Do you have a gift card on your holiday wish list? So do many people. The National Retail Federation says that it still tops the list of presents that gift recipients are asking for this holiday season.

But just because you want a gift card to your favorite clothing store or restaurant doesn’t mean you will get it.

According to a survey by the NRF, shoppers are expected to again pull back on buying gift cards this year in favor of getting more for their buck with discounted merchandise.
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THE GAME PLAN: For Debbie Donnelly-McLay (left) and Marcia Pinto, the day’s plan is created based on the importance of items, when stores open and the location of each store. In the Boynton Beach Mall, they split up so they can get more things. (BRUCE R BENNETT/Staff Photgrapher)

Study up, grab a partner and make sure you have some caffeine

When she was 15 years old, Debbie Donnelly-McLay spent a year in Brazil, learning about the culture as part of an exchange program through her local Rotary club.

Seven years ago, when her Brazilian host mother, Marcia Pinto, came to visit her in the United States, Donnelly-McLay decided to return the favor by giving her “adopted mother” an all-American cultural experience: Black Friday shopping.
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OK, we all know that to many hot dogs are not that good for us (even if they are great for summer barbecues near the pool), but one Washington, D.C.-based group is suing to force hot dog manufacturers put warning labels on their product.

Today, The Cancer Project filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in Newark on behalf of three New Jersey residents, saying that hot dog makers are failing to warn consumers that eating hot dogs may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

The group sued Nathan’s Famous, Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer, Sara Lee, Con Agra Foods, and Marathon Enterprises, and said in the lawsuit that the companies need to put the following warning on their labels:

Warning: Consuming hot dogs and other processed meats increases the risk of cancer.”

For evidence, the group references a 2007 study published by the American Institute for Cancer Research that found that eating one 50-gram serving of processed meat (about the amount in one hot dog) a day increases the risk of colorectal cancer, on average, by 21 percent.

What do you think? Are hot dogs “as American as baseball and apple pie,” or are they potential killers? Sound off by posting a comment below!

Image on The Cancer Project's Web site

McDonald’s is rolling out its Free Mocha Mondays promotion today: every Monday through August 3, customers who come into their local McDonald’s between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. can receive a complimentary sample of the restaurant’s McCafe Mocha products.

You can choose from an 8 oz. sample of the McCafe Mocha, or a 7 oz. sample of the McCafe Iced Mocha (one per person, of course).

If mocha’s not your motivation this Monday, log onto Facebook and go to the Starbucks ice cream app page. There, you can send someone (including yourself) a coupon for a free pint of the new Starbucks ice cream. Over 800 coupons will be given away each hour, and you can only send a coupon once.

Now you have two free, delicious ways to get your week started!

Know of any other good freebies to kick off your Monday? Post a comment below and share the knowledge!

This Saturday is July 11, meaning it’s the “birthday” of convenience store chain 7-Eleven. To celebrate its 82nd birthday, the company is giving away close to 5 million free 7.11-ounce Slurpee drinks at its stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Ask for one of the “Happy Birthday” cups when you go to a 7-Eleven store on Saturday to get your free Slurpee.

As a bonus, a promo code on the cup that will allow you to get discounted general admission tickets to Live Nation concerts across the country. In addition, when you enter the promo code, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win one of 711 $50 Live Nation Concert Cash prizes, which can be redeemed for concert tickets at Live Nation.

For more information on other retail and restaurant news, check out the Palm Beach Post’s Malled! blog.

Exciting news, Chick-fil-A fans: the opening of the poultry restaurant’s newest location is here!

The company opened its stand-alone location at 6060 Okeechobee Blvd. at 6 a.m. today (June 18).

Knowing that the first 100 people in line when the store opens receive a one-year supply of gift certificates to Chick-fil-A (something that the company has done at every store opening since 2003), fans of the fast-food sandwich eatery began lining up days in advance.

Customer Baric Dillard, age 3, came outside to hug the Chick-fil-A cow because he thought the cow looked sad standing on the sidewalk and waving to passing cars.

Indeed, according to franchise owner/manager Rob Morris, the first line camper arrived from Alabama on Tuesday at 2 p.m. By 6 a.m. Wednesday, there were more than 100 people waiting in line for the Thursday opening, and the company had to hold a raffle for those who would be the first 100.

Even after that raffle, another 34 people continued to stand in line just for fun, Morris said. And fun they had: those waiting in line were able to access the bathrooms in the store whenever they needed to, were treated to free food and ice cream parties, and even got to head into the store so employees could practice their serving skills.

“There were 5 or 6 girls from the cheerleading squad from UCF standing in line,” Morris said. “They kept doing stunts in the parking lot.”

Sad you missed out on the excitement? There are still prizes to be had at Chick-fil-A. Head to the new location as soon as you can to snap up free travel mugs (they are close to running out) or miniature Chick-fil-A cows. Later today, the store will be giving away coupons for a free breakfast. And Mayor Lois Frankel will be stopping by the store at 10 a.m. for the “ceremonial first bite.”

Wellington residents Bob and Ginny Lovern planned their morning errands around a trip to the new Chick-fil-A store. Sitting at a booth and eating their breakfasts, the pair said they eat at the location in the Mall at Wellington Green at least a couple times a week.

“I really like their ice cream,” Bob Lovern told me.

Will you be checking out the new location? Let me know what you think!

New Chick-fil-A store on Okeechobee near the Turnpike.

Jonathan and Ginger Popper have been viewing SunFest through the Eyes of Wellington for 12 years.

This year, they like what they see.

In fact, the husband-and-wife duo decided to open their Eyes of Wellington sunglasses stand on Thursday afternoon instead of Friday because Jonathan Popper was impressed by the crowd turnout.

Intuition seemed to pay off: By about 7 p.m. Thursday, they had sold pairs of glasses ranging from $80 to a whopping $1,500.

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