Get a text from the North Pole

If you have a kid who can't put down that cell phone, check out a new offering from Cary Towne Center.

The mall has set up a service that will send your child text messages from Santa. You can input basic information about your baby and set up times for the texts to be sent. You can also opt to personalize the message, or choose from pre-written options (such as "cant w8 2 visit them xmas eve").

Who said Santa needs to know how to spell?

Anyway, the cost of the text service is $5.49, with $1 of that going to the March of Dimes. For more, visit cbl.textsanta.net/

Free shipping day is coming

If you're more of the last-minute type of shopper, you may want to mark your calendar for Dec. 17.

That's the day that has been unofficially dubbed free shipping day.

More than 200 retailers have signed on to offer free shipping for delivery by Christmas. But that really will likely be the last day you will be able to order without paying extra for overnight shipping to guarantee delivery by Christmas.

If you want to see which companies are participating, visit www.freeshippingday.com.

Online ordering deadlines approach

I know, it seems like Christmas is still far away. But if you are planning some online shopping, you need to start thinking about ordering.

The folks at CouponSherpa.com have a really handy list of retailers and their deadlines for regular shipping and express shipping. Most of them fall in mid-December, but some of them are as early as Dec. 3!

You can find the list at the Web site; click on "Holiday shipping deadlines."

Got an unusual home remedy?

Does vinegar cure dandruff? Probably not. But I bet you're scratching your head right now ...

If you haven't heard or seen them yet, keep your eyes peeled and ears open for a new ad campaign from Kerr Drug. In the ads, strangers offer wacky health remedies like the one above for all kinds of ailments. The suggestions are funny enough, but they are also a clever tie-in with a new contest from Kerr.

To enter, become a fan of Kerr Drug on Facebook and then share your wackiest health remedy on the company's wall. You could win a $1,000 gift card. Visit the contest page at kerrdrug.com/remedy.php.

Recycle cell phones for Sears credit

Sears has partnered with a company called Gazelle to launch an electronics recycling program that includes old cell phones. That's good news, because I have at least three of them in my house!

The gist of the deal is that you fill out a survey at / sears.gazelle.com/. You get an offer and then instructions on how to ship your items free to Gazelle. Upon receipt, your items are inspected and you are issued money back, in the form of Sears gift cards. Just in time for the holidays, too.

Oh, and if your item is determined to have no value, Sears will recycle it for you anyway.

Sears is one of a number of retailers now offering such services. Another popular one is the recycling program from Office Depot that was launched this year.

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