We've had a quiet week here at Mommy Poppins, post-wise at least. Since the kids are off from school, we've been running around making the most of NYC during the holidays.

Over Christmas weekend, we went caroling in Washington Square Park, caught the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, bought and decorated our tree, and went to see the famed Christmas House in the Bronx. This weekend, we're looking forward to family fun on New Year's Eve, and a resolution-filled New Year's Day. We hope that your family is enjoying the break as much as we are!

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.

As you can tell from the photo, we were foolhardy enough to venture over to Rockefeller Center last weekend. We saw the tree—for about two seconds before the crowd pushed us on. We also hit the Lego Store—and then had to flee due to claustrophobia. Dealing with the massive crowds just reinforced how much we love being New Yorkers: Other people just visit, we live here. We can see Rock Center anytime! (But never again around the holidays. Yikes).

This week we expanded our already chock-full Holiday Guide with posts about cool things to do over holiday break, and family fun on Christmas Eve and Day. We also included an inspiring video about our wonderful world in our final 2011 biweekly news roundup.

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. Wishing you a very happy holiday season from all of us at Mommy Poppins.

At this time of year, it's very easy to get caught up in spending a lot of money on gifts for family and friends, or high-priced holiday events. But really, you don't have to part with a penny to enjoy the holidays in NYC. We've been telling you about all kinds of free fun like going to see Christmas trees and giant menorahs, or taking a family stroll past all of the department store windows. Now we have a brand-new no-cost celebration to add to our must-experience list: Make Music Winter.

Every year, Make Music sponsors more than 1,000 complimentary outdoor concerts on the first day of summer throughout NYC. For the first time, the organization will sponsor 12 free music parades to mark the start of winter on Wednesday, December 21. Families can watch or sometimes even join these processions as they travel throughout a dozen NYC neighborhoods. It sounds like a wonderful variation on traditional Christmas caroling that combines three of our favorite things: creativity, community and no-cost entertainment.

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.

Who cares if it's a cliche to say that we love this time of year? New York City looks even more magical when it's decked out in holiday lights and extravagant displays.

With only a few weeks to go until Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza, we've been all about the holidays this week, from offbeat festivities to more vintage ways to celebrate. Our Holiday Guide is jam-packed with all of that and more, including caroling, Christmas trees and spots to see Santa. We've also been expanding our Local Holiday Shopping Guide with new posts about seasonal markets and craft fairs.

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.

It may not feel much like December, but it's sure beginning to look a lot like the holiday season. Department stores have unveiled their magical holiday windows, Santa has set up shop at lots of NYC spots and various productions of The Nutcracker are dancing around town.

This week we officially launched our 2011 Holiday Fun and Holiday Gift Guides. While we've already updated many of our annual posts, we'll continue to add new info throughout December, so check back regularly for more seasonal fun. Also, please consider supporting Mommy Poppins holiday food drive. We launched it last week and the response has been really heartwarming. As our founder Anna explains in the post, our appeal is very personal.

This week we also wrapped up our series of posts about the Upper West Side. Even if you live there, we think you may find out about a great toy store, restaurant or play spot you didn't know of.

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.

They're here. In honor of the first day of December, we're officially launching our 2011 Holiday Activity Guide. Unlike some other holiday guides out there, we primarily focus on inexpensive but unforgettable seasonal experiences, including family volunteering opportunities, so you can give your kids the best present of all: happy holiday memories.

We also launched our first-ever Holiday Gift Guide, but instead of filling it with toys and games you can buy off amazon, we concentrate on shopping local, and supporting our community stores and artisans.

Read on for a closer look at what you'll find in our Holiday Guides and a peek at cool Christmas and Hanukkah posts yet to come.

This week was all about Thanksgiving. Now that the parade is done and the turkey's been eaten, we're turning our attention to the holiday season. Black Friday sales are here, and the first big tree lighting of the season at South Street Seaport is on Friday night. There are also a bunch of spectacular illuminations and celebrations next week, including Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square, the Holiday Lighting Extravaganza at the Winter Garden and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

While holiday fetes are fun, one of the best things to do at this time of year is give back to your community. In addition to launching a MommyPoppins food drive to help 10,000 NYC children this holiday season, we updated our post on volunteering with kids in NYC and we even have suggestions for ways you can help without leaving home. We'll continue to update our Holiday Fun and Holiday Gift Guides over the next few weeks, so be sure to check back throughout the season.

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.