You better not pout, you better not cry, because Santa Claus is coming to town in a big way!  We’ve got tree lightings, Santa appearances, holiday trains and snow in the Southland - not to mention dozens of Nutcrackers and a few outdoor ice rinks - and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet!

But you haven’t even started your Christmas shopping, you say?  No problem!  Who needs Black Friday, when Mini Social and Petunia Pickle Bottom are holding sample sales this weekend?

So put on your parkas and mittens, and get ready for the start of the Christmas season in Southern California.

Keep reading for some of our top choices for the weekend...

Well, folks, we made it through.  Our tricks were treated; our houses were haunted; our buckets were filled with more candy than we’ll ever be able to eat. Now it’s time to sit back, take a breath, and relax, before the onslaught of turkeys, trees, and jolly old elves begins. (Outdoor ice skating has begun already!)

In the spirit of restoration, we all get an extra hour of sleep this weekend. It’s the end of Daylight Savings Time for 2011, so in the wee hours of  November 6 the clock “falls back” an hour. Make sure to reset your clocks (and it’s a good time to check the batteries in your smoke alarm, as well).

This week's fun includes events for TwiHards, Muppet lovers, and kiddie music fans as well as one last chance for arachnophiles.

What’s that seismic rumbling? The vibration of 10 million pumpkins rolling down the 405? No, (well maybe, but that’s not what we’re talking about here).  What you’re feeling is the pretend earthquake of the Great American Shakeout, a drill being held Thursday to help kids learn to drop, cover, and hold in the event of a genuine temblor. At 10:20AM schools, businesses, and community groups throughout the Southland are practicing what to do when the Big One (or a medium one) strikes.

Once the dust settles, you’ll find no shortage of things to do this weekend.  Halloween draws ever closer, and our calendar reflects that. The weekend is filled with pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins, two scary aquariums, and quite a few Día de los Muertos celebraciones. 

Here are some of our top choices for this weekend...

October?  Seriously?  If you ever doubt how lucky we are to live in Southern California,  all you have to do is take a look outside.  It’s going to be a gorgeous weekend, and we have all the activities for you to fill it with.

Once again, we are spoiled for choice with things to do. Southern Californian families can celebrate music and art, party with dinosaurs, spiders, or sea creatures, eat to their hearts’ content and learn the secrets of creating comic books.  And we can do it all in the blazing sunshine.

Continue reading to see some of our top choices for this weekend...

It’s one for the record books… make that two! This week Southern Californians have the chance to participate in two different world record attempts. First up: Read for the Record. The Santa Monica Public Library joins with book lovers around the world in an attempt to create the largest shared reading experience. This year’s book is Llama Llama Red Pajama, and it’s a real page turner, filled with lots of llama drama. 

It’s official.  With the start of October, Halloween season is now upon us.

For those spookily inclined, Southern California offers a fearsome number of spine-tingling events. From Halloween hauntings at our numerous amusement parks to the pumpkin patches and corn mazes that mysteriously appear this time of year, our treat bags are flowing over.

Not every event this weekend is a spookfest.  Families can catch a morning concert on the pier, attend two different book festivals, or look in wonder at the stars.  In addition, we have the inside scoop on how you can score your kiddo a FREE veggie burger!

Continue reading to see what have we scared up for you this weekend, both spooky and sweet, and to find out how to get that FREE burger!

How do you know it’s Fall in Los Angeles? Certainly not by the weather; another scorcher is due this weekend. Nope, it’s the harbingers of Halloween that warn us of Autumn’s approach, from the costumes lining the drugstore aisles to the TV ads trumpeting horror fests at our amusement parks.

Soon enough we’ll be sharing the most spooktacular events of the season. But for this weekend we're serving up the events without a side of scary. Among the highlights are festivals celebrating Italian and Hispanic culture, the Jewish New Year, two fundraising doggy walks, and an exhibit filled with hundreds of spiders.  (Okay, maybe we get a little bit scary). Also, if your family doesn't celebrate the Jewish New Year, you might want some ideas for camps that are in session for next week's school holiday.

Keep reading for some of our favorite choices for the weekend. And some exciting news - Mommy Poppins has been nominated by Parents Magazine in the Best Local Blog category. Please vote for us if you agree!

Not ready for summer to be over? Given the temperatures this week it looks like Mother Nature has been feeling the same way. But luckily we live in Southern California, where we can enjoy a wealth of outdoor activities regardless of the date on the calendar!

LA has a particularly international flavor this weekend. Festivals celebrate the cultures of Thailand, Scandinavia, Greece, and Latin America. There are storytimes in Spanish and American Sign Language, (and one with Peter Rabbit himself). The Hollywood Bowl offers another fireworks spectacular, this time set to music with a French theme.  

Keep reading for some of our top choices this weekend: