There are ways to avoid the mall this holiday season, support local stores and artists, and still buy gifts for everyone no your list.  Oakland Unwrapped, in collaboration with Jack London Square, ProArts, adn Oakland Grown, is putting on a “mall-ternative” shopping event, Holiday Buy Night, on Thursday and Friday, December 10th and 11th, from 5 to 10 PM.  From pet lovers to food lovers, fashionistas to athletes, women, men, children, and everyone in between, Holiday Buy Night promises to have something for everyone on your list.

If you need a shopping break, be sure to check out the music and live entertainment going on throughout the evening.  Have the young ones check out the kids section for games, arts and crafts, and a movie.  And if you get hungry or thirsty, be sure to check out the “food court” at the event.  Restaurants from Jack London Square will be selling food, including Kincaids, Cocina Poblana, Ben and Jerry’s, and others.  Awaken Cafe will provide coffee and hot chocolate and Numi and L’Amyx will provide hot tea to keep you warm and alert while shopping.  There will also be a beer and wine bar, featuring the East Bay Express’ holiday lager!  This is one shopping event you won’t want to miss this December!

Save the date!  Add this event to your Outlook Calendar here.

Interested in volunteering?  See below:

In the world of gift giving, a growing trend is to give a gift certificate instead of an item.  Be it a gift certificate to a restaurant or coffee shop, a bookstore or clothing store, gift certificates allow the recipient to buy what they want or to spend some time out with a friend or loved one of their choice.

This holiday season, if you are thinking about getting a gift certificate from a business in the East Bay, the first place you should check out is the new East Bay Express eDeals online store.  The East Bay Express launched their eDeals store last month, featuring gift certificates from independent businesses that have been donated to the weekly paper.  To spread the wealth, the East Bay Express has started selling some of these popular gift cards and certificates at their new online store at 25 to 50% off regular prices.  Gift certificates are available for all sorts of businesses, including clothing stores, spas and body product shops, tickets for local holiday events, sporting equipment stores, local restaurants and eateries, and more! 

This is a great way to support the East Bay Express (a weekly, FREE newspaper) and get diverse gift certificates for family and friends at a discounted rate!  New gift certificates are added all the time, so keep checking out the East Bay Express eDeals website for more.

To find this store and other Oakland-based stores online, shop at oaklandunwrapped.org.

Did you know that there are stimulus dollars that will reimburse you for 80% of wages and other employer costs for the first 6 months of employment?

If you are interested in filling an existing vacancy or expanding your business during these recessionary times, the Alameda County Social Services Agency currently has highly qualified individuals ready to come to work for you!

Missed the information session? The Alameda County Social Services Agency has a great brochure with more information here.

This is a great opportunity to find out how to employ more people and save money!

As the holiday season approaches, we all want to show how much we love our family and friends by impressing them with gifts on the top their wish list. Yet, I urge you to resist the temptation of spending outside your means. The easiest way to spend only what you can afford- make a budget and STICK TO IT!

Before you hit the stores plan out what type of gift you would like to get each person on your list. Then comparison shop online for the cheapest options. There are many small businesses in the Bay Area that have amazing deals on locally made products. To view over 160 local stores click here. The more planning you do BEFORE you set out to shop, the more likely you will follow your budget.

Here are a couple tips from nonprofit financial literacy site, www.feedthepig.org:

• Many stores offer one-day or weekend money-saving sales during the month. Plan to shop your favorite stores on these days.
• Don’t be tempted to overspend on last minute purchases. Planning ahead could prevent night-before emergency shopping trips.
• Exchange favors as gifts or make handmade gifts such as baked goods and ornaments. A great online gift-exchange site is www.elfster.com.
• Send e-cards. Savings could be significant depending on the length of your mailing list.
• Pay with cash whenever possible. Interest charges accrued by not paying off your credit bill in January may offset any savings you received.

OneCalifornia Bank’s ATM network, Allpoint ATMs, has had an application for both iPhone and Andriod for awhile now.  But now BlackBerry users can join in the fun–Allpoint has just developed an app for BlackBerry users, too!

In addition, Allpoint has created an easy-to-use download page for cardholders to add the Allpoint moblie application specific to your device and carrier.  For more information, check out Allpoint’s website.

Are you a last minute shopper?  You can still buy your holiday presents last minute while supporting the local economy and enjoying yourself!  This year on Friday, December 18, merchants in multiple shopping districts, including the Lakeshore Shopping District, are staying open late to give you time to shop.  There will also be live entertainment and face painting for the kids!  For details check out the Shop Oakland Events page here.

On Saturday and Sunday, December 12th and 13th, from 12:30PM - 4:30PM, come down to Temescal Avenue to shop, stroll, and skate!  Show your moves at the outdoor skating rink at 49th and Telegraph, visit your favorite merchants for some holiday shopping, and enjoy the popcorn, candy canes, hot chocolate, carolers, and other fun treats.  More event details are listed on the Temescal District’s website.

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about going green and selecting environmentaly-friendly cleaning products for your green lifestyle.  Now you can get some tips and insights from an expert!  The Sustainable Business Alliance is hosting a talk on Researching and Selecting Green Products with Environmental & Public Health consultant Ann Blake, PhD.  Come hear what she has to say on Tuesday, December 8th at UC Berkeley.  For more details, check out the Sustainable Business Alliance’s website.

Piedmont Avenue has caught the holiday spirit and wants to share it with you!  Come to the 1st Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Stroll this Saturday, December 5th, starting at 5 PM.  Featuring caroling, a visit from Santa, merriment, and more!  Check out the Piedmont Avenue Merchants Association’s website for details.

Come down to Jack London Square this Friday, December 4th, for the annual waterfront holiday light installation.  Stay for live music, a preview of the characters participating in Oakland’s Holiday Parade the following morning, and, of course, fine dining at the Square!  The festivities start at 5:30PM, so come early to get a good seat!  Also feel free to bring non-perishable food donations to benefit the Alameda County Food Bank or toy donations for the Mayor’s Community Toy Drive.  Event details are on Jack London Square’s website.