If you love winter sports and pastimes, Washington State offers your family a huge playground for downhill and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice skating, tubing and more. No matter if you are a young first-timer or a seasoned adventurer, the mountains, rolling hills and valleys found in Washington bring a breathtaking beauty to any winter outdoor sport.

The tragedy of human foibles gone too far is the centerpiece of this work that has taken up brief residence on Broadway. Tens of thousands have flocked to the theater this fall to witness the well known personal catastrophe that this famous film performer portrays on stage eight times a week. It is a familiar story, one of betrayal within the family, one where the protagonist is lost, devastated and searching for a way out of the madness of her existence. This is a story worthy of Shakespeare’s quill.

Gift cards will be the most requested gift this year, with nearly 55 percent of consumers reporting they would like to receive a gift card this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Each year, 70 percent of consumers purchase a gift card as a holiday gift and for the fifth year in a row, gift cards are expected to lead holiday purchases.

Every year at this time you start thinking about the great holiday dilemma. What do you buy the person on your list who has everything? Well, no one really has everything, but some people may be hard to shop for because no gift seems personal or general enough. Books are the perfect balance between personalized and universal, fun and intelligent. Your gift recipient doesn’t even have to be a book lover to love the book you give, as long as you put some thought into selecting just the right one.

The holidays are a season of generosity and giving; so what better time of year to give wisely with gifts that are easy on the earth, respectful to the global community, and even charitable? You can make a difference in the world this holiday season if you keep your social conscience in mind and shop for gifts with a purpose.

Virtual counseling can take place over the phone or over e-mail. With the increasingly digital world, however, we are finding more and more people who are available to help through online tools. There are many reasons why this is beneficial.

Christmas is a time of year when I remember all the things I’ve done wrong and all that has been done wrong to me. Certainly I’ve gotten angry, but often I’ve fallen into sadness over missed connections and missed opportunities. I’ve thought about friends but haven’t called them. The ones with whom I’ve had a falling out, I’ve been tempted on several occasions to pick up the phone, and like a child say, “I love you.”

If I had the means to shop at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Kitson, and Bloomingdale’s for nearly all of my purchases, I’m not going to lie—I probably would. There are such amazing designer collections sold at these stores that I would be honored to wear some of their pieces. But these places are above my means.

Those of us who have a pet will understand just how much a part of our family these adorable little creatures are. Our pets comfort us when we’re down, and are always happy to see us no matter what. Well . . . maybe not all pets. Cats can take you or leave you. Horses require a lot of maintenance, and I’ll save birds, reptiles, and those from the rat family for another occasion. But dogs? You gotta love em’! This gift guide was designed to offer a selection of items that will make you and your pooch happy.

The following products are mentioned: Motorola S9-HD; Denise Austin Power Belt Walking System; Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050 Rowing Machine; INSANITY (TM) Work Out System; Stamina InStride Pro Electronic Stepper; Balance Disc; Perfect Pullup Complete System; Ironman Gravity 1000 Inversion Table; and Bodylastics Home Gym System