A woman recalls her decision to lose her virginity at 17 – and the emotional roller coaster that ensues when her parents discover a secret stash of prophylactics.
A mother comes to terms with her adopted daughter’s quest to find her birth mom.
A black Labrador wreaks havoc on one woman’s idyllic relationship with her boyfriend- until she, too, falls in love with the beautiful canine.
A pregnant woman discovers her husband’s affair – and realizes that the baby she’s carrying is her ticket to rebirth.
A daughter learns that the way into her father’s heart is through her hair.
Through stories of family and friends, lovers and exes, even pets and rock stars, these writers demonstrate the enduring power of relationships to drive, haunt, empower, and enrich us.
Wine Enthusiast (WE) magazine’s Top 100 Best Buys of 2011 is their antidote to rising wine prices. All of these wines carry a suggested retail prices of $15 or less, which makes it a list of brands, worldwide regions, and varieties you can count on to keep you–and your wallet–happy in 2012.
Over the past 12 months, WE tasting panelists reviewed more than 16,000 wines, granting the coveted Best Buy designation to only 1,224 (7.6%). This list is whittled down to the Top 100, based on the score, price, availability, … and … buzz. There is something for every style, variety and origin. The list for 2011 is one of the finest and most eclectic collections of Best Buys and WE’s continuing effort to find the wine world’s best values.
Here are the nine wines from Washington that made the list
10. Washington Hills 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Washington)
15. Hogue 2009 Gewürztraminer (Columbia Valley)
27. Stonecap 2009 Merlot (Columbia Valley)
34. J. Bookwalter 2010 Anecdote Riesling (Columbia Valley)
39. David Hill 2009 Estate Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley)
44. Terrapin Cellars 2010 Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley)
50. Domaine Ste. Michelle NV Blanc de Blancs (Columbia Valley)
85. Barnard Griffin 2009 Fumé Blanc (Columbia Valley)
96. Arbor Crest 2009 Bacchus Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley)
For the sixth year in a row, a list of the Top 100 Washington/Oregon wines recommended by Paul Gregutt, has been published by the The Seattle Times. Gregutt looks through that past year’s tasting notes and selects is top 100, including special occasion and best buys. Here at Greater Seattle On The Cheap, we’ve culled the list to wines priced at $30 or less and arranged them by $$ and type of wine. For the full article, read Seattle Times wine adviser lists his Top 100.
Using state-of-the-art radar, satellites, fighter jets, and a Santa-cam, NORAD tracks Santa’s progress around the world every year. You can follow his progress too with the free Santa Tracker app for iPhones or Android devices. Or track Santa’s progress from your desktop by going to www.noradsanta.org.
Download a free app for your Android device or iPhone, or track Santa from your desktop. The phone apps include a game called Elf Toss you can play while you’re waiting. Just make sure you’re in bed asleep before he gets to your neighborhood!
Planning on a movie for Christmas week? Check out these steals and deals at Seattle area theaters.
AMC Pacific Place is showing several family movies: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G), The Muppets (PG), The Adventures of Tintin (PG), and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (PG-13). First show of the day (11:25-11:30 a.m.) is just $6, a $3 discount off the regular price. Make it an afternoon of fun; check out the dining offers, like free offers, discounts, and happy hour prices at Pacific Place eateries.
Grand Illusion is showing “It’s A Wonderful Life” through Christmas Day. Regular tickets are $8. Or buy a $30 membership, and get $3 off your ticket price for an entire year. The Grand Illusion Cinema is a non-profit volunteer run theater and Seattle’s oldest continuously running theater. Help support this cinematic treasure by becoming a member or volunteering your time.
Central Cinema features E.T. the Extra Terrestrial December 26-31. Save $2 when you purchase advance tickets (at least 24 Hours before the show tix are just $6.00. Day-of-show general admission: $8.00 ).
Always $3 and always worthwhile, Crest Cinema Centre in north Seattle is featuring Puss in Boots (PG) and the sci-fi thriller In Time (PG-13), plus several other indie and foreign films.
If you would like to give back this holiday season to causes you care about, consider gifts that support the local food economy and farms.
How about a copy of Cascade Harvest Coalition’s (CHC) cookbook, Fresh! Seasonal Recipes with local ingredients. At $20, this beautifully illustrated and smartly arranged book features seasonal and local recipes, courtesy of local farmers, chefs and food writers including Tom Douglas, Jeff Miller, and Seth Caswell. Local artist Lida Enche filled the 80-page layout with original woodcuts and illustrations of stunning beauty. Honey bees, salmon and ladybugs swim across the floral backdrop. All proceeds will benefit CHC, a non-profit organization dedicated to “re-localizing” the food system in Washington State. Order online. Shipping and handling included!
Consider a Community Support Agriculture (CSA) subscription that can provide someone you love with the benefits of farm fresh food throughout the year. Or give as a gift to your family and help with New Year’s resolutions for healthier eating! A CSA is a great way to support local farmers and the local economy. Download a directory of Puget Sound CSA’s (1.2MB PDF).
Take a break from the colored lights of modern Christmas festivities and travel back in time to the candlelit world of the Middle Ages, where wintertime meant hoping for enough food to last till spring and Christmas meant some of the best music ever. Returning from their standing-room-only Early Music Discovery performance last year, the kids of Seattle Historical Arts don period costume and join their voices and instruments with grownup performers beloved by Seattle families. It’s Christmas like you’ve never heard it before!
Since 1987, Barbecuewood.com has offered barbecue woods and related products and accessories. They frequenlty offer items for sale, some with free shipping.
Greater Seattle on the Cheap is a member of Living on the Cheap, a network of websites published by frugalistas, journalists and consumer advocates. Find another cheap city and get advice from experts on how to live the good life for less wherever you live and travel.
