I want to thank everyone for participating in our Mother's Day Giveaway Week. It was really fun reading everyone's comments and giving away all those prizes. Today we're announcing the winner of our Mother and Child Portrait Session Giveaway and I wanted to share the posts that readers picked out as their favorites in the comments of our Spa Giveaway. In addition to some of our most popular posts and favorite weekly features like Linkin' Blogs and Free Fun Friday, a bunch of readers have really been paying attention and chosen some of the hidden gems of the site as their favorite posts. Take a look at what your fellow readers have been liking on the site:

Reader's Choice: Best Mommy Poppins Posts
Armchair Exploring: Cool sites to discover off-the-beaten-path New York
Mom??™s Groups Roundup
best candy stores in NYC (Actually two posts, Economy Candy and Sweet Life)
Green Sites for Families
It's time to give up the (water) bottle.
100 things to do with kid in NYC
Indoor Activities for NYC Kids
where to ski with kids in new york
summer camp overview
Great Places to Swim
99 Sensory Activities For Any Child

Thanks, everyone, for reading the site and sharing your favorite posts with us. We're glad you like it!

And now to announce our big winner:

We heard what real moms want for Mothers Day in the comments of our Mommy Cards and Flowers Giveaway. Not Diamonds, not even jewelry or flowers. What moms really want is time. Time alone. Time with their kids. Time for dad to be with the kids. So we've rounded up some Mother's Day weekend activities that cover all the bases, whatever Mom's in the mood for.

For mom who wants a fun day out with the whole family
First Annual LIC Bike Parade!
Socrates Sculpture Park
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Registration 11:30 AM
Workshops 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Parade 3:00 PM - 4:00PM Rain or shine!
FREE

I'm always afraid that the cool, artsy community events will die out in NYC, but here's an example of a brand new one just being born.

I loved reading all of the Mother's Day wishes in yesterday's Mommy Cards and Flowers Giveaway post. You should all send your husbands or male friends over there to find out what women really want for Mother's Day. It's not that complicated, right?

There's not much talk about jewelry or almost anything material, it's mostly relaxing, either by herself for a little me time or relaxing with the family. In that vein, two women specifically dreamed of a little pampering at a spa and we are happy to say that we can perhaps help out somebody with that dream as today we are giving away a Pamper Me Package from Gloria Cabrera Salon and Spa in Midtown.

After you learn about this excellent prize be sure to check out our winner of Tuesday's Metropolitan Moms Hands-on Cooking Class Giveaway which will be announced at the bottom of this post. Good Luck!

Mother of All Giveaways Day Four: Pamper Me Spa Package
It's high up on the fantasy list for most moms, a little TLC for the body and the mind. Let your cares melt away when you submit yourself to the confident hands of the experts at Gloria Cabrera Salon and Spa,

We're in day two of our Mother of All Giveaways. And have we told you what we have in store? Today, a deluxe Hands-On Cooking class for moms. Later in the week we will be giving away flowers, beautifully designed mommy calling cards, a beauty day, and an incredible portrait package with a professional photographer. Don't miss any of these great giveaways!

Mother of All Giveaways Day Two: Metropolitan Moms Hands On Cooking Class

Shouldn't every day be Mother's Day? Well, this week on Mommy Poppins, it is. We're celebrating Moms and honoring our readers with a full week of giveaways. We've got some great prizes totaling thousands of dollars in value and we want you to have it, so enter every day this week!

Mother of All Giveaways Day One: The Fine Art of Family
We are really happy to kick off our week of super big give aways with a gift that all moms love - jewelry!

We don't write about high end stuff here that much, but it's not because we don't like nice stuff, we just prefer to tell people about how to get the best stuff (whether it's stuff to do or buy) without spending a fortune. But we're just as happy to buy beautiful luxury goods as the next person when we can grab it for a steal.

Smitherman & Barnwell, the luxury design house for children, is having a HUGE sale online on Etsy. Regular prices for their luxury collection start at $100 and up, but the sale price for dresses are mostly in the $25-50 dollar range. These are stunning, classic designer dresses, made from imported Italian fabrics, perfect for little girls aged 12 months to 5 years. Shop while supplies last!

By the way, my other secret for beautiful Italian little girl dresses is

Festival Season has begun. This weekend alone there's over a dozen. We've picked out the really good ones for (mostly) free, fabulous fun this weekend. If it rains, take your umbrella and boots and be glad everyone else stayed home.

Not exactly a festival, but also of note to all those with little (or big) comic book lovers, Saturday, May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day. That's not a joke. Walk into any participating comic book store and they will give you free comic books. Type in your zip code to find participating comic book stores. There are several in NYC including Forbidden Planet, St Marks Comics, and Rocketship in Brooklyn.

Eight festivals actually worth going to:

Bowery Babes
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED. PLEASE SEE THE NEWER VERSION HERE
It's almost Mother's Day, time to celebrate motherhood. And what better way to celebrate being a mom than to get together with other moms and support each other. Let's face it, when you are a new parent New York can be like a sea of humanity: people, people everywhere, but not a soul to commiserate with. Finding the right parenting group can give you an instant social network to share the trials and tribulations of parenthood. Some mothers groups plan events and get-togethers, some offer seminars and discussions on pertinent topics, and some are just a place to chat on-line. Here are some of the best NYC parenting groups for moms and dads of every stripe.