Family
Holiday Must-Haves: Make holiday shopping a cinch
There’s nothing quite like the joy of watching a loved one’s face light up when opening a gift you selected with care, but holiday shopping can be a chore.
Last Updated on November 26, 2025 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) There’s nothing quite like the joy of watching a loved one’s face light up when opening a gift you selected with care, but holiday shopping can be a chore.
If you’re a shopper at heart, it may be a challenge you enjoy, but if the idea of holiday shopping brings out the Grinch in you, consider these ideas for gifts to delight those you love this holiday season.
Look for more ideas to make this holiday season magical at eLivingtoday.com.
Power Up Your Holidays with Protein
Whether you’re out shopping or traveling for the holiday, savor the season without compromising health goals by treating yourself to a Premier Protein Winter Mint Chocolate High Protein Shake. Featuring cozy chocolate and refreshing mint flavors, this seasonal favorite is back, but for a limited time only. Flavorful and packed with the nutrition you need, each shake includes 30 grams of protein, 160 calories and 1 gram of sugar. Whether you drink this shake on its own or use it as an ingredient, you can ring in the season with a healthy amount of vitamins C and E, important antioxidants to support a healthy immune system as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Learn more at PremierProtein.com.
Holiday Sweets for a Good Cause
Few things go together like the holiday season and sweet treats. By gifting family and friends Wendy’s Frosty Key Tags, which are good for a free Jr. Frosty with every purchase, you can give back all year long because proceeds from every tag sold helps the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption find loving, adoptive homes for children in foster care. Available for purchase every November and December, tags are good for one full year and can be purchased in-restaurant, at the drive-thru, via a kiosk, through the app or at Wendys.com.
Step Up Gifting with Fashion-Forward Footwear
Every fashionista knows there’s no such thing as too many shoes, and that includes ankle boots and booties that never go out of style. These low-slung styles can be dressed up or down, depending on the look you’re wearing. Among this season’s hottest designs are faux animal prints, such as cheetah or snakeskin, that add some playful color and texture to complete an ensemble. If you’re not sure about the color or style, a classic black or brown bootie with well-padded soles and a moderate heel is a versatile choice with universal appeal.
Brrr-ing Gifts of Warmth and Good Cheer
Give loved ones an easy way to brighten a cold, dreary day with a cute and cozy matching hat and glove set. It’s a thoughtful and practical gift that brings a smile to recipients’ faces each time they don those warm layers to face a blustery day. What’s more, with all the options for personalization, it’s an affordable way to show you care. When choosing the perfect duo, keep your loved ones’ tastes and preferences in mind. You can find hats and gloves to match virtually any interest, whether it’s a favorite color, sports team or pop culture reference.
Holiday Shopping Hot List
Turns out, Santa may be onto something. Making your list and checking it twice can help you save money (and your sanity) during the holiday season.
- Set a budget and stick to it. Remember to include all your seasonal expenses, including Secret Santa and teacher gifts, ingredients for dishes you’ll take to potluck gatherings and admission to special holiday activities.
- Make a list. Having an idea of what you’d like to buy can help you stick to your budget and avoid frustration when you’re in the stores. You’ll be more likely to avoid costly impulse purchases and you’ll be more efficient while shopping. If you can, jot down a couple of backup ideas just in case what you want proves hard to find or exceeds your budget.
- Shop for deals. Before you head out shopping, research specials on the items on your list. You may be able to adjust your timing to take advantage of sales or find steep discounts at stores you don’t normally visit.
- Give yourself plenty of time. If holiday shopping stresses you out, it’s a good idea to start early. That way you can tackle a little at a time and avoid feeling the pressure of a ticking clock. Also try shopping during off-peak hours, such as during the week, when stores are likely to be less crowded.
- Map out your plan of attack. Planning the most direct route to travel from one retailer to the next can help keep you organized and avoid unnecessary backtracking. You can also save time and gas by making purchases online. Be sure to watch for promotions that provide free shipping and be conscious of shipping times to ensure gifts arrive in time for the big day.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images (couple with gifts)
Photos courtesy of Unsplash (boots and hats)
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Money Management: The Importance of Financial Literacy
You may have mastered the core subjects like math and grammar in school, but financial literacy – or understanding the basics of money management in order to help you make better financial decisions – often goes overlooked before adulthood. It’s not so much a course of study as it is a plan of action. When you understand how to earn, save, spend and invest wisely, you aren’t just building a stable future for yourself, but your family and community as well.
(Feature Impact) You may have mastered the core subjects like math and grammar in school, but financial literacy – or understanding the basics of money management in order to help you make better financial decisions – often goes overlooked before adulthood. It’s not so much a course of study as it is a plan of action.
Financial literacy in the United States has remained stagnant at generally low levels for several years, according to research from TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, with even lower levels among Gen Z. Yet greater financial literacy – including key aspects such as goal-setting, budgeting, saving, credit management and investing – is strongly linked to better financial outcomes, including lower rates of debt constraint and financial fragility.
While emboldening yourself to understand financial terms can be a little overwhelming at first, once you have a grasp of basic concepts you can begin to get a handle on your money and make better financial decisions. Simply put: When you understand how to earn, save, spend and invest wisely, you aren’t just building a stable future for yourself, but your family and community as well.
From nonprofit partnerships to volunteer-led programs and fee online resources, Schwab and its employees help millions of people every year build the knowledge and confidence to take charge of their financial futures by serving as board members, mentors, role models and educators.
Because financial health is a lifelong journey, the earlier people learn vital money skills, the better. That’s why the financial advisory services provider develops education programs geared toward kids that continue into adulthood, helping people no matter where they are on their journeys.
Talk Money
It’s never too early to start a conversation about financial literacy. Having teens identify goals that are important to them – such as concert tickets or a first car – can kickstart coversations about money. Working with your child (and a financial advisor, if necessary) on a plan for saving to realize those goals can serve as a jumping off point. After achieving some success, their enthusiasm may grow, which is a powerful motivator to keep saving.
Support School Initiatives and Programs
Outreach programs that empower young people to make smart financial decisions is key to a bright future. Programs like Money Matters – Schwab’s flagship financial education program utilized by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America – gives young people hands-on experience with all aspects of money and investing.
This example, and others, don’t just include program funding – they build partnerships that create impact and opportunity with national collaborations that reach more than 17 million youth annually, empowering young people with the tools and confidence to make smart financial decisions for life.
Spread the Financial Love
Championing financial literacy empowers everyone – individuals, families and communities. By serving as a board member, mentor, role model or educator to help bring financial literacy to others in your community, you can supply the tools and knowledge to lead programs that focus on giving back, empowering future generations in countless ways.
To learn more about financial literacy and find resources to empower your local community, visit SchwabMoneywise.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
child education
Making the Grade: How High-Impact Tutoring Builds Student Success
Student Success: If your child is struggling in school, it can feel overwhelming to know how to help. One approach many schools are turning to is high-impact tutoring, also known as high-dosage tutoring.
Making the Grade: How High-Impact Tutoring Builds Student Success
(Feature Impact) If your child is struggling in school, it can feel overwhelming to know how to help. Learning gaps can grow quickly, confidence can slip and what should be simple can start to feel frustrating for both students and parents. But families don’t have to solve this alone. Schools and districts play a critical role in providing the right support. One approach many schools are turning to is high-impact tutoring, also known as high-dosage tutoring.
Backed by extensive research, high-impact tutoring has emerged as one of the most effective school-based strategies for accelerating learning. Studies from EdResearch for Recoveryshow students who participate can gain the equivalent of 3-15 additional months of learning in reading and math within a single school year, making it a powerful tool for accelerating learning and closing achievement gaps.
This type of enrichment goes beyond merely homework help and is vastly different than traditional tutoring. Offered during the school day, many schools and districts across the country are starting to offer proven, structured high-impact tutoring programs by partnering with organizations like Catapult Learning, a leader in providing education solutions that generate demonstrable academic achievement and better life outcomes for students.
Consider these benefits of high-impact tutoring:
Small Group, Big Leaps
A number of factors set high-impact tutoring apart from traditional tutoring. To start, high-impact is most effective when it’s delivered during the school day (either on-site, live virtually or hybrid) in small group settings. Secondly, each session occurs up to five times per week and can be 20-45 minutes in duration. This type of small group instruction delivered with frequency and consistency isn’t just a supplement to classroom learning – it creates a pathway toward academic goals that may not have existed before.
Trusted Tutors, Real Progress
For families, finding the right tutor can feel overwhelming. Vetting private tutors, managing schedules and evaluating quality can be a time-consuming, uncertain exercise. School-based high-impact tutoring removes that guesswork. Districts partner with experienced education organizations to provide vetted, highly trained tutors, structured instructional materials and ongoing progress monitoring.
Through partnerships with school districts nationwide, Catapult Learning helps deliver structured, research-based high-impact tutoring programs that are designed to support students in reading and math, aligning with classroom goals to ensure learners of all skills and abilities receive the right support at the right time. Plus, its research-based instructional materials – combined with exemplary tutors and real-time accountability – allow families to benefit from clear insights into their child’s growth through real data and measurable outcomes.
Flexible and Accessible
High-impact tutoring has the added benefit of being flexible, accessible and less taxing on parents. Because it’s designed to be built directly into the school day, there are no extra trips, costs or added scheduling stresses for families. It’s a hassle-free way for students to get the help they need without burdening parents or caregivers.
Proven Results
The urgency for high-impact tutoring has only increased in the years following the pandemic. The widespread instructional disruptions left countless students with unfinished learning and specific skill gaps traditional classroom time can’t always address. High-impact tutoring offers a targeted way to make up for educational losses and promote equity by providing intensive, individualized instruction to the students who need it most.
Research shows high-impact tutoring is now recognized as the most effective school-based strategy for accelerating learning in reading and math for struggling students. Multiple studies confirm that well-designed tutoring programs produce measurable learning gains.
While many school districts face challenges in providing consistent, high-quality academic support due to limited capacity, staffing and resources, programs implemented by Catapult Learning have demonstrated students can achieve up to eight additional months of learning in reading or math within a single school year. In practical terms, this means students can make accelerated progress toward grade-level expectations, strengthen foundational skills and build confidence in the classroom – all within the structure of the regular school day.
As more schools adopt this approach, families can check with their district to learn whether high-impact tutoring is available. To better understand how these programs are delivered in schools, visit catapultlearning.com for additional information.
SOURCE:
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
New hybrid event aims to give grieving audiences meaningful holiday viewing, with films from more than 25 countries and a mission centered on love, loss, and emotional truth.
A new film festival debuting in late 2026 is taking a different approach to holiday entertainment. Grief Fest™: The Grief Film Festival, created by My Grief Angels Inc., is being introduced as what organizers believe is the world’s first film festival dedicated entirely to grief, remembrance, resilience, and healing.
The hybrid festival will run in two segments: November 25–29, 2026, during Thanksgiving week, and December 24, 2026, through January 3, 2027, during Christmas and New Year’s. Top Honors films will be announced on December 31, 2026.
Organizers say the timing is intentional. Research cited in the announcement shows that grief and loneliness are major holiday stressors for many Americans, making the season especially difficult for people coping with loss. In that context, Grief Fest™ is positioning itself as an alternative to the flood of traditional feel-good holiday programming.
The festival is open to short films, features, documentaries, experimental work, AI-generated projects, and VR experiences. It is described as inclusive, non-religious, and LGBTQ+ friendly, with submissions already received from more than 25 countries. All films will be presented in English, either spoken or subtitled.
Grief Fest™ will be available both in person and virtually through Film Festival Plus, making it accessible to audiences worldwide. The launch of GriefFest.com also includes Lumen, a multilingual AI guide designed to help filmmakers and attendees navigate the festival in their preferred language.
Rather than focusing on industry prestige, organizers say the festival is centered on community and emotionally honest storytelling. For audiences who feel unseen during the holidays, Grief Fest™ is aiming to offer something rare on the seasonal screen: recognition.
Source: PR Newswire
Related Reading
- Grief Fest: Official festival site
- My Grief Angels Inc.: About the nonprofit behind the festival
- Film Festival Plus: Virtual access platform
Catch the latest in movies, TV, music, pop culture, and live events in STM Daily News’ Entertainment section.
