Win an elaborately decorated gingerbread house crafted by an area chef or other items at a  silent auction during the ninth annual gingerbread benefit for Triangle Family Services.

Here's a great chance to get a warm feeling in your heart and a full belly at the same time:

On Sunday, November 15 at 6:30pm, Irregardless Cafe will host a special five course locavore wine dinner pairing the culinary creations of owner Arthur Gordon (with the help of brand new Irregardless chef Daniel Cohn) with the wines of Chatham Hill Winery.

The dinner will have a locavore focus and vegetarian alternatives for each course.

Here's the menu:

Antipasto Platter
Chatham Hill 2007 Riesling

Warm Goat Cheese Salad
Chatham Hill 2007 Chardonnay

Classic Low Country Shrimp & Grits
Vegetarian: Grits topped with vegetables
Chatham Hill 2007 Viognier

Braised Short Ribs served with a Peach Chutney,roasted potatoes and grilled winter vegetables
Vegetarian: Grilled Tempe served with the Peach Chutney and vegetables
Chatham Hill 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Brushy Mountain Apple Tart served with NC State Ice Cream
Sweet Carolina Pomegranate

The price of the dinner is $115, with proceeds benefiting Learning Together, a licensed Five Star developmental day care center. You can book your reservation online here. 

Great Outdoor Provision Co.'s 5th annual Coat Swap starts today. Save 20 percent on a jacket when you donate a gently used jacket. The swap goes through Oct. 12.

Last year, customers brought in 2,561 coats to be donated to rescue missions throughout the state.

March seems to be the month to recycle your clothes to save some money in stores.

Ann Taylor Loft is the latest retailer doing the asking. The store wants customers to bring their gently worn pants, and in return, they'll get $15 off each full-price pant they buy today through Sunday.

All pants will be sold in Goodwill retail stores, generating revenues that will help fund Goodwill's job training programs and support services

Main & Taylor wants to help you recycle your designer denim.

Throughout the month of March, the shoe boutique in Cameron Village will be accepting designer jeans. Trade them in for another pair or get $20 in Main & Taylor bucks, good towards new shoes or handbags that aren't on sale. (There's a limit on how many pairs you can bring in. The store will accept three pairs for a maximum of $60 in M&T bucks.)

If you've ever shopped Main & Taylor's selection of lust-worthy designer shoes, you already know this is a pretty nice deal.

Waiting for summer or next fall's selection of boots? Go ahead. The M&T bucks are good for a year.

Any jeans that aren't swapped by the end of the month will be donated to the Junior League of Raleigh's Bargain Box at Cameron Village.

Here are a few of the brands the store is looking for: Rock & Republic, 7 for all Mankind, True Religion, Antik, Citizens of Humanity, Paige Premium Denim, Chip and Pepper, Lucky, Hudson, Theory, J Brand and Joe's Jeans.

Got a pair of Levi's? Those count too, only you'll get $10 in M&T bucks instead of $20 for each pair. And it will take two pairs of Levi's to swap for one pair of designer jeans.

If you have questions, contact:

Donate a new toy for a needy kid, get a ride on a fire truck. That's the Durham Fire Department's pitch for its seasonal charity campaign; the promotion takes place Dec. 13 and 14.

Citizens in the spirit of giving and riding may bring new, unwrapped toys for all ages of children to Firehouse No. 1, 139 E. Morgan St. (near City Hall and the Public Library), or Station No. 2 at 1001 Ninth St. (near E.K. Powe School), from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Generous souls willing to pass on the rides may bring toys to any Durham firehouse, during business hours, until Dec. 21. Donations will be distributed around Durham County in December.

The Fire Department is holding its "Toys-4-Rides" drive in conjunction with the U.S. Marines' annual Toys-4-Tots Program.

Kate Leser, the owner of A Distinctive Image, a personal image consulting company in Raleigh, thinks there's a pretty good chance you're wearing the wrong size bra.

So she's having a Burn Your Bra event Monday from 9 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Phase II Personal Training Center at 5805-101 Departure Drive in Raleigh. The free bra fitting event will help you pick a custom-fit bra from 133 cup sizes.

Five percent of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Schedule an appointment by calling 919-872-8007 or e-mailing kate@adistinctiveimage.com.