Budget Savvy Events for Cinephiles & Christmas Spirit

Now that the turkey and stuffing are gone, you may be looking for December events to fill the space on your calendar between now and Christmas. If so, we have some great ideas for what you can do without trekking too far from home!

If You’re a Cinephile

Make the 35-minute drive to the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art for holiday-themed movies all month. On Tuesday evenings, the auditorium opens at 7pm, and the film begins at 7:30pm. If you’re busy during the week, go to the Saturday matinee at 2pm (auditorium opens at 1:30pm). In December, BIMA is showing Holiday Inn, Home Alone, A Christmas Carol, Elf, and It’s a Wonderful Life. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children. Location: 550 Winslow Way E., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

If You’re on a Budget

Go to the inaugural Bainbridge Island Winter Wonderland on Dec. 10 from 5 to 8pm in Waterfront Park. This free event will have live reindeer, face painting, holiday crafts, wrapping paper decorating, ice sculptures, cider, treats, and even Santa will be there. Location: 280 Madison Ave. North Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Best Online Holiday Shopping

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are officially upon us! If you feel like doing your first round of holiday shopping at home, we completely understand and want to help! Below are two must-see online shopping stores!

Target

Target always has lines out the door for Black Friday (and even Thanksgiving night as well) but we know that no one wants to fight and struggle to get those amazing deals. Well, luckily, they’re still offering some crazy discounts online! For only $200 you can get a 5-quart Kitchen Aid, making it 55% off! For the photographer in your family, you could get a Nikon 3400 bundle (camera and lens) for only $500 ($500 off of list price).

Amazon

This online store means you for sure get to skip the crazy lines and chaos of a store while still stealing major deals. Amazon in general offers standard and quality items for cheaper but for today and Monday, the deals are extra amazing. If you’re looking for electronics, Amazon is offering their Fire tablet for $33.33 dollars, a 55” smart TV for $398 and the Amazon Echo dot for only $40.

Thanksgiving Sides to Dish Out Thursday

Thanksgiving is quite literally just a few hours away and we have the perfect side dishes for you to impress your friends and family with! We wish you happy eating!

Squash Spinach Salad

This recipe hardly qualifies as a “healthy” salad option. But it definitely is a delicious one! With bacon, sautéed shallots and caramelized brown sugar, this salad will be a hit with your guests, even if your waistline might protest a bit. But would it really be Thanksgiving without at least a little indulgence?

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

In a way, this “vegetable” recipe follows the model put out by the squash spinach salad. As in, it’s not nearly as good for you as you’re going to pretend it is. What it is for sure is amazingly yummy. This side calls for not only the Brussels sprouts but some caramelized sugar and a heaping portion of pistachios to garnish.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

This dish is sure to meet the needs of most of your diet-restricted friends. It’s vegan and very healthy. If you’ve never tried or made gnocchi before, you’ve really missed out! This potato-based pasta is a decadent alternative to regular pasta and is much loved. Check out the recipe and give it a try!