Send a holiday gift for the soldiers and their loved ones back home.

AP

We are seeking your photos of family members in the military returning home this holiday season. Though the last U.S. troops have left Iraq, not everyone in the military can come home for the holidays, feel free to upload a photo and holiday message for your loved one serving their country in the States or overseas.

You can upload photos and messages by using this online form. Please share with any military families that you know in the metro Atlanta area.

See the many happy faces during this month’s historic moment,  as families were reunited.

Continue reading Home for the holidays | Share your story »

There’s plenty of holiday TV specials to watch with the family over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving morning wouldn’t be complete without the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. See which stars are scheduled to perform at this year’s Macy’s parade.

AP

‘Idol’ Scotty McCreery will perform at both the Macy’s Parade and at the Macy’s Great Tree lighting at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta. If you can’t make it down to Lenox Square, you can watch the local event on Channel 2 Action news beginning at 7 p.m. Thanksgiving night.

One of the more unusual offerings is “A Very Gaga Thanksgiving” featuring none other than the eccentric pop star Lady Gaga.

Charlie Brown fans can rejoice, as two specials will run Thanksgiving night. The traditional, “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will air on ABC and FOX debuts a new special.

And don’t forget to support a local production. “Elf on the Shelf” will air on CBS Friday night.

Tell us which holiday TV specials you enjoy watching the most with your …

Continue reading Holiday TV specials to watch over Thanksgiving »

Break out the plastic and put on your best walking shoes. The holiday shopping season is ready to get started in earnest.

Prepare for Black Friday and the entire holiday shopping season by checking out the holiday hours for your favorite metro Atlanta mall. Atlanta Bargain Hunter has a handy holiday mall hours list posted, broken down by day. Prefer a map? Click on the Holiday mall hours map to find the latest information on holiday shopping hours for that mall.

As always, remember, these times indicate when each mall will open; department stores within the mall may open at different times. Contact stores directly for their holiday hours.

Now to the deals. Atlanta Bargain Hunter has posted a handy list of top Black Friday deals. If you prefer to shop from the comfort of your home, consider these online shopping deals.

Remember to use #BlackFridayATL to join the Twitter conversation on deals, parking and traffic on Black Friday. Happy Shopping!

Continue reading Are you ready to shop? »

The Thanksgiving holiday is quickly approaching, and now is the time to prepare. Check out Bargain Hunter’s post on how to avoid overspending on the Thanksgiving meal. Do you have any other tips for fellow readers on how to create a Thanksgiving feast on a budget? Maybe some great recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers? Quirky family traditions? Share them below.

AP

If you are hosting the big Thanksgiving dinner this year, check out these quick and easy housekeeping tips. And don’t sweat the numbers, here’s a cheat sheet for Turkey Day math if you are in charge of cooking the meal this year. There’s even advice on how to keep Fido from jumping on guests.

Thanksgiving dinner veterans, we want to hear your tips on how to create a delicious, affordable Thanksgiving meal.

Continue reading Share your Thanksgiving tips »

According to experts, the holiday season can lead to stress, sleep deprivation, illnesses and injuries. The good news is that most of these hazards are avoidable, especially if you follow our experts’ advice on staying healthy all the way into the new year.

The advice from the experts is mainly common sense, but sometimes it’s the simple things that get overlooked. Their tips includes washing your hands regularly, getting enough sleep (but not too much sleep), taking vitamins, staying properly hydrated and going for walks.

How do you cope with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Share tips you have with fellow readers on how to have a healthy and happy holiday season.

Continue reading Are the holidays hazardous to your health? »

People love to get creative when it comes to Halloween costumes, and the current year’s newsmakers always help inspire costume ideas. But what about when those newsmakers are controversial? For example, there’s reportedly been a great demand for Casey Anthony costumes, and you can find retailers selling outfit accessories online, though most big-box retailers are steering clear of the polarizing figure.

AP

Charlie Sheen has authorized his likeness to be sold at a major costume store chain. But is it appropriate to dress up as the mentally unstable actor?

And what about those that fall into the “is it too soon” category, such as Steve Jobs? It’s reported that Steve Jobs zombie costumes are going to be a big hit this Halloween.

Expect to see a bunch of people dressed up as Occupy Wall Street protesters, mocking the grassroots movement.

And that’s just the costume ideas for adults. Our Momania blogger has a good discussion posted about whether it’s acceptable to allow your child …

Continue reading Heated debate over controversial Halloween costumes »

The 2011 National Retail Federation Halloween survey is out, and here’s the most popular costume choices for adults and children.

California Costumes

Adults

1. Witch
2. Pirate
3. Vampire
4. Zombie
5. Batman
6. Cat
7. Vixens
8. Ghosts
9. Nurse
10. Scary mask/costume

Children

1. Princess
2. Witch
3. Spider Man
4. Pirate
5. Pumpkin
6. Fairy
7. Superhero
8. Batman/Vampire/Disney Princess (tie)
9. Zombie
10. Star Wars

What’s your favorite Halloween costume? Send us your Halloween costume photos.

Continue reading Top Halloween costumes for 2011 »

Lady Antebellum

The following songs were rated the most popular of 2010 across all genres by radio airplay, sales data and streaming activity, according to Billboard.

10. Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz (”Rockstarr”)
9. Dynamite – Taio Cruz (”The Rockstar Collection”)
8. Bad Romance – Lady Gaga (”The Fame Monster”)
7. Love the Way You Lie – Eminem, featuring Rihanna (”Recovery”)
6. Airplanes – B.o.B., featuring Hayley Williams (”B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray”)
5. OMG – Usher, featuring will.i.am (”Raymond V. Raymond”)
4. California Gurls – Katy Perry, featuring Snoop Dogg (”Teenage Dream”)
3. Hey,  Soul Sister – Train (”Save Me, San Francisco”)
2. Need You Now – Lady Antebellum (”Need You Now”)
1. Tik Tok – Ke$ha (”Animal”)

Continue reading Most popular songs of 2010 »

The following TV shows had the highest overall rating in terms of total viewership in 2010, according to the Daily Beast. (Average number of weekly viewers in parentheses.)

10. America’s Got Talent (11.73 million on Wednesdays and 11.27 million on Thursdays)
9. The Mentalist (11.74 million)
8. Grey’s Anatomy (11.9 million)
7. Two and a Half Men (12.22 million)
6. NCIS: LA (12.23 million)
5. Survivor (12.5 million)
4. NCIS (14.5)
3. Dancing With the Stars (20.7 million)
2. Sunday Night Football (21 million)
1. American Idol (22.9 million viewers on Tuesdays and 21.9 million on Wednesdays)

Continue reading Most watched TV shows of 2010 »

The following movies raked in the biggest box office figures of 2010, according to BoxOfficeMojo.

10. Karate Kid – $176.6 million
9. How to Train Your Dragon – $217.6 million
8. Shrek Forever After – $238.4 million
7. Despicable Me – $250.9 million
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – $275.8 million
5. Inception – $292.5 million
4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Part 1 – $300.5 million
3. Iron Man 2 – $312.1 million
2. Alice in Wonderland – $334.2 million
1. Toy Story 3 – $415 million

Continue reading Biggest movies at the box office in 2010 »