On Wednesday night, five of my friends and I trekked into Philadelphia for Shecky’s Girls’ Night Out. The event, held at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker Building, is a shopper’s dream. Booths of jewelry, shoes, clothing, accessories and more offer savings of up to 80 percent for attendees. Shecky’s, however, is well known for its goody bags. A $25 ticket guarantees admission, free cocktails (provided by a variety of sponsors) and a goody bag. Our red, reusable goody bags were stuffed to the brim with a variety of beauty products. Some of the notables: Softlips chapstick, Neutrogena make-up, Dial’s newest body washes, hair accessories. I literally could not stop talking about all the freebies.

We had a blast, perusing the wares and sipping on interesting drinks, including Michelob pomegranate-raspberry beer, Midori margaritas and X-Rated Fusion liquor with lemonade. Of course, we also shopped. I came home with two necklaces and a pair of Emilio Pucci sunglasses. It was too hard to resist the great deals. If you love to shop, I highly recommend a visit to Shecky’s Girls’ Night Out. Similar events are held in Dallas, New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta.

And, speaking of shopping . . . Monday is the kick-off of our annual charity auction! It’s important to help today’s youth, which is why we have partnered with the Mentor Foundation this year. As our charity, 100 percent of the proceeds from this year’s auction will benefit the organization, dedicated to keeping children off drugs and promoting general well-being.

What is up for grabs this year? Business-class tickets from American Airlines, SWISS, Lufthansa, British Airways, Asiana, Emirates, OpenSkies and more. Hotel stays all around the world, including Asia and Europe. Vacation packages to London (one of my personal faves) and Orlando. And that is only a sampling! For all the information, visit the website. Bidding begins Monday and ends May 1. Good luck!

– Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

This is a special week as we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I won’t disclose my age on this blog, but at the time of the fall of the wall, I was not old enough to fully understand the tremendous importance of this event. The event was important from so many angles, including every social, political and economic standpoint. All of the elements of history that were experienced not so long ago can still be felt when walking through the amazing streets of Berlin. I believe Berlin is a city every traveler will enjoy!

Earlier this week, while traveling in Montreal with GT publisher Fran Gallagher, I read an article in the Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, about another culture breaking down a wall of its own. The article detailed the first fashion week to take place in Karachi, Pakistan.

In my opinion, this is a brilliant breakthrough and a peaceful way to show the world how much this culture has to offer aside from the horrific events we read about in the news every day. One of the lead designers, Rizwan Beyg, who once dressed Princess Diana, was even quoted as saying, “There’s so much more to Pakistan. It’s not just suicide jackets and al-Qaeda.”

Models walked down the runways with bare shoulders. I am sure they were considered scantily clad in the conservative Muslim world of Pakistan. Some pictures can be viewed online; the clothes and models were truly beautiful. The winning designer from the Pakistan Fashion Week will win a free slot at Miami Fashion Week. This is all wonderful and a great place, I believe, to continue breaking down barriers, showing the global world what the people — not the extremists — of Pakistan have to offer.

– Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher