In a heartwarming effort to honor those affected by two different tragedies, New Jersey's largest firefighter union is building 26 playgrounds--one for each of the victims of December's Sandy Hook shooting--in communities affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The project, entitled Sandy Hook: Where Angels Play, will give New Jersey and New York 10 playgrounds each and Connecticut, six. The playgrounds are meant to serve not only as memorials, but also as reminders of hope and recovery for the communities. Isn't that an incredible idea?!

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Eve. There's always so much build-up and anticipation and yet the night ever turns out exactly the way you want it to. But this time around, I feel differently. After a very hectic past few months, this year's celebration will be really important to me and my family.

Let me explain why.

I don't think I could possibly be happier to say that reelected President Barack Obama has just been named TIME magazine's Person of the Year.

For the first time ever, I was anxiously waiting for this decision for months. Typically I'm excited to see the Sexiest Man Alive (which, of course, I loved) but, more than ever, I was really hoping that the POTUS would win this prestigious honor from TIME again (he won in 2008 as well). After everything that has gone on this year, I really think he deserves it. To be honest, it's not just all of his many accomplishments and all of the ways he has helped our nation to be better this year, but a BIG reason of why I love President Obama so much is because of his big heart.

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy with family and friends and it's easy to forget about the outside world. While you may have a warm home and a meal to arrive to, there are many people who are not as fortunate. The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy especially makes me think even more about the meaning of Thanksgiving as I know there are thousands of people unable to participate in the festivities. The amount of destruction New York, New Jersey, and neighboring areas faced were so devastating and fatal that it made me want to do something to help.

This is my hometown; my heart is and always will be with New York and seeing the amounts of people affected by this storm, hits me on a personal note.  I just knew I wanted to volunteer this Thanksgiving to help the families affected by this terrible tragedy. Volunteering isn't always an easy task this time of year due to the high volume of people who want to help. But if you can, excellent!

Hurricane Sandy affected thousands of people and devastated tons of towns, homes, and families. But perhaps one of the most moving stories to come out of the superstorm's aftermath is that of 19-year-old Zoe Everett. In a heartbreaking yet selfless move, the New Jersey teenager recently gave up her studies at Rutgers University to take care of her three younger siblings after their parents were killed in the storm. Now, she's getting a little help from The Wish Upon a Hero Foundation to help her with her journey ahead.

I'm all for donating to a good cause and supporting organizations that want to help out those less fortunate--and after the destruction Hurricane Sandy left behind in the Northeast, victims need all the help they can get. Even if that involves the help of strippers!

Yeah, you read that right! Dancers at a local strip club called AC Dolls in Atlantic City want to pitch in and help with Hurricane Sandy relief by donating to the cause. The relief promotion is being called "Dancers with Heart" and they plan on donating five dollars from every lap dance they give to the American Red Cross.

It's no question that Hurricane Sandy devastated New York City, New Jersey and the Northeast this past week. We're still feeling the effects and, unfortunately, I think it's going to take a while for everyone to recover and for things to get back to normal.

One thing that's kept my spirits high in these trying times, though, is the amazing effort that we have seen from so many people, from President Barack Obama to celebrities like Christina Aguilera, to the neighbors down the street. In fact, I loved Xtina rocking her ballad "Beautiful" at the opening of NBC's benefit concert Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together this past Friday. She's not the only one, though, and there have been so many post-Hurricane Sandy acts of kindness that it seriously restores my faith in humanity and warms my heart. Take a look at these photos and, despite the chaos, I guarantee they'll put a smile on your face.

Even at the risk of aging myself, I'm a confessed and proud Shakira fan for over 20 years. I admired her first for her long, messy brunette tresses, and then for her almost sci-fi power to move her boobs as she performed "Gitana." Today, this 5-foot-2 Latina powerhouse humbles me once again.

Shakira is battling a high-risk pregnancy and, in a just released video, the beloved megastar takes the time to thank her fans and inspire them to look forward to a better 2013.

In one of the happiest outcomes you can imagine coming from the superstorm known as Hurricane Sandy that recently swept New York City and the Northeast, a mom was able to miraculously give birth to a healthy baby boyafter facing more problems than any woman in labor ever should.

Barcelona-born Julia Alemany and husband Doron Markus were staying in an apartment near NYU in anticipation of her upcoming due date when contractions began at 6 p.m. on Monday, just as Sandy was hitting New York City, according to The New York Daily News.