Hi, all! This week I am super slammed! I am in the process of working on my short film about the changing face of Harlem.

The girls of the childrenstorefront.org are interviewing Billy Mitchell from the Apollo Theater! Other than that my film class at the The New School is keeping me on my toes. Right now we are analyzing the intense groundbreaking film Children of Men. Alfonso Cuaron does an excellent job of painting our bleak future in 2028 - when all women are infertile.

PANTS: OPTIONAL
By Alicia Riguzzi

The right and wrong way to wear leg warmers... just kidding, there's no wrong way to wear leg warmers!

As a nonpants-er, I am always looking for things to keep my legs a littler warmer in the winter months (or to stop those pesky people from asking, "Aren't you cold?!?!") And leg warmers have been my answer. I love a good '80s throwback, especially if it doesn't involve shoulder pads.

The key is to wear them with a heel - any kind of heel - it doesn't matter. I like to wear mine with my ankle boots and a pair of tights and whatever short skirt/dress/shirt-thing that I'm wearing. I also like to wear mine over a pair of skinny jeans and heels, they just give a little extra flare and warmth...

The best place for legwarmers you ask? American Apparel. They are a little expensive, but it may be worth it, so you don't have to dig around at your local vintage clothing store.

ESCALADE ESCAPADES
By Michele Lingbeck

When I signed up to share some stories on CU Grad Gab, I promised to talk about some interesting books. Now, here I am with more excuses on why I haven't finished a book in forever!

I am in the middle of a great book. It's really long (almost 600 pages) and pretty heavy.... But I haven't picked it up in a week or so! Hopefully, when I write again I will have finished I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles. My neighborhood book club is discussing the book at our February meeting so I am under the gun to get back in the reading mode.

It is an awesome book about an amazingly strong and driven woman who ruled England at a time when women were pawns for the political gain of their families and husbands. I plan to write a blog about it soon on Escalade Escapades. Join me in reading it if you have the time and interest!

Back to my excuses.... Life in the burbs is busy! Between the playgroups, daisy scouts and the inevitable January sick children... who has time for much else?

I did manage to sneak away to the movie theatre with a friend to see 27 Dresses. It isn't terribly serious but definitely worth checking out. We snuck a few cosmos in to make it a true G.N.O. (girl's night out)!

My husband and I also managed a few "dates" here and there this month. We head up to Jax in Boulder every chance we get for a delicious seafood meal. There is nothing like oysters and a nice glass of Sonoma Cutrer to keep the home fires burning!

Hopefully February will finally bring some down time and a chance to read!

TEACHING TALES
By Kaitlin Schroeder

So, I realized after my last entry that I didn't give a full explanation of the type of program I am teaching. Instead I jumped right to the story about collecting coupons. Let me start from the beginning...

I am an intern in a program called Stanley British Primary (BPS). Honestly, I'm not trying to use YourHub as a marketing tool, but it makes sense for me to introduce my program as part of my philosophy of education. A huge component of BPS is learning through play. This is my favorite part. Who doesn't want to come to school and play all day?

We learn through play from early childhood to fifth-grade. This doesn't mean I run an inside playground, rather that learning feels like play. Children bring bugs inside from recess and we change our plans to create a curriculum around grasshoppers. When the children are learning about something that excites them, then my job as an educator is easy! This doesn't happen all the time, but the British Primary program uses hands-on techniques for learning to be interactive and fun.

Well, I know this one is short, but I felt the need to give some background info on my Teaching Tales. Next week I'll return to more humorous and bizarre stories!

ERIN'S CUP OF KARMA
By Erin Feese

I'll admit it: I'm a bit of a water snob.

Since I grew up drinking Brita-filtered water, anything that comes out of the tap tastes a bit yucky. And bottled water is supposedly better for you. But is it really worth shelling out the money? Pepsi-Cola has owned up to the fact that Aquafina is just glorified tap water. Even more, the environmental impact of bottled water is a concern, because many of the bottles don't get recycled and get tossed in a landfill.

My advice: Find a cute, reusable water bottle and use filtered water from a Brita pitcher or straight from the tap. Two links to check out:

Despite the hype, bottled water is neither cleaner nor greener ...

Do you really need to drink bottled water?

CHAIR 10
By Meghan McCarthy

It is finally getting cold again! Cold, after all, feels balmy and pleasant in comparison to the downright frigid weather that has been seeping into every corner of the Vail Valley over the last few weeks.

It seems that no matter how hard I try to protect my body from the elements, living at altitude takes its toll. But, as a native creature in this dry, sometimes unforgiving climate, who typically logs 100 plus days a season on the slopes of Vail, I've learned a few tricks and collected an arsenal of products to combat the cold, wind and sun.

The first and most obvious tip (and bear in mind, the tips I offer are not professionally evaluated, but rather conjured up on long chairlift rides) is hydration. No matter where you live, but especially in the dry, elevated alpine environment, it's important to stay hydrated. I like to ski with a Camelback or collapsible Platypus bottle, both available at www.rei.com. For home and in the car, I usually tote one of the stylish SIGG screw-top bottles, which feature colorful graphics, also available at REI or your local gear shop.

Once you're equipped to hydrate, you can start to coat your exposed parts with lots of thick balms to protect from nature's wrath. Before I go outside, I slather Kiehl's All Sport "Non-Freeze" Face Protector, SPF 30 all over my face and neck. This is my number one, must-have winter product. I would no sooner leave the house without this on, than without brushing my teeth. My favorite lip product is Karite Lip Balm from Whole Foods - an amazing shea butter formula that protects and soothes better than anything else I have ever tried. As for my hands, Neutrogena Hand Cream (available at your local drug store) prevents chapping, cracking and bleeding. I usually moisturize with this right before I put my gloves on, and reapply before going to bed.

Despite taking the above precautions, I still manage to develop windburn, sunburn, frostbite, chapping and even dry, brittle, split strands of hair. So, often times, my après ski ritual involves not a trip to the bar, but a trip to the bathroom where I attempt to recover from the day's damage. I try to keep it simple, but there are a few products I simply cannot live without . . .

In the shower I treat my hair with Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm. It's great for getting tangles out and rehydrating locks. Grab a tube at your local salon - you'll notice the difference after one use. Speaking of showers, experts say that long, hot showers in the dead of winter wreak havoc on your skin. But, sometimes, you gotta stay in an extra few minutes just to get warm. I try to counteract the dehydrating effects of the shower by coating my entire body with lotion, I like Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, before I even dry off. This helps to lock in the moisture. On really cold, dry days when my skin just can't seem to recover, I'll go with a super thick formula like Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Body Creme.

The skin on my face is typically red, dry, splotchy, flaky, etc. For such unfortunate symptoms of too much time spent outdoors, I use Weleda Skin Food. It's thick, creamy and smells amazing, and if you don't mind being a little greasy at first, this product will do wonders for a weathered complexion. You can buy this directly from their website, but if you're lucky enough to have a Pharmaca in your area, you can get it there as well, along with other natural products and free expert advice. This is also where I pick up things like herbal throat and nose sprays and eye drops to combat drying and irritation of my sinuses, and hopefully ward off illness. Prevention is the key!