Facing a debilitating disease and a Christmas season with three kids – including a newborn – a Coeur d'Alene artist did something extremely rare: He decided to focus on helping others.

Jason Sanchez had the idea to help Children's Village in Coeur d'Alene this Christmas because he knew he "had to do something out of the goodness out of the heart." So he contacted the charity and told them he had a plan to help by building a gingerbread replica to raise donations.

"My first reaction was to burst out laughing," Janie Givas, development director for Children's Village, said. "People have grand ideas all the time, until they realize what it will take to actually complete the project."

But when Sanchez came in with "a beautiful board already drawn of this great gingerbread house I knew he was for real," Givas said.

Sanchez had spoken with Sarah Colbert of Tom Addis Lake City Ford, who OK'd funding – about $500 – the project, and he was all set to start creating.

During the summer months the Valley Mission Pool is full of children laughing, now all you'll hear are screams!

This weekend, the Valley Mission Pool and locker rooms will be transformed into a spooky haunted house.  The haunted house will feature a zombie graveyard, tarp tunnel of terror and clown chaos.  If you bring a can of food to donate it's just $2 to get in.

Here are the details:

October 26th and 27th

7:30pm-10:00pm

11123 E. Mission Ave.

For more information, 509-720-5408 or jpapich@spokanevalley.org. 

Learning how to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle has never been more easy.  This weekend, more than three dozen vendors will be on hand at the Natural Living Show to help you make better choices for your body, environment and our community.

The show will feature local cheese-makers and handmade soaps. And, if you ever wanted to have your own eggs fresh from your backyard there will be a workshop on urban chickens too.

Here are all the details:

 Saturday, October 13th

10 am-6 pm

Spokane Community College Lair

Admission is $7, although if you swing by Sun People Dry Goods located at 32 West 2nd Avenue, Suite 200 you can pick up FREE passes!