David Yao writes: Now in its 36th year, this is Seattle’s original Alternative Christmas Fair, where ALL money brought in goes directly to programs that relieve poverty, hunger and homelessness. JOIN US and enjoy: Vintage Treasures and Books Quality Crafts, Gifts and Decorations from home and around the world Children’s Clothing, Games and Toys Homemade Deli Lunch, Fresh Baked Pies and Treats Handmade Quilt Silent Auction

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL! Come visit, shop, have a tasty lunch, and enjoy a compassion-filled pre-Christmas Bazaar in the company of others who wish to celebrate a vision of ‘Hope’ for …

Erika Bigelow writes:

Hey Wallingford, there’s some new color in the ‘hood. Thanks to the support of the Wallingford Community Council and the John Stanford International School PTSA, 700 sf of vibrant, colorful, whimsical murals by artist, Ryan Henry Ward, were completed on the South, playground-facing portion of the John Stanford International School, in October. The planning, was two-years in the making, and the results easily exceeded the expectations.

JSIS has one of the smallest playgrounds for a school its size in the district. It hosts over 475 children per school day and is the only play area in the …

I took this picture in 2007, in a little town in Costa Brava in northeastern Spain. It was the tiny seaside fishing village of Cadaqués, where Salvador Dali grew up, now a small vacation spot for the Spanish.

I don’t know what you call it, exactly: it’s not a bidet, or at least, not merely a bidet. But yes, it sprays hot water on demand to cleanse your nethers.

Anyway, I fell in love (imagine all the toilet paper you’ll save!), but tucked it away as one of those “some day, when I’m outfitting my home indulgently…” things.

And then…Miyabi! …

So I thought this was cool: the library has a device you can check out that allows you to see how much energy your household devices are drawing. For lightbulbs and such, it’s fairly obvious (a 60 watt bulb draws roughly 60 watts!), but I’ve ready about “vampire drain”: devices that drawn power even when they’re supposedly off. Your TV and printer may do this to stay “warmed up”, so that when you are ready to watch you don’t have to wait for the system to warm up or get ready. Your DVR or cable set-top box may be drawing …

Nancy Treder from the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce writes:

The Wallingford Chamber of Commerce invites the neighborhood to come see what the local merchants have donated to help us raise money for new LED lights to brighten up the neighborhood during the holidays. Everyone is invited for an evening of fun and fabulous prizes!

Wallyhood is pleased to welcome a new sponsor, local real estate start-up Rebls:

Rebls lets Wallingford homeowners instantly see who’s shopping for their home just by entering their address. As a homeowner, it’s hard to ever really know if there’s interest for your home unless you put it up for sale. Rebls changes that by giving homeowners the power to track demand and see potential buyers for their home without going on the market, showing their address, or talking to a professional before they’re ready.

If you’re thinking about buying, you can enter a search term like “Wallingford” on Rebls …