Things To Do In SW Florida

By Sharon Rhodes

Thoughtful gifts for friends and family are a Christmas tradition, showing loved ones that you’re thinking of them this holiday season. But a long shopping list can be pricey. If you are concerned about the cost of Christmas presents this year, these ideas will help you get gifts for everyone on your list on a budget.

Christmas is a time to gather with loved ones, enjoy good food and experience holiday traditions, but gift giving is also a central part of the season. Gifts for family and friends are standard in many families, but your Christmas gift list might also include in-laws, coworkers, neighbors, children’s teachers, delivery people and more.

Investopedia estimates that holiday retail spending, including gifts, will be at least $980 billion in 2024, setting a new record. With expanding gift lists and recent inflation, the amount of money expected to be spent on Christmas presents can put pressure on your budget.

A little creative thinking can help you finish your holiday shopping list without breaking the bank. While food gifts are ideal for a DIY gift, there are a variety of other ways to give low-cost gifts that are anything but cheap. From gifts of service to tasteful regifting, use these five tips for affordable gifts as inspiration for this year’s Christmas presents. read more

Holiday shopping can double up as souvenirs for the year. Rather than buy a T-shirt — or, heaven help us, a spirit jersey — with “2024” emblazoned upon it, consider theme park merchandise that represents something new and different that debuted in the past 12 months.

• In June, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride opened at Magic Kingdom, and serious fans may be drawn to the water tower figurine, which includes the attraction’s tiara-topped water tower and small versions of Princess Tiana in her adventurous outfit (as seen on the ride), Prince Naveen with his ukulele and a handful of musical animal friends. A button activates a special effect (think lightning bugs) and the song “Special Spice,” which was written specifically for the log ride’s finale.

We say it’s for serious fans as it stands more than 14 inches tall. We saw it at the park’s Critter Co-op store and at disneystore.com for $229.

There are other bayou-based options, including backpacks, Christmas ornaments, light-up tumblers, Dooney & Bourke bags, Tiana plushes, MagicBands and, yes, glow-in-the-dark spirit jerseys. read more

Orlando-area shoppers lined up early outside big-box stores early Friday morning to take advantage of exclusive deals, follow tradition and experience Black Friday.

The Bass Pro Shop on International Drive had a long line by 4:30 a.m. Clark Crates and his family came down from Destin in the Panhandle to go to Universal for Thanksgiving. They were hoping to be among the first 250 people in line who participate in a random drawing for a gift card with a value of up to $500 when the store opened at 5 a.m.

The family also hoped to get some clothes and preferred to come in person.

“We’re going to Universal today. We didn’t get all the stuff we needed,” he said. “It’s hard to get stuff online because you can’t try it on first, and sometimes it’s hard to order [just] to get the wrong size.”

It was the first time Christian Guzman, who was also in line at Bass Pro Shop prior to opening, shopped on Black Friday morning. It usually is impossible because he works in retail and has had the overnight shift on Black Friday for the past five years. He said he’s been looking forward to experiencing it. read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks posted solid gains as Wall Street put the finishing touches on one of its best months of the year.

The S&P 500 rose 0.6% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.4%. Both indexes closed out November with their best monthly performances of the year. The Nasdaq added 0.8%. Friday was an abbreviated trading day, with stocks closing at 1 p.m. ET and the bond market an hour later.

Investors were looking to see how much shoppers are willing to spend on gifts for the holidays. Black Friday unofficially kicked off the holiday shopping season, although retailers had been offering early deals for weeks. Macy’s and Best Buy each gained around 2%.

Apple rose 1.1%. The technology giant is hoping recently added artificial intelligence features are enough to entice consumers to treat themselves or their relatives to a new iPhone for the holidays.

The Dow rose 7.5% in November, easily its best month of 2024. The Walt Disney Co. has the biggest percentage gain for the month at 22.1%, but the price-weighted index also got a boost from Goldman Sachs, up 17.5% to $608.57 and Salesforce, up more than 13% to $329.99. read more

By KENYA HUNTER and DEVI SHASTRI, Associated Press Health Writers

Cucumbers shipped to 13 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces and organic eggs sold in 25 Costco stores in five southern U.S. states were recalled this week for potential salmonella contamination.

SunFed Produce, based in Arizona, recalled the cucumbers sold between Oct. 12 and Nov. 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. No illnesses were immediately reported.

People who bought cucumbers during the window should check with the store where they purchased them to see if the produce is part of the recall.

The egg recall involved nearly 11,000 cartons of 24-count organic eggs sold under Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand that landed on shelves in Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee starting Nov. 22, according to the company’s announcement posted Wednesday on the FDA website.

No illnesses were immediately reported. Handsome Brook Farms said the cartons included eggs that were “not intended for retail distribution.” Shoppers should check to see whether their egg cartons have Julian code 327 printed on the side and have a use-by date of Jan. 5, 2025. If the eggs are included in the recall, throw them out or take them back to the store for a refund. read more