It's felt like the Hurricane Sandy show (with a brief cameo by an unnamed nor'easter) for the past few weeks and—aside from seeing people come together to help those in need, which has been inspiring—we haven't liked it one little bit. While our New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut sites are back up and running, our Long Island site is still dormant due to lack of power for our bloggers. It's a tricky balance to strike right now: Those of us who can are trying to get back to our normal routines, but we can't help but think about those who lost their homes or loved ones. We encourage you to continue to help victims of the storm in any way you can. We here at Mommy Poppins are planning to host an event to benefit Hurricane Sandy survivors in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for details.

We started gearing up for the holidays this week on our NYC site with a look at the brand-new route for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We've got tips on where to stand and the balloon inflation the night before. Meanwhile our Connecticut site shared the best Thanksgiving activities in Fairfield County, including details on Stamford's big parade. If you're wondering what to do on Monday when NYC public schools are closed in observance of Veterans Day, we've got lots of ideas in our weekend events roundup, including info on some holiday camps in case you can't afford to take the day off from work. We also have a great roundup of fall deals on kids' entertainment, home cleaning and more.

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

All week, everything we've posted on our site and on our Facebook page has had something to do with Hurricane Sandy. What to do at home during the storm, what's open after the storm and how to help local victims. It's been exhausting and frustrating and devastating for everyone, to varying degrees. So many people are still in such dire need, and some are members of the Mommy Poppins family.

Our regional sites have been very quiet due to the hurricane. Most of our bloggers in New Jersey, on Long Island and in Connecticut are still without power, and some aren't even able to return to their homes. As the extent of the damage sinks in, we find ourselves with no words, so we're going to quote Shari, one of our New Jersey peeps: "Our thoughts and prayers are with you... I am writing this from a friend's home in Weehawken after having evacuated our home in Hoboken. I know that many of you are in a similar position and some, much worse. All the Mommy Poppins family send their thoughts and prayers to our readers and our entire state." To everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy in NYC and beyond, we are constantly thinking of you.

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

New York City is, slowly but surely, starting to recover. Buses hit the streets on Wednesday and subways started rolling again in parts of the city today (bonus: public transportation is FREE on Thursday and Friday. You can see a map of which subways are running on the MTA website.) And although public schools are closed through Friday, restaurants, culture spots and other places are beginning to reopen—save for businesses in neighborhoods that were hard hit by the storm like Coney Island, the Rockaways, much of Staten Island and downtown Manhattan, which is still without power. Even as life gets back to normal for much of NYC, it's important to remember our neighbors in need. Something we should all keep in mind, even as we start getting out and about again.

Since schools are out for the rest of the week, many kid-centric spots are offering special activities on Thursday and Friday. Here's where to take the family through the end of the week.

This is one of those weekends when it's going to be tough to plan. (Heck, it's hard to plan the next two days! Public schools are officially closed Thursday and Friday.) As of this writing, power is still out in downtown Manhattan, much of Staten Island and parts of the other boroughs; subways aren't running (but some will be as of Thursday) and buses are limited; all NYC parks are closed; and many of our neighbors are trying to piece their lives back together after suffering devastating losses, all due to Hurricane Sandy.

After spending so much time cooped up this week, we all want to go out and start enjoying our city again, but it's probably going to be a bittersweet experience. If you're looking to assist New Yorkers in need after Sandy, read our post about ways you can help locally. There are even volunteering opportunities this weekend to help clean up NYC parks (must be age 12 and up though).

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. As always, you can find additional options in our Event Calendar. That said, before you head out to any of these happenings, check the events' official websites as details may change depending on the residual effects of the storm.

After the nonstop barrage of agonizing photos, videos and news coverage of Hurricane Sandy and her aftermath, I find that I'm only now starting to process how devastating the storm has been to our city and the entire East Coast. My family and I were lucky: Our East Harlem neighborhood is practically untouched, and we never even lost power. Other members of the Mommy Poppins family were not so blessed: Many of our bloggers are still without power, a few suffered damage to their homes and our special needs contributor, Alison, and her family have pretty much lost everything in Rockaway. I think all of us know someone in Alison's position. Even if your local area is fine, the effects of the storm have just been so far reaching that all New Yorkers have been personally touched by it in some way.

Over the past few days, I've read a lot of articles about how to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Most suggestions involve donating money to national organizations like the Red Cross and Save the Children, which is wonderful. But for New Yorkers who want to make sure their money is used locally, or readers who are interested in more hands-on opportunities, here are five ways you can give back to New York City after this unfathomable natural disaster.

New York City schools are closed on Wednesday, which means you've got to find ways to amuse the kids... again. At this point, you've probably burned through our list of things to do at home during the hurricane and you're itching to get outside. While the subway remains shut down and power is still out in parts of the city, limited bus service has resumed (and it's free on Wednesday!) and the severe weather warning has been lifted, so you can actually go somewhere—you just need to know what's open.

Although it's going to be a long time before it's business as usual in New York City again, we did find a number of kid-friendly places that are open and welcoming families on Wednesday, October 31. Be sure to call ahead before you go to confirm prices, hours and availability (details seem to be changing minute by minute due to the post-hurricane chaos).

Talk about déjà boo! Remember that freak snowstorm we had the weekend before Halloween last year? Well, Mother Nature is playing another cruel trick on us as we all brace for Hurricane Sandy. Due to the approaching wild weather, the NYC Department of Transportation has decided to suspend subway and bus service beginning at 7pm on Sunday, and the NYC Department of Education has canceled school on Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30! (Follow NYC Public Schools on Twitter for the most up-to-date info.) All New Yorkers are being urged to stay indoors from Sunday night until the storm passes.

While we hope this turns out to be much ado about nothing, chances are your family is going to be spending a lot of time at home over the next few days. If you're wondering how best to prepare (hopefully you've already shopped for necessities like food and filled the bathtub with water), just turn on your local news or visit the official website of your town, city or state. New Yorkers can find info on potential flooding zones, emergency shelters, evacuation notices, public transportation updates and more at nyc.gov.

So what are you going to do to keep your kids (and you) from going stir crazy during the hurricane? After all, you can only watch TV for so long (especially if the power goes out). We've got the scoop on some fun crafts, kid-friendly recipes, cool analog games and even Halloween fun you can do at home. Here are creative ways to keep busy during Hurricane Sandy.

I don't know about your home, but ours is already filled with candy thanks to all of the pre-Halloween parties we've been attending. (I figure I can give some of our loot away on October 31.) This weekend is jam-packed with ways to celebrate All Hallows' Eve in NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut and on Long Island. Our Travel site even has a roundup of Halloween weekend getaways and deals in case you want to treat your family to an out-of-town celebration.

If you're thinking about throwing a Halloween shindig at home, we also have some cool holiday crafts and tasty recipes for you to try.

Believe it or not, Halloween isn't the only thing on our minds. This week also marks the opening of many outdoor ice skating rinks in NYC and we're looking ahead to Election Day with a roundup of one-day holiday camps for kids since public schools are closed that day. Here's what else we covered on our NYC this week: