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

I feel like I just blogged! Oh, wait, I did. I switched with Kim as I was up to my eyeballs last Monday and she was traveling on Friday. I spent the weekend in the Outer Banks, taking care of a few things and missing the huge snow storm that hit Philadelphia and areas slightly south, including my route home through the Delmarva Peninsula.

I waited an extra day, returning on Sunday morning in the hopes that the snow would be cleared from Route 13, which runs through Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Even waiting 18-20 hours after the storm, there was significant coverage on at least one of the two lanes as I approached within 30 miles of Dover, Delaware.

Traffic was slow and stop-and-go, so I decided to take the less-traveled route and use the totally snow-packed lane. Like the other lane, it had been plowed, but human nature kept drivers in one lane more than the other, so the traveled lane was clear and dry — but choked with trucks, cars and SUVs.

The right lane was packed with one-inch thick snow, but I had a weapon, an Audi A8. All you have to do is Google “Audi in the snow” and there are several YouTube videos showing the Quattro (all-wheel drive) in action.

Well, traveling 40-45 m.p.h. in the snow and passing others in the clear lane saved my travel time and led the way for others to do the same. Delaware, how about a more serious investment in plowing equipment? I know that there was 25 inches and near-blizzard conditions, but when I hit the area, the snow had stopped for at least 24 hours.

On the other hand, it was fun to test out the winter skills of the Audi and, hey — it was born in a cold snow, so it makes sense . . . .

– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

I took a short trip down to the Outer Banks and am working from down here and unintentionally will be missing the snow. It is supposed to hit the Maryland - Virginia - Delmarva Peninsula region, my route from Philidelphia to Kitty Hawk, NC, and they are predicted to get between one to two feet by Saturday afternoon. The Philadelphia area is said to get about a foot.

My neighbors always laugh, as I seem to be making a flight to LA or Asia just as a pending winter storm is to hit. Dave Murphy, my neighbor across the street says, “Fran’s leaving? We are going to get hit hard!” — and it does seem to be the case. I can remember being on a US Airways flight from PHL when the captain announced, “Please be seated, as they are closing the airport in fifteen minutes, and I want us to be in the air by then.” He did it!

Down here, where the Wright brothers proved that man could fly a plane on its own power, we are just to get wind and rain. The winters can be harsh at times here, with sustained winds at 40 mph and torrential rains. I believe this is what we are to receive this weekend. It is always a thrill to watch the ocean here during a storm and how violent it can get. The coast here is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, as many ships have sunk in the storms.

I intend to hit the road Sunday morning to return in time for the Super Bowl back home . . . that is, if the weather allows me to do so!

– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

Even though I grew up outside Philadelphia, only about an hour-and-a-half from the Jersey shore, I had never really spent any time in Atlantic City, the East Coast’s answer to Las Vegas. Until last weekend, that is.

Three girlfriends and I decided to escape for a girls’ weekend. We started with dinner at a newly opened Mexican restaurant in our area and then began the drive to Atlantic City. Traffic was light, and it only took a little over an hour to get there. The bright lights of the city hit you right away!  Having never been there, I had no idea where to go or what to do. We were staying at the Trump Taj Mahal, which we found easily. As the property was self contained, we didn’t leave, but I hear the Borgata is definitely a place to check out when in Atlantic City.

Much like in Vegas, options abound in Atlantic City. There are tons of places to stay, unlimited (and top-quality) dining options, a wide range of gaming options and top headliners performing nightly. I almost forgot to mention the plethora of high-end shopping and abundance of bars and nightclubs.

I’m not much of a gambler. I have no idea how to play any of the table games. I think I lost a total of $5 by haphazardly trying my hand at slots. One of my girlfriends, however, won $180 on a slot machine! Gambling or not, I had a great time just wandering around, dancing and getting a feel for Atlantic City. The night was good preparation for an upcoming February trip to Las Vegas.

The next morning we were heading back to Philadelphia, but we could not leave the shore area without making a stop at our favorite breakfast place, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House. There are several locations in the area, but we visited the one in Ocean City. As always, Uncle Bill’s did not disappoint.

We spent the next night in Philadelphia, watching the Eagles lose miserably to our arch-rival Dallas Cowboys, mingling at popular Philly hotspot Public House and grabbing a late-night snack from the world famous Geno’s.

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

New Year’s Day is a college football fan’s dream day. Unfortunately, I am not much of a college football fan. However, since 2008, the NHL has given me something to watch. The Winter Classic is a yearly outdoor NHL hockey game played on the first day of the new year.

The first Classic in 2008 saw the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo (home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills). The game drew 71,217 fans, an NHL game attendance record.

The second Classic was held at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Unfortunately, my Blackhawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings. This game drew more than 40,000 and had the highest TV ratings for an NHL game in 33 years.

On Friday, the Philadelphia Flyers will face the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park in Boston. This is assured of being another success.

This is such a great event for hockey fans. Watching a hockey game played outdoors is very interesting. Sunlight, wind and temperatures all create situations not found in games indoors. By keeping the event to one game per year, the NHL is keeping it special.

This morning I heard sports talk radio guys saying the Classic would eventually fail. The only real reason they gave was lack of future possible locations. This is a ridiculous argument. The NHL has 30 teams, with only 10 teams in weather warm enough to possibly make the game unplayable (although technology might make it feasible).

Of course, another possibility is playing in a non-NHL city. There are plenty of colder weather cities who would have enough fans to support the Classic. This might even be a good way to market the product in other cities.

The NHL doesn’t need me to help them with the Winter Classic. They are doing a great job all by themselves. In an era of excess and flamboyance, the NHL is enjoying the success by bringing the game back to its outdoor roots.

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist