heather

It’s holiday picture time. You’re bundling up the crew and heading out to take the annual shot to be sent ‘round the world (or at least to your cousin Courtney in San Antonio). Sure, you could trek to Rockefeller Center and pose in front of the most famous Christmas tree in the world, or line the kids up in front of Macy's gorgeous windows. But why not do something a little different this year? We rounded up a few places you may not have thought of (yet), as well as some off-the-beaten-path locales where you can say, “Fruitcake!”

Well, needless to say, we have had quite a week here in NYC. First, we were all shaken up (literally) with that earthquake and then Hurricane Irene made some of us leave our homes, many of us buy things (hello, $30 flashlight) and all of us stop and watch the skies. NYCers, NJers, LIers, and CTers are still recovering, figuring out the damage, and, of course, talking about it. We hope you and yours are safe and sound.

While it was storming outside, it was rather calm online, except for all of the Mother Nature-related news. But, never fear, we found a few fun bits during the hours as we hunkered down–if you want to chat about something other than Irene’s awe-inspiring fury.

This week it's all about sex, bags and Sesame Street! (Yes, quite a far cry from sex, drugs and rock and roll.)

As summer draws to a close, we turn our attention back to school. There's so much to do... and even more to buy. We've got info on how to choose the right backpack, the scoop on sex education in NYC public schools and the 411 on a brand-new doctor hotline just for parents.