Happy holidays!  In honor of Christmas, we thought we would share some warm holiday greetings from around University City and its neighbors. The video clips include: The Delmar Loop The Saint Louis Zoo School of Engineering and Applied Science at Washington University

With Christmas Day falling on a Tuesday this year, many people have long weekends ahead of them. Looking to get out of the house on Christmas Eve or Christmas? We've got a list of where you can go in University City.  This Weekend Vintage Vinyl — Extended hours at the Loop's best record store. Vintage Vinyl will be open until 10 p.m. Friday night and from 10 a.m. until midnight, Saturday, Dec. 22. Star Clipper — Has 10 deals under $25. Click here for a full list. Blueberry Hill — Looking for a gift for the person who has everything? Why not try Blueberry Hill's collectibles sale from noon to …

There is nothing like buying local, supporting the local economy and local businesses. Here are a few gift ideas for this holiday season from a local shop. The products were created here in the Show-Me State. Missouri Mercantile's original location is at St. Louis Outlet Mall in the City of Hazelwood. Missouri Mercantile owner Bill Olwig recently opened a second shop on Main Street in St. Charles.

As the holiday shopping season approaches crunch time, Macy's is banking on becoming a destination for last-minute gift givers.  The company announced on Thursday that all stores, including the Macy's location in Saint Louis Galleria, will remain open for 48 consecutive hours in the days leading up to Christmas Eve. The store will stay open starting at 7 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 21 until 7 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 23.  And as Kavita Kumar at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported, the store will close for an hour before re-opening for normal business hours. Macy's will run special deals for …

Backstoppers, a group which helps families whose loved one made "the ultimate sacrifice for our safety" sells holiday ornaments each year. The ornaments cost $9 each and come with a list of money-saving coupons.   Susan King, the widow of University City Police Sgt. Mike King, has provided information on the Backstoppers' 2012 fund raising holiday ornament sale.  If you would like to purchase an ornament contact Janet Carter, the University City Fire Department Executive Secretary, at 314-505-8591. For more information about Backstoppers check out www.backstoppers.org.

Kids say and do the darndest things, right? And so often, they provide tender or hilarious or wonder-filled inspiration for picture books. One day I heard my granddaughters complaining about the rain as they thumped on the window. Eager to get outdoors, they waited impatiently for the storm to end. Suddenly, they pretended they were the rain. “SWOOSH! SPLAT! SWISH!” Their sounds were innocently poetic, perfect ingredients for a rhyming picture book. Putting it all together in story form is when the magic happens—a sound in just the right place, a vibrant image that brings the story alive, and…

Have you spent hours looking for that perfect gift for that special someone?  If so, you might be wasting your time. According to the National Retail Federation, requests for gift cards to stores such as Target, Best Buy, Walmart and Kohl's are up this holiday season. "When it comes to holiday wish lists, the usual culprits top the list each year: clothing, books, DVDs, video games, and electronics, but there’s one that stands out more than any other – gift cards," the NRF's annual holiday shopping forecast says. According to the survey, six in 10 (59.8 percent) of those polled say they’d …

Welcome to Holiday Happenings, a daily column that will give you five ideas of ways to shop in University City for those you love this holiday season. Each weekday Patch will have ideas for gifts based on a theme—sports lover, outdoorsman, the reader or last-minute gifts. The Delmar Loop is full of great places to supply your favorite creative type with everything they need.  Blick Art Materials Plowsharing Crafts Mark your calendars. On Monday, Dec. 3, from 6-9 p.m. 20 percent of all purchases will benefit the University City Education Foundation. Check the attachments for details.   …

Welcome to Holiday Happenings, a daily column that will give you five ideas of ways to shop in University City for those you love this holiday season. Each weekday Patch will have ideas for gifts based on a theme—sports lover, outdoorsman, the reader or last-minute gifts. To kick things off, we thought we would look at worthy causes to give to this holiday season. What better gift to give the person that has everything than the gift of charity? Donate to a worthy cause in a friend or loved one's name. Here are five non-profit organizations that could benefit from your gift this year. …