At this time of year, most of us come home to doorsteps piled with Amazon boxes and other miscellaneous holiday deliveries. The U.S. Postal Service estimates that it will deliver roughly 850 million packages between Thanksgiving and the end of the holidays. That's 15 percent of the year's entire package deliveries. Yikes. 

Unfortunately, the convenience of online shopping comes with an invisible price; it's harmful to the environment. Those large delivery trucks make up a hefty percentage of transportation emissions, and the more trucks are heading into neighborhoods and spread-out houses, the worse the environmental impact becomes. 

So, how can you lessen the blow to the environment this holiday season? Use these shopping tips while hunting for the perfect gifts online.

1. Plan your orders strategically. Instead of placing five different orders, try to combine as many items as possible to lessen the number of deliveries made to your house. It's a small effort, but if everyone did this more often, we could cut down on carbon emissions substantially. 

2. Stop automatically selecting the fastest shipping option. As tempting as it is to select two-day delivery every time you place an order, try to pick a longer delivery option if you're not in a rush. Even free expedited shipping takes an extra toll on the environment, so embrace patience and wait a bit longer for your packages when possible. 

3. Have items delivered to stores for pick-up. One of the main reasons online shopping is harming the environment is that packages are going to so many different locations all the time. By consolidating delivery sites and picking your items up at the store, you can help the environment suffer less this holiday season. 


How are you helping the environment this season? Do you shop online for most of your gifts? Let us know in the comment section! 

There's no better way to ring in the holiday season than by donning a pair of ice skates and finding a rink to glide around with friends. Here in the Boston area, we have a handful of ice-skating rinks that will make your Christmas daydreams come to life. 

1. The Boston Common Frog Pond

This skating rink is as pretty as it is fun. Practice your moves under snow-covered trees and enjoy exploring the oldest public park in the United States. In fact, this skating rink was named the best outdoor skating rink the entire country! Admission prices are based on height; 58 inches and over is $6, under is free. Skate rentals are $12 for adults and $6 for children. 

2. MarketStreet Lynnfield 

Whether you just want to skate for an hour or you're hoping to plan a birthday party on the ice, the Marketstreet Lynnfield Rink is an excellent option. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for children under 12. Skate rentals are $4 per person. After you're done shopping, enjoy more than 80 shops and restaurants located right outside the rink. 

3. DCR Kelly Outdoor Rink 

If you want to ice skate in the brisk winter air, this rink is a great choice. Public skating doesn't begin until December 16, but that gives you plenty of time to round up a group of people and plan a fun day of skating. Skate rentals are just $2 for kids and $3 for adults. 

4. Simoni Skating Rink 

It'll only cost you $12 to skate at this popular rink ($6 for skates and $6 for admission). You can mess around on the ice without an instructor, or you can sign up for figure skating lessons to learn something new. 

5. Community Ice Skating at Kendall Square

Once you're done strutting your stuff on this rink, pick up a hot drink from the concession stand and enjoy watching other skaters. On December 15, the rink will host its 13th Annual Holiday on Ice celebration with free admission for everyone, plus a skating show at 2 PM. 


Where do you like to ice skate in the Boston area? Tell us about your favorite rinks in the comments below! 

Although we want to give Thanksgiving its due respect before rushing into the Christmas season, we can't help but get excited to celebrate here in Boston. Over the next few weeks, several special tree-lighting events will take place across the city. Here are some of the best ones to attend. 

Macy's Christmas Tree Lighting - November 23 

Starting at 2 PM, families can head to the Macy's children's department to pose for pictures with Santa. Then, everyone can check out the other kid-friendly activities until the holiday window displays are revealed and the tree is lit at 5 PM. 

Copley Square Tree Lighting - November 26 

With live music and entertainment, Copley Square is the place to be the Monday after Thanksgiving. Enjoy some free refreshments, then watch as Santa Claus and Rudolph help with the lighting. 

Faneuil Hall Holiday Tree Lighting Spectacular - November 27 

If you want to see a big tree, and by big we mean 60 feet tall, then head over to Faneuil Hall for a live-broadcasted Christmas tree lighting at 7:30 PM. There will be a light show choreographed to all your favorite Christmas tunes, and the repeated show will continue every day until January 1. 

Frog Pond Skating Spectacular/Boston Common Tree Lighting - November 29 

Not only can you watch the giant tree light up for the 77th year in a row, but you can also enjoy a free skating show at 5 PM. National and international skaters will put on a display of talent, then Mayor Walsh will help with the traditional tree lighting. 

Light Up Seaport - November 30 

At 6 PM on the waterfront, the Seaport Common will host live music, food from local restaurants, fun giveaways and a special Christmas tree lighting. This is the third year in a row Seaport has put on the event, and guests keep coming back from the family fun. 


Are you attending any of these tree-lighting events? Let us know which ones in the comments below! 

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, reports from doctors' offices, school health services and community health centers indicate that influenza activity is low and consistent with levels we normally see around this time of year. After last year's horrible flu season, which was the worst since 2009, we're all hoping that this influenza season is mild in comparison. 

However, a recent report from the Massachusetts Public Health Blog states that we're still early in the flu season and that rates are expected to rise over the next few months. It's not too late to get your vaccine and lower your chances of going to the doctor with the flu by 40 to 60 percent. If you need to find a flu vaccine provider near you, use this link to search for one in your zip code. 

We're approaching the holiday season when more people are traveling and gathering in large groups than usual, so it's a good idea to get vaccinated before then. To learn more about this year's flu season and how it's affecting Massachusetts, visit blog.mass.gov/publichealth.