Vancouver is an upbeat, whimsical city, but one part of town makes fun its bread and butter: Granville Island. Where else can you find jugglers and street magicians alongside craft vendors and artists?

Guarantee yourself a pleasant and unforgettable trip to Vancouver by staying at a Vancouver hotel near Granville Island. And guarantee yourself the lowest rate by booking through Orbitz. Plus, get an extra 10% off your stay with Orbitz coupons!

• Granville Island Hotel Vancouver – It doesn’t get any closer to the action than this value hotel with big suites
• Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown - 24-hour swimming pool, free in-room coffee & high-speed internet
• Quality Hotel Downtown Vancouver - Perfect family hotel with a casual atmosphere & full kitchen in every room

Thousands of Vancouver visitors flock to Granville Island every year for a host of reasons. In a bustling metropolis, the island provides a refuge for families and all fun-loving folks who want to take it easy and enjoy:

• Buskers – Watch a variety of licensed street performances from musicians, magicians & more
• Public Market – Shop more than 100 vendors selling art works, crafts & food
• Marina – Charter sightseeing cruises, plus fishing & whale-watching trips

Tell Me What’s Going On

15th Annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival (December 21)

Join a proud and unique Vancouver tradition – the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. It may be the shortest day of the year, but with the festival’s brilliant lanterns, fire shows, songs and drums, the evening of December 21st feels a whole lot brighter.

Keep your lawn and garden brightly lit throughout the year with outdoor solar lighting from Plow and Hearth. Find lanterns in a variety of styles that use solar panels to charge during the day. Spend $75 or more and get free standard shipping with Plow and Hearth coupons!

For some strange reason, newspapers love to print tragic stories about homes being destroyed in a fire around Christmas. And one of the things you always read about is how people risk life and limb to save family keepsakes from turning into ashes. It’s not the 52″ television. It’s the memories.

This season, let us rise above the usual retail hubbub, and remember the importance of having loved ones near. You might even say that it’s the perfect time to start a new family tradition.

Things Remembered helps you honor every member of the household with items that are sure to become heirlooms for generations to enjoy. And don’t worry about going broke this winter because you’ll save big with the free Things Remembered coupons valid until December 25:

• 10% off Any Order
• 15% off Orders Over $80
• 20% off Orders Over $100
• Free Standard Shipping on Orders Over $100

Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling:

• Heart-to-Heart Spiral Tree - A gorgeous display showcasing precious photos of those you care about
• Family Tree Throw - Have your family’s name embroidered on this blanket for a one-of-a-kind present
• Sterling Silver Family Bracelet - Why settle for having a guy wrapped around your little finger when you can have the names of your family around your wrist?
• Anastasia Musical Keepsake Box - A beautiful item to fill with treasured trinkets (See picture above.)
• Black Leather Flask - Cheers! Let’s drink to a happy family!
• Slate Pocket Watch - Engrave an endearing message to personalize this keepsake

You’ll enjoy sifting through quality merchandise at Things Remembered. Their beloved products quickly become family favorites.

December 22nd – It was on this day in history in 1882 that the first string of Christmas-tree lights was created by Thomas Edison. I love decorating my Christmas tree every year. Everyone had they’re own technique. Some people like their tree to have lights all of one color, multi-colored lights or even two colors like green and red which are Christmas colors. I like to create a Winter Wonderland type theme by decorating my tree with vibrant blue and white LED lights, soft and wide blue and white ribbons hanging horizontally from the top and silver balls to finish it off. You can find gorgeous ornaments as well as energy-saving and vibrant LED lights at Target for less. Plus, redeem our free Target coupons for $5 off purchases of $50 or more.

Famous Birthday

Jordan Sparks, 19 – She’s the 2007 American Idol winner. Her album titled Jordan Sparks has #1 hits like No Air and One Step at a Time that swept music lovers off their feet. Find Jordan’s debut album at Sony Style where you’ll find discounted CDs. Plus, save more by redeeming our exclusive Sony Style coupons.

National Date Nut Bread Day - Oh, the date nut! So boring and plain, yet everyone seems to enjoy it around the holidays. It’s like a staple item to have in your cupboards for when company comes over. Now don’t be confused, date nut bread and fruitcake are not the same. Well, actually, they are. The bread part is pretty similar; the only difference is what’s inside. Date nut bread mostly contains a variety of nuts, while fruitcake consists of mostly dried fruits. Hmmm, that’s not rocket science now is it? Nonetheless, National Date Nut Bread Day is a great day to indulge in this filling snack, that’s if you’re not sick of it yet and if you don’t have any nut allergies. Now, I don’t know about you; however, I can’t wrap my head around any more food days until after the holidays, so instead today I’m going to use the “date” in date nut to remind you about another very important date to on your calendar, New Year’s! Do you know your plans? Got your date to kiss at midnight? How about your outfit? Well, in case you don’t, check out Bluefly. Save 10% on Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs and Hugo Boss apparel and accessories on orders of $100 or more when you use Bluefly coupons.

National Haiku Poetry Day – Oh man, I love poetry. Haiku used to be so challenging for me as a kid though. Before I bore you with another one of my childhood sob stories, I’ll tell you all about today’s silly holiday. National Haiku Poetry Day is the day where we think of one or a bunch of haikus. The only thing is that they have to make sense! I’ll explain. A haiku is a Japanese poetry form that has alternating poetic lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables. The thing about a haiku is that it doesn’t have to rhyme or need to. The point of a haiku is to create imagery in 17 syllables in 3 lines. I’m telling you, it’s really challenging. Oh heck, I’ll give it a try: Today is a day/to write haiku poetry/what fun it will be. Oh man, I’m really bad at it, I told you! It’s so hard for me not to make it rhyme! I’d love to hear your haikus. Perhaps put a holiday spin on them! If you want to participate in today’s holiday, then jot some down describing someone you care about. Write it in a holiday card and send it over. Or send an e-greeting to someone across the world and don’t forget to include a thoughtful haiku. I’ve got just the place to check out – American Greetings. Receive a 30 day free trial on an e-card subscription when you use American Greetings coupons.