Saks Fifth Holiday Window Display via Fred Flare

Again, a special Saturday post just because there has been so much great stuff to write about that I haven't been able to get to it all. So today I'm throwing together a couple of links I just can't let slip through the cracks.

Also, later this weekend we will be rolling out our new website design on our fancy new server. Hopefully this will solve both our yucky server issues and bring some great new features to the site. More on that later. Stay tuned.

Because of the server problems it looks like a couple of posts might have slipped through the cracks this week, including the announcement of our Scholastic Store Giveaway (Heather S). And also the Tracking Santa with Norad post did go out to feed readers, so check the site to see all of this weeks posts.

Last minute Christmas links:

You read about all the circuses in town, maybe you even went to go see one or two of them. Now it's your kid's turn. Paper Doll Militia at Bowery kids is having Circus Workshops this Sunday, December 23rd. Kids can learn to stilt walk, clown around and more. These workshops are for kids of all ages with the 2-4s sticking to the floor stuff and watch, while older kids get to try some aerial tricks.

Design Mom has been doing a series of posts about the sibling gift craft projects she is working on with her kids. I love this series so much. She's got 5 kids of all ages so there's something appropriate for everyone and the gifts are so great and the sentiment is just wonderful. DesignMom, can we have a kid crafting playdate?

McBrooklyn does a nice round-up of posts about seeing the lights and sights of Dyker Heights. (I seriously did not plan the rhyme in that sentence. It just kind of happened.) If you don't know, Dyker Heights is one of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn that goes over the top in their Christmas decorating. Houses, yes they have houses there, are covered in elaborate light displays with neighbors competing to out-do each other. Hop in your car or Zipcar and drive through the nabe for a great Christmas Eve family activity.

Fred Flare has a wonderful photo slideshow of this year's department store window displays as well as ones from previous years. If you never made it out to see the Christmas Department Store Windows with the kids, this is a good alternative. [via Goodyblog

New York City can get pretty crazy during the Holidays, but, in fact, with seven circuses in town, New York has never been more of a circus than it is now. Hailing from Moscow, Harlem, French Canada, China and good old fashioned New York, in typical New York style even the circuses can teach children about different cultures. Perhaps this holiday break you'll take your children on a trip around the world NYC circus style.

The Apollo Big Show Circus Only through December 23rd, this Harlem circus stars hip-hop acrobats, African dancers and drummers, double-Dutch jump-ropers, trapeze artists and Rappin’ Granny.

New Shanghai Circus at the New Victory Theater through Jan. 6. Chinese acrobats, aerialists and athletes perform astounding acts in the tradition dating back to the harvest festivals of 2,000 years ago performed in with gloriously modern choreography, music and lights.

Well, thanks to my lovely server, I just lost the long post I had spent the last two hours writing. So here's a quickie fun link: At NoradSanta.org you can track Santa as he makes his way around the world bringing toys and goodies in his sleigh. Norad is the North American Rapid Air Defense (or something like that) and finally it's being put to good use - protecting American children from the threat of not believing in Santa. Here is the properly super geeky military explanation of Santa's trip around the world from the site:

At Mommy Poppins we always try to provide real information by real parents that you will really use. So what could be better than a gift guide created by your fellow NYC parents. This guide will be just as useful for birthday gifts as it is for Holiday presents. And at the end of the post, we'll announce our lucky winner of the $100 gift certificate to the Scholastic Store.

Owen found the perfect toy.

I'd like to thank everyone who came out in today's rotten weather for the Toy Swap.

It was a success! All the kids had a great time playing with the toys, enjoyed some hot cocoa and the delicious and healthy goodies made by BisKids catering. I loved that everyone found a couple of things to take home as well as getting rid of some toy chest clutter.

We had some really nice stuff to swap: wooden toys and puzzles, great baby toys, books. Thanks for bringing all the great stuff, everyone. What a great way to find Holiday gifts, plus we donated a bunch of toys to the toy drive and six bags of the left-over used toys went to Housing Works.

So we had lots of winners today, but our A Kid’s Life and The Gazillion Bubble Show winners are Anona de Juana for The Gazillion Bubble Show and for A Kid’s Life, Kaila Braus. Congrats. If that's you please email me your mailing address and you'll get.

Courtesy of CTC

The Mommy Poppins Holiday Toy Swap & Drive is this Sunday from 10AM to 1PM at 146 Duane Street and it looks like it's shaping up to be a lot of fun. New children's party catering company, BisKids will be giving out delicious, free homemade goodies.

Also, everyone who comes on Sunday can enter to win a pair of tickets to The Gazillion Bubble Show or a pair of tickets to A Kid's Life. I saw The Gazillion Bubble Show and it was a lot of fun. I think kids of all ages, and adults too, would enjoy this show.

So I hope you will all come. We may get a little weather, but it should be a great time. If you are reading this in your email and care to just hit reply and let me know if you are planning on coming or not that would be great. I want to make sure BisKids brings enough treats for everyone!

What to do after the swap: Make a day of it, the Washington Market Park Christmas Party, just a couple of blocks away, starts at 2PM. Or head over to Church Street School for Music and Art for their fabulous gingerbread house decorating workshops at 2:15.

And more fun stuff going on:

Sadly the Scholastic Store closed in January 2015. In my opinion the Scholastic Store in SoHo is one of the better kid stores in New York City. Whether I am looking for books, toys or a last minute birthday party present, I know I can always find something of quality at the Scholastic Store. Most of the toys and books are educational as well as being fun. They've just done a complete overhaul of the store making this great shopping experience even better.

Read more to find out some of the changes at the Scholastic Store in SoHo, some last minute gift ideas.

If this is not the hot giving opportunity of the year, then it certainly should be. The One Laptop Per Child project is the coolest thing on so many levels. If you haven't heard of it, here's the gist: some smart people have created a laptop that is cheap enough, rugged enough, energy efficient enough, and wired enough to be perfectly designed to give to children in developing nations to help them connect with the world and get the education they need to grow into modern world citizens.

Why is this the best giving opportunity this Holiday Season? Until December 31, 2007 you can buy a laptop for a child in a developing nation and get a laptop for a child in your life. The give one, get one promotion costs only $399 and is 50% deductable. Not only does it include a great laptop, perfect for a child, but it comes with a free year of TMobile wireless. That in and of itself is almost worth the price of the program because it gives you free wireless, just about anywhere.