This is a post about dance classes, but not for your kids, for YOU (minus the little tutus or sequined leotards you may be imagining.)  Parents need an outlet to release energy and creativity, and well, just to have fun once in a while too.  On a recent mom’s night out, a friend and I decided to do something completely different and took a Bollywood dance class. I’m talking a simple drop-in, no experience necessary, wear what you want, just for fun dance class. There are plenty of them offered here in NYC in all sorts of styles for less than $20.  So what do you want to try,  Belly dancing, African Dance or maybe Hula Hooping?

Family holiday traditions often seem to revolve around food: cooking special meals, baking holiday cookies and creating gingerbread houses. These family moments create those warm memories that children will look back on with nostalgia. But if your inner Martha is on vacation, consider taking your kids to a holiday cooking class instead (or joining in on one with them!)

Several kids' cooking “schools” are offering classes in November and December, teaching holiday staples like sweet potato pie, cocoa and gingerbread house construction. Classes for toddlers through tweens could whet your child's appetite for culinary greatness—or just a really good sugar cookie. Instruction doesn't come cheap: the classes range from $30 to $95 per child. Then again, every holiday host knows eager kitchen help is priceless.

The weekend is once again upon us. Have you planned yours yet?  There is plenty of fun to be had in New York City no matter what you are looking to do, but, if your family is into museums this is the weekend for you!  Choose from Family Day at the Guggenheim, Houdini Family Day at the Jewish Museum or the Russian Children's Day Art Festival at the Children’s Museum of Arts.  Some other don’t-miss events are the Native American storytelling program by LuAnn Adams, the Latino storytelling program by David Gonzalez and the Indo-American Film Festival.

You could also get a jump on your holiday photo cards, hit an awesome new playground in Tribeca, celebrate the new Harry Potter movie and catch great live music or some scenes from the campy nutcracker, Hard Nut.  Not enough choice for you? There is a lot more fun to be had in our events calendar (like the Chocolate Show.)

Read on to plan your weekend, and we hope it is a great one.

I have one word for you people: CHOCOLATE. Do you really need to read any further? Well, if the thought of the 13th Annual New York Chocolate Show does not send shivers down your spine like it does mine and force you to haul yourself into Manhattan for the day, there are other fun and free events in New Jersey this weekend. Gingerbread House making, teddy bear picnics and geocaching round out our favorites list, but hey… you know where you’ll find me. See you by the truffles!

Walk with early man among some of the largest mammals to ever live on earth.  This winter, the aptly named mammoth and their smaller but still pretty huge kin, the mastodon, are explored in detail at the Liberty Science Center in the fascinating exhibit Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age. Read on to find out why this exhibit is worth the trip.
 

Now that it’s November, Brooklyn bakeries are taking orders for Thanksgiving treats. From Joyce Bakery’s upside down pear and cranberry tart to cookies hand-decorated by a Greenpoint artist, these nine places promise the perfect end to your turkey day feast. But don't take too long deciding which pies, tarts, spice cakes, sugar cookies, cheesecakes and other tempting sweets sound best -- most places require orders by November 19.

The web is a beautiful and ever-changing thing. Amidst the web clutter, every once in a while, a cool new web site springs up that is so awesome it's hard to imagine how you lived without it before. We've been keeping our eye on a couple of new ones that are super useful or just plain fun for moms and dads, with great info like finding good family friendly restaurants in NYC (finally!), a tech blog for non-techy mommas, a site just for Jewish moms and one just to make you laugh (till you cry). 
Check 'em out: 

I don’t know where I'll spend Thanksgiving this year.  My Mom usually makes a muti-course, gourmet meal, but she’ll be with my brother on the west coast. I could cook, but with a baby and toddler, I'll probably only get around to a side or two. I've never gone to a restaurant on Thanksgiving, but this might be the year to start a new tradition. Some of my favorite Brooklyn restaurants will be open, and three other places are offering Thanksgiving to go. Which leaves me with just one task: decide which menu sounds best, and soon! Restaurants are booking up fast and places with prepared foods require orders a week in advance.