We don't write about high end stuff here that much, but it's not because we don't like nice stuff, we just prefer to tell people about how to get the best stuff (whether it's stuff to do or buy) without spending a fortune. But we're just as happy to buy beautiful luxury goods as the next person when we can grab it for a steal.

Smitherman & Barnwell, the luxury design house for children, is having a HUGE sale online on Etsy. Regular prices for their luxury collection start at $100 and up, but the sale price for dresses are mostly in the $25-50 dollar range. These are stunning, classic designer dresses, made from imported Italian fabrics, perfect for little girls aged 12 months to 5 years. Shop while supplies last!

By the way, my other secret for beautiful Italian little girl dresses is

Festival Season has begun. This weekend alone there's over a dozen. We've picked out the really good ones for (mostly) free, fabulous fun this weekend. If it rains, take your umbrella and boots and be glad everyone else stayed home.

Not exactly a festival, but also of note to all those with little (or big) comic book lovers, Saturday, May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day. That's not a joke. Walk into any participating comic book store and they will give you free comic books. Type in your zip code to find participating comic book stores. There are several in NYC including Forbidden Planet, St Marks Comics, and Rocketship in Brooklyn.

Eight festivals actually worth going to:

Bowery Babes
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED. PLEASE SEE THE NEWER VERSION HERE
It's almost Mother's Day, time to celebrate motherhood. And what better way to celebrate being a mom than to get together with other moms and support each other. Let's face it, when you are a new parent New York can be like a sea of humanity: people, people everywhere, but not a soul to commiserate with. Finding the right parenting group can give you an instant social network to share the trials and tribulations of parenthood. Some mothers groups plan events and get-togethers, some offer seminars and discussions on pertinent topics, and some are just a place to chat on-line. Here are some of the best NYC parenting groups for moms and dads of every stripe.

The British International School of NY is proud to offer a day camp program for children ages 3 to 7 during the summer of 2009!

BIS-NY Summer Camp is committed to offering your child a stimulating environment while encouraging cultural, social, and physical growth. The camp day will be packed with fun activities such as private swim instruction, arts and crafts, outdoor sports games, Dazzling Discoveries science projects, weekly field trips, and more!

Field trips include The NYC Children's Museum, the NYC Aquarium, Queens County Farm Museum, and the Museum of Natural History!

You have the option to sign up your child for any or all of the six weeks in our program! We offer a flexible camp schedule to meet your needs while providing your children with memories that will last a lifetime. Our entire staff is certified in First Aid and CPR to ensure the safest environment possible for your child. Group leaders are teachers employed at our school and are extremely familiar with both our facility and educating young children. The counselor to camper ratio is kept to a high standard to guarantee adequate supervision.

The half day program is offered from 9:00a.m. - 12:00p.m. and the full day program is offered from 9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. If interested, please contact our Camp Director, Kristin Enslein, at 212-481-2700 or k.enslein@bis-ny.org.

For mroe great camp ideas, check out our Summer Camp Guide!

NEWS FLASH: Tonight is 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins. From 5PM to 10PM stop by your neighborhood Baskin Robbins for some low-cost licks. While you're there you can donate to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

April featured a lot of great posts, especially our Green Month posts. We also added our preschool page, our community spotlight, and we've added a lot of new listings to our Camp Guide. April was great, but I'm even more excited about May. Watch out for a lot of great things in store including a WEEK of SUPER BIG GIVEAWAYS for Mother's Day! We're giving our readers the royal treatment. Plus we'll be launching our Neighborhood Guide and our Slacker Mom Camp Guide later in the month, two projects that have been in the works for months and I'm very excited to finally share.

After the top posts we'll announce the winners of our Great Green Giveaway.

99 Sensory Activities For Any Child
Great Green Giveaway Earth Day 2008
Mommy Poppins Do-It-Yourself Spring Break Eco Camp
Hi Lo: Anime Classes for Kids
More Free Storytimes and Arts and Craft Classes for NYC Kids

And now for the giveaway winners...

You don't have to move to the suburbs to experience nature right in your own backyard. Here in New York City we have more nature all around us than most people realize. I asked Leslie Day, author of Field Guide to the Natural World of New York City, to give NYC parents some ideas for how to find, experience and learn about nature with kids in New York. Read her article below for NYC nature activities; and I highly recommend her book, with detailed information on the flora and fauna of NYC and where you can find them, as an excellent resource to help you get more nature out of NYC with kids!

At Little Spirits, summer is a celebration of childhood! A time to learn new skills and perfect old ones, a time to grow and make new friends, and most of all, a time to have fun!
 
Come see our 5,000-square foot facility/ fun center, featuring rooms for art, music, movement, science, cooking, resting, and more, plus a wonderland gym complete with rock climbing wall, ball pit, trampoline and space, space, space. Nurturing credentialed professionals inspire children to have the time of their lives as they grow socially, emotionally, creatively, and intellectually.

The program is half-day, from 9am-1pm Register for 1-10 weeks! We recommend that multiple weeks be consecutive. Discounts available for multiple week registration. Sibling discounts available. Inquire about discounts on summer session classes to extend your child's day!

Visit our website at www.littlespirits.com or contact us at info@littlespirits.com or (212) 576-1018. Little Spirits 10 East 38th Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10016 (212) 576-1018
 

And for more great camp ideas, check out our Summer Camp Guide! 

Fun, Family and Friends Forever What Blue Rill is all About!

Each camp day is packed with FUN top-notch sports programs, incredible crafts projects and specialties, our brand new, state-of-the-art swimming pools, awesome special events and crazy & fun camp traditions. Blue Rill offers the perfect combination of outstanding programs, great facilities and our experienced and enthusiastic staff.

Of course, safety comes first as we focus on the core values of respect, kindness and cooperation. Our goal is for campers to learn new skills and increase self-esteem while having the best summer ever! Each camper and staff becomes part of our camp FAMILY, spending the summer as an important part of their group, their division and the whole camp. This sense of involvement and belonging to the Blue Rill community is one of the reasons campers and staff return each summer. FRIENDS FOREVER is the core of the Blue Rill experience. Campers make friends with other campers in their group, their counselors, division leaders, specialists and directors, and the relationships last a lifetime.

Blue Rill campers, ages 3 - 15, always have the best summer ever! Blue Rill offers sessions for 4 weeks or more for campers on the Upper East and Upper West sides of Manhattan. Located on 25 minutes north of the GWB - Transportation included! Blue Rill Day Camp, Summers Filled With Fun Since 1951! Please contact us for more information! Joel Shapiro, Director Nancy Rosen, Assistant Director 444 Saddle River Road Airmont, NY 10956 Phone: 845-352-3521 info@bluerilldaycamp.com

For more great camp ideas, check out our Summer Camp Guide!