National Tips For the Weekend

From great deals at online retailers to interesting holidays, here are five things to know this week:

1. Thursday, Dec. 12 is Poinsettia Day, which is in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first American minister to Mexico. Poinsett brought this colorful plant back to the U.S. and gave them as gifts. Purchase the holiday plant for friends and family (or yourself) for 20 percent off here by calling in your order and referring to the discount code “11G.” Follow this month-by-month guide to keep the plants healthy year-round. 

2. Friday, Dec. 14 is National Bouillabaisse Day. The fish soup is believed to have originated in Marseilles, France and is popular all around the Mediterranean and in New Orleans. Celebrate with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s bouillabaisse recipe. 

3. With a little over two weeks until Christmas, it’s time to finish off your holiday gift list. Save some cash while you’re at it with some seasonal deals: Amazon is offering Amazon 12 Days of Deals on books, music and more. For 12 days, which began on Dec. 3 and will end Dec. 14, Amazon will discount popular, bestselling books throughout the day (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST). Each deal will last four hours, and will start at 8 a.m., 12 p.m., and 4 p.m. PST.  If you’d rather give a gift card, Rite Aid stores this week are offering $25 GAP, Banana Republic or Old Navy gift cards for $20, a savings of 20 percent.

4. ‘Tis the weekend where holiday parties are in full swing. Here’s a list of last-minute holiday hostess gift ideas that aren’t a bottle of wine—and easy on your wallet and schedule, too.