Holiday décor in the stores… Black Friday ads in the mail… Santa making his rounds…it’s beginning to look a lot like the holiday season. And there are plenty of ways to get in the holiday spirit on this pre-Turkey weekend. Commence your Thanksgiving celebration, colonial-style, at an 18th Century Thanksgiving Dinner Demonstration. Greet Santa when he arrives at Camden Children’s Garden. Even the family pet can get in on the Santa action during Pet Photo Night at Quakerbridge Mall. And theatre buffs can rejoice in all kinds of family-friendly performances this weekend, including The Monster Who Ate My Peas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, 360 ALLSTARS and Little Red and the Hoods. For even more weekend fun, check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

Furniture shopping for little ones changes as quickly as they do: one day it concerns cribs and changing tables, and the next moment it’s bunk beds and desks for homework. And while some kids' items are so fleeting that we don't want to spend much on them (thank goodness for the Toy District!), there are always a couple of furniture pieces that we really want to get right. Looking for the perfect crib, a bed to make the room, or a desk to inspire ultimate focus? Below we offer a list of creative suggestions to shop for kids' furniture in Los Angeles. From stylish to efficient, there’s a furniture store in the vast city of Los Angeles to meet everyone's needs.

We admit it.   Connecticut can be a bit of a nightmare for travelers.  The crush of Fairfield County commuters, merging with Northeast Corridor weekend volume, can equate to several hours inching through a pretty tiny state.  Toss in a holiday, and you’re toast for certain.  A reader sought out Mommy Poppins' advice for planned, midday rest stops — ones where you and the kiddos can escape the mental drain of traffic for a bit.  We looked at our favorite Fairfield County parks and nature centers and came up with a list of spots within five minutes of the Merritt.  Whether you’re from near or far, we hope it takes the sting out of your extended stay on the Parkway.

With the holidays coming up, it's time to think about gifts for family and friends. Each year, I try to support local Brooklyn businesses. Luckily, I'm surrounded by so many unique places for toys, clothes, books and everything in between. Even if you don’t plan on holiday shopping in Brooklyn, many of the stores listed have excellent websites and can ship gifts wherever they need to go.

Our series of posts on Sunset Park continues with a look at some of our favorite family-family restaurants in the area. As the home of Brooklyn's Chinatown, Sunset Park has long been a foodie destination for authentic dim sum and Chinese cuisine, mostly on or around Eighth Avenue, which is where the neighborhood's annual Lunar New Year Parade takes place.

Sunset Park also has a rich Hispanic population, so there are a number of eateries serving up staples like Mexican tacos and Puerto Rican mofongo along Fourth and Fifth Avenues, plus one spot that harks back to the area's original settlers: the Danish Athletic Club. And while overall the community has been relatively untouched by the hipster artisanal dining scene in neighboring Park Slope, there are a few upstarts in the South Slope section of the nabe, like beer garden Greenwood Park, which occasionally hosts kids' events on weekends.

Here are our top 10 places to eat in Sunset Park with kids.

'Tis the season for plenty of yummy treats. Instead of doing all of the hard work by yourself, why not get the kids in on some of the action? In fact, the holidays are a great time to get your kids in the kitchen, learning to bake pies, cookies and other goodies. And there are a few classes on Long Island where children can take their cooking skills to the next level, including learning how to create some holiday delights. For all, pre-registration is required. 

And for other fun ideas and activities during the season, be sure to check out our Long Island Holiday Guide.

With Christmas quickly approaching, it’s easy to get lured in by the mega-sales, sparkling lights, and shiny wrapping paper. Even for those of us who try our best to be good to the Earth during the rest of the year, the holiday season can completely derail our efforts as we endeavor to please everyone, outdo our neighbors, and make Christmas magical for our kids. Celebrating Christmas in an Earth-friendly, sustainable way doesn’t mean taking the fun out of the party. Here are tips to help you go green (and maybe even save some green) this Christmas in Boston and beyond.