5 Unique Ways to Surprise Your Valentine

Here are some ideas that go a little beyond the go-to gift.

1. The New Leaf Salon and Spa  is having a Valentine’s Day Pampering Event on Friday, Feb. 10 from 6-9 p.m. The best part of this surprise is that you can relax right along with your Valentine. There is a $20 cover charge which includes $20 in gift cards and door prizes. Choose from facial treatments, chair massages, hair design consultations and more. There are refreshments too. Call 508-351-9009 to register. 2. Make a reservation for a romantic dinner at Bistro Limoncello. You can even do that online. This ristorante has all of your favorite Italian dishes, plus some that you can only find here. There's also an extensive wine list and tempting desserts. 3. Staying in? Stop by Wegmans' and pick up some warm water lobster tails and …

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S.A.D. in the Winter

A Northborough psychologist talks about Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Every year as the winter months bring colder weather and darker skies, Dr. Elizabeth Puccio starts getting a lot more calls from people not enjoying their jobs, or young adults not doing well in school, or couples with an onset of problems. People think the problems are magnified by the poor economy, or their child having trouble adjusting to school. Often, however, it turns out to be Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as S.A.D.  Puccio is a clinical psychologist in Northborough who treats patients suffering from S.A.D., an extreme form of the winter blues that claims suffers from about two percent of the population. The shorter days and lack of sunlight bring some people this mild form of depression that can be characterized by …

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5 Great New Year's Events

Here are some fun ways to say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012.

1. Celtic Tavern's New Year's Eve Party has it all. There's a four-course dinner (with a special menu), a comedy show and live music. Plus, everyone gets to participate in a champagne toast. Choose from two different dinner seatings: 5-7 p.m. or 7-9 p.m. James Dorsey then entertains the crowd as the headline comic followed by guitarist, Jay Graham. Tickets are presold ($50/person, $80/couple). Call 508-366-6277 to make a reservation. Please email walshy01606@yahoo.com for more information and questions or visit the website. 2. Sea Dog Steak & Ale is offering a "prefix" menu in addition to their full menu this New Year's Eve starting at 5 p.m. The prefix menu is $37 (plus tax and tip) and includes a champagne toast and special prices on …

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5 Last-Minute Christmas Gifts You Can Buy Locally

If you forgot someone on your list or missed a shipping deadline, you can still find great gifts in Northborough.

1. Armeno Coffee Roasters, Ltd. is featuring the "Coffees Around the World Sampler." Available only during the holiday season, you get four, half-pound bags of Armeno's single-origin coffees roasted everyday on the premises for $26.75. Included in the sampler is Holiday Cheer, a rich, full-bodied blend and one bag of coffee each from The Americas, Africa and Indonesia/Asia. Call 508- 393-2821 or visit the website for more information. Armeno is closing at noon on Saturday, Dec. 24 and reopening at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012. 2. Northborough is in love with Wegmans. Why not pick up a logoed, 16 oz. travel mug? You can choose from four different designs: Love & Peace, Earth Day, Splash or Patriotic. Now through Dec. 31, you …

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House Hunt

Holiday House Shopping? What's Open This Weekend

Here is a sampling of properties in Northborough having open houses this weekend.

Click on the pictures for information on the property and open house times and dates. Compiled by Northborough Patch courtesy of newenglandmoves.com. Are you a local Realtor or resident who's trying to sell a home? Please add the details of your upcoming open house in our comments section. You can add photos, too. Have an open house coming up next week? Email us with the information and photos, and we'll post it next Friday.

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House Hunt

Condos and More Homes Open

Here is a sampling of properties in Northborough and surrounding areas having open houses this weekend.

Click on the pictures for information on the property and open house times and dates. Compiled by Northborough Patch courtesy of newenglandmoves.com. Are you a local Realtor or resident who's trying to sell a home? Please add the details of your upcoming open house in our comments section. You can add photos, too. Have an open house coming up next week? Email us with the information and photos, and we'll post it next Friday.

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Social Media Saturday

Dogs and Star Athletes

Northborough Patch looked around online to see what you're talking about and what's new in town.

Social Media Saturday is Northborough Patch's turn to look at what you're saying on the Internet. We're online, and that means we're online. A lot. All day. We look around, and we hope you're looking at us, too.  Each week, we'll take a look at the interaction we've had with our readers as well as highlight questions, comments and thoughts you've posted on Facebook, Twitter and other media outlets throughout the week. You're out there and we're looking. We'll also point you in the direction of some new, or interesting, or both, pages you may not have heard about. Highlights of the Week Right now, 527 fans like us on Facebook and we have 386 followers on Twitter. Do you love dogs? The Northboro Canine Rehabiliation Center has added a whole …

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Food and Fun: JJ's, Wegmans and Growing Up in Northborough

Northborough Patch looked around online to see what you're talking about and what's new.

Social Media Saturday is Northborough Patch's turn to look at what you're saying on the Internet. We're online, and that means we're online. A lot. All day. We look around, and we hope you're looking at us, too.  Each week, we'll take a look at the interaction we've had with our readers aswell as highlight questions, comments and thoughts you've posted on Facebook, Twitter and other media outlets throughout the week. You're out there and we're looking. We'll also point you in the direction of some new, or interesting, or both, pages you may not have heard about. Highlights of the Week Right now, 522 fans like us on Facebook and we have 388 followers on Twitter with numbers growing everyday. JJ's Sports Bar and Grille has $6.99 weekday …

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Frustration with National Grid and Talking Small Businesses

You are playing "Guess the Restaurant" and one of the newest members of the AVM Apprentice Program hails from Northborough.

According to a Northborough Patch poll, 73 percent of you feel that as paying customers, National Grid should not have taken so long to restore power. However, 23 percent of people who voted in the poll said that the company was doing the best they could given their resources. As mentioned in the Nov. 3 Northborough Patch article, "National Grid was forced to lay off some 1,200 workers earlier this year..." Northborough Patch blogger Ron Goodenow supports the majority of the voters in his comment and offers his own explanation, "The service provided by this company has been ghastly. It is what happens under deregulation when foreign investors move in and are both clueless about local customer service and such things as preventive …

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Site of the Week: A Diamond in the Ruff

Northborough Patch looked around online to see what you are talking about and what's new.

Social Media Saturday is Northborough Patch's turn to look at what you're saying on the Internet. We're online, and that means we're online. A lot. All day. We look around, and we hope you're looking at us, too. Each week, we'll take a look at the interaction we've had with our readers aswell as highlight questions, comments and thoughts you've posted on Facebook, Twitter and other media outlets throughout the week. You're out there and we're looking. We'll also point you in the direction of some new, or interesting, or both, pages you may not have heard about. Highlights of the Week Right now, 512 fans like us on Facebook and we have 383 followers on Twitter with numbers growing everyday. Trinity Church's power was restored as of 10 a.m. …

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