With Christmas a mere three weeks away, it is hard to keep the greed in check. My children, who tend to be fairly reasonable beings eleven months of the year, are suddenly adding to their Christmas Wish Lists on a daily basis. “Maybe” and “We’ll see” have become my stock responses. Of course, our family talks about the spirit of the season, giving as opposed to receiving and thinking about those who are hungry or otherwise in need, but after a while, even these sentiments seem trite.

Time to re-set and make parenting about presence. A perfect place to start is in the Magic Forest, at its workshop on Mindful Parenting. Now that your parenting is centered, celebrate at SoCal Moms holiday party on the Pier, or check out our Holiday Fun Guide for other ways to enjoy the season.

The holiday season is upon us, and you may be wondering how you'll be able to afford to fulfill everyone's wishes. Our generous sponsors can help, with deals on everything from karate to cooking to swimming with an Olympian. We've even got discounts on classes for new and soon-to-be parents. Read on for all the bargain details; but don't delay, because when the holidays are gone, most of these discounts are, too!

The holiday season is upon us and you may be wondering how you'll be able to afford to fulfill everyone's wishes. Our generous sponsors can help with deals on everything from live theater to indoor entertainment so your brood can beat the winter blues in NYC and beyond. We've also got discounts on birthday parties and babysitting for when you're ready to take a break from it all. Read on for all the bargains, but don't delay as they may disappear faster than your holiday budget.

I have a confession to make: I suffer from art anxiety. Although I've managed a few Wee Work projects with my kids (I highly recommend the Sharpie tie dye t-shirts), when it's time for serious crafting, I look for resources out of the home. Luckily, this holiday season in Fairfield County, there are all kinds of crafting workshops that suit all ages and price points. Here are some of my favorites:

California is home to several historical and architectural gifts, in the form of the Spanish Missions of California. Built in a period ranging from the mid 1700s through the mid 1800s, the Missions are a part of local history we can claim as our own and share with our children. Though the Missions host events throughout the year, Christmas offerings at these historic sites are sure to take your family's SoCal holiday activities to the next level; as nice as your neighborhood's holiday lights and nativity scenes are, it's tough to beat a 200 year-old setting.

It's beginning to look a lot like... well, you know. Over the past week, my daughter and I have been rushing around playing tourist, seeing all of NYC's iconic holiday sights like the spectacular department store holiday windows, various Santas and the illuminated tree at Rockefeller Center. We experienced that last one from the comfort of an MTA bus—we're not crazy enough to try to get close!

Since it's a new month, all of our sites have brand-new GOLists highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout December in NYC, Westchester, New Jersey, Long Island and beyond. The sheer number of activities during the holidays can be overwhelming and we hope these carefully curated GOLists help your family plan your season so you don't miss the really special stuff.

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

It might be hard to believe, but the first weekend of December is already upon us! Holiday offerings filling up the calendar include the Festival of Trees in Wellesley, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and a Polar Express story hour in Boston, and a Menorah Workshop in Watertown. It's also an excellent chance to visit the Bay State Model Railroad Museum in Roslindale, which only opens its doors to the public twice a year.

In performances this weekend, families can catch King Midas at the Puppet Showplace Theatre in Brookline or The Velveteen Rabbit in Beverly. Karen K and the Jitterbugs shake things up at a family concert in Brookline, and of course, there's still plenty of time to see one of the local Nutcracker performances.

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

• Use our December GO List to help you plan must-do activities for this busy time of year.
• We share where to catch Santa Claus, everyone's favorite jolly old elf.
• Our roundup of Hanukkah celebrations has tons of great activities for families to celebrate the Holiday of Lights.
• Perhaps best of all, you can narrow down the best budget-friendly, festive options with our list of free holiday activities.
• Young kids will love the Easy Story Stones activity in our Wee Work Craft.

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to check out the full events events calendar!