2016 HolidayGiftGuide

Supplement to The Mercury, Friday, December 16, 2016

In-the-know birding en-thusiasts have been flock-ing to Birds & Beyond, Inc.since 1999.

Located on Gravel Pike(Route 29), just south ofRoute 113, in Collegeville,the retail birding storecarries everything frombird feeders and seed tounusual garden suppliesand gifts.

“We just have moreunique products, like dif-ferent styles of bird feed-ers and bird houses, amuch larger selection,”explained owner HarrietNacarelli. “There aren’t awhole lot of places you can

go to get that.”Harriet and her hus-

band, Ron, were inspiredto open the store after Ronsold his trash company inthe late 1990s.

The couple then decidedto convert the former com-pany’s garage into retailspace.

Since Harriet had al-ways been a bird lover,opening a birding storejust seemed to make sense.

“I love feeding birds andjust watching them, andI love merchandise withbirds on it as well,” saidHarriet. “I kept thinkingthat there isn’t a store thatcarries everything likethat; other stores have justbird feeders and seed.”

The store’s website,www.birdsandbeyondinc.com, describes the estab-lishment as being “a birdlover’s paradise.” In addi-tion to having all of theusual birding supplies,such as seed, houses,baths and feeders, Birds& Beyond, Inc. also sellsbooks, jewelry, stainedglass, f ramed prints,kitchen towels, ornamentsand even mugs.

The Nacarellis are com-mitted to delivering notjust a large quantity ofproducts but also highquality.

Too often Harriet hasfound that mass mer-chandisers sell birdingand garden supplies thatfall apart or break quickly.At Birds and Beyond, Inc.,they try to carry the bestquality products, whilealso keeping in mind thatpeople are more cost con-scious these days.

“I try to carry qualityitems that last a long time,and I try to have prices

vary, especially today be-cause people don’t want tospend a lot of money, sowe offer some lower pricedthings, too,” explainedHarriet.

What keeps custom-ers coming back to Birds& Beyond, Inc., in addi-tion to the unique blendof products offered, isthe personalized servicethey receive. Harriet andRon, with the help of their

daughter, Jennifer, goabove and beyond to makesure customers are happy.

The value-added ser-vices include gift wrap,carry-out (for seed ordersor even just bagged pur-chases) and free adviceand guidance. They alsoencourage people to jointheir mailing list, eitheronline or at the store, toreceive valuable couponsand specials.

GIFTGUIDE

Bird Enthusiasts flock to Birdsand Beyond, Inc. for 17 years

GIFTCERTIFICATES

AVAILABLE

Area’s MostUnique

Birding Store

Birdhouses • Feeders • Bird Baths • Fountains • Wind ChimesSuncatchers • Books • CDs • Pictures • Benches • Binoculars

• Garden Accessories • Bistro Sets • Unique Gift Ideas

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

20% OFFAny One Item

Not valid with Seed, Suet, Sale Items,Meal Worms, Other Offers or Prior Purchases.

Coupon Expires: Jan. 7, 2017.

$5.00 OFFPurchase of $25.00 or more

Not valid with Seed, Suet, Sale Items,Meal Worms, Other Offers or Prior Purchases.

Coupon Expires: Jan. 31, 2017.

87 Gravel Pk. (Rt. 29), Collegeville, PA 19426(Just off Route 113)

610-489-6333Mon. & Thurs. 10am - 6pm; Tues., Wed., Fri. 10am - 5pm;

Sat. 10am - 4pm; CLoSED SUnDAyS

Open Sun. Dec. 18th 10am - 3pmOpen Sat. Dec. 24th 9am - 3pm

Closed Christmas & Mon., Dec. 26th and new year’s Day

FULL LINE OF WILD BIRD SEEDwww.birdsandbeyondinc.com

Like us on

| GIFTGUIDE | THE MERCURY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 20162

Scott’s Clock Repair of-fers a wide selection ofclocks from antique Amer-ican manufactures. such asSeth Thomas and WilliamGilbert, to new wall, man-tel and reproduction mod-els recreating AmericanHeritage in a 21st centuryfashion.

Whether it’s genuine an-tique, contemporary or new“made to look old.” Thereis something to match ev-ery taste. Scott’s carries a

full-line of Howard Millerclocks, the “Cadillac” of to-day’s clock manufacturers.You can also see a largeselection of Black Forestcuckoo clocks and smallworld rhythm clocks.

The statelier traditionallook is also represented bythe 20 or so grandfatherclocks that are always instock.

Scott has been repair-ing clocks since 1975. Hecan make almost any clock

made in the last 150 yearsrun as well as the day it wasoriginally sold. Repairs aredone on the premises in afully equipped work shop.Free estimates and free ap-praisals are available beforeany work is done on yourtimepiece.

For more information,please call 610-327-6293 orvisit us on the Web at www.scottsclocks.com. Scott’sClock Repair is located at 22S. Charlotte St., Pottstown.

HOLIDAYGIFTGUIDE

Scott’s Clock Repair has somethingto match everyone’s taste

Holiday shopping is anannual tradition for manypeople. But while it may becustomary to exchange giftswith loved ones during theholiday season, how thosegifts are purchased haschanged dramatically overthe last decade and a half.

Thanks to advancementsin technology, many holidayshoppers get their shoppingdone without ever settingfoot in malls or shoppingcenters. And data indicatesmore and more shoppers areusing their smartphones todo their holiday shopping.According to Nielsen Mo-bile Measurement, the num-ber of mobile shoppers inDecember 2014 rose to 138.1million users, an increase ofnearly 14 million users fromthe same period just a yearearlier. And mobile shoppersaveraged nearly a full hourmore shopping on the webfrom their mobile phones in2014 than in 2013.

Convenience often drivesshoppers’ decisions to usetheir mobile phones dur-ing the holiday season. Butit’s important that shoppers

not sacrifice security for thesake of convenience. Thosewho want the best of bothworlds this holiday seasoncan take several steps to pro-tect their personal informa-tion while shopping on theirsmartphones.

• Only use shopping appswith which you’re com-fortable. Downloading anapp only takes a few sec-onds, and some shoppersare so used to download-ing apps they may not real-ize just what they’re down-loading. Before installingan app on your phone, fa-miliarize yourself with theapp and what it requestsof its user. Some apps askusers for a considerableamount of personal infor-mation, even though thereis no legitimate reason forthem to have that informa-tion. If you’re uncomfortablewith apps that require youto allow access to your lo-cation and other potentiallysensitive information, don’tdownload the app.

• Sign out when you stopusing an app. It may beconvenient to stay signed

in to an app at all times,but that can leave you vul-nerable to hackers and/orthieves. Many apps store us-ers’ credit card numbers soshoppers don’t have to entersuch information each timethey make a purchase. Ifyou stay signed in to an appat all times, hackers who ac-cess your smartphone canthen access your credit cardinformation, as can thievesshould your phone be sto-len. Signing out when youfinish using an app providesan extra measure of protec-tion.

• Turn off automaticconnections. Many smart-phones enable users to auto-matically connect to nearbyWi-Fi networks so they canseamlessly access the In-ternet regardless of wherethey are. However, some Wi-Fi networks are fraudulent,and you may unknowinglybe transmitting sensitivedata through such networkswhen you automatically logon. Disable automatic con-nections, only logging on tosecure Wi-Fi networks whenout in public.

GIFTGUIDE

Be smart when shoppingon your smartphone

Celebrate the Holidays,

SPASTYLE

Give more for less with ourSpa Gift Cards

Not valid on the day of service. Discounted gift cards may be used on regularpriced services and not on product or Monday, Wednesday and Friday

specials. Cannot be combined with other offers or coupons.

Cards are available in our Salon & Spa.

Established 1992Open Monday thru Saturday

610-495-9300 ~ www.gwendolynnssalonspa.com628 West Ridge Pike, Limerick, PA 19468

Helping women andchildren in their

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016 THE MERCURY | GIFTGUIDE | 3

The holiday season is filledwith many traditions, includ-ing trimming the Christmastree, lighting the candles ofthe menorah, spending pre-cious time with family andfriends — and shopping forthe perfect gift for that spe-cial person in your life. TheSilver Shoppe provides a hol-iday shopping tradition thatis unique to the Pottstownarea. Silver garland and col-orful Christmas balls dec-orate the store, and a tinywood-burning stove offerscustomers warmth from thewintry chill.

This year, continue thetradition by visiting The Sil-ver Shoppe, where there issomething special waitingfor those on your holiday list.

For the entire year, ownerUwe Bauer, a silversmithsince 1972, has been creat-ing original designs withsterling silver and semi-pre-cious stones. A collection ofjewelry that is unique anddistinctive to the Pottstownarea now graces the shelves

and showcases of his Sana-toga store. It is not difficultto find the perfect gift atThe Silver Shoppe. Beautifulbracelets, rings, necklacesand earrings are all madefrom sterling silver and de-signed with exciting swirls,scrolls flowers and sleek linesdesigned to catch the eye.

The look can be either richwith ornamentation or fash-ionably plain.

One of Mr. Bauer’s favoritetechniques is to drop moltenpieces of silver into cold wa-ter and let the molten silvercool into a variety of uniqueand distinctive shapes, whichare then used to create one-of-a-kindbracelets,necklaces,rings and earrings. The vari-ety of shapes resulting fromthis process means that allthe jewelry creations areone of a kind. Semi-preciousstones add brilliant splashesof color to the jewelry. Brightturquoises,blood-redgarnets,dark onyxes and lovely ame-thysts are among the manydifferent stones available.

There isamultitudeofagates,from blue lace to leopard togreen Botswana, each withits own unique look. Thereare also many pieces madewith synthetic rubies, emer-alds and sapphires and vari-ouscolored topazes—for thatexpensive look at an afford-able price. View a 30-minutevideoonYouTubeshowcasingThe Silver Shoppe. You canfind it by searching for “TheSilver Shoppe.”

Regular business hoursare Wednesday through Fri-day 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Satur-day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closedSunday,MondayandTuesday.

During the holiday sea-son, The Silver Shoppe isopen seven days a week. Thehours are Monday throughFriday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat-urday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; andSunday noon to 4 p.m. TheSilver Shoppe is located at2452 E. High St., Pottstown,PA 19464, between Cutillo’sRestaurant and Landis Su-permarket. Phone: (610) 323-4994.

GIFTGUIDE

Silver Shoppe filled with holiday traditions

Silver Shoppe is located at 2452E. High St. in Lower Pottsgrove.

| GIFTGUIDE | THE MERCURY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 20164

How often have you at-tended the private screeningof an award-winning docu-mentary film with the direc-tor and the stars?

Well, Calhoun Jewelerscustomers had the uniqueopportunity to do just that!Its owner, Cathy Calhoun,had the connections to bringthe never-before-seen movie,“Sharing the ROUGH,” toher favorite movie house,The Colonial Theatre inPhoenixville.

The movie documentsthe never before capturedprocess of the journey ofa colored gemstone frommine to market while ex-ploring the challenges ofan emerging mining econ-omy in East Africa. Dur-ing the private screening,guests marveled at the waythe filmmakers capturedthe emotion and passion ofthe process — how the min-ers themselves feel called tothe work and won’t give up, even if they find nothing of

value for years, how gemcutter Roger Dery allowedthe gemstone take shape al-most organically to reach it’sfull potential and how jew-elry designer Mark Schnei-der brought his creative vi-sion to fruition in the finalstunning piece of jewelry!

And how thrilling it wasfor the necklace’s ultimateowner to first glimpse thefinished plan. The mov-ie’s director, Orin Mazzoni,flew in from Hollywood toattend a meet and greetfor Calhoun Jewelers cus-tomers. Cathy’s customersalso got to meet the stars ofthe movie, Roger Dery, theworld famous gem cutter,who breathed life into theimpressive 49.08-ct. greengrossular garnet from EastAfrica. They also got to seethe real star of the movie,the gem in its finished prod-uct, a spectacular necklace,and its owner proudly wear-ing it!

“We all got to touch andfeel this incredible gem! Aonce in a lifetime opportu-nity!” says Cathy Calhoun.

GIFTGUIDE

Calhoun Jewelers share exciting night with their customers

Uwe BauerSILVERSMITH

Wed. & Thurs. 11-6,Fri. 11-7, Sat. 10-5,

Closed Sun.-Tues.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS:Open Everyday between

Thanksgiving & Christmas!

2542 East High St., Pottstown • 610-323-4994www.thesilvershoppe.com/ silvershoppe@aol.com

Original Designs In Silver

See me onYou Tube!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016 THE MERCURY | GIFTGUIDE | 5

Every holiday shopperends up with at least oneloved one on their shop-ping list who they can’tseem to find anything for.Some people seem to haveit all, while others may beless than forthcoming withregard to items they mayneed or want.

Many seniors tend to fallinto the latter category.Shopping for holiday giftsfor seniors can be difficultif shoppers don’t knowwhat seniors want. But thefollowing are a handful ofgift ideas that might makethis holiday season thatmuch more special for se-niors.

BooksA 2015 survey from the

Pew Research Center foundthat 69 percent of adultsage 65 and over acknowl-edged reading at leastone book in the previous12 months. That makesbooks a good bet for shop-pers who don’t know what

to get their 65-and-overloved ones this holiday sea-son. But shoppers mightwant to opt for more tra-ditional print books ratherthan e-books, as the surveyfound that only 15 percentof readers age 65 and overhad read an e-book in theprevious 12 months.

Gym membershipAccording to the Office

of Disease Prevention andHealth Promotion, morethan 80 percent of adultsdo not meet the guidelinesfor aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.That can be especially trou-bling for seniors, who areat greater risk for osteopo-rosis, a medical conditionin which age-related tissueloss contributes to brittle,fragile bones. Physical ac-tivity, including muscle-strengthening activitieslike weight training, canhelp combat osteoporo-sis. Family members stuckon what to get aging loved

ones may want to considergifting a membership to alocal gym. Many gyms offerheavily discounted mem-berships to seniors, andsuch gyms may even offersenior fitness classes at noadditional cost.

Travel giftsMany retirees love to

travel, but not every seniorhas the means to take offfor parts unknown. A 2013survey from the Transam-erica Center for Retire-ment Studies found that25 percent of retirees ad-mitted they wished theywould have saved morefor retirement travel. Hol-iday shoppers can lightup seniors’ smiles by gift-ing travel gifts this holi-day season. One idea is totransfer airline miles to anelderly loved one so he orshe can get a free or dis-counted flight. If that’s nota possibility, some new lug-gage or a Global Hotel Cardsponsored by Orbitz, a gift

card that can be redeemedat 70,000 hotels across theglobe, is sure to please.

Family timeShoppers who are espe-

cially stuck on what to getseniors for Christmas can

just resolve to spend moretime with their elderly lovedones. Many seniors genu-inely have everything theyneed, and such men andwomen may only want tospend more time with theirchildren and grandchil-

dren. Make a New Year’sresolution to spend moretime with the special se-niors in your life if the per-fect gift is eluding you.

Article courtesy of MetroCreative

GIFTGUIDE

Great gifts for seniors

PHOTO COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE

Sugar-FreeButters Available

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Call Today ToPlace Your Order!

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| GIFTGUIDE | THE MERCURY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 20166

Functional and practi-cal, culinary gifts are alwayswelcomed by cooks, bakersand frequent entertainers.Fortunately, for friends andfamily members who alsocovet great design and fash-ion trends, there’s a plethoraof quality kitchen products

available today with beauti-ful styling that’s too fun andvibrant to hide away in cabi-nets. Here’s a short list of col-orful gift options to considerthis season. Circulon Sym-metry Chocolate Bakeware5-Piece Set — Add a sophisti-cated pop of color when bak-

ing savory and sweet treatswith durable steel bakewareenrobed in a decadently richdark chocolate hue insideand out. The set includesa versatile cookie pan (candouble as a sheet pan), tworound cake pans, a loaf panand a rectangular cake pan.

Anolon Vesta Cast Iron 12-inch Skillet — Crafted in newcobalt blue and holiday-readyPaprika Red, this hard-work-ing skillet with double pour-ing spouts and a long han-dle for added stability whenlifting features a matte blackenamel interior that doesn’tneed seasoning and a gleam-ing porcelain enamel ex-terior that adds a punch ofcolor and is easy to clean.

BonJour Ami Matin8-Cup French Press — Sureto brighten up every coffee-lover’s morning, this classic,bistro-style coffee brewer isnow offered in mood-boost-ing lavender and aqua blue.Constructed from unbreak-able BPA-free Tritan plastic,this durable French pressboasts a patented shutoffcontrol built into its plungerto lock in flavor and preventover-brewing.

Farberware Purecook Ce-ramic Nonstick Cookware12-Piece Set — Go stylishwith lavender and aqua orclassic with gray and bluewith this well-designed,dishwasher safe collectionoffered in four attractiveshades. The high-heat safeceramic nonstick surface iswhite and contrasts beauti-fully with the glossy porce-lain exterior. Rachael RayPorcelain II Nonstick Cook-ware in Marine Blue — Re-flecting the positive energyand refreshed feeling that’soften experienced dur-

ing seaside vacations, ma-rine blue is the newest huein this colorful collection,which also offers six otherchoices crafted in a gradientstyle: Rachael’s signature or-ange, red, blue, green, pur-ple and dark green. RachaelRay Cucina Stoneware Ra-mekins 4-Piece Set — For asofter color palette, this set oforganically shaped, oven-to-table ramekins are glazed infour Tuscan-style hues: cran-berry red, agave blue, mush-room brown and lavender.Offering endless possibili-ties for cooking, baking andserving, the oven-safe rame-

kins are also microwave-,dishwasher- and freezer-safe.

Paula Deen 3-PieceStriped Mixing Bowl Set —This charming, red-stripedset of small, medium andlarge mixing bowls, madeof lightweight and durablemelamine, instantly bright-ens up spirits when prep-ping breakfast, lunch ordinner. Each bowl features asturdy lip to ensure a securegrip and a rubberized basering for stability. CirculonUltimum Cookware 11-PieceSet — This new collection ofdishwasher-safe and induc-tion-ready gourmet cook-

ware features sophisticatedbrushed metal lids and han-dles, and a jet black exteriorfor timeless design appeal.The exceptionally durablenon-stick cooking surfacecovers durable forged alumi-num for a pro-style look andperformance. The compre-hensive set includes all thebasic pots and pans neededto whip up countless disheson the range or in the oven.

For more information oncolorful holiday gifts, visitanolon.com, circulon.com,farber warecookware.com,bonjourproducts.com andPotsandPans.com.

GIFTGUIDE

Give gifts that add colorful zestto cooking, entertaining

PHOTO COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE

Clockwise from top left: Rachael Ray Porcelain II NonstickCookware in marine blue, Rachael Ray Cucina StonewareRamekins 4-Piece Set, Bonjour Ami Matin 8-Cup FrenchPress, Anolon Vesta Cast Iron 12-Inch Skillet, FarberwarePurecook Ceramic Nonstick Cookware 12-Piece Set,Circulon Symmetry Chocolate Bakeware 5-Piece Set,Paula Deen 3-Piece Striped Mixing Bowl Set.

NEW CLOCK SALE!Limited Time Only!

• Grandfather Clocks

From $799• Christmas Music Clocks

$2999

• Cuckoo Clocks• Rhythm Small World Clocks

Most major credit cards accepted

Scott’s Clock Repair22 S. Charlotte St., Pottstown, PA 19464

610-327-6293Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 9-5; Sat. 10-1

Wed. by appointment $119900

SPECIAL

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016 THE MERCURY | GIFTGUIDE | 7

5th & Main Sts., Royersford, PA610-948-8515 • www.calhounjewelers.com

A GIFT FOR YOUReceive a pair of

ELLE Solitaire CZ Drop Earrings

($169 value)with any purchase of

$350 or more

| GIFTGUIDE | THE MERCURY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 20168