Welcome to fall, NJ Moms and Dads. Hopefully by this weekend we will be able to put away our shorts and tank tops and pull out our jackets. Or at least a long-sleeved shirt. Octoberfests abound (plus one Catoberfest), festivals are everywhere, and there’s even some Native American celebrations to round out the fun. Oh, and most of it is free.  And “free” almost always equals fun, doesn’t it?

So what if we Upper West Siders can’t fire up the grill like our suburban friends? (Unless of course you've got one on your fire escape, like my neighbors do.) But really, who needs charcoal when we have so many tasty neighborhood havens serving up one of the most kid-friendly foods around: burgers.

The Upper West Side is a true carnivore heaven, with great places for families to fill up on this all-American favorite. Here are our picks for the best burgers in the area, all taste tested by my own family, which includes two ravenous, meat-eating teens.

It's official, we've gotten through the first few weeks of school and October has arrived. The start of Halloween fun galore and Fall festivals abound. This week we wrote about the new math exhibit at Stepping Stones Museum for Children called Cyberchase.  We also rounded up corn mazes and pumpkin patches. If you are craving some frightening fun check out our post on CT Halloween Train Rides. You'll either go on a scenic tour to an idyllic pumpkin patch or you'll be afraid of the monster lurking around the corner - so choose carefully! Enjoy the weekend round up and check facebook and twitter for more up to the date information. And don't forget to vote for Mommy Poppins in Parents Magazine's Best Local Blog contest!

The fall festival “season” is in full swing this weekend, and families can choose from among a range of large fairs, including the Topsfield Fair, opening Friday, 9/30 and billed as “America’s oldest fair” to the north and King Richard’s Renaissance Faire to the south, as well as festivals on Saturday and Sunday in Boston, Cambridge, and beyond.

The first of October heralds the first of many Halloween events, including a Halloween Screampark, a Haunted Ship, and a House of Horrors (with a Kiddie Haunted House option). Please check our calendar as we continue to add spooky-themed events throughout the month.

We’re still accepting entries for our Concert Ticket Giveaway - Mommy Poppins Boston readers have the chance to win a Family 4 Pack of tickets to see Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer at The Center for the Arts in Natick on 10/15. Just send me an email to enter!

Read on for some of our top choices this weekend. And a reminder - Mommy Poppins has been nominated by Parents Magazine in the Best Local Blog category. Please vote for us if you agree!

It’s official.  With the start of October, Halloween season is now upon us.

For those spookily inclined, Southern California offers a fearsome number of spine-tingling events. From Halloween hauntings at our numerous amusement parks to the pumpkin patches and corn mazes that mysteriously appear this time of year, our treat bags are flowing over.

Not every event this weekend is a spookfest.  Families can catch a morning concert on the pier, attend two different book festivals, or look in wonder at the stars.  In addition, we have the inside scoop on how you can score your kiddo a FREE veggie burger!

Continue reading to see what have we scared up for you this weekend, both spooky and sweet, and to find out how to get that FREE burger!

It seems like school just started and yet somehow October is upon us. And since many schools are closed for Rosh Hashanah, families are trying to figure out how to fill the four-day weekend.

While there aren't any kids' events happening this Thursday and Friday, we've got suggestions for things to do. And once the weekend roles around, there's a slew of special activities, festivals and fairs. The The Children’s Museum of the Arts is throwing a big bash to mark the grand opening of its stunning new space in Hudson Square. The Queens County Farm Museum celebrates the season with its Apple Festival. Other annual favorites include the Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park, Atlantic Antic in Brooklyn, the Chile Pepper Fiesta at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

Plus, two big Halloween events kick off this weekend: the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden's new Haunted Pumpkin Garden.

And that's just a sampling of the great things going on this weekend. Read on for all of our picks and remember, you can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Fall Fun Guide.

We don't need to tell you that iPhones, iPads and other iThingies are serious kid magnets. Even if you don't have one, you've seen children tapping gleefully on them on buses and subways, and in restaurants.

While we can't help you wrest those devices from their sticky hands, we can offer some app suggestions that have more educational value than Angry Birds. (Not that we don't love Angry Birds.)

My two sons (one school-aged, the other in preschool) and I tried a ton of apps and found seven that we love that are educational, fun and often free.

"FOLLOWING EZRA: What One Father Learned About Gumby, Otters, Autism And Love From His Extraordinary Son" is a true story of a young Autistic boy named Ezra, as told by his father Tom, an amazing man who refused to grieve for the child Ezra didn’t turn out to be. Whether you have a child with special needs or not, this story is truly inspiring.  It made me laugh and cry, brought back memories of the struggles my boys have faced, and gave me hope for their future.