In a recent post we asked readers to leave questions for us as their entry into our giveaway. You all left lots of great questions and, while some of the answers are inexplicable (like why they haven't built a walking bridge over the Hudson River to NJ), we are going to try to go through them an answer as many of them as we can. If you have a question you'd like us to try to answer, send it to us.

kmaloy asks: Are there any gardening classes for kids outside of the NY Botanical Garden?

Good question. We actually wrote about gardening classes almost exactly one year ago, so it's high time to update it. Of course, the New York Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden both offer great gardening classes, but there are a couple of other places to learn garden with kids in NYC also. In addition to gardening classes, there are many community gardens, gardening events and volunteer opportunities where kids can dig in and get planting. Here's what we found:

We saw these at an animation shorts screening at the 92nd St. Y in Tribeca. There are four animation which consist of Swedish philosopher, Strindberg, waxing melancholic while his sidekick bubble, Helium, mimics him. Somehow the whole thing reminds me of how kids force us to keep it real. Agonyyyyyyy!

Lake house near Jefferson Valley in Northern Westchester

For parents, summer planning can get tricky, especially when you find yourself trying to negotiate the different needs of children and spouses. One spouse may have more flexibility in the summer and the other may not. Or maybe you have one child who is ready for camp, but another who is not. One secret solution is to vacation in a nearby suburb. "Ah, vacationing in the suburbs" you say, "how divine...I mean pathetic." If you are imagining postage stamp lawns and ranch houses, then you are missing out. You can find everything you expect from a vacation in the country, plus the convenience of being closer to the city in Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Here are 5 reasons you should consider taking your summer vacation in the suburbs:

Haven't done a links post in a while, so lots to catch up on, like where to possibley catch a glimpse of Nicholas Cage filming the latest Disney creation, what the DOE is doing to try to reduce childhood obesity, what moms worry about (everything), the case against Dr. Sears (and everything else), cool new craft site, the cute little robot who could, and more free ways to entertain your kids at home. Check it out:

Springtime is when the nature in NYC makes itself most obvious to us city kids. While frequently we can be oblivious to the nature all around us, in Spring you can't help but notice the flowering trees, the buds bursting from the earth and, possibly even some wildlife. It's a great time to take your little urbanites to the park and observe the magic of nature at work. Here are some great ways to take in nature in the city this Spring, with places to see red-tailed hawk nests, flowering trees and earthworms.

Yesterday we posted 40 things to do with your kids on a staycation. Today we've got a handful more tips for great activities, news and discounts going on right now, from $15 tickets for Disney shows on Broadway to a conference just for working moms, the story behind public school and real estate, free scavenger hunts, and more.

Here's the scoop:

Hanami is the Japanese tradition of viewing and cherishing the cherry blossom season. And there's no better place to enjoy the beauty and grace of cherry blossoms than at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which has more flowering cherry trees in one place than anywhere else in the world outside of Japan! Strolling beneath the stunning, pink canopy of blooms is a wonderful spring tradition the whole family can enjoy and Sakura Matsuri, the two-day cherry blossom festival (May 2 and 3, 2009), has delighted families for over 25 years.

For children, Hanami is a delightful learning experience: watching the seasonal magic of spring as the trees show their first buds, burst into a luscious bloom, and finally send out a flurry of petals that carpet the ground in pink and are replaced on the trees by the tiny green leaves of summer.

To celebrate Hanami, Mommy Poppins is teaming up with Brooklyn Botanic Garden for a great photo contest.

STILL TIME TO ENTER. CONTEST EXTENDED THROUGH MAY 5th!

Enter our Hanami Photo Contest to win an incredible prize package.

If you have a toddler who loves Thomas, then you're going to love this giveaway. Thomas the Tank Engine returns to the Beacon Theatre with an all new, live musical adventure: Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town.

Thomas lovers will follow the familiar tale from the Island of Sodor, where Thomas and his friends must learn to work together to prepare for an exciting event under the Big Top. All your child's favorites, Percy, James, Gordon, Sir Topham Hatt and of course Thomas and a cast of circus performers will entertain with a story that teaches the importance of friendship and cooperation.

We're giving away 4 tickets to Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town. And, don't forget to enter our giveaways for Dear Edwina and The Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus.