11/10/25 - Holiday Sides and Holiday Shopping

Monday 11/10/25

Celebrate:

Area Code Day

International Accounting Day

National Civic Pride Day

National forget-Me-Not Day

National Vanilla Cupcake Day

Sesame Street Day

USMC Day

World Orphans Day

World Science Day for Peace and Development

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The sun flared again on Sunday. The Northern Lights might appear Monday Night.

This is, as they call it, a G3 event, which is Strong

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Weekend Box Office

1. Predator: Badlands $40 Million  - the best opening weekend ever for a solo “Predator” movie

2. Regretting You $7.3 Million

3. Black Phone 2 $5.3 Million

4. Sarah's Oil $4.4 Million

5. Nuremberg $4.1 Million

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Here we are in the thick of Holiday Shopping season! You heard me right, we just had our first Black Friday (of a few) weekend. Specials everywhere! And Retailers launch “Mega Monday” promos. Why wait for Cyber Monday???

Remember to shop your local stores this holiday season as well.

The National Retail Federation predicts the first-ever $1 trillion holiday shopping season (Nov-Dec), despite consumer caution regarding pricing.

Gift cards are the top planned purchase for U.S. consumers this holiday season, signaling a shift toward essentials and practical value in gifting.

Also, the Postal Service warns you to mail your packages earlier. Especially when you don't know when airline traffic will go back to normal levels. Also, the early shoppers are already making delivery volume surge.

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For over 150 years, Campbell’s® hasn’t just been part of holiday meals – it’s helped define them. And during the holidays, when loved ones gather, side dishes are always at the heart of the table.

They have just released their 2025 State of the Sides.

From classics like Green Bean Casserole (celebrating its 70th anniversary this year!) to rising stars like Mac & Cheese, this year’s State of the Sides findings dish out what home cooks know best: it’s the sides, not the turkey, that remain the star.

63% prefer eating side dishes over the turkey at Thanksgiving, up from 56% in 2024.

47% say they’d be perfectly happy with a plate full of sides and nothing else, up from 38% in 2024.

44% call Green Bean Casserole the most iconic Thanksgiving side, with more than half of those who always cook the full Thanksgiving meal saying it’s best made the traditional way.

50% of the nation believes Mac & Cheese should be a staple at every holiday table, with Gen Z and Millennials leading the charge.

What are the most popular?

For the second year in a row, stuffing won the prize as the #1 Thanksgiving side dish.

2. Mashed Potatoes

3. Sweet Potatoes

4. Mac-N-Cheese - Gen Z Fav, and up over 20% since last year.

5. Green Bean Casserole.

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Have you ever misordered something?

A town ordered 5,000 cones, and the supplier's mistake became a safety campaign.

 A procurement typo led to a mountain of bright orange cones. So what do you do? repurpose them for neighborhood safety, art installations, and a “cone rental” for events. The accidental surplus turned into a quirky community PR win.

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Using food-safe pigments that fluoresce under UV, a community bakery raised funds and attention with novelty cupcakes that glow at evening events. Food-safety labs confirmed safe formulations for occasional consumption. The trend is now booked for themed parties

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Tiny “bike-powered cinema” lets audience pedal to power the projector.

Our bicycle-powered cinemas are 100% human-powered and completely off-grid. All the electricity for the performance is produced by the cyclists. There are no batteries, generators or back-up power sources. Clean, efficient, and sustainable, we arrive at each event with no stored power and leave with nothing.

Having generated their own energy, we hope that people will be encouraged to think about energy consumption and, hopefully, even make a small step towards reducing their own everyday energy consumption. Organizers are planning kits for use in other towns.

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Gen Z's spending power is maturing, leading to major changes in the consumer landscape as they prioritize digital and local channels.

A new survey shows 75% of Gen Z prioritize sustainable purchases over brand names, influencing other generations toward eco-friendly buying decisions.

AND, Over 94% of consumers favor a shift to sustainable lifestyles, but 80% say they need stronger support from government and business to make the transformation affordable.

Plus, Gen Z generally prefers digital payment methods over cash, with many considering cash to be "cringe" and only using it as a last resort. This generation is more likely to spend mindfully with cards or apps, as they feel cash leads to less controlled spending.

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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - For the state of Texas to have the population density of New York City, every single person in the world would have to live there.

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