While my son's lunchboxes are getting more and more uh...personality (?) with each day, I've found a man that actually does give some character to his children's lunch bags.  He decorates a new one every day, with input from the kids.  They are awesome and I'm betting those kids are the ones everyone else wants to sit next to.  Also, today - speaking of food - how about finding a site devoted to the most delicious and disgusting food combinations entitled “This is Why You're Fat”.  It's at least good for 5 seconds of laughter/disgust.  And to stimulate you cerebrally and creatively, I submit Fiona Carswell.  She's awesome, and that's all I'm telling you about her.  If you don't take the time to check out her thought provoking and incredibly creative projects, it is truly your loss.  These links and more brought to you today by ME!  So go check them out, yo!

The New York City twitter stream never sleeps and the great tweets just keep coming. I feel kind of silly retweeting these online when you should all just be following me and kidbuzzny on twitter and seeing them as they happen, but I know not everyone has made the leap o tweet. I guess that makes me an enabler.

Keep reading for some great tips from our tweeps, including workshops for people trying to start their own businesses, a free foraging expedition in Prospect Park, the new/retro "anniversary edition" Little People house, the breastfeeding brawl going down with some daddy bloggers, emergency bathroom finder iPhone app and more.

If you think you are the only "worst parent ever," take heart. I think we all get verbally abused by our little dictators. One dad has decided to document his tiny tyrant's critiques on his art work on a blog. It's hilarious...and reassuring. Also, bad product ideas, what's making Mormons mad, the scent of Brooklyn, toxic baby shampoos, and the virtues of living in a studio with kids.

Everyone is feeling the strain of the economy, whether they have been directly affected or tangentially. And, I suppose, we are all dealing with it in our own ways. Me, I'm baking my way through the economic crisis.

You might think that makes sense. Cooking at home and baking save money. But I think the real reason I've taken solace at my stove is that it reassures me. If I can bake, then everything is OK. If I can bake, then how can my life not be great? If I've made homemade granola bars for healthy after-school snacks, then how can I not be doing a good job as a mom? Plus, there's nothing to reduce stress like the smell of warm baked goods in your home. How could anything be wrong when your house smells like melting chocolate?

Today I'm sharing a recipe for my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. These are delicious. Plus they are low fat and have lots of healthy protein and vitamins. Or as my friend, Katia says, "they're basically delicious muffin-shaped power bars." The recipe makes a whopping 36 muffins. Freeze some for later.

Easy, Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

Even though the St Patrick's Day Parade is NYC's biggest and most popular parade, it's never appealed to me much. Maybe it was the years of working in Mid-Town and seeing the streets littered with plastic beer cups at lunchtime that turned me off. Or the blaring bag pipes and drunken college students might have soured me on it as a kid-friendly event.

But St Patrick's Day is still a great excuse to celebrate Irish culture with some cool events and activities where kids can earn Irish dance steps and music, learn the Irish mother tongue and hunt for leprechauns. Check out some cool St Patrick's Day events and learn about an alternative St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The forecast for this weekend? Sunny, not too cold and a 100% chance of cool events for kids in NYC. Be on the lookout for an amazing performing arts festival, a craft market and Jim Henson-inspired retro show for kids (and their nostalgic parents), 2 great excuses to head to the Bronx, and a hike where kids will search for leprechauns (if that won't get your kids to go hiking I don't know what will).

Here's the best of the weekend activities for each of the five boroughs:

As twittering becomes more and more popular, I've been enjoying following all the great information that's being tweeted about, especially lots of great stuff about New York City. I thought I knew a lot about what was going on before, but it's just amazing with all these voices how much more information there is. And I find it so inspiring to see all these people sharing great tips. I thought I'd pass on some of the great info I've mined from twitter this week, both from our KidBuzzNY group and from the people we follow.

A while back we wrote about how awesome the Night at the Museum Sleepover. But the Museum of American Museum of Natural History isn't the only cool place you can sleepover. Here's some news about other cool places to spend the night, including one you can do this weekend for a great little weekend trip out of town.