the cups and ornaments. Brighten their Christmases with a toy or a gift card.
2. Tune into 93.3 Coast FM or Lite Rock 105 (105.1) and listen to some great Christmas tunes. Even just for a small moment in your day when driving back and forth to the library to study, Christmas music can make all of the difference. If you feel like the pressure of finals is making it impossible for you to notice the season, these stations could cure the blues, albeit even if it’s only for a short while.
3. Take a seasonal ride down Ocean Drive or down Bellevue Avenue. All of your favorite Mansions, both the tourist attractions and the privately owned ones, are decked out in holiday style.
4. Gather up the housemates and take a study break to watch one of those Christmas movies that you wouldn’t otherwise admit to watching. ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas” is going full tilt with more recently made Christmas-themed flicks, as well as ABC Family originals. While not the most well-made movies with totally undeveloped plot lines, they do the job as far as Christmas cheer goes. Make sure you have some hot cocoa handy.
5. You don’t need to drive or take the RIPTA to Providence or Warwick to get some of that shopping done. Five Below, located in the Wal-Mart shopping center on J.T. Connell Highway, has gifts in stock for every taste and age group.and each item in the store is no more than $5! Other discounted gifts are around every corner at Christmas Tree Shoppes in Middletown’s Aquidneck Center, accessible via both East Main and West Main roads.
6. Attend the Mardi Gras STRESSBUSTER sponsored by VIRGO on Monday, Dec. 13. Guaranteed wall-to-wall Christmas cheer and lots of yummy almost free food (either $1 or a canned good admits one person).
7. Decorate your dorm! While fire code prohibits Christmas lights and candles in residence halls, there are still many decorative options for your abode. While you may not think to give it a shot, CVS is fully stocked with reasonably-priced decorations, gifts, candy and yes, those singing Santas and Frostys. Come on, you know you want one.
8. Holiday concerts are a Salve specialty. Don’t miss your chance to attend the Christmas choral concert (December 10-11, 8 pm in Ochre Court), the Holiday Band Concert (December 12, 3 pm at the Casino Theatre) and the Holiday Orchestra Concert. (December 14, 7:30 pm at the Casino Theatre). Once Finals are over, and you’re back home:
1. Get that shopping all finished! Hopefully, you managed to distribute all of the gifts that you so carefully purchased for your friends at Salve, and you don’t have any stragglers (as I so often do.). But if you’re anything like me, you have yet to find that perfect gift for Mom, Dad or Grandma. I hate to be bearer of bad news, but all of the time that you’ve spent studying for finals took away opportunities to cross names off that shopping list. If you’re looking to avoid the mall, one of my favorite stand-bys is my area flea market. Sure, it sounds tacky. But if you look hard enough, you’ll find customized treasure. Look for stands that personalize items such as frames, key chains, piggy banks and even t-shirts.
2. Volunteer with your family or your friends at an area soup kitchen. Contact your local Salvation Army and ask when mealtimes are and what sort of logistics are involved.
3. If you’re the baking type, there’s nothing like fresh chocolate chip cookies at Christmas time. Whip up a batch and make deliveries to those friends you haven’t seen since August.
4. If your family is driving you nuts, try to take a moment to decompress. Jump in the shower, have some milk and cookies, drive down to that one house in your neighborhood that has 15 Santa Clauses on the front lawn, and if all else fails, take a nap! The holidays are stressful for everyone, including your folks. Chances are you’re still tired from finals, too.
5. Oh no, it’s Christmas Eve. Make a list, and check it twice! Have all of the gifts been purchased? Have you picked up the fruitcake for your family’s feast? Even make sure that every gift has a gift tag.
6. If you’re all set, it’s time to watch one of the greatest Christmas movie marathons of all time: 24 Hours of “A Christmas Story,” beginning Christmas Eve at 8 pm on TBS. The 1980 classic (not to mention my all-time favorite movie, let alone Christmas movie) plays for 24 straight hours for a total of 12 full showings. For more information: Starbucks holiday promotions, including “The 12 Days of Sharing”: http://www.starbucks.com/share/ Radio stations playing Christmas music: http://www.coast933.com/main.html http://www.lite105.com/ ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas”: http://abcfamily.go.com/specials/25-days-christmas Local discounted shopping: http://www.christmastreeshops.com/ http://www.fivebelow.com/ SALVEToday Calendar of Events: http://www.salve.edu/salvetoday/calendar.cfm The Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf
24 Hours of “A Christmas Story”: http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,97568,00.html
