1. Kids' Food Basket, LMCU, and iHeart Media have all teamed up for the third annual "Baskets For Kids" campaign!
During the high school basketball season, LMCU will donate $50 to Kids' Food Basket for every three-pointer made during the 96.1 high school basketball game of the week.
This exciting partnership helps provide healthy meals to children in need across West Michigan. Last year, they raised over $6,000!
The first featured game will be played on December 20. So come cheer on your favorite high school teams, because every basket counts towards fighting childhood hunger.
To find the game schedule or donate, visit the Kids' Food Basket website.
2. Grab on to a new hobby in the new year. A new rock-climbing is coming to Holland Township.
Shift climbing is expected to open in February inside the Westshore Mall.
It'll have 5,100 square feet of climbing terrain and the team will change up about one-fifth of the climbs weekly. There will also be a café opening in partnership with Ferris, a boutique fitness center, and other amenities.
Choose from monthly memberships, punch cards, and drop-in day rates. Learn more at shiftclimbing.com.
3. We've been touting the Beer City USA title for a while now but there's more to what goes into those pint glasses when choosing a destination for some liquid libations. A recent top 20 list from Yardbarker.com finds two of Michigan's breweries in the list of must-visit venues.
Coming in at #8 is Bells Brewery. Two Hearted IPA and Oberon are the standard bearers at that brewery. One spot above them is Founders Brewing Co. at #7. All Day IPA is the leader and the former trucking depot that houses their taproom and pub makes it a must-visit.
Curious who took the top spot?
#3 Dogfish Head Brewery In Milton Delaware
#2 Yuengling Brewery - It's America's Oldest 1829! Pottsville, PA
#1 Samuel Adams Brewery - Boston
4. Need to de-stress? Research shows a cup of cocoa could help soothe our tension.
Analysts in Britain found that drinking cocoa can reduce the negative effects of fatty foods we consume during stressful moments.
The team gave volunteers a savory breakfast of buttered croissants, cheese, and milk, and then a cocoa drink. They followed that with an eight-minute mental math test to try to stress out the participants.
After the exam, they found cocoa notably prevented increased levels of vascular function in the body.
Researchers say not all cocoa is the same, and that it's better to look for minimally processed cocoa powder to get similar results.
5. Here's the perfect gift to give your kiddo this holiday season.
By going to SantaPhoneCalls.com you can schedule a real-time, personalized conversation with Santa Claus.
Each call is uniquely tailored, featuring Santa greeting children by name, referencing their favorite activities, and discussing their wish lists.
A one-time personalized conversation with Santa starts at $9.95 and for $14.95 you'll get a recording of the call for a personal keepsake.
