Tips to Reduce Holiday Waste

The EPA says there are easy ways to help keep the green in the environment during the holidays.

Some 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  That's only one of the holiday increases which can negatively impact the environment.  Electricity, paper and water are among the other resources whose use increases in December. The EPA provides these tips for reducing holiday waste: Find Reston Patch via:

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Reston Family Decks The Halls for Sick Kids

One Reston family turns extravagant holiday decorations into donations for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital

One Reston family has turned their tremendous Christmas lights display into a fundraising effort for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. For many years, the Courys, who live at 11303 Stones Throw Dr., have decked their house with more than 200,000 LED warm white lights, a nativity scene, Santa and his reindeer and holiday decorations. This year, JJ Coury is asking that admirers of the display pay the Christmas spirit forward by making a donation to St. Jude's, the hospital for children in Memphis, TN, that treats children regardless of their ability to pay.  "I love Christmas. It's my favorite time of the year," Coury wrote on her fundraising web page. "For the past 50 Years, I have had a great passion for decorating my home with the …

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Holiday Cookie and Eggnog Recipes

Need a quick holiday cookie recipe? Make one of these for your parties this season.

One of the most important holiday questions to ask yourself is: What kind of cookies will you be baking for your get-togethers this holiday season? From sweet to savory, holiday cookies come in all shapes and sizes. And what’s better than to top off a tray of cookies than a glass of homemade eggnog?  Eggnog In a saucepan over low heat combine milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cinnamon stick and clove. Bring to a slow boil (this will take between 5-7 mins). Once the milk mixture starts to boil remove from heat and leave cinnamon stick in for a couple of minutes, then remove. Put egg yolks and sugar into a bowl. Using a hand held mixer, mix them until pale and fluffy. Pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks and mix on low until well …

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Celebrate Hanukkah Sunday at Lake Anne

Sunday is the first full day of Hanukkah, when Jews celebrate the miracle of oil lasting for eight days. Join Chabad of Reston-Herndon on Sunday for its annual Hanukkah celebration. The fun begins at 6 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza, where the crowd will gather to light candles on the giant ice menorah.  There will be activities inside at Lake Anne Community Center, where there will be latkes, donuts, and chocolate coins/gelt, along with a movie, arts and crafts, and dreidels. Admission is free. For more details and to register,  go to the Chabad Reston Herndon Chanukah website.  Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates the story of the Maccabean Revolt against Syrian rulers in present day Israel 2,300 years ago. The Maccabees…

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Catch SLHS Chorus' Holiday Cheer

SLHS choral groups will be at the Reston Town Center this weekend and next.

Ready for some local holiday cheer? The South Lakes High School chorus will be singing songs of the season Saturday and Sunday, as well as Dec. 15 and 16 at Reston Town Center. Catch the carols on the promenade section of town center - the pedestrian section in front of Mon Ami Gabi - beginning at 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations - which will go towards a future chorus trip - are gladly accepted.

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It's Cyber Monday!

Fairfax County County officials want shoppers to be savvy during the biggest online spending day of the year.

Millions of people across the nation lined up outside retailers for Black Friday, and now millions more will log on to their computers for Cyber Monday on Nov. 26. According to BusinessWeek, digital specialists at the National Retail Foundation created Cyber Monday in 2005. The shopping holiday was meant to entice office employees who were still riding the high of Black Friday and were able to shop from their work computers. It has since become the centerpiece of online holiday shopping. In 2005, shoppers spent a total of $484 million nationwide, comScore reports. In 2011, they spent $1.25 billion, making it the biggest online spending day in history. Retailers like Wal-Mart are going one step further, advertising Cyber Monday bargains on …

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