Guest Contributor: Miss Cozy

Miss Cozy’s beauty tip of the week: It’s a beauty catch 22, but putting the heat on too high will worsen dry skin problems, so experiment with different settings on your heater to find the right temperature for both you and your skin.

(Check out CozyWallet.com for more swank ways to save money)

If you have the chance, try to stop by one of these great events this weekend:

Los Angeles, CA - ‘Tis the season for this two-day shopping event. Unique LA is billed as as the largest independent design show on the West Coast. Enjoy doing your holiday shopping direct from over 300 designers and artists. This Saturday December 11th – December 12th, 11 am-6 pm at the California Market Center, Downtown – Click here for more info.

Chicago, IL - Come out and skate for free under some of Chicago’s most impressive skyscrapers, including the famous Bean while Ice Skating at Millenium Park. This outdoor skating rink is open daily and Skate rentals are available for $10. (Great Tip – After you’re done skating have lunch or dinner at the Park Grill located behind the rink) Click here for more info.

Indianapolis, Indiana - Throughout this holiday season, The Indiana State Museum will come alive with a distinctly festive look and feel at the Celebration Crossing. Bands and choirs will perform every weekday from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and on weekends from 12-3:30 p.m. Visit Santa’s Workshop (a.k.a. the museum’s gift shop) for a unique selection of gifts and toys, ride the Santa Claus Express train, and participate in craft activities. Enjoy reminiscing with re-creations of old L.S. Ayres store windows or have breakfast with Santa, like old times. (Mrs. Clause for tea on select dates) Located at 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis 46204 – Click here for more info.

Charlotte, NC – The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad presents this holiday event – The Polar Express, which is based on the popular Tom Hanks film of the same title features a train ride to the “North Pole”. The train departs from Bryson City, N.C., about three hours west of Charlotte. Read along with the magical story and meet Santa. Enjoy holiday caroling, hot cocoa, a special treat and a memento for the children. The Polar Express runs through December 23 – daily departure times vary. Located at Great Smoky Mountains Railroad - 226 Everett Street - Bryson City, NC 28713 – Click here for more info.

St. Louis, Missouri - The Jewel Box in Forest Park is beautiful anytime of the year but really shines during the holidays and features the Poinsettia Show. During the Christmas season, the giant greenhouse is filled with red, pink and white poinsettias. You can take in the display Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $1 but you can get in for free Monday and Tuesday before noon. The Jewel Box is located at the intersection of Wells and McKinley in Forest Park. Click here for more info.

Guest Contributor: Miss Cozy

Miss Cozy’s beauty tip of the week: Cold winter nights call for hot bubble baths, but this isn’t as perfect as it sounds. More bathing time is is a main contributor to itchiness and dry, chapped skin. All year round, but especially in winter, you should take tepid, not hot, baths. Reach for bath products featuring soothing ingredients, such as chamomile or eucalyptus, and only use all-natural soaps on underarms, hands, and feet. Limit your bath or shower to once a day (and less if possible), adding oils or mineral salts, preferably after you exercise so that you don’t breed bacteria through perspiration. Avoid scrubbing with washcloths and beaded exfoliaters during the winter months. Immediately after emerging from your bath, while still damp, put on your moisturizer to lock water into your skin.

(Check out CozyWallet.com for more swank ways to save money, and look good doing it.)

If you have the chance, try to stop by one of these great events this weekend:

Los Angeles, CA – Stop by the Malibu Food and Wine Festival this Sunday, December 5th where over 2,000 are anticipated at this food and wine enthusiasts event benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Many restaurants and wineries will be participating, including Chart House, Dukes Malibu, La Cachette Bistro, Moonshadows, Nate n Al at the Lakes, Cielo Malibu Estate, Oak Ridge Winery, Art+Farm Wine and Terlato Wines. Click here for more info.

Chicago, IL – As Hanukkah kicked off on December 1st, the Chicago Botanical Gardens in Glencoe is hosting a “Kosher-style” Hanukkah dinner buffet, on Sunday December 5th which will also include a concert featuring the Mawell Street Klezmer Band and the park’s Wonderland Express. Click here for more info.

Louisville, KY – Stop by the KaLightoscope Christmas at the Galt House to enjoy a landscape of larger-than-life, lighted holiday sculptures, a world-class dinner show, and arts and retail marketplace, a life-sized gingerbread village, imaginative Santa events and other amazing delightful goodies this Holiday season. Click here for more info.

Long Island, NY – This Friday, December 3rd through this Sunday, December 5th, enjoy The 15th Annual Dickens Festival in the Village of Port Jefferson. This event will include music, singers in period costume, street performers, a crafts fair and much more. Click here for more info.

Huntsville, Alabama – This year’s ‘Old Santa Shop’ features cottage arts & crafts for sale, holiday dessert sale, raffle for a porcelain doll, heritage arts & crafts demonstrations & Christmas music.  This Friday, December 3rd from 9am-2pm at Huntsville/Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Avenue Huntsville.  For more info, call (256) 800-7030.

Bath image courtesy of manataka.org

Guest Contributor: Miss Cozy

Holiday weight gain seems guaranteed, but the fact is – the holiday season doesn’t mean your scale will become your worst enemy! Some easy ways to prevent holiday weight gain include:

• Practicing portion control – All things in moderation. Keep your serving sizes in check at all times and you really can enjoy your favorite holiday treats without gaining weight

• Stay active during the holidays and those extra pounds won’t creep up on you. A 30-minute brisk walk most days of the week can do wonders for maintaining your waistline. Get outside if the weather permits or hit the mall before it opens for a workout while window-shopping

• Try some new ways to make your holiday meals healthier. Small changes can add up to a big difference. This can be as simple as serving steamed vegetables instead of casseroles or removing skin from the turkey. Just choosing fruit instead of a desserts can save hundreds of calories

• Food cravings are a part of life, but they can be especially daunting during the holidays. You seem to smell or see tempting food nearly everywhere you go. If you can’t avoid food cravings, the best way to fight back is to be prepared with a plan for an alternative activity to eating

(Check out CozyWallet.com for more swank ways to save money, and look good doing it.)

If you have the chance, try to stop by one of these great events this weekend:

Los Angeles, CA – Give thanks by giving back – Volunteer to help out before or during the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium’s community Thanksgiving celebration. The Celebration relies entirely on donations from the local community. On Thanksgiving morning, volunteer chefs line up outside the Santa Monica Civic Center to deliver up to 300 piping hot roasted turkeys between 8 am and 10 am – Click here for more info.

Washington, DC – Reston Town Center hosts many holiday activities including a holiday parade, visits with Santa, a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony and much more. The Reston community kicks off the holiday season with a full day celebration on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 26, 2010. Click here for more info.

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade has been an annual tradition for Chicago residents, and this year is no different. The parade, which celebrates its 77th year and is sponsored by McDonald’s, will once again march down State Street on Thanksgiving (November 25). Click here for more info.

Lousiville, Kentucky – Stop by Jefferson Square Park to Light Up Louisville from 3pm – 10pm. This day-long celebration draws more than 75,000 attendees and features music, a parade, and a market, ending with the lighting of Jefferson Square and the Louisville Christmas tree. Located at Jefferson Square Park, 6th & Jefferson street, enjoy the Holiday Market, Run Run Rudolph 5K Run/Walk, Winter Wonderland Parade, and the lighting of Jefferson Square and Metro Louisville Christmas tree. Click here for more info.

Long Island, NY – Stop by the Fourth Annual Miracle on Main Street – and Holiday Parade in Sayville, NY this Saturday, November 27th 2010 – starting at 9 a.m. Come see the floats, classics cars, bands and an early-in-the-season appearance by Santa Claus. Miracle on Main Street, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., features a gingerbread house competition, favorite classic movies playing in the streets, a tree lighting, live music and other performances, FREE carousel rides for kids all night and more. Click here for more info.

Guest Contributor: Miss Cozy

Because of the cold weather, we usually bundle up more. As we go in and out
of temperature-controlled rooms or the thermometer rises and falls during
the day, we tend to be overdressed, causing moisture to be lost through
perspiration. For winter wear, we often choose irritating fabrics like wool
that can cause friction, more dryness, and accompanying itching and flaking. Or we may select materials (i.e., leather, nylon) that don’t allow the skin to breathe; this creates dampness that can trap bacteria against the skin
which, over the long run, causes irritations.

When dressing for winter, use non-irritating fabrics such as cotton, which
doesn’t trap moisture on the skin’s surface and can be worn for warmth or
coolness. Keep in mind, however, that cotton once wet, does not dry quickly. The best material for “wicking away” moisture from the skin is a synthetic material, like polyester or polypropylene. Also, it is best to dress in layers, so that you can add and remove clothing items to suit the changes in temperature.

(Check out CozyWallet.com for more swank ways to save money)

If you have the chance, try to stop by one of these great events this
weekend:

Huntsville, Alabama – While we’re celebrating culture, we’re also
celebrating history – most importantly, *Veterans, during the Veterans Day
Parade.  *The Veterans Day parade usually starts on the 11th hour of the
11th day of the 11th month. Starting at 11 AM, the flag at the corner of
Williams & Lowe Avenues will be raised to full mast, followed by taps & a
three-volley rifle salute. Groups will be line-up no later than 10 AM.
Sponsored by WAFF TV, Channel 48. For more info, call (256) 533-4848 or
click here .

San Diego, California – Another celebration of culture, will be featured this weekend while *Fiesta de Reyes hosts an Irish-Mexican Festival* on Saturday November 13th.  The celebration honors Saint Patrick’s Brigade, a legendary artillery unit led by Irish immigrants who became a one of the Mexican Army’s most highly decorated brigade during the Mexican-American War. Featuring traditional Irish music and a blend of Mexican and Irish food, the event will feature members of the world-famous Cameron Highlanders Pipe Band making a rare appearance in full dress kilts followed by traditional Irish dance and song. In the Fiesta de Reyes plaza, $2 Guinness beers, corned beef tacos and potato flautas will be offered to the celebrants. The event begins at noon and ends at 3:30 pm – click here for more info.

Washington, D.C. – This weekend you sample tastes from around the world,especially Italy at the *The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show*. This show will include appearances by Food Network stars Paula Deen, Bobby Flay and newcomer Rachael Ray, as well as cooking demonstrations by award-winning local and national chefs. This event will be held this weekend, November 13-14, 2010 – Saturday: 10 am – 7 pm and Sunday: 10 am – 5pm – Click here for more info.

Baltimore, Maryland - While we travel around celebrating culture, stop by the *Maryland Irish Festival*. The 35th annual festival kicks off Friday, November 12th at 6 pm at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The menu features Irish favorites like corned beef and cabbage, plenty o potatoes. Don’t forget some Irish whiskey and beer to wash it all down. While you’re there, enjoy some of these events: Irish baking contest, Darts tournament, Speaker’s tent, Piping lessons, and Men in kilts competition.  There’s also traditional Irish music, book readings and signings, and Irish dance on the entertainment bill.  Click here for more info.

Long Island, New York - A great opportunity to taste culture this week will be at The Fifth Annual *Long Island Restaurant Week*. This promotion offers diners three course, prix fixe meals for $24.95 (not including tax and
gratuities) at over 200 restaurants including *City Cellar Wine Bar &
Grille, Porto Vivo, Besito, the Babylon Carriage House* and many more. For
more information, please click here.

Images Courtesy of weblogs.baltimoresun.com and city-data.com

Guest Contributor: Miss Cozy

As the air gets drier in the colder weather, it’s time to start moisturizing to the max!  Might also want to switch to heavier creams during this time of year.  This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to change lines or companies, since most skin-care lines have a variety of products to meet different needs. Switching between lighter to heavier creams, can rejuvenate your whole skin-care process. Now is a good time to try lotions that contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), such as glycolic or lactic acid, which are highly recommended to reverse dry skin and invisible lines at a deeper level.

(Check out CozyWallet.com for more swank ways to save money)

If you have the chance, try to stop by one of these great events this weekend:

Los Angeles, CA – One of the American Film Institute’s high-profile film festivals is once again here, in Hollywood: the much-anticipated AFI Fest. Running from November 4th-11th, the festival and related events will take place at: The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, The Egyptian Theatre, The Mann Chinese 6 Theatres, and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (home of the nightly red carpet premieres). For the second year in a row, AFI Fest will offer free tickets to all of its screenings, with the support of event sponsor Audi. Check the AFI website for more information on getting your free tickets. Click here for more info or call 866-AFI-FEST for more info on Patron Packages and Passes.

Denver, CO – The fourth annual Denver Arts Week is November 5-13, 2010. Denver Arts Week will celebrate the Mile High City’s vibrant arts and cultural scene with more than 200 events and a kickoff weekend featuring “Know Your Arts First Friday” art walks in eight neighborhoods; more than a dozen free museums hosting extended hours on a Saturday night; and Denver’s on Stage offering week-long discounts, deals, and extra special programming by performing arts organizations.  Click here for more info.

Atlanta, GA – Learn to create Mexico’s most famous moles at home this Monday, November 8th 2010 at Rosa Mexicano’s Día de los Muertos Mole Cooking Demonstration and Luncheon. Attendees learn how to prepare three distinctive moles and enjoy a luncheon. The demonstration is $35 per person. Click here for more info or call 404-347-4090 for reservations

Detroit, Michigan – The 5th Annual Veterans Day Parade this Saturday, November 6th 2010 – gives Detroiters a chance to pay homage to its veterans as they march down Woodward Avenue to Hart Plaza. The parade is sponsored by the Metropolitan Detroit Veterans Coalition and is the only tribute in Michigan recognized by the VA – starting at Woodward Avenue & Temple - Downtown Detroit.  Click here for more info.

Long Island, NY – The New York Islanders Special Hockey Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The all-day event, which starts at 1 pm, will feature Islanders alumni assisting developmentally disabled children and adults in an on-ice clinic and exhibition. The Islanders will host the Long Island Blues, the Island’s only developmentally disabled hockey team, and other members of the American Special Hockey Association. Tickets to the event are $35 and can be purchased by contacting Cliff Gault of the New York Islanders at (516) 501-6763. The tickets include admission to the Islanders-Flyers game that evening at 7 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Long Island Blues and New York State Disabled Hockey. Click here for more info.

Images Courtesy of howstuffworks.com, telegraph.co.uk, recipesforthefamily.com, tallinn-life.com,ursispaltenstein.ch