Summertime and the livin' is easy! That certainly rings true this weekend with all the AMAZING (and many FREE) activities happening in NJ. What to do first? (And second and third?) There's a a Farmers Fair, two Balloon Festivals, Family Fun Day at a winery, a 4H fair, Construction Weekend at Liberty Science Center, and a whole lot more.  Read on for all our top picks and remember, you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.

Usually at Mommy Poppins we're all about getting out there and experiencing everything New York City has to offer. But there are times when you need to take a break from running around and stay home—but that doesn't mean your kids are going to let you relax on the couch eating bonbons all day.

While we suspect you have a computer, a gaming system and a TV or two, there are other ways to have fun indoors (even if your kids don't believe you). That's why for this month's Little Lions post, we asked Rachel Evans, manager of the Seward Park Library on the Lower East Side, to compile a list of her favorite activity books for families. So put down that remote! These jam-packed books feature hundreds of ways to keep the kids entertained indoors.

[UPDATED: December 1, 2012]

Williamsburg is one of NYC's funkiest and fun neighborhoods, so it's no surprise that its stores are fun and funky, too. Today, we continue our month-long focus on Williamsburg with a look at the area's colorful children's boutiques filled with trendy clothes, toys, gear and furniture, plus a few eclectic adult shops with kids' items.

From high-end boutiques selling luxury brands to a fabulous discount store, independent bookstores to a beloved resale shop that organizes the nabe's iconic Witches Walk each Halloween, here are our top places to shop with kids in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk is a great place to spend the day with your 0-10 year old. If you have tweens I recommend taking them to Stepping Stones' Summer Jam LIVE: Teen Concert Series geared just for them. The museum currently has a Blue Man Group - Making Waves exhibit that runs through September 9th. You can read about our visit to the exhibit last month here. Enter this great giveaway now for your  chance to win a family 4 pack of tickets to be used one day this summer at the Stepping Stones Museum for Children. 

Having a summer birthday has the advantage of being able to celebrate at one of the many outdoor party sites that are located within Hartford County. With the beautiful weather why not take full advantage and plan a party outdoors? One big perk?  By commemorating your summer baby’s birthday outside at one of these al fresco locations you will eliminate the hassle of having to clean up your own home! Go the extra step and keep your party as environmentally friendly as possible. Using recycled paper goods and plastics, fresh and local food and larger food containers all helps. For even more great party ideas check out our Party Guide.

This is part of a series of posts on the best family travel apps. See the previous posts on the Best Hotel and Flight Booking Apps and Apps for Road Trips.

Travel is never completely problem free. It's the unpredictability that makes it an adventure. But when traveling with kids, the seemingly smallest inconveniences can feel like major upsets, like not being able to find a bathroom when you need one, or having to walk a few extra blocks because you missed your destination, or, heaven forbid, a medical emergency.

The following apps will help you find your way around your destination and solve lots of little problems you might face while traveling:

Well, we survived the heatwave and the biblical-style rainstorm (we took a stroll through northern Central Park during the downpour—it's the first time we've ever been the only ones there!). This week's sweltering humidity inspired us to round up 50 places to cool off with kids in NYC, while our New Jersey peeps decided to get wet on an adventure-filled pirate cruise.

With temperatures in the bearable range and a weekend of sunshine ahead of us, it's a great time for a day trip. Our NJ site has the scoop on family-friendly fun in Atlantic City (really!) while our Connecticut site shares an itinerary for the quaint town of Avon and a profile of the awesome Connecticut Science Center, both in Hartford County.

And if you missed our founder Anna Fader's talk on travel apps at the Apple Store last Saturday, you're in luck: This week she launched a series of posts on our Travel site about her favorites, including hotel and flight booking apps and tools and travel apps for family road trips.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

Mid-July already. How did this happen? This weekend features festivals like Artbeat 2012 in Somerville and Festival Betances in Boston, special events at the Franklin Park and Stone Zoos, and performances from Cambridge to Newburyport. And check our round ups of free outdoor movies, free outdoor concerts, and free story times for other ways to enjoy this mid-summer weekend.

"Diary of a Camp Mommy Director" started this week - Tara finds herself at home with the kids all summer, providing daily entertainment for them (and their friends). She’s started a Twitter diary about the joys and frustrations of being a Camp Mommy Director. Follow her on on Twitter, and please share your own joys (and frustrations) using #CampMommy.

Read on for some highlights of the weekend activities, and please visit our Events Calendar for more ideas.

Enjoy!