As I write this, my two rescue dogs lazily glance at me from their respective pillows on my living room couch. “Stanley” is a mix of at least four different breeds (mostly Schnauzer is our best guess) and “Henry” is a Chihuahua/Maltese hybrid of some sort and to list his shortcomings would take a whole separate article – let’s just say he’s bitten everyone from a FedEx worker to our wedding photographer and no matter how many times we brush his teeth, his breath is so bad I often have to banish him to the end of our king-sized bed. But here’s the thing: my two mutts are the most loveable and quirky animals I’ve ever met and you can see the gratitude in their eyes. My husband and I are well aware that if we hadn’t adopted them, they wouldn’t be here today. And now that my daughter is two, I am so happy that our furry family members (and their adoption stories) will help to teach her about charity, compassion and all those other wonderful character qualities.

This season, the theme of our Holiday Gift Guide is shopping local. And no gift is more local than a memorable NYC experience.

Last year, we shared 10 ideas for experience gifts for New York City kids, like enjoying high tea or going rock climbing at Brooklyn Boulders. These are our favorite kinds of presents: They don't need to be wrapped, they don't take up any precious space in our small apartments and they create special family memories.

The possibilities for experience gifts in NYC are endless, and span all interests and budgets. You can buy tickets and stuff them in stockings, or get creative and make your own coupon good for your child to "cash in" for one of these fun outings.

In theory, Christmas break in my house will begin with my three children sleeping late, thoughtfully allowing me time to enjoy my coffee.  A peaceful 90 minutes of reading would follow, after which my husband would return from the office (I know, it’s only 11am, but this is my fantasy, after all…) and I would take a leisurely run.  Heaven.

In reality, my children will awaken at 6:30am on the first day of vacation (that’s right – an hour earlier than I drag them out of their beds on school days - ) and the arguing will commence at 6:31.  By 6:35 I will be throwing back my third cup of fully caffeinated coffee wondering how on earth we’ll make it to New Year's and the blessed return of school days.   The only hope for peace in my house?  Getting out of my house.  We need some school break activities!  A few events we will be checking out:

There are so many fun events happening in preparation to celebrate the holidays but probably the one most children are excited about (well other than getting presents of course) is the chance to meet Santa. They have their letters ready and can’t wait to meet the man in red to share their wish lists. We all know about the usual mall sightings but here is a list of other places you and your child can also visit with Santa Claus.

Do you know someone who can barely wait for Santa to come? Do you have little hopeful Santa-watchers who have secret wishes to share with good old Santa? The good news is that He is all around. Whether you would like to meet Him while shopping, having fun in a museum, browsing Christmas arts and goodies or celebrating the season in your community, you are sure to find the jolly old man somewhere near you.

Who cares if it's a cliche to say that we love this time of year? New York City looks even more magical when it's decked out in holiday lights and extravagant displays.

With only a few weeks to go until Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza, we've been all about the holidays this week, from offbeat festivities to more vintage ways to celebrate. Our Holiday Guide is jam-packed with all of that and more, including caroling, Christmas trees and spots to see Santa. We've also been expanding our Local Holiday Shopping Guide with new posts about seasonal markets and craft fairs.

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, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

The toys are back in town, skating in Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3 (check out our review), and families can get a $4 discount on tickets with the code below!  Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, and even Ken and Barbie skate to infinity and beyond in what promises to be Disney's biggest skating extravaganza yet.

Southland families can catch the show this month Downtown at Staples Center, at Honda Center in Anaheim, or down in Long Beach just after New Year. The SoCal run even includes performances on Christmas Eve and Day, for folks looking to do more than sit around the Christmas tree.