So, you’ve found the perfect location for your family photo, and you’ve decided on a photographer. Great, but now you keep asking yourself questions (in a jittery voice): What will everyone wear? How will I get the kids to behave? What if the baby won’t stop drooling? No need to panic. Professional photographer Korri Leigh Crowley has five tips for getting the most out of your family photo shoot experience, panic-free. 

Angeleno families are offered so many options at Halloween time it can become overwhelming; with limited time and funds, what are the real must-spook events? Which ones are worth driving for, and which are just more of the same on the other side of the hill?

We've chosen our top five venues for pumpkins, spooks, and things that go "Boo!"

While we may not have fancy waterside parks like neighboring Long Island City, there are still some great places to play in Sunnyside and Woodside, both outdoors and in. In addition to playgrounds like Lou Lodati Playground and Windmuller Park, which frequently features live entertainment at its band shell, there's the lovely members-only Sunnyside Gardens Park that locals can join and visitors can explore during a handful of annual public festivals.

We have a handful of drop-in places to play indoors, too, including two local libraries with regular storytimes, a pair of awesome playgroups and, if you're really in a bind, a Chuck E Cheese's. (You may hate it but kids love it!) We continue our month-long focus on Sunnyside and Woodside with a curated roundup of our favorite romping spots in the area.

Fall is in full swing and we've got some great seasonal deals for New York City families. Our generous sponsors are offering discounts on a variety of fun kids' activities for all ages and interests, including a live-action stage adaptation of Jim Henson's beloved Dinosaur Train (one of our top fall family theater picks), creative classes at Let's Gogh Art NYC, a holiday photo shoot from c'est beau photo, tickets to Quiet Clock, the Musical and the Zumbini™ music and movement program for tots. Don't wait to take advantage of these great bargains. Deals this good will be gone long before the first snow falls.

There's a lot happening around town. Westchester Children's Museum is one step closer to opening their doors and we couldn't be happier. Grand Prix New York added a new art studio space to their already fun filled indoor entertainment complex and Westchester County Parks Department launched a new app to help navigate the parks system.

Speaking of Westchester, ever wonder about the many redundant town and village names in the county and the boundaries they encompass? Well, if you've been puzzled about the county map (or if this just sparked an interest), we found a great breakdown we thought was worth sharing. Read on for more on these topics plus details on catching up with Mommy Poppins at Ridge Hill's HarvestFest 2013! 

Nestled in Sussex Country, Sparta is great little country town and lake community. Whether you are strolling the Lake Mohawk boardwalk or shopping at Olde Lafayette Village, the fresh country air and slower place is a refreshing change. You don’t need to board a plane to explore a new town. By travelling up Route 80, you’ll not only see the beautiful, serene fall foliage, but experience a ‘different’ New Jersey, so head out to Sparta, NJ!
 

We have quite a busy weekend in store here at Mommy Poppins. On Saturday, we're hosting our Halloween Family Cruise on New York Harbor, featuring the wacky antics of Dr. Blood, a costume parade, face painting, nautical skills and tasty treats. Then on Sunday, it's our first-ever Mommy Poppins Night at the New Victory Theater. Enjoy the charming family production Me and My Shadow, a pre-show puppet workshop and a post-show meet and greet with the cast, plus a 20% discount on tickets. There are still tickets available for the sail and the show, so we hope to see you at one of these special events—or both!

Meanwhile, everything's coming up Halloween on all of our sites. This week we rounded up FREE family costume parades in NYC and Westchester; haunted houses in New Jersey and on Long Island; NJ haunted hayrides and fun ideas for non-edible treats to hand out on Halloween.

Our Travel site continued its series on vacationing in the U.K. with a post about things to do with kids in Cornwall, England. Plus we've got a roundup of the ten best hotel chains for families including categories like best value and coolest amenities. And there are still a few hours left to enter our Songs for Seeds preschool music class giveaway.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: