First, I gotta thank all you great people who voted for us for best NYC local blog over the weekend. We got some real momentum going. I hope you will all keep voting for us every day. If you were not online over the weekend, please take a moment to catch up on how you can help Mommy Poppins get dubbed number one NYC local blog and vote for us.

And now for the news: we haven't done one of these for a while now so there's lots of school news to catch up on, especially with budget cuts, mayoral control and test scores all hanging in the balance. Also find out about a really cool fundraiser, the new parenting trend, and great deals on eating out during kids' restaurant week. Dig in:

Occasionally I get into a radio mode and I tune in to NPR. Somehow I always seem to tune in when they are having a pledge drive. So I've basically been listening to non-stop pledge driving for the last couple days and it's inspired me (or brain-washed me) into action.

Here's the skinny: Mommy Poppins has been nominated as the best local blog in NYC in the Parents Connect Parents Picks contest. (Cool) But we're not actually in the lead. (Bummer) But it would be kinda cool to win it 'cause I think we are the best local kids blog, don't you? So here's my NPR-style pitch (read below in best Brian Lehrer voice):

Summer in New York City means festivals and this summer the city isn't wasting any time jumping head-long right into the festivals. There are over 15 festivals for NYC families going on just this weekend. There are arts festivals, a fish parade, an Italian extravaganza, a pooch parade and bike parade and more than one Strawberry Festival. (So, if a big festival is a"palooza" does that make this weekend a "palooza-palooza"?) Of course, don't forget the summer music festival season has started too. So go get paloozapaloozing. 

With all the tall buildings, noise and traffic, it is easy to forget that New York is really just made up of a bunch of islands, with swimable beaches all around. When you think bout Staten Island, your first thought may not be "beach", but Staten Island is home to many beaches, which are close-by, reachable by public transportation, and free ways to escape the buildings, fast-walkers and chaos of everyday life, without heading to the Garden State. Find out some of the best Staten Island Beaches below.

Why buy locally? Well, it ensures good independent businesses are here for the long run; it’s beneficial for the environment; and you can get some pretty cool one-of-a-kind items. Finally, these businesses provide excellent learning opportunities: Use shopping trips as a way to educate your child about how local companies operate. If you're already buying locally, take it a step further by increasing the products you purchase. You'll be surprised at how many fine items are made right here in New York City.

One way to shop locally is to visit the flea markets and craft fairs where local artisans and retailers often sell their wares. Brooklyn seems to be the epi-center of these markets now. Below are some of the best markets to buy locally, plus, surprisingly, an online source for local shopping as well.

The cherry blossoms have faded, but we're still enjoying their beauty thanks to the all the wonderful entries we got to the Kids of Hanami Photo Contest we ran with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It took us a little longer than expected to get all the entries together and pick a winner, but we finally have it done and are happy to share them with you.

Even if you didn't enter, you're going to want to watch the slideshow. The photos are beautiful (both the flowers and the adorable kids). Click through to see the slideshow and our winning picture.

It seems as if we have been in a rain spell for weeks. But this weekend it's going to be sunny and over 70, perfect weather to hop on a free, rented bike (or the one you own) and hit the ground spinning or, if you prefer two feet to two wheels, try some street fairs, family festivals, sushi and other Japanese cuisine samples (as well as concerts), burlesque shows for moms (what?, that's right) and the opening of Governor's Island. Memorial Day was last weekend--it's time to start celebrating summer! And NYC is full of activities to get you started.

We have a guest post today from Jay Bushara who has started a new website dedicated to discovering and celebrating the very best children's books, ones that ar hard to find at big box bookstores. Find out about his site and some of his picks for the best children's books this summer. Thanks, Jay!

Children’s picture books are often useful, sometimes glorious, and they are everywhere, the stuff left over from growing up and moving on, proverbial needles in the hay.

Too often we settle for the hay. This is understandable. Still, new parents in particular are likely to be become disenchanted if they go looking for the magic of children’s literature amid the piles and glittery profiles of Hannah Montana biographies and Dora & Diego tie-ins and those books by Madonna where none of the characters have noses - what the heck happened to their noses? Consider, also, books deriving from major motion pictures. What is it these books are meant to accomplish, except, of course, Encourage Reading? Why would anyone choose to look at a photograph of Darth Vader if they can listen to James Earl Jones and that creepy respirator whenever they want with a monthly subscription to Netflix?