As a kid, I remember pulling on my costume for the first time on Halloween each year.  Halloween was filled with dress up, candy and a huge carved jack-o-lantern on our front porch.  My kids have a very different experience with this holiday.  Usually by the time October 31st rolls around they've already worn their costumes half a dozen times at various events and parties.   Our front porch is adorned with an army of pumpkins and other decorations.  What was for me a one day event has for my children become a month-long extravaganza. 

As we enter the last weekend before Halloween we have tons of opportunities for your kids to dress up, collect candy, make crafts and have fun.  And best of all - many of them are FREE!

We wrap up our month-long focus on Greenpoint, Brooklyn with a roundup of our favorite kid-friendly places to eat in the area. As we noted in our list of things to do in Greenpoint, the neighborhood has a large Polish population, so we could probably do an entire post about all of the old-school restaurants offering goulash, stuffed cabbage, pierogies and other ethnic comfort food. But those aren't the only eateries in the nabe. As Greenpoint becomes a more diverse community, new spots are popping up serving everything from pizza to organic fare, artisanal ice cream to drool-worthy doughnuts. Here are our top 11 places to eat with kids in Greenpoint.

In the weekend before Halloween, there's no shortage of events to put your family in the trick-or-treating mood. Check out Liberty Science Center's costume contest, head to Morristown for Pumpkin Illumination, get your tickets for Stagefright - A Halloween Musical or see NJ Ballet's Ghost of the Ballet. If you've had your fill of spooky, check out the Popcorn Harvest or WBGO Kids Jazz Concert. Read on for our top picks and remember you can find a listing of all NJ activities in our Event Calendar.

Halloween is tailor-made for kids, but why not go the extra mile and try a weekend getaway that takes the goblin and ghost-laden festivities up a notch?  Several hotels have special events that serve up an extra dose of Halloween fun for a super fun weekend getaway.  

Beyond Halloween, there are great discounts at Disney Resort hotels.  Mohonk, the iconic Upstate New York resort, is offering a "Kids stay and eat free" deal in November.  The Caribbean island of Anguilla has a bargain getaway at the trendy Viceroy.  Sarasota, Florida is offering a chance to win a free trip to experience the sugar-soft sand and gentle waves that makes its beaches perfect for families.

Brussels is a kid-friendly city that manages to be fun loving while maintaining an air of grace.  It gets down to business yet is surprisingly hip.  It is not as big or bustling as London or Paris, but that is part of its charm.  Brussels works just that little bit harder to enchant you.  Medieval architecture blends with funky painted murals, and a statue of a little boy urinating is the mascot of this city.  The people here get the humor in life, which makes it an excellent place to travel with kids.

Brussels is officially bilingual, and though it is predominately francophone, Flemish is also an official language. It is the seat of the European Union, so you will hear a polyglot of languages. It is easy to get to via high-speed rail from many European cities, making it a convenient stop if you are visiting other continental cities.  It is a worthy stand-alone vacation destination, especially if you take some time to explore Belgium’s other towns.  Fairytale-pretty Bruges and arty, under-the-radar Ghent are both worthwhile day trips. 

The following attractions are great family spots, but keep in mind that Brussels is high on ambience, so wandering the cobblestone streets and squares is the city’s best attraction.

It doesn't matter whether your kids attend public, private or parochial: New York City parents are always being called on to donate their money and (even more precious) time to help their children's schools. In fact, vigorous fundraising is an integral part of many schools' success, academic and otherwise.

As a PTA board member for my son's school, I have been very involved in the fundraising process. I've developed initiatives for new money makers and also managed tried-and-true cash cows. While I don't pretend to be the next Jean Joachim, the über PTA mom who helped raise more than $1 million for the Upper West Side's PS 87 and then wrote the book Beyond the Bake Sale, I am a former marketing executive with more fundraising ideas than my son's school can feasibly handle in a given year. I'm happy to share a few of my favorites with my fellow NYC parents.

In addition to raising money for the school, my ideas are meant to be fun for families and foster community. All of these projects require a bit of prep, but since school just started, there's plenty of time to get them going. June is a long way off!