We do it every year, and happily so. A Christmas tree is a must, and so we head to the local lot and walk through the makeshift aisles of pre-cut trees in search of the perfect one. Or maybe we head a little farther out to cut our own. Once found, the tree is tied to our car and off we go, to wrestle it into a stand, shimmy it through the front door, and hope we remember to water it. After the holidays, we drag the once-vibrant-now-browning tree to the curb and vacuum up the trail of fallen needles.

It is hard to imagine Christmas without a rich smelling conifer, but it is also hard to ignore how unsustainable the system is: the tree is grown a thousand miles away, shipped here, driven to its destination, briefly enjoyed, and then discarded. Thankfully, here in Los Angeles and elsewhere, there is another option - a living Christmas tree.

The Doc is in the house! Well, at Liberty Science Center, that is. Doc McStuffins: The Exhibit is a real-life replica of Doc’s backyard clinic where she uses her magical stethoscope to fix hurt toys. Visitors to the exhibit, inspired by the Peabody Award-winning television series, are transported to the hospital where they can help Doc McStuffins and her friends take care of all kinds of dolls, gadgets, and stuffed animals.

My 5-year-old superfan was so excited to attend the exhibit’s recent grand opening that she wore a lab coat from last year’s Halloween costume. But don’t worry, there are plenty of white coats and stethoscopes to go around at LSC so that your kiddo can help care for toy patients like a pro. Feel free to bring your own “hurt” stuffed animal from home, too.

Read on for our tour of the highly-interactive Doc McStuffins' toy hospital where young doctors-in-training can perform check-ups and diagnose toy patients, while learning about healthy habits, compassion, and nurturing care.

Tucked between Central Park and Riverside Park, it’s hard to beat the family-friendly awesomeness that is the Upper West Side. The neighborhood boasts tree-lined streets with wide sidewalks, easily-accessible subway lines, more playgrounds than you can count, plus endless cafes, museums, kid-centric hot spots, and many of the best schools in the city. Though the Upper West Side spans over 40 blocks, it has a small community vibe that makes it particularly attractive to families with young children.

To add to the appeal, richly-appointed new boutique-style residences, like our sponsor 222w80, offer a long list of larger building amenities that are perfect for families. With a state-of-the-art fitness center and yoga studio grownups will love, a children’s playspace and arcade-like game room for the younger crowd, and an on-site bowling alley and virtual reality game room the whole crew can enjoy, you’ll think you’ve gone to apartment heaven.

Read on to find out why the Upper West Side has long been—and continues to be—one of the most sought-out neighborhoods by families in New York City.

For suburbanites, the Tenafly Nature Center offers a special treat: the chance for a real walk in the woods, without straying too far from civilization. On a recent visit with an 11-year-old and two 8-year-olds, the intervals when we could neither see nor hear other visitors were just short enough for my comfort level and long enough to make the experience feel like an adventure for the kids.

Read on for more about this Bergen County nature preserve, and check out other New Jersey Nature Centers here.

Even if you brought a bag full of snacks to your Brooklyn Botanic Garden excursion, kids will be hungry after all that time running through the grass, collecting sticks, and chasing butterflies.

The good news is that there are plenty of family-friendly options for a bite in the nearby Crown Heights and Prospect Heights neighborhoods, many with high chairs and changing tables available. These restaurants are also close to the Brooklyn Museum, and a short walk from the Brooklyn Children's Museum and Prospect Park.

All of us here at Mommy Poppins CT wish you and your family a very happy and safe Halloween! Since this kid-centric holiday falls on a Wednesday this year, which may be particularly challenging for the younger kids in your life, we recommend painting the town orange this weekend when there is all kinds of daytime fun to be had, including a Hobgoblin Fair, a Halloween Festival, a and even an Ick-fest! And just in case the forecast isn't boo-tiful, there's lots to do indoors at the Aqua-Scarium or the Dia de los Muertos events in Hartford and Storrs, to name just a few.

Be sure to check our event calendar for late breaking Halloween news and subscribe to our weekly newsletters. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest so that you won't miss out on any fun. Have a spooktacular weekend!

Finding the right preschool in NYC is a challenge for many parents. Of course you want to provide your kids with the best early education experience possible, but there’s also cost and location to consider—and available spots can be in short supply at the most popular preschools. Plus, the sheer number of programs and educational philosophies (are you a Montessori family, or is your two year-old more of a Reggio-Emilia kinda toddler?) can be overwhelming.

Like a lot of other things in this city, finding a great preschool calls for a bit of advance planning and research. But with a few helpful tips, you can navigate the preschool admissions obstacle course. To demystify the process of getting into preschool in NYC, we reached out to admissions consultants, preschool directors, and parents who’ve been there, toured that. What we discovered is that there are as many different and "great" preschools as there are perfectly wonderful children. The right preschool situation is out there for your family. Also, use our NYC Preschool Guide, of course! 

There's nothing quite like taking a giant bite out of a roll of cookie dough. It's delicious, but not something you'd like to see you child doing. At least not until now.

While eating traditional raw cookie dough comes with health risks, including salmonella, Dough Life's cookie dough is completely edible. Kids, and cookie dough-loving adults, can comfortably indulge in what once was a guilty pleasure. Read on and see how the cookie dough craze has come to Long Island.

If your kids have a big sweet tooth, check out these decadent dessert spots or old-fashioned ice cream parlors on Long Island as well.