With Halloween now officially in the rear-view mirror, retailers across the city have quickly transitioned their retail spaces in anticipation of the busy holiday Season. Alternative Choice Garden Centre (on the corner of 34th and Patricia in Brandon) is no exception, in fact they have taken it one step further. For the second straight year, the company is offering customers an opportunity to take their safe Christmas photos/selfies in one of their Santa themed displays. The display is free to use and no appointment is required at this time. Owner/Operator Karin Griffin tells bdnmb.ca that one of the new features they added this season was a life sized Santa. "We had set up an area last year just for some fun selfie fun and when I did my Christmas Shopping last January I saw this awesome life size Santa and had to have him…and who knew that he was going to be our “Safe Santa” this year". "So when all the Christmas things were getting cancelled and I mean how do kids sit on Santas lap right now?? So we set this up as a family photo area, so we invite anyone to come in and take their photo, bring in there photographer, do a selfie…we don’t care, but we just couldn’t see Christmas get cancelled. Our whole store is Christmas right now, so it’s a happy place…winter in the front and summer in the GH all winter!! added Karin. Alternative Choice Garden Centre features fresh cut Christmas Trees, live greens, custom winter containers, workshops that work for you…(book your group on the day that works for you), house plants, Christmas décor, Napoleon BBQ & accessories, Lechuza self-water planters, garden décor, & more..all this @ Alternative on the corner of 34th and Patricia in Brandon Christmas Winter hours are Monday – Wednesday 9-6 Thursday- Friday 9-8 Saturday 9-5 and Sunday’s 11-5.

Launch: Friday, November 6th at 3:00 PM After months of dedication and hard work, the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is pleased to announce the launch of a brand-new online Gift Shop! Our goal with this site is to provide an exceptional browsing and unique shopping experience for our customers; in addition to providing an additional platform to showcase all of our wonderful artists and their work! The online Gift Shop features a selection of small works for sale including ceramic works, paintings, drawings, prints, wood items, fibre work, and jewellery. A collection of larger and more delicate works may be found under our In-Store Collection, which may only be purchased in person. To access the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba’s Online Gift Shop please visit agsm.store. The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is located at 710 Rosser Avenue. It can be accessed either from the Town Centre parkade, or from the first floor of the Town Centre Mall through the elevators near the library.

The Hansel and Gretels Schnitzelhouse recently released a statement (below) on their Facebook page that for health and family reasons they would be closing until further notice. For the past several weeks, the restaurant had been sharing the space at 363-1st Street with Los Brothers Street Food. Los Brothers Street Food had been running Monday-Thursday and The Hansel and Gretels Schnitzelhouse operational Friday-Sunday. With the departure of The Hansel and Gretels Schnitzelhouse, the restaurant will now be operated full time by Los Brothers Street Food as they look to expand both the hours of operation and days they are open. Los Brothers Street Food serves a variety of tacos, tortas, burritos, quesadillas, hot dogs, and hamburgers.

This year, things are a little different. And we thought, “How can we bring a vacation to you?” So, to shake up your normal routine, we created the Staycation Box! Just in time for the holidays, this comfy, cozy box is packed full of amazing Manitoba made products and a themed travel itinerary creating hours of engaging fun. As you open the box you are walked through every aspect from local music to setting the mood, tasting delicious beverages, learning to cook local delicacies, virtual tours and tips on how to make the experience exceptional. Our mission is to create a memorable "travel" experience in the comfort of your home while incorporating local Manitoba made products. One of our focal points is supporting local businesses and with so many wonderful products made here in Manitoba, it's easier than ever to buy local. We want to showcase these unique and delicious items, as well as inspire you to explore countries from around the world. We currently have two products. Our standard size box comes with a 48- hour itinerary of recipes, activities and 6-7 made-in-Manitoba goods, so that you can use the products to create two full days of restful, engaging fun. Then our mini-boxes were created for those who simply have an evening to serene escape. Each box includes 5 made in Manitoba products and a 4-6hr travel itinerary designed to create memories and fun experiences. We at McPhail Travel Brandon have poured our heart and soul into creating the Staycation Box and honestly, it couldn’t have been done without the amazing companies we have partnered with. We hand-picked each and every one of our gift boxes with a selection of local artisan products from across Manitoba. To give you an idea of what to expect, in our fabulous Paris box we have scrumptious macarons from Jenna Rae Cakes. In our Hawaii box, you can enjoy a cocktail on Its Charlow Darling while preparing a fun Luau dinner. And in our Active & Adventure box, grab your GORP energy bar as you head out on a hike. Are you a family looking for something to do this weekend? A company seeking to treat their employees? A couple longing for a date night? Or a busy individual needing a quick gift? You value aesthetics and convenience and are excited to have a fun experience from the comfort of your home. No more rushing around, pulling things together at the last minute. Let us do the work for you. Available for purchase at www.staycationbox.ca or by email info@mcphailtravel.net.

BDNMB.CA always strives to support local business and entrepreneurs. Today we look at new real estate agent Cheryl Campbell who has just started working at the local Remax office. Do you feel the local real estate market is growing among females: Brandon already has a very strong female presence in the real estate market, I am very lucky to work alongside many very successful female realtors, but yes I do believe it has grown and will continue to grow in our town! Who was your favourite hockey coach for your son: My son is 17 years old and started hockey when he was just 4/5 years old. That is a lot of years of hockey, with a lot of different coaches. There is no way I can pick just one, I think each one of them taught my son something different and valuable that has helped him become the person he is today, not only on the ice, but off the ice as well. Last movie you watched at the theatre: My husband and I took my daughters to Toy Story 4 (pre-covid). One of the best parts of having kids is the excuse to go to all the cutest kid movies! You can’t use google for this, but who is Jack Bauer: I honestly have no idea, but because we have already talked about hockey, I’m going to guess the CEO of Bauer hockey company? I’m going to Google him now...... Do you find Sean Hannity attractive: I would say he is definitely a bit of a silver fox. Brandon’s best Pizza: Marino’s is always my go to. Who was your worst date with, and why: I have actually never had a really bad date! However, my most awkward date was my first date with my husband. I have no idea why, but when the waitress came to take our orders, I ended up ordering his meal for him, right in front of him, without even asking what he wanted. Chicken fingers and fries. He didn’t want them, but ate them anyways. It was weird. We still laugh about it. Best gift you have ever received: A necklace with the fingerprint molding of a friend we lost. I wear it everyday. It means to world to me. What would your spirit animal be: I think I always assumed it would be a bear? Grumpy in the mornings, love to eat, hibernates all winter? However, I decided to take a “spirit animal” quiz for this: question, it turns out I’m a Platypus? It says we are cute, always on the go, happiest in the water and dangerous if angered. Who knew? If you could steal something without going to jail, what would it be: Probably the Cullinan diamond, which is one of the largest diamonds ever found. I would steal it, sell it for the $2 billion it is apparently worth, buy a place in Bermuda and retire. What skills do you wish you were better at: My time management skills. I think most of my family/friends would agree I have been known to run a bit late at times, it’s something I am working on. Who has given you good business advice, and what was it: One of the real estate courses was taught by a lady who has been in the business for many years. She told us all to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” and I honestly repeat this to myself often. In this business you have to put yourself out there, meet new people, ask uncomfortable questions, work your way through new experiences, new situations, and get used to being rejected over and over again. It’s not always fun, but it comes with the job. Do you think life exists on other planets: Yes! There are billions of galaxies out there. Billions! There is no way we can be the only living things around. What is your hidden skill or talent: Well it is going to stay hidden for most of you, but a few people have been “lucky” enough to experience my top notch Karaoke/Lip syncing performances. That’s all I am going to say about that. Jeans or a Skirt: I love them both! But I wear jeans more often. When you book a hotel room, what’s the most important thing to you: Does it have a waterslide to entertain my 4&6 year old daughters for at LEAST a few hours during our stay. Is Yoga cool: Ummmm Yes!!! Yoga is so cool. Did you ever do online dating: I have not. My husband and I were together far before online dating was a popular thing to do. What are you most passionate about: Helping others is my passion. Anything as little as brightening someone’s day with a good laugh, or as big as helping someone find their future home. It makes me happy, and I love doing it.