Cabin Fever Weekend Prescription

Our Cabin Fever Reliever promotion is in full swing, and not a moment too soon. The color and activity of the holidays have faded with every carton of lights and decorations that were sent back to the attic or garage. And the plunge in temperatures has all but brought outdoor fun to a standstill.

The cure? Try one of the following recommendations for this coming weekend, which prove that The Pursuit of wintertime fun doesn't center around being cemented to the sofa and eating raw cookie dough.

January 10, 11 and 12 is your chance to explore the latest in home improvement possibilities at the Greater Philadelphia Spring Home Show, held at the Valley Forge Casino Resort. Let your imagination run wild, inspired by expert advice from home improvement professionals, national celebrities and local specialists. Meet John Gidding, Host of HGTV Network's Curb Appeal and Curb Appeal: The Block. He'll be sharing insider design tips, tricks and secrets. Other notables include Chef Warren Caterson, author of Table for Two - The Cookbook for Couples, Amy Mawby from the Tyler Arboretum and one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, Kathy Wakile, the "Goddess of Cannoli."

Imagine the spring!

Three years ago, Steve's Sewing and Vacuums moved into its expansive new digs on DeKalb Pike in King of Prussia, Pa. To celebrate that milestone, the store has planned a number of anniversary events, including the January 10 tour of its antique exhibit. The free display includes a stunning collection of antique sewing machines and vintage quilts. The following day, January 11, the sewing machine maintenance seminar, also free, will keep your Singer singing. It's no yarn: The two-day kickoff is merely a prelude to ten days of specials and sales that, if you miss it, you'll surely be saying, "Darn it!"

Once upon a time, spinning wasn't done at the gym but rather, was an intricate art that turned fibers into thread. See it demonstrated at Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, January 11, as this historic home marks Distaff Day, a European commemoration of the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas. On Distaff Day, women finally put holiday reverie behind them for the year and resumed their work. Among the tasks they took up was spinning and the use of a distaff, a device used to keep fibers from tangling. This weekend is also your last chance to see Pottsgrove Manor in all its red-and-green finery.

Inside Pottsgrove Manor

If your kids sit at the table each morning and merely peck at their pancakes or scratch at their scrambled eggs, they might enjoy Breakfast with the Birds at Elmwood Park Zoo, January 11. On the menu is a light continental breakfast buffet, followed by meet-and-greets with animals from the education collection. The zoo's resident mallard, Mrs. Quackers, will be on hand with her bird friends Sally and Linny, helping kids explore what makes a bird a bird. Children will make special treats for their feathered backyard friends.

Improv shows like television's Who's Line Is it Anyway? are fast-paced, raucous and hilarious, as talented comedians zoom through changing topics and bizarre situations that come fast and furious. As funny as these off-the-cuff evenings are from the comfort of your family room, they're even better when you're front-row-center. Find out just how wild they can be on January 11 at Are You N, which is making a one-night-only showing at the Steel River Playhouse. The players are from the improve troupe The N Crowd, which has performed more than 500 times in the area.

It's too cold to even think about activities like swimming, right? Well, not exactly. Many of our local hotels feature indoor pools. Wouldn't an impromptu pool party in January with the kids be a hoot? You can then trade your jams for jammies and relax. Our website not only offers recommendations but also has some attractive discounts, as part of the Cabin Fever Reliever campaign.