It’s Still That Time of Year
Some mommybloggers have been posting about how special NYC is during the Holidays – Andrea Stanley caught the tree lighting and Jessica Shyba over at MommasGoneCity writes about making her own special home in this bustling mecca of ours. There is still time to take your crew out and about to catch some festive sights. Stay warm while you watch the Kaleidoscope Light Show at Grand Central – it’s free and happens daily, every half hour from 11am - 9pm. 

An Angry Partridge in an iPad?
My husband is obsessed with it. With more that 50 million downloads, the cult app Angry Birds was named best iPhone app by Apple, and it dominates most top 10 must-have apps lists. Apps are everywhere, and NYTimes discusses the new trend of giving apps as gifts. There are some great ones out there for kiddos of all ages. A perfect remedy for delayed flights, FabuMom recounts these top kid apps and our buddies at Babble give a rundown of apps in all categories. 

Mother Christmas
Elizabeth Edwards passed and, in her words, we should not say she lost her battle with cancer, but rather she won at life for as long as she could. Amazing posts about her final days and discussions of the letters she left to her children (like here at Lisa Belkin’s Motherlode) were poignant and thought-provoking. Many made me pause in this hectic time and think about what legacy I may pass along to my daughter.  At the same time, I ran across this great post on Her Bad Mother with a fantastic take on the TEDWomen conference and what it means to be a mother, how we say it, and how we mean it.
 

A Few of My Favorite Things
If you have read any of my previous round-ups, you know I am a sucker for a good book. Any kind of book. I love the end-of-the-year lists, the Best of 2010, the Top 10s of the Year that remind me of ones I have read or that are still sitting in a stack waiting to be enjoyed.  Our buddies at the NYTimes gave us their top kids book picks. And check out the great New York-centric picture books that Ellen at babymeetscity highlights…I love me some Lyle the Crocodile. If you're more in the mood for a magazine, the annual Amazon Magazine sale has your favorite rags for just $7.50 a year. Ends January 1.
 

Give a Little Bit
Making room for the onslaught of new toys and games? Trying to get your kids to remember what the holiday spirit is all about? We have some local moms who are giving us the 411 on where and how. The fabu moms over at A Child Grows give an awesome rundown of where to donate items in Brookyln as well as Manhattan – bookmark it and click back often. If it gets you in the mood to give more, remember Socks 'N Undies. NYC mom Jennifer Maulsby collects basic needs like socks, deodorant, underwear and other stuff for homeless men, women and children in NYC. Check out this clip here, where she was named a Mom in Charge by NBC New York. We have some good ideas here, perfect for little ones on a cold winter day even after the holidays are over.
 

Who's Gonna be Shirturbed Christmas Morning?
Yes, shirturbed, as in the annoyed state of a child who just received an article of clothing as a present. The funny souls over at TheKidDictionary.com came up with this fantastic description and have enough to fill not one, but two books of witticisms. They've given us wordage like detaste (to harbor a deep hatred for a food you have never tried) or kiddles (the crumbs and debris found in the creases of your car’s upholstery when you remove a child’s car seat). Another holiday one: saintnicktronize. Yes, to feign belief in Santa Claus with hopes of a bigger Christmas payload. These make perfect stocking stuffers or hostess gifts.