Whether you already have a place “Up North” or thinking about getting one, be sure to head out to the Cottage & Lakefront Living Expo on February 23 – 26.

This annual show, held at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, showcases exhibits that will of interest to anyone wanting to learn more about buy, renting or building a cottage or lakefront home.  With an expected crowd of 10,000 people, plan to get there early to explore all of your options early.

Hours are 2:00 – 9:30 PM on Thursday & Friday, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM on Saturday and 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Sunday.  Tickets are $10 for adults, $4 for children 6 – 14.  There is an additional fee for parking.  Please visit the Novi Cottage Show website for more information.

As you and your child prepare for Valentine’s this year, don’t forget to send some love to the children being treated at DMC Children’s Hospital.

Catching Fireflies is asking adults and children to donate unsigned handmade Valentine’s cards.  The cards will be collected, signed by DMC Children’s Hospital staff and distributed to patients.  Last year, approximately 1,500 cards brightened the day of children at the hospital.

This year, in order to help collect even more cards, Catching Fireflies will give each person donating 3 or more cards, and making a purchase at the store, a very special hand-crafted necklace.

To make a difference, bring your handmade Valentine’s cards to a local Catching Fireflies store by February 12th.

Berkley is hosting Winterfest for the second year.  This year’s event is scheduled for January 28, 2012.  The fun free family event is a great way to celebrate winter.  Here is a partial list of the activities and events they have planned:

• Craft Show 10 am-3 pm
• Winter Petting Farm 1 pm-4 pm
• SnowmanBuildingContest 10 am-12 pm
• Chili Cook-Off (Taste & Vote ) 11 am-1 pm
• Children’s Crafts & Activities 10 am-1 pm
• Broomball Tournament 11 am-1 pm
• Bonfire w/S’mores 2-4 pm
• TurkeyBowling 2-3 pm
• BerkleyHigh Hockey 5-7 pm
• Open Skating 10-noon & 7-9 pm

2012 Berkley Winterfest fun begins at 10 a.m. on January 28th and runs throughout the day at the Berkley Community Center, Berkley Ice Arena and throughout downtown Berkley.  The Community Center is located at 2300 Robina
Berkley Michigan 48072.  For more information please visit: Berkley Winterfest

Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove is performing at The Palace of Auburn Hills, March 14-18. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14 to Saturday, March 17; 11 a.m. Friday, March 16; 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday March 17; and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, March 18.

Get tangled up in Disney’s 50^th animated feature with Rapunzel and Flynn and enter the worlds of your other favorite Disney princesses –Tiana, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and of course, the one who started it all, Snow White.  Ahoy, Mateys!  Set sail with Peter Pan, the always sassy Tinker Bell and the cantankerous Captain Hook and his pirate pals on an adventure beyond Never Land!  Trek the wilds of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘Circle of Life.’  Tick-Tock!  Tick-Tock!  Don’t be late to a very important date with Alice and the Mad Hatter as they march with the Queen of Hearts’ Army of Cards.  Relive magical moments in this ultimate Disney animation celebration coming to Auburn Hills! Don’t miss Port Huron’s Justin Williams and Deford, Mich. native Katelyn Walter, both ensemble skaters in the show.

Ticket Prices: $65, $50 VIP, $26, $21 and $15. Tickets for Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove are available at the Palace of Auburn Hills Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, The Palace Locker Room Stores and www.ticketmaster.com. To order tickets by phone, call            1-800-745-3000      . Group calls             248-377-8638      

Mark your calendar to attend this free annual event in Rochester.  The event will be held on Friday-Sunday, February 24 through February 26^{th.  This event is normally held in January but due to the mild winter so far it was pushed back.}

This year there will be snowboarder demonstrations, clinics and a competition.

Dog sledding rides will now be offered both Saturday and Sunday! We still have three runs for the Tubing Hill, but have now added double tubes, so the little ones can ride with their parents. Some other fun activities include snow shoeing and cross country skiing (Sat. only), ice skating (entire event – BYO), and snow play area.

There will be trolley rides in the downtown, shopping, ice sculptures, and a live ice carving demo on Saturday (street level).

Special activities at the ice rink include a Broomball Competition on Saturday from 12-1 and a figure skating demo on Sunday at noon. The Taste-fest Beer Tent will be open and serving all weekend.  Stay tuned for updates to this site!

Thanks to two main sponsors Soave Enterprises and Hour Detroit, there will be fireworks again on both Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM.

For more information please visit: http://www.downtownrochestermi.com/

January is Financial Wellness Month, the perfect time to review and revamp your personal investment goals.  The library has a wealth of online resources available to you, free of charge.  Learn how to access these valuable resources during an instructive demonstration on January 31 at 7:00 PM or February 1 at 10:00 AM in the second floor conference room of the Rochester Hills Public Library.

Registration is open to those who work or reside in Rochester, Rochester Hills or Oakland Township.  Register at http://calendar.rhpl.org or call the Adult Services desk at 248-650-7130.

Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve is in its second year of renting out garden plots to both residents ofRochesterand non-members.  TheRochesterCommunityGardenis a shared organic garden where you can grow your own crops in a protected, fenced area.  The cost is $30 for residents and $35 for non-residents.  Don’t delay in registering. I have a feeling they go fast.
What a great way to get your children involved in nature!  Do you children know that potatoes come from the ground?   You can enjoy planning, tending to and then harvesting your own vegetables.

Does your community offer garden plots for rent?

For more information please visit The City of Rochester or www.dinosaurhill.org or call 248-656-0999.

The Rochester Hills Public Library and Rochester Area Youth Assistance have teamed up to bring a three part series about children and online safety.

These sessions are open to all ages and both children and parents are encouraged to register together.  Online registration will be open one week prior to each event.

The sessions include:

Cybersafety: Tuesday, January 31 This session will focus on how to keep you, your information and reputation safe and secure.

Cyberbulling: Wednesday, February 8 This session will discuss both the bullies and the victims and what to do if your child becomes either.

Cybersmarts: Thursday, February 16 This session will discuss Internet resources cardholders have at their disposal, as well as responsible computer use at the library.

All sessions are from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM and held in the multipurpose room.

Beginning, today,  Jan. 4, 2012, the Wint Nature Center will be open for walk-in visitation Wednesday – Sunday, from 1 – 5 p.m. The nature center will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Advance reservations programs including group programs, field trips, birthday parties, etc. are available Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday noon – 5 p.m.

The new hours are part of the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission’s efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs while continuing to provide high quality service to residents and guests.