This year will be my 5^th Annual Holiday Cookie Extravaganza. We make the treats, we package them all pretty, and then we drink wine, eat soup and chex mix, and take home a nice big bag of baked love. The kids decorate gingerbread people, and get too close to the tree. It’s a sparkly, twinkly, cheery way to welcome the holidays and I’m ever so grateful for the friends that keep coming back. Here’s a few of the greatest cookie hits. Happy baking!

There's plenty to do in Boston this holiday break - catch a movie or a show, visit a museum, take a day trip, spend some time outdoors. With the kids off from school, it is a perfect time to slow the pace down and really enjoy what the city has to offer. Read on for some of our best bets and have a great break, no matter what you decide to do.

According to a recent “study” in The Atlantic, Santa must deliver presents to a little more than 526,000,000 kids. That’s about 22 million kids per hour, or 61,000 per second. No small feat. And, I’m guessing with all those presents, a pretty heavy sleigh.

So, dear Santa Claus, if you’re reading this, consider lightening your load this year and throwing in a few gifts with less heft. Leave the toy sword at the North Pole and offer the kids a fencing class in its place. And rather than a miniature barn and plastic ponies, why not a horse ride through Griffith Park or riding lessons at the Traditional  Equestrian School?

Have a look at the other ideas we have gathered. And parents, you too! With these gift suggestions we just might lighten our holiday closet loads as well.

[UPDATED: July 19, 2012]

Like any parent, I’m always on the prowl for cool things to do with my kids. However, as the mother of an autistic son, our activity choices have to fit certain sensory criteria. My 9-year-old son Jake can't be exposed to overpowering or sudden noises, and he doesn't do well in very dark rooms. He also jumps up and flaps his arms when he's excited, so he needs a good amount of personal space.

Unfortunately, this means that going to the movies—one of Jake's favorite activities—isn't as easy as buying a ticket. Luckily, AMC Theatres has partnered with the Autism Society to offer monthly sensory-friendly family film screenings throughout the U.S., including three theaters right here in New York City.

Read on for details about how these special screenings accommodate children with special sensory needs, and find out about upcoming films in NYC.

All of NYC seems to be illuminated in honor of the holidays. While there are some really spectacular light displays in the outer boroughs, you can find a few fun ones in Manhattan, too. (Our photo was snapped on 117th Street and Madison Avenue.)

Like last week, we were very holiday heavy this week, with posts about Hanukkah celebrations, awesome pop-up shops, winter break camps and other holiday fun.

This is the season for giving, and we've been really moved by how much our readers have given to our holiday food drive. We are less than $500 from our $2,500 goal, which will feed 10,000 hungry NYC children this holiday. Our drive ends on Monday, December 19. We hope as you dash around town buying cool gifts and having fun that you'll consider helping us meet our goal.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

Can you believe that Hanukkah and Christmas are just next week?! The celebrations are in full gear Islandwide. We've found Christmas, Hanukkah, and even winter solstice celebrations for your family's enjoyment this weekend. Get out and have fun!

For our December Little Lions post, we're looking beyond the holidays and focusing on nondenominational picture books about winter. (Of course, we also have roundups of wonderful Hanukkah and Christmas books and great books to give as gifts, too.)

Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library's Youth Collections Materials Specialist, picked these cool children's titles from her collection, featuring feisty snowmen, animals on the cusp of hibernation and many a wintry adventure. They'll make a great ending to your coming snow days.

This particular weekend right before Christmas is always inevitably a busy one. I still have a few (okay, more than a few) presents to check off the list, meal preparations to make, decorations to be hung, preparations for house guests....oh and then the wrapping and hiding and the cookie baking and updating our holiday music playlist. Sigh...The list goes on for so many of us moms! The end goal for me is to stay calm with a smile on my face while creating happy memories for the kids. The trick is to break the work up with some fun activities. There are a few places to get that photo with Santa, see the Nutcracker, or even have the kids make a holiday craft. This week we covered places to visit with Santa in Hartford and Fairfield Counties. This weekend in particular the Vienna Boys Choir Holiday Concert is at the Bushnell. There is also a Chanuka Fever Concert in West Hartford. If, like me, you'd like to take a break and go out to dinner a night or two, check out our listing of great restaurant options in Litchfield County. Some schools finish up this Friday and some not until next. For those in Fairfield County we've rounded up fun activities for the kids over the holiday break. We love our Facebook and twitter friends and will be doing some give aways next week so please sign up to like us. Take a deep breathe and dive in. Make the most of this Merry Holiday season!