It's time to start the annual back to school supplies and clothing shopping ritual. To help you out with that, one lucky reader will win a $50 Give-Away from Three Monkeys and Me for anything in the store. Three Monkeys and Me, a boutique in Kent, Litchfield County, specializes in fun contemporary clothing, gifts and cool toys for children (newborn to size 12/14 kids).  Wati, Pink Chicken and Patagonia are just some of the great brands they carry. Owner Liz Devos has impeccable taste and you'll love the store space she has created as well as everything in it. They've just added an entire toy section with unique high quality selections. Three Monkeys & Me's latest news can be found on their Facebook page.

By Sheila Hageman

Farmington River Tubing
92 Main Street
New Hartford CT 06057
860-693-6465

This was one of my favorite special summer activities my father used to take my sister and our friends to. You load into specially designed river tubes for a 2.5 mile ride down the scenic Farmington River. You travel over three sets of rapids and splash through the very cold white water. At the end of the ride, you board a bus for a drive back up to your car. This is definitely a great activity for a hot day with kids at least ten years old.

Be prepared that the river can get pretty rough, which is what makes it so fun, but your kids need to be able to swim. The river ride is unattended, except for an assistant at the 2nd rapid. Be sure to call on the day you plan to go tubing for current river conditions and times of operations. Days and hours of operation may change due to weather or river conditions.

As a novelist myself, I’m all for people supporting authors by purchasing brand-new copies of their books. However, as a budget conscious mom who has watched her two small children spill/drool/color all over expensive picture books, I know that sometimes buying used titles makes a lot more sense.

While there are lots of ways to snag second-hand kid-lit online—I see tons of kids' stuff up for grabs on sites like freecycle.org and paperbackswap.com—I really enjoy browsing used books in person. I always end up finding wonderful, weird vintage tomes, and I don't have to wade through all of the branded characters stocked by big box bookstores.

Here are my top shops in New York City to find used children's books.

We spent a lot of time outdoors this week, and why not? It's been absolutely lovely, the perfect weather for exploring our city.

We had a super-cool time at a nearby water park, hit a Destination Playground in Harlem and rounded up amazing nature spots. Plus, we spent a day marveling at the amazing Lego animals at the Bronx Zoo—and we've got a great giveaway to go with our review.

Of course we spent some time indoors, too. We've been hard at work on our upcoming sister sites in Boston, Los Angeles and Orlando. To make sure you're notified when they launch, sign up for the newsletters now. And let your friends with families in those cities know that we're coming!

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut.

I don't know about you, but I am excited about all of the great things to do this weekend with the kids. We plan on having some summer fun at the Kent Fireman's Carnival  and the Water Ski Show at Bantam Lake. If we can fit it in I'd love to take everybody to the Civil War Re-enactment in Woodbury. Lyman Orchard's Clam Bake sounds deliciously divine as does the Indian Fest in Danbury. The frisbee golf lessons at the Bridgeport First In Flight Festival are sure to be a big hit as well. If you are looking to check out a new CT Beach you can read our post on 6 affordable CT beaches. Have fun and enjoy one of our last (boo hoo!) summer weekends with the family!

All WEEKEND
53rd Water Ski Show at Bantam Lake - Litchfield
Swimming, prizes, and food. Check out the 11 person pyramid jumps, barefoot skiers and wacky costumes. Sure to be a fun day at the lake.

Kent Fireman's Fair - Kent
The Kent Firemen’s Fair is an opportunity to enjoy small-town fun – games, food and carnival rides – are all designed to provide residents and visitors with an enjoyable three-day event.

Annual Sharon Audubon Center Festival - Sharon
The festival features two full days of nature-related programs and walks for people of all ages. Visitors can choose from a variety of programs they wish to attend including topics on various insects, raptors, trees and plants, amphibians, pond live, nature photography, and more. Mini kids programs are scheduled throughout both days.

Amazingly, it is the middle of August and there's only two weeks left of summer. Before you start crying into your mojito, remember that with September's cool breezes come... back to school for the small people. Which just might be cause to celebrate for some of us weary parents. Or maybe that's just me. In any case, there's plenty of fun stuff happening mid-August, like outdoor parties, fests, bug-eating, art, rubber ducks, surfing and so much more. Enjoy!

Butterflies, dragonflies, bubbles and...tractors! Variety is definitely the theme of this weekend and we’ve got events to fit every member of the family. And if you haven't hit the golf course this summer, you can find a family golf outing in our coverage of 6 Great Mini Golf Courses on Long Island. Or if you are feeling the need to cool off, check out the Mommy Poppins NYC post on our very own Splish Splash Water Park. Have a great weekend!