You can leave it to the professionals

Here’s a list of fun, festive activities.

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It’s that time of the year -- we want to see your festive holiday décor!

There are several tree lighting and holiday events taking place in several communities across Metro Detroit starting this weekend.

The 20th annual Detroit Tree Lightning ceremony returns to Campus Martius Park this November.

The 20th annual Detroit Tree Lightning ceremony returns to Campus Martius Park this November.

Residents of a Southgate apartment complex were forced out of their homes over the weekend due to busted pipes that drenched their homes.

Are you looking for some fun places to travel to this winter? Kerry Doman, Founder of Little Guide Detroit and mom of three, joined Tati Amare on “Live in the D” to discuss fun places to road trip with the family within a two-hour drive.

Shopping locally for the holiday season is a great way to support local businesses and the community, and there’s a new way to enjoy shopping at some popular stores in Detroit that are all within walking distance of each other.

Live in the D Days of Giving!

For $119.99, you can take home a holiday feast that can feed four to six people.

Magic of Lights is returning to the Pine Knob Music Theatre this fall.

Do you have the cutest house on the block?

Here are a few places where you can enjoy sparkling holiday lights.

Christmas is nearly here, and there are still events happening that will feed into your holiday spirit.

An all-new outdoor spectacle is lighting up the night at a local landmark. This mesmerizing light show is called Starry Lights and it can be experienced on the grounds of the historic estate of Edsel and Eleanor Ford along the shore of Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Shores.

Check out these four events that are perfect for getting into the holiday spirit.

It’s the season for cheer and right now we all need that more than ever.

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Festival of Trees

Get into the holiday spirit with this “lit” walking experience at Ford House, starting on Nov. 18.

Managing Screen time for kids is easier said than done, but there’s a Metro Detroit company that can help. Easy PZ Play offers a fun, sensory kit that can give kids more interactive play. The Easy PZ Play sensory kits are self-contained and very easy to use. The homemade kits include homemade play-doh, small toys, and more. Watch the video to find out how to make non-screen time more fun for kids.

Watch out, we have a little bit of patchy fog around Metro Detroit, and with temps in the mid 20s, that fog can also make things slick on the roadways. New Year’s Day stormA Winter Weather Advisory gets going this afternoon for several inches of snow in our North Zone, and icy concerns for most of Metro Detroit. We should see snow showers and freezing rain possible late morning through this afternoon. Weekend weatherWe will also see some sleet mixing in with the snow and freezing rain through this Friday afternoon and evening. Most of Metro Detroit will be covered with a nice coating of snow Saturday morning.

Jump in the car with the family and hit the road! There are a lot of neighborhoods in Metro Detroit that have homes with holiday light shows that are like seeing a professional show. Kila Peeples found a couple of holiday light shows that are worth checking out after hours. One is the Bostick Family home on Sheridan Street in Garden City which has lights dancing to a playlist of songs that range from traditional holiday music to movie soundtracks. Another home Kila went to is the Busch Family light show, where you can see music videos and celebs dancing on a tree during the 45-minute show,Watch the video above to see how amazing these light shows (and the families that run them) are!

ANN ARBOR – The Salvation Army in Washtenaw County is in urgent need of toy donations for its Toy Drive on Saturday, Dec. 12. The need for holiday assistance has risen in the community amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We have over 1,000 children that are in need of toys in our county,” Salvation Army’s Washtenaw County Coordinator Major Kris Wood wrote A4 via email. “This is a significant increase over the past years and we need everyone to do whatever they can to help us.”From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its center at 100 Arbana Dr., volunteers will be collecting Christmas toys in reception barrels to be distributed to children throughout the county. People are asked to bring new, unwrapped gifts to donate.

It’s now Day 5 of our 12 Days of Giving. We’re hoping to make your holidays a little brighter by giving away $500 in cash each day for 12 days, along with bonus prizes. Downtown Plymouth is making the holidays brighter with decorations, including its Walk of Trees. Downtown Plymouth has tons of retail shops, boutiques and restaurants located inside its beautiful, historic buildings. Even though you can’t dine-in at the moment, all the restaurants in Downtown Plymouth offer takeout, and many have expanded their outdoor seating.

ANN ARBOR – Do you go all out on holiday decorations year after year? The Ann Arbor Holiday House Tour 2020 is now taking submissions. The tour is organized by local mom Nicole Barragato, who organized a similar Halloween House Tour this year. Barragato is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Ann Arbor -- a website and free weekly e-newsletter that aims to help local families discover family-friendly events and activities. To submit your house for the holiday lights tour, click here.

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – Residents in St. Claire Shores were in the holiday spirit Wednesday night after seeing Christmas lights illuminated in Blossom Heath Park. “We put them out in Blossom Heath to get the people out, to get them out to walk. I think it’s emotionally, physically good to get some activity and to get the kids to see the lights,” said Mayor Kip Walby. “Whether you’re young or old, who doesn’t like to see Christmas lights?” said Mayor Kip Walby. Watch the video above on the holiday lights

WESTLAND, Mich. – In a year when familiar holiday celebrations are being disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, at least one Metro Detroit holiday tradition is sticking around. Wayne County’s annual Lightfest is carrying on this year, officially opening for the holiday season on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The Lightfest operates from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Click here to learn more about the 2020 Wayne County Lightfest. Whitmer urges Michiganders to follow COVID-19 rules ahead of Thanksgiving

RIVER ROUGE, Mich. – The All-Star Giveback event took place Thursday at River Rouge High School. To practice safe social distancing, the event was done in a drive-thru style in the school parking lot. They need care. They need help. Whitmer is asking Michiganders to wear masks, practice social distancing, wash hands frequently and avoid large gatherings over the holiday.

CLARKSTON, Mich. – With 39 days until Christmas, there is a way to bring holiday cheer at a safe, social distance. The Magic of Lights drive-show is now lighting up the DTE Energy Music Theatre parking lot. The show opened over the weekend and will be open every night through Jan. 2. You can watch the full report in the video above. READ: ‘Magical’ drive-thru holiday light show coming to Southeast Michigan

This Sunday is National Clean Out Your Fridge Day, and we spoke with Shaelyn Gurzick, a registered dietician with Henry Ford Health System about things to keep in mind when stocking your fridge. Condiments tend to be a product you use a few times and forget about, so the expiration date can come up before you know it. Where you store the groceries in your fridge can also be very important. The side door is the warmest part of the fridge, so Gurzick recommends you put food there that won’t spoil as quickly like condiments. The upper shelves of the fridge are warmer, because they get hit with warm air every time the door opens.

Host Tati Amare chatted with Sharon Cooksey from Kidde to find out how to keep our pets safe during the holidays, as well as in the event of an emergency. It’s also important to keep your pets safe during emergencies, so make sure to incorporate your pets into your escape plans and fire drills. Attempting to teach your pets what to do when an alarm rings can prepare them for a real emergency. Kidde also offers a sticker you can put in your window to alert first responders that there are pets inside the home. For more information on how to keep your pet safe, click here.

Medical specialty camp for children with serious health challenges North Star Reach will host a Drive-Thru Halloween Glow & Lights Show this season. The drive through the camp will feature spook-tacular illuminated displays, a wooded wonderland and singing jack-o'-lanterns. Tickets are $25 per car and all proceeds benefit North Star Reach, which provides a free summer camp experience for families with children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. (©John Baird 2020 | North Star Reach)Dates and times:Friday, Oct. 23rd | 7 p.m.–9 p.m.Friday, Oct. 30th | 7 p.m.–9 p.m.Saturday, Oct. 31st | 7 p.m.–9 p.m.Sunday, Nov. 1st | 6 p.m.–8 p.m. North Star Reach is at 1200 University Camp Drive in Pinckney.