When it comes to strawberry season, bypass the frozen foods aisle and head to New Jersey, where pick-your-own farms reign, as do the West Cape May Strawberry King and Queen (really)!  Whether you’re looking for an afternoon photo-op in the field and a few pints of berries to bring home; or a full-on Strawberry Festival complete with strawberry shortcake, kettle corn, bands, craft fairs and a royal crowning, the Garden State has got it covered--no defrosting required!

Usually at Mommy Poppins, we write posts that help families take full advantage of living in this amazing city. But sometimes one of us will come across a story that's so moving, we want to turn things around and ask our readers to help others.

That's exactly how I felt when I read about Brooklyn parents Nathan and Elisa Bond, who were both diagnosed with aggressive forms of cancer this February—within nine days of each other.

Cancer seems to be omnipresent these days. Whether it's a relative, a friend, someone’s parent or child, we all know someone who's battled the disease. Elisa and Nathan's story is particularly heartbreaking. As a fellow New York City parent, I know the streets they walk, the playgrounds they likely visit and can relate to how much they love their 18-month-old daughter.

As much as I want to help everyone fighting cancer, sending checks to big charities doesn't feel very personal. It's nice to put faces to names, stories to statistics, and to help others do the same.

Read on to find out how you can help the Bonds, as well as other ways to get involved with local families whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Being a mother is one of life's most wonderful gifts. There's no greater reward in my life than the bond I have with my kids—but I'll still take my breakfast in bed as a runner-up.

Here's a little slide show of some of the favorite mother-child moments from all of us at Mommy Poppins. These years just fly by. We hope they are filled with lots of hugs, kisses, squiggles and giggles.

Share your favorite Mommy moment with us here in the comments, or share your photos with us on our Facebook page. Happy Mother's Day!

What a weekend we have for lined up for you. From seeing the miracle of newborn baby animals to traveling through Oz, adventures abound for you and your family. And lest we forget, it is Mother's Day Weekend. Check out our great Mother's Day brunch recommendations. Whatever you choose to do, have a great weekend!

Moms aren't the only ones feeling the love this Mother's Day week; it's also Teacher Appreciation Week and Cinco de Mayo. Woohoo! As if we needed another excuse to go out and party.

Speaking of going out, when's the last time you enjoyed date night in your family? A number of play spots are offering evening drop-off care, so parents can enjoy some adult time, while their children are plied with pizza and activities.

But this weekend, the focus will be on mom. What will you do? Enjoy a fancy brunch? Or spend quality time with your kids?

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.

It may be Mother’s Day weekend, but after your “breakfast in bed” (READ: frozen waffles, a Go-gurt and orange juice, served with love,) the focus is back on the family.  What to do this weekend? We suggest heading out to take in an amazing performance–there’s both a fantastic, fun musical, and a beautiful family ballet to choose from.  If you’re into the outdoors, head to a NJ State History Fair in the park, a sheep-shearing festival at a creamery, a horse-drawn wagon ride on a farm, or a May Day Festival in the woodlands. Comic books your kid’s thing? Nip over to your neighborhood comic store for National FREE Comic Book Day! Then, pack up the family and head home to your kitchen to clean up the “loving” mess.

Mothers, this weekend's all about you. So why don't you decide what to do on Saturday and Sunday? (As if you don't do that most of the time anyway.)

There are many mom-pleasing events to choose from this weekend (in addition to brunch), like my pick: the Garden Party at the New York Botanical Garden, featuring blooming azaleas and lots of old-fashioned family fun. Music lovers can catch Peter and the Wolf at Lincoln Center on Saturday. If you're in the mood for theater, The Paper Bag Players are performing a free show down on the Lower East Side on Mother's Day. And while Cinco De Mayo is officially on Thursday, the colorful annual Mexican parade takes place on Sunday.

If you want to start celebrating a little early, there are two amazing festivals on Saturday: the innovative Festival of Ideas for the New City StreetFest on the Bowery, and the retro-cool  Street Games in East Harlem.

Warning: According to weather reports, Sunday may be a washout. (Mother Nature, how could you do that to us on our big day?) Before heading to an outdoor event, make sure to check its official site for weather-related updates or cancelations. If it does rain, you can always find something fun to do indoors in our Inside Activity Guide.

Our best bets for the weekend are below but remember, there are always additional options in the Mommy Poppins Events Calendar.

Have a great weekend, and Happy Mother’s Day to all of you from your fellow moms at Mommy Poppins.

New Yorkers are used to lots of businesses opening and, more often it seems, closing. So while we were sad, we weren't exactly surprised when two veteran children's theaters announced that they were losing their spaces and looking to move. Manhattan Children's Theatre is running its final show in its Tribeca theater, The Complete Works of the Brothers Grimm (Abridged), through May 30. Meanwhile the New Acting Company, which is performing its campy take on Snow White through May 15, will vacate its Greenwich Village location next year. No details yet on where these companies will end up.

But for every spot that closes, another one opens. It's just the nature of this town. So we're happy (and again, not all that surprised) to tell you that two other NYC family theater mainstays, Galli Theater and Teatro SEA, have brand-new theaters in downtown Manhattan.

We've got the scoop on their new spaces and the shows they'll be performing the rest of this season.