Where to get your baked goodies without turning on your oven

Cupcakes are one of my favorite treats - and the holiday flavors over at Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes are fast becoming favorites. These are holiday morsels that you can just pick up and take without having to bake. That has gotta be good news. The Gingerbread Cupcake has small bits of crystallized ginger in the batter and a little gingerbread man on top. Cute and lipsmakingly good.

The CandyCane Lane Cupcake has tiny bits of the cane itself in the batter. This is just the right amount of peppermint and in no way overwhelms the delicate cupcake balance. Just right. Possibly my personal holiday fav - just might be if not for the next cupcaket offering of the season...

The Eggnog Cupcake has a spiced rum frosting that is amazing. The batter is lightly spiced as well. Perfect with your coffee or taken home to be had with a hot drink with a dash of liquor while you warm your toes and gaze fondly at the tree you still need to decorate.

What I have always admired about the Common Ground is their community spirit. Don't forget to tip you barista AND add some money to the Forgotten Children Fund. This is for King County families that need help at this time of year and 100% of the proceeds go to the cause.

Common Ground Cupcakes and Coffee
900 South Third St.(425) 235 - 1717
www.commongroundcupcakes.com

The Christmas Tree

The Picaroon loves to get into the spirit of things early - so off to The Christmas Tree Lot we went today in search of the prettiest tree within our measly budget. 10 minutes from Downtown Renton will put you in the neighboring city of Newcastle and at a lovely place to purchase this year's tree, Newcastle Fruit & Produce Company.

There is a tree for every budget - from the Douglas Firs for a mere 20 bucks (nothing Charlie Brown like about them) to the Frazier and Noble Firs that are about 50. They even have the type of trees that a high cathedral ceiling calls for - and those babies started at $130 on up.

Mistletoe anyone?

This tree lot is large, with ample parking and signs to guide you to your special greenery of choice.

Three women, three Christmas trees, a handful of dogs and kids - the staff took it all in stride with great service and a smile. That's all of our trees strapped to the roof of the car right there. It's so nice to go where your trade is so welcome.

Last year The Picaroon happily shopped at McLendon's for the tree, but missed this years one day sale yesterday 'cuz her lazy butt just couldn't crawl out of bed early enough to beat the crowds. The word is, that McLendon's sold through 800 Christmas trees yesterday and was down to just a few today. As I still have some extreme male Christmas shopping to do for the holiday, I will be making some trips there soon.


One final view of the hood of the Suburban, roof full of tree, before heading on home. Ah, the season is looking good this year!

Newcastle Fruit & Produce Company
13013 Newcastle Way
Newcastle, WA 98059
425-227-8400

Library it up during the Holidays

The weather is turning chilly, so it maybe time to warm up with a good book. Or learn to make something you have been thinking about into a new pasttime, by researching it with the help of a few written guides and the help of the librarian to find just the right supporting literature.

Whatever your reason for venturing through the front doors, you will always find a warm and bustling place full of smiling and helpful faces and lots and lots of really good reads. I don't want to harp on the DVD's you can also find - the librarians would love to not feel as if they were working at Hollywood Video and so often are sorely tempted to ask a movie laden goer "would you like a book with that?" In a world of Kindles and computers, let's take these days of longer nights and fall in love with a good book once again.

And with it being the season of sharing and giving, you could also bring along a spare pair of mittens, or a hat or scarf for the library Mitten Tree. All the warm goodies will be donated to the Renton YWCA mothers and children. You have until December 31 to add a gift of comfort and warm another's heart.

If you are ever at a loss as to what to read for this time of the year - there is an entire table of suggestions just waiting for your eyes. Just like when I venture into independent booksellers and read the favorite book lists of the employees, I gleefully look at whatever the Renton Library staff has put out. So many books, so little time. There is always another good book right around the stacks, waiting for discovery.

This and many other reasons are why there meets monthly a group of concerned Renton citizens that do not want our public library (independent for the last hundred years) to join with KCLS (King County Library System), an issue that comes up for our vote in the near future. If you are interested in finding out what you can do - join in the meeting
Sunday, December 6th at 2pm
A Terrible Beauty Irish Pub
in Downtown Renton /201 Williams Ave.S.

To find out more information about this upcoming vote on the library, please visit the blog that has been established to flesh out the issues and provide interested parties with some answers, because up until now, however you might view this concern, there has been an extreme lack of information.

http://votenotilyouknow.wordpress.com/

Oh the pretty lights

Downtown Renton's Piazza during the holidays last year

Pretty Holiday Destinations - Gene Coulon Park hosts the 16th year of the festive Clam Lights. Today, December 4th from 5 - 9pm and there will be lights and a parade of decorated boats with music - you get the picture. But these lovely babies will be up until the new year, so you can always go another night to look and then head on over to Ivar's for dinner to round out the evening, which is exactly what The Picaroon intends to do.

The Piazza Tree Lighting and Santa Fun begins Saturday at 3pm with Dickens Carolers, local crooners, roasting chestnuts and warm beverages - and all of this before leading up to Santa's arrival at 5. It is a great time to cruise Downtown Renton getting into the spirit of the season. The Piazza is located at South Third and Burnett.

These are FREE events - just the way the holiday fun should be so go and enjoy.