Vote for your Favorites Among our Holiday Photo Finalists

It's time to vote among the finalists in five categories in our Patch Holiday Photo contest. Winners each get $100 in prizes.

Get in the Holiday Spirit with These Traditional Christmas Plants

Find new ways to add freshness to your decorations.

Christmas decorations get us all in the holiday spirit, but often we overlook the Christmas plants that lend so much color and freshness to those decorations. What are some of the most popular Christmas plants and where can you get them this holiday season? Poinsettias Poinsettias are the most traditional and well known of the Christmas plants. According to the University of Illinois Extension, 85 percent of all potted plants sold during the Christmas season are poinsettias. They come in a variety of colors like red, white and pink and add grace to any holiday decorating. The Christmas favorite is actually a native plant from Central America where it can grow into a shrub more than 10 feet tall. In Mexico and Central America, it is known …

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Which Are Your Favorites Among our Holiday Photo Finalists?

It's time to vote among the finalists in five categories in our Patch Holiday Photo contest. Winners each get $100 in prizes.

We asked and you delivered! Thanks for dozens of entries into the Patch Holiday Photo Contest that started the day after Thanksgiving. You submitted your photos in five categories. Now our judges have narrowed the list to five finalists in each category. So it's your turn to vote. Link the links below to see the finalists in each category, then vote in the poll to choose your favorite. Winners in each category get $100 worth of prizes. We're sponsoring this contest with the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is eager to see how you celebrate Christmastime with your friends and family. You might even see some of your pictures in the CVB's Christmas promotions! CLICK BELOW TO VOTE IN EACH CATEGORY Christmas in St. Charles …

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Elizabeth O'Fallon

7:19 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Love the crying baby pic!   more ›

Plan for Hassle-Free Shipping this Holiday Season

Know holiday deadlines to make sure your gifts arrive on time.

For some, seeing loved ones and friends during the holidays is not an option. Instead, we carefully wrap our love in packages for shipment. But what do we need to know for hassle-free shipping this holiday season? According to the United States Post Office, Thurs., Dec. 20, is the last day to ship first-class mail for Christmas arrival. Sat., Dec. 22, is the last day for most Express Mail to arrive by Christmas. Find other USPS holiday deadlines here. You can also find out other holiday information at the USPS Holiday Blog. FedEx has also announced its holiday shipping deadlines. The last day to ship items for FedEx Home and Ground delivery by Christmas Eve is Mon., Dec. 17. Express Saver packages must be shipped by Wed., Dec. 19; 2Day - …

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Last Chance: Share Your Best Holiday Photos and Win Prizes on Patch

Warm our hearts with your best holiday pictures! Win prizes by sharing your snapshots in our contest, sponsored by Patch and the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, which runs the annual Christmas on Main Street.

Share Your Best Holiday Photos, Win Prizes

Warm our hearts with your best holiday pictures! Win prizes by sharing your snapshots in our contest, sponsored by Patch and the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, which runs the annual Christmas on Main Street.

Share Holiday Photos and Win Prizes on Patch

Warm our hearts with your best holiday pictures! Win prizes by sharing your snapshots in our contest, sponsored by Patch and the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, which runs the annual Christmas on Main Street.

Share Your Holiday Photos and Win Prizes on Patch

Warm our hearts with your best holiday pictures! Win prizes by sharing your snapshots in our contest, sponsored by Patch and the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, which runs the annual Christmas on Main Street.

Share Your Best Holiday Photos and Win Prizes on Patch

Warm our hearts with your best holiday pictures! Win prizes by sharing your snapshots in our contest, sponsored by Patch and the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, which runs the annual Christmas on Main Street.

Ho, ho, hold still! We're trying to take some pictures here! And we'd love it if you'd share them with us in the 2012 Patch Holiday Photo Contest. You can win prizes worth $100 in any of five categories if you tap into your iPhone, Android or other digital photo library and send us some pictures that capture the holiday spirit. We're sponsoring this contest with the St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is eager to see how you celebrate Christmastime with your friends and family. You might even see some of your pictures in the CVB's Christmas promotions! Here's how you enter this year's Patch Holiday Photo Contest. Click on a link below to upload your photos into the category of your choice. Send them in by 5 p.m., Dec. 10. …

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Reminder: Numerous Mid Rivers Mall Stores Opening for Black Friday

A large number of stores will open at midnight at the St. Peters mall.