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OMG PD: Mrs. 'Grinch' Sentenced to Prison for Menacing on Christmas

This week's stories include a woman who is heading to prison after assaulting her husband for buying lousy Christmas presents, a missing cactus in Whitemarsh, and an assault with a lacrosse stick.

You're a Mean One, Mrs. Grinch: According to a report in the Lansdale Patch, a 51-year-old woman will spend up to 23 months in prison after she menaced her husband with a butcher knife on Christmas. The woman – whom the prosecutor referred to as "the Grinch on steroids" – was reportedly unhappy with the presents her husband had purchased. Specifically, she wanted jewels and a card, but she received an artsy tile and a Bonsai. Click here to read the full story. Boy Attacks Father with Lacrosse Stick: According to a report in the Pottstown Patch, a 16-year-old received a referral on charges of simple assault and harassment, stemming from an incident with his father. The report states that the son allegedly punched his father in the face, …

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It's Not too Early to Think About Next Christmas

Take advantage of after-Christmas sales to save big for next year.

On Dec. 26, many retailers slashed the price of their Christmas goods, as well as many of the products they overstocked but didn't sell during the Christmas shopping rush. Their loss is your gain: You can save 50 to 75 percent, and in some cases even more, on gift wrap and decor for next Christmas, and consumer goods you can use now and all year long. Retailers slash prices on other goods this time of year, to encourage shoppers who received gift cards to get out and buy. So if you're not totally shopped out, here's a how-to guide on getting great post-Christmas deals: What to Buy Gift wrap - Wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, gift tags, boxes, tape, ribbon, bows. Since it never goes bad, you can buy for next year and beyond. Also …

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Watch: Oldest Recording of Family at Christmas

Found in a British family's attic, recordings more than a century old carry the ghostly voices of a family celebrating Christmas.

A box of wax cylinders discovered in a London attic held a special heirloom for one British family — and also what may be the oldest surviving recording of a family at Christmas. The recordings were made on an old phonograph by the family’s patriarch, Cromwell Wall. They were passed down to Wall’s grandson, David Brown, who didn’t know what was recorded on them and didn’t have the equipment to play them. Watch the video to learn what happened.

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Five Things You Need to Know About Christmas

From lighting your mouth on fire to taking on the Puritans' Christmas ban, learn some holly jolly Christmas facts.

Whether your love of Christmas is rooted in religion or you’re more of the “be good for goodness sake” variety, the Christmas trappings are common to all of us who celebrate the season: the trees, the candy canes, the bird poop-inspired traditions. Just trust us. Here are five things you need to know about Christmas. 1. Americans buy 25-30 million Christmas trees annually, according to the National Christmas Tree Association (yes, such a group exists.) And at any one time, there are 350 million Christmas trees growing on tree farms in the U.S.—that’s almost 42 million more Christmas trees than people living in America. 2. What’s your favorite Christmas tradition? A Yule log? Cookie baking? Bor-ing. Snapdragon is where it’s at. Snapdragon …

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How to Make Fruitcake You'll Actually Eat

The batter is so good, it's hard not to eat it all before you put it in the oven.

Fruitcakes have become a punchline: the gift nobody wants to receive, the holiday treat that nobody wants to actually eat. But fruitcakes used to be as central to Christmas cuisine as cranberries or stuffing are to Thanksgiving. There is such a thing as delicious fruitcake, and this video will show you how to make it. Hint: get ready to raid your liquor cabinet.

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Last Day to Vote for National Finalists in Patch's 'Deck the House' Contest

The winner will net $100,000 for their local school district on Dec. 29

We had tons of national entries in this year’s Deck the House contest and in our quest to find the most over-the-top holiday decorations in the country, we’ve seen everything from a life-size Santa to holiday lights so bright they could blind the neighbors. We loved showcasing everyone’s holiday spirit, but Deck the House isn’t over yet. We’re still looking for the one home so spectacularly decorated that it could be the national grand prize winner of our contest. We have chosen 25 finalists from all our entries across the country. From Dec. 18 to today at noon, readers can vote for their favorite, and that favorite could win $100,000 for his or her local school district. All you have to do is visit this page to browse a gallery of the …

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White House Christmas Cards: 1945 to the Present

As 'highly sought after collectibles,' Dr. Lori takes a look at Christmas Cards from the President and family over the years.

President Ulysses S. Grant made Christmas Day (Dec. 25) a national holiday in 1870. From that point forward, a Christmas card from the White House was a special keepsake.   While these cards are highly sought after collectibles, these coveted Christmas cards are rare and do not come to the antiques and collectibles market without a high sales value. Here is a look at some of the facts surrounding the official holiday card from the President of the United States. President Truman took office after President Roosevelt’s death in April of 1945. As World War II came to an end and Christmas of 1945 was upon the nation, the mood was ripe for a great big holiday celebration. The Truman White House sent out official, yet conservative White House …

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Gallery: Christmas at Lindenwold Castle

St. Mary's Villa for Children opens to the public on Saturday for guided tours.

St. Mary's Villa for Children and Families opened the doors to the historic Lindenwold Castle to the public for the second year on Saturday, Dec. 8, for tours. The castle and grounds opened to the public for guided tours for the first time in over a decade in January of this year. The holidays tours on Saturday are the second time the grounds have been open to the public. St. Mary's Villa for Children and Families is a subsidy of Holy Family Institute of Pittsburgh. After a long history, dating back to 1911 as a boys orphanage. Today, St. Mary's cares for children who are abused, abandoned or need extra supervision and attention in school and residences. St. Mary's cares for children in the greater Philadelphia area.

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A Christmas Wish For A Dying Boy

Six-year old Nathan Norman has terminal cancer and is reaching out to policemen, firemen and all emergency service workers to fulfill his final Christmas wish.

The only thing on Dawn Norman's wish list this holiday season is that her 6-year old son Nathan lives to see another Christmas, and that his wish of receiving cards, letters and patches from as many policemen, firemen and EMT's is fulfilled. Why? Because policemen, firemen and EMT's happen to be Nathan's heroes. Three years ago, Nathan, who lives with his family in Rustburg, Virginia, was diagnosed with brain cancer. "I remember the doctor saying that there was an abnormality," Dawn Norman remembers. "The doctor kept telling me over and over that there was an abnormality and then it hit me. He was telling me that my son had cancer."   An operation removed 55% of the tumor; however, Nathan has since developed an inoperable tumor on his …

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It's Time to Buy the Tree!

The holidays are here and that means it's time for the traditional tree hunt. Where are you buying yours?

December 25th is fast approaching and for many of us, that means a mad dash to find the perfect tree. Area residents searching for that tree have several long-standing local tree sales to choose from.  Harmonville Fire Company at 904 Germantown Pike in Plymouth Meeting is holding their annual tree sale with over 500 trees in stock starting at around $35. They also have wreaths, tree stands and other supplies and will cut and drill your tree to your specifications. Harmonville is a nonprofit volunteer fire company and proceeds from the sale go to support the company. Another annual spot for holiday greenery is Mr. C's Trees at DeKalb Pike and Hancock Avenue in East Norriton. Mr. C's has trees, wreaths, ornaments, lawn decorations and …

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