So, you're off and running.  Brand new backpacks and bento boxes.  Everyone's shoes fit.  Jackets are at the ready for those cool mornings at the bus stop.  And there you all stand.  Waiting.  And waiting.  It's refreshing in September.  By December, it's gonna be annoying (in my case, add a rammy toddler and a baby to the bus stop entourage -- yowza).  But lucky us, we're raising kiddos in the age of apps.  For better or worse, most of us have a smartphone in hand at all times, and with that weapon you can suss out your school bus, keep track of your car pools, or line up playdates for the wee ones in your life.  And when the stars align, and free time actually lurks on your family's radar, our newest family member -- the Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app -- will be ready to help you figure out where to have some fun!

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for Jewish families, and some believe it’s the most important Jewish holiday. The holiday is associated with atonement, forgiveness, and starting anew. Most adults—and some teenagers, should they chose to—observe Yom Kippur by sundown-to-sundown fasting and through intensive prayer at synagogue. However, once the fasting period is over, it’s time to eat! We asked local cooking gurus to please share their favorite Break Fast recipes with MommyPoppins readers—some have been passed down from generation to generation. Enjoy! (Remember: Everybody celebrates the holiday differently, so cook/do what is best for you and your family’s personal beliefs and health.)

After less than a week at school, my daughter says she feels like she never left. Not that she's complaining. Going back-to-school means seeing old friends and after-school playground playdates and a break from me constantly demanding, "Go clean your room!" It also means our big back-to-school giveaway is soon coming to a close. There are still a few excellent prizes up for grabs, including boys' and girls' Schwinn bikes, and KRE-O CityVille Invasion building sets from Hasbro. Be sure to enter before they end.

Beyond school, fall brings all kinds of cool seasonal fun like apple picking and harvest celebrations. This week, we added posts about pick-your-own orchards in Westchester and Rockland Counties and organic apple picking in New Jersey to our Farm Guide. We also rounded up a bunch of harvest festivals, pumpkin patches and corn mazes right here in NYC.

Planning your next big family vacation? (Hey, holiday break will be here before you know it.) Our Travel site has a post about the best things to do with kids in Bath, England that will make you want to book your tickets pronto. And of course our regional sites are filled with wonderful day trip destinations like Saugerties in Ulster County, NY, Chester Township, NJ and the Trash Museum in Hartford, CT.

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

This weekend, festivals continue to take center stage on Long Island. Head out to Riverhead for the Fall Festival & Craft Show. This annual festival at Hallockville Museum Farm is now in its 33rd year. It's apple picking season and a great way to celebrate nature's bounty is by checking out the Apple Festival at Harbes Farm & Orchard. Tanner Park, which is home to an awesome spray park, is also home to an action-packed Family Festival, which boasts live music, a carnival midway, and a magic show. Get a taste of Italy at Hofstra University's Annual Italian Festival, which is now in its 21st year. Also on tap: The Bayville Waterside Festival, and the Our Lady Of Lourdes Church Italian Feast in West Islip. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family.

As summer draws to a close, fall events are in full swing in Boston. There’s a Friday night film at the Frog Pond, South Boston Street Festival on Saturday, and Artful Explorations in Lincoln and Family Farm Day in Ipswich on Sunday. Our best bets for the weekend are below, and be sure to check our Event Calendar for other options.

Also this week, Tara rounds up a few places just a short drive from Boston where your child can celebrate their birthday with friends and family, and I volunteer at the Museum of Science for a day. Our newest contributor, Celeste, shares her experiences at a Family Nurturing Center’s (FNC) free parent-child playgroups. She joins Kristin Quinn, who this week took her daughter to the new carousel on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and Rachel, who shares some quick weeknight dinners and how to get your child to help out. (By the way, we’re always looking for good writers, so if you are interested in contributing to Mommy Poppins Boston, please contact us!)

The clock is ticking on our Swagapalooza Giveaway, but you still have a chance to snag some awesome back-to-school swag. Act fast for your shot at a Target gift card, KRE-O CityVille Invasion building sets, or a boy's or girl's Schwinn bike.

Enjoy!

So how's the whole back-to-school thing working out for you? Are you totally in the zone, got your rhythm for morning up-and-at-'ems down pat? Neither missing a beat nor heading out the door a moment late? Seriously? Not one moment? Like, who are you and what have you done with the Mommy we knew and loved? Could you at least admit to being a millisecond behind schedule so the rest of us don't feel bad? Please? Fine. Be that way. Bravo for you. (Slow. Clap.) As for the rest of us, maybe we need a little help. Like our Fall Guide. Points us in the right direction for all things autumnal, like apple picking, pumpkin patches, and fun in the sun. (This is Southern California, after all. Fall looks a lot like summer!)

If the calendar totally got away from you, and you suddenly realize, hey, I never got High Holy Day tickets, and even if I did, whoops, no sitter, we can help you there too. What if we told you that you could attend services ... without even leaving your house! (Yeah, that's the kind of magic we do around here.)

The clock is ticking on our Swagapalooza Giveaways, but you still have a chance to snag some awesome back-to-school swag. Act fast for your shot at a Target gift card, KRE-O CityVille Invasion building sets, or a boy's or girl's Schwinn bike.

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend…

Just because Labor Day has come and gone doesn’t mean the fun has to end. Whether it’s going on a family bike ride, learning how to be a farmer at Stone Barns, or even traveling a little north for the NY Renaissance Faire and the Bear Mountain Oktoberfest, there is something out there for everyone. So get out there and enjoy the beautiful weather September and our area have to offer.

If you see something that piques your interest, be sure to click through to the listing for full details. And don't forget, our Event Calendar has even more fun happenings this weekend in Westchester. 

Toddlers thrive on structure and routine, but it can be hard to work circle time and play stations into life at home. Family Nurturing Center’s (FNC) free Parent-Child Playgroups in Boston neighborhoods provide an opportunity for stay-at-homers to experience Early Childhood education with their little ones. Children explore new toys and make friends under the guidance of Early Childhood specialists, while parents and caregivers get support for all of the specific challenges of caring for a one-to-five year old.

I have been taking my two-year-old to a Family Nurturing Center Parent-Child Playgroup in Roslindale for a little over a year now. Walking into the community center at Stonybrook Commons, where the group meets, is like walking into a well-funded daycare. The community center playroom has a play kitchen, dress-up clothes for pretend play, puzzles, a variety of different blocks, books, musical instruments, and my son’s all-time favorite: a bin full of cars, trucks and fire engines.