What's Open on Christmas Eve, Day in Richfield?

Holiday hours for local businesses and community buildings.

Ask a Patch Pro: Last Minute Gift Ideas

Got someone on your list who is hard to shop for? We've got Twin Cities style consultants on deck to help you find the perfect gift.

We all have at least one person in our lives that presents a perennial problem during the holidays: They're impossible to shop for. Maybe they're a vegan who can't countenance any animal products whatsoever, or a friend who is allergic to everything from angora to silk, or worse, the one who never wants anything. Enter Melissa Hardin, creator of Flaunt, a mobile boutique run by a group of fashion artists and style consultants out of a studio in Fridley. Also on deck are Jennifer Zafft, Marketing Director for The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove, and Lisa Buck, a resident of the Lake Minnetonka area and veteran holiday shopper, and Kelly Bray of Zida Boutique in Burnsville. Stymied? Whipshawed by confusion? These ladies will help you …

•  24 Comments
• Photos (1)

Tips for Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping From Arc's Value Village

The local thrift store and donation center offers some tips to cutely wrap presents, while reducing waste.

Follow Richfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter Editor's Note: The following was submitted by Arc's Value Village. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons – it all adds up to an additional 1 million tons a week to our landfills. (EPA and Use Less Stuff). In the U.S., annual trash from gift-wrap and shopping bags totals 4 million tons. (Use Less Stuff). Half of the paper America consumes is used to wrap and decorate consumer products. (The Recycler’s Handbook). With just a little effort, we could decrease what ends up in the landfill significantly, save the energy and natural …

• Photos (9)

Bachman's Hosting "Holiday Ideas House"

Looking for decorating inspiration this season?

At a historic single-family home on the grounds of Bachman's flagship Minneapolis location, Twin Cities residents are invited to get a taste of "alpine chic" and find some inspiration for decorating their house this holiday season. Pictures of some of the rooms can be seen on the local decorating blog Itsy Bitsy and Pieces. Each room in the house is set up according to a different theme, to help spur your imagination. For example, the sunroom of 5936 Lyndale Avenue South is set up for a casual holiday party, and the den is done up in a homey, cabin-in-the-woods style. Every room has small seasonal touches that might inspire your own crafting. According to the company's website, if a visitor finds themselves particularly moved by an antler …

• Photos (1)

Where are the West Metro’s Best Holiday Lights?

Share your recommendations on which homes to check out, and upload photos of the best displays.

Touring local streets for brightly lit homes is a holiday tradition, and the west metro has no shortage of festive houses. Patch would like your help sharing the best displays with the community. To tell your neighbors where these are, please add a marker to the map above. Simply click the "Add" button, enter an address and share a little about what makes that display special. If you don't have an exact address, an intersection will do. Are you proud of your own display? After sharing its location on the map, enter Patch’s Deck the House Contest for a chance to win $100,000 for your local school district and and/or $500 to pay your electric bills. To enter, just visit the appropriate Patch contest site:

• Photos (1)

Find Toys for Tots Donation Locations in Richfield

There are several places to drop off new, unwrapped toy donations.

Follow Richfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots drive started as a pilot program in 1947. Since its start over 209 million children in need have received toys through the program, according to Toys for Tots. New and unwrapped toys can be donated at several locations in Richfield: Where: Houlihan's When: 11 a.m. to midnight any day of the week. Accepting donations from Nov. 24 through Dec. 19. Where: Babies R Us When: Monday-Thursday, Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Fridays: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Accepting donations from Nov. 1 through Dec. 17. In addition, all Walgreens, Wells Fargo and Cub Foods locations in Minnesota…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (3)

Caitlin Burgess

3:39 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012

According to Richfield S.T.E.M. School's Facebook page, it is also participating in the toy drive. All donations must be made by 2 p.m. Dec. 17.   more ›

Holiday Gifts For the Techies on Your List

Techies will love the almost unlimited options available this holiday season. With so much to choose from, Patch is here to help.

Tips: Things to Consider When Traveling This Holiday Season

Get where you need to go with ease, safety and no worries about what's happening at home.

During this time of the year, many of us are climbing in the car or hopping on a plane to visit family and friends. These trips, whether just a few hours or several days, can be a time to create long-remembered family memories, but as you head out on the road or board that plane, don’t forget to follow the Boy Scout’s motto: Be Prepared. Pre-plan Before leaving home, make sure items such as mail or newspapers will be picked up by a neighbor or friend. If that won’t work for you, consider having your mail held and newspaper delivery stopped while you are out of town. A house with mail and newspapers piling up is a beacon for burglars. A house sitter is another option to consider. And don’t forget about the four-legged members of your family…

• Photos (1)

Ask the Patch Pro: Making Thanksgiving Dinner

Let our Patch Pro answer your cooking questions.

The holidays are almost upon us! With Thanksgiving next week and then a month of parties and celebrations to follow, many of us are about to spend some serious time in the kitchen.  Whether you've made a turkey for the past 50 years or it's your first attempt at stuffing, there's always something that can turn a normal dish into an award-wining crowd pleaser.   So, go ahead and ask away. What would make your cooking better? Here to help with our Thanksgiving preparations is a "Patch Pro"— a local chef who has agreed to answer your questions about cooking in the comments section below. Meet our expert: • Executive Chef Kevin Petroske has been with Redstone American Grill for eight years, specializing in upscale American fare. He takes …

•  22 Comments
• Photos (1)

Kevin Petroske

11:35 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Joanna, I would suggest after removing the giblets and washing the inside cavity lightly season with S&P and placing some rough chopped yellow onion, celery and carrot and trussing it tightly. Not necessary but it definitely adds to the flavor and aroma also add more depth to the pan dripping if you are making a sauce from them. The most important part is the time and temperature of the turkey. …   more ›