It is always about light during the holidays tomatoes and there are two places where the lights shine extra bright. “The Getty Center” and the “Enchanted Forest” at Descanso Gardens are dazzling with the spirit of the season. Speaking of dazzling “Rosalee’s Midlife Crisis Holidaze Brunch Show” is tomorrow! Not so dazzling might be all the new “stuff” from the holidays crammed in with the old “stuff”! This the perfect time PURGE so you can get the biggest bang for your old “stuff” at tax time.  If there is more shopping on your holiday “To Do List” then hop over to the “Echo Park Craft Fair”.  Get a real feel for the holidays at the “Bai’ Holiday Ice Rink”.  And the holiday extravaganza, “Sips and Sweets”, serves up a bounty of the city’s choicest cocktails and desserts.  OOOh La La!  Enjoy it all tomatoes!

December 9. Holidaze Midlife Crisis Show

Holy Moly! How Cow! OMG! It’s tomorrow! “Rosalee’s Midlife Crisis Holidaze Brunch Show” co-sponsored by The Three Tomatoes. Come laugh with me, Rosalee Mayeux, Cynthia Levin, Eleanor Kerigan, Gary Robinson and Charlie McCord! Get your tickets ASAP.

Now-January 15. Pershing Square Ice Skating

A skating rink is a nice way to ring…in the season tomatoes. Open every day, the Bai’ Holiday Ice Rink at Pershing Square is this city’s largest outdoor rink with 7,200 sq.ft in a fairy tale like setting with sky . If you are a tomato of a certain age and worried about the possible breakage of a hip, don’t worry, there is plenty else to do to get you in the Holiday spirit.

You might also consider hitting Perch, the French style rooftop bar and bistro with the best view of Pershing Square with 360 degree unobstructed spectacular city views and the brightly lit and magical Pershing square and rink below.

Now till January 2. Getty Lights

Illuminate your holidays with art and lights at The Getty Center. The Getty Center comes to life on Saturday nights this winter season when all the trees of the Getty Center sparkle with sparkling lights as giant snowflakes float all around.

And every Saturday the Center stays open till 9 pm. So, you can spend the day experiencing the phenomenal art of the museum and then stay on for the twinkle and twinkling of the magical lights which is made even more enjoyable with complimentary apple cider and special art exhibits that are perfect for this time of year Tomatoes. Woo hoo!

Big Bang – Donate Your Stuff

Here’s a little tip for the Holiday Season gals. The “National Council of Jewish Women Los Angeles” (NCJWLA) is the very best place to donate unwanted and useless “stuff” cluttering your home… especially before the end of the year. It is truly a revelation. Why?  Because the Jewish Women’s Council take the guess work out of my “stuffs” worth.

In return for your goods the Council sends you an accurate and detailed itemized list of the fair market value for each donated item. This terrific recommendation from H&R Block has stopped me from ever having another garage sale and eased my mind when listing those donations on my tax return. It’s time to save on your taxes and PURGE ladies!  With that said, the NCJWLA Council Thrift Shops are a great place to shop as well.  Just what you didn’t need to hear ladies…tee hee!

December 9 & 10. Echo Park Holiday Craft Fair

Rain or Shine the Echo Park Holiday Craft Fair is there for you this weekend ladies at the Mack Sennett Studios in Silver Lake.  So, skip the malls and shop the unique and innovative handcrafted items from over 120 local artisans in the area. It’s always special to give a one of a kind artsy gem to a loved one, Tomatoes.

Beatrice Valenzuela and Rachel Craven founded the Echo Park Craft Fair in 2009. They visualized a space that would showcase and nurture the talented artisans, designers and craftspeople that live in their inspired Silver Lake neighborhood on the eastside of Los Angeles.

Originally held in Valenzuela’s backyard, the Echo Park Craft Fair has grown into a popular bi-annual arts and design event, now held at the historic 5,000 square foot Mark Sennett studios in Silverlake, CA. The Fair has become a pioneering showcase for the thriving Makers Movement. Featuring a meticulous curation of work from some of the finest artists in America, the Fair celebrates innovators creating in a vast array of mediums – from ceramics to jewelry, perfumery to clothing design, woodworking to fabric art.

Now till January 7. Enchanted Forest

Hear ye! Hear ye! Descanso Gardens is doing it again, tomatoes, with their breathtaking holiday season interactive nighttime event, “Enchanted: Forest of Light”. Enjoy a colorful one-mile path through 160 acres within Descanso Gardens with 10 lighting experiences including the Oak Grove and the Japanese Garden.  It’s time to twinkle with rainbow colors, Tomatoes.

Descanso Gardens partnered with Lightswitch to create ten high-impact theatrical experiences using environmental light effects. New this year is “Aqueous” by Jen Lewis, an interactive landscape of meandering pathways of light. The Symphony of Oaks invites visitors to manipulate the sounds and lights in the Oak Grove.  The walk concludes with a spectacular light display in Descanso’s iconic Japanese Garden. Enjoy a stop for hot cocoa or an adult beverage and dinner or a snack along the way. You must purchase your tickets in advance Tomatoes and they are selling out so hop to it!

December 14. Sips and Sweets

Join LA Weekly, for libations, confections, and an amazing night at the breathtaking Petersen Auto Museum for their annual “Sips and Sweets” with delicious confections from 20 of LA’s best bakers, and handcrafted cocktail samples from 20 of the city’s most reputed mixologists. Sounds unforgettable, Tomatoes!

You will also be able to shop from their artisanal vendor village, and pose at the photo booth. Wow! Sips and Sweets and Shopping! Love it!