Don't Be a Scrooge: Take Your NYC Kids to See A Christmas Carol this Holiday Season

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[UPDATED: NOVEMBER 11, 2012]

There are many wonderful holiday stories but none as iconic as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. In fact, the tale was so popular when it was first published in 1843 that revelers took the holiday greeting "Merry Christmas" straight from its pages. This spooky Christmas ghost story is the ultimate tale of redemption and it still rings true after two centuries.

So this holiday season, don’t be a Scrooge! Take your Tiny Tim to see a family-friendly adaptation of this treasured classic. Since there are many stage versions of A Christmas Carol around New York City, we've highlighted the ones that are the most family-friendly.

French Fun for Small Fries: Family Saturdays at the French Institute Alliance Française

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Being the melting pot that it is, New York City offers many ways for kids to learn other languages. From foreign language playgroups to more formal instruction, exposing your children to different cultures is as easy as un, deux, trois. I did just that with my preschooler last month when we attended the French Institute Alliance Française's first-ever Family Saturdays. A rich and entertaining French cultural experience, FIAF's afternoon of language-immersion programming includes arts and crafts, storytime, live performances and film. Don't worry if your petit enfant can't speak a word of français; knowledge of French isn't required. It's like getting your France fix without having to spend your life savings on a trip abroad.

FIAF's Family Saturdays take place six times a year, and the next one is this Saturday, December 3. We've got the scoop on all of the French-flavored family fun at this weekend's edition.

Holiday Windows Walk 2011: Department Store Christmas Windows in NYC

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Click here to see the amazing 2014 Department Store Holiday Windows.

Taking a leisurely stroll from Macy's to Bloomie's to look at all of the magical holiday windows is a longtime tradition for my family. In our pre-parenting days, my husband and I took this walk during the wee hours of Christmas Eve. Once our son was born, we moved it to Thanksgiving weekend. It's a wonderful way to kickoff the holiday season, totally free and creates lasting memories that our son will remember long after he's forgotten about the toys under the tree.

This year, we made it a Mommy Poppins playdate by doing the walk with Raven and her daughter. Although we adults felt that a few of the displays were lacking their usual pizzazz, the kids had a great time and enjoyed everything they saw. They especially liked the windows at Macy’s and Bloomingdale's since there were interactive elements, and the tricycle-riding mannequin at Saks.

Click through our NYC Holiday Windows Walk slide show and find out about the themes of each store's display. If you'd like to relive the windows of yesteryear, check out our holiday windows posts from 2009 and 2010. They never get old.

Family-Friendly Hotels on the Upper West Side

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[UPDATED: July 26, 2010]

We don't usually post about NYC hotels since, well, we all live here, and most of our readers do too. But with the holidays coming up, we know lots of out-of-town families will be looking for affordable kid-friendly places to stay. While staying in Times Square or another tourist area may seem like the way to go, we recommend the Upper West Side.

We've been focusing on this super-family-friendly neighborhood all month long, and it really is a kids' paradise with big attractions like the American Museum of Natural History and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Riverside and Central Park, and tons of places to play, eat and have fun. While hotels here are no bargain, they're usually a bit cheaper than their Midtown Manhattan counterparts. (We're not including prices though, since they change so often and many websites offer discounted rates.) Plus, since it's a residential area, visiting families can get a taste of how "real" New Yorkers live.

As a longtime UWS resident, I suggest these hotels to my family and friends when they come to town (they can't stay with me, my apartment barely fits my own family!). All five are within walking distance of the UWS' best spots and near subway lines that will have you in Midtown in minutes.

Farmers Markets in Jersey City: Savor the last of the season

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With leaves falling from the trees, temperatures dropping and holiday decorations strung up, autumn is quickly on its way out, and so are Jersey City’s wonderful farmers markets. The abundance of berries, zucchini and tomatoes that we cherish in the summer and early fall are hard to come by as the winter months close in, but three of the markets in Jersey City are still open for just a few more weeks. Savor the last of the season and try a few new recipes!

Best Bakeries and Other Sweet Spots on the Upper West Side

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During our month-long series of posts focusing on the Upper West Side, we've shared many of our favorite neighborhood haunts, including toy stores, play spots and family-friendly restaurants. Now we've got something really sweet for you: our top dessert spots on the UWS.

There are of course a slew of UWS places where you can pop in for a quick treat. We've picked the nine that we always have trouble resisting, jam-packed with all kinds of goodies from cupcakes to ice cream, cake to cookies.

Creative Holiday Photo Card Ideas

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By Katie Owsley

This is it.  This is the year.  The year that we will get those holiday photos in the mail before, well...Valentine’s Day.  This is our year!!!!  But how to make the photo unique, adorable, and creative?  A few ideas to help get your wheels turning:

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