Holidays

LAYTON — A combination of Christmas and Las Vegas magic gave some area families with children battling cancer a short reprieve Saturday.

FRUIT HEIGHTS -- Getting adoptable dogs and cats into warm homes in time for Christmas may take Santa's touch.

Davis County Animal Care and Control will hold a special adoption event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the shelter, 1422 E. 600 North, Fruit Heights.

OGDEN -- Parents, here's your chance to show your children how spoiled they are.

Saturday, you can take your kids to the United Way of Northern Utah offices and have them hand toys, clothes or gift cards for those in need over to Santa Claus himself.

The family whose car was crushed by a tree in the recent windstorm reminds me of a 1948 movie, "The Bicycle Thief."

The film is set in economically ravaged Rome after World War II. A man with a small family finally gets his bicycle out of the pawnshop so he can get a job.

CLEARFIELD — The city is hosting its annual “Breakfast With Santa,” for ages 2 to 12, Saturday at North Davis Junior High School and Clearfield Aquatic Center.

RIVERDALE — Not quite over Halloween but still getting into the Christmas spirit?

You can enjoy a mixture of both by attending the Carnival of Chaos Haunted House this month. The event, held Dec. 16-17, will feature coffins, graveyards, skeletons, spiders, eyeballs and more, but it will all be done with a bit of a holiday twist.

“The haunted house will feature Ebenezer Scrooge’s bedroom and there will be a graveyard full of snow. There will be Grinch scenes and elves and characters from ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ ” said event coordinator Jesse Bunck.

OGDEN — The holiday season is upon us and with it comes an array of parties filled with cookies, candy, cake, pie, wine and … weight gain.

During this time of year, many people resign themselves to the fact they’ll probably gain five to 10 pounds, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

“You can still enjoy the holidays without denying yourself,” said Debbie Williams, who owns Timeless Medical Spa and Weight Loss Center with her husband, Dr. Brent Williams, in South Ogden. “Have a bite of the cake. Just don’t eat the whole thing.”