As the mom of two boys, I often turn to the ultimate experts when I need parenting advice on raising kids on Long Island: other moms. And aside from the women I know personally, I also enjoy reading blogs by local moms willing to share their words of wisdom and insider tips on everything from saving money and where to find the best deals to product reviews and how to raise healthy kids. Here are eight sites definitey worth checking out. And if you have your own personal favorite, feel free to share it in the comment section below.

What a festive week it's been in NYC, with the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Midtown painting the town green on Tuesday. My family marked the occasion with a traditional meal of corned beef, cabbage, and, of course, Irish soda bread.

Easter is the next holiday up and there are plenty of ways to celebrate such as egg hunts, Easter Bunny brunches and even fun-filled Easter Bunny train rides in nearby New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It's also the first weekend of spring which means school break is near. Our Travel site has some great tips for planning a family vacation as well as awesome spring break travel deals. If you can't take the time off from work to be with the kids, we also have a roundup of spring break camps for all ages and interests.

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

Experts (I am not one of them!) agree that horticulture is great for kids: it allows them to design, plant, and maintain a garden, while teaching them about nutrition, teamwork, cooking, and food sharing.

The expert who propelled our family gardening endeavor about five years ago was Curious George. Yeah. The cartoon monkey. After watching an episode about gardens, my daughter begged for one of her own, and with a little help from good neighbors at The Pickin’ Patch in Avon and Home Depot, a little girl’s dreams of becoming a farmer came true.

Spring, sprang, sprung! Spring is here, though honestly it seems like it never left (and frankly we've been feeling more like the dead of summer this past week anyway). Those reliable harbingers of the season, the Capistrano swallows, come flying in, the grunion are wriggling their way up SoCal beaches, and the cherries are blossoming.

It's time for a little spring cleaning (Bonus: cleaning out your closet means you have room for new stuff!). It's time to get out and explore your neighborhood. (Who are the people in your neighborhood, anyway?)

And just to alert you, Easter is on the early side this year: April 5 to be exact. Which means you'll barely have finished cleaning up the leprechaun foot prints before it's time to make discover bunny tracks throughout your house. Better get hoppin'!

Keep reading for our most springy picks for this weekend...

Astronomically speaking, spring begins on the March equinox which is Friday, March 20. And, despite the wintry mix predicted for that day, the Mommy Poppins event calendar sees hints of spring fun ahead. Spring Walks, Spring Consignment Sales (including the huge JBF Sale in Oaks) and Spring Celebrations fill the weekend's list.

But the surest sign of spring has to be the Easter events that are popping up throughout the Delaware Valley. East Passyunk Avenue's Easter Egg Hunt, Greater Plymouth Community Center's Brunch With the Bunny and Egg Scramble and a multitude of train rides with the Easter Bunny are happening this weekend.

On the other hand, if your family is looking for indoor fun, celebrate World Culture at Penn Museum's Egyptomania, get ready to dance about and sing along with the performers at World Cafe Live's Kids Corner MusicFest or see a show like The Frog Prince, Tony Kenny's Irish Celebration or Storytime: It's Snow White.

Read on to find the rest of our top picks for the weekend. Don't see your event? Please feel free to submit it to our calendar.

Signs of spring are everywhere this weekend, beginning with the annual Revels Spring Sing on Saturday in Watertown. Other unmistakable signs that we've turned the corner include local Easter Bunny sightings and Passover events for the whole family. Passover in the City in Boston and the Easter Egg Hunt on the Winslow Nature Trail in Norton are two holiday highlights this weekend kids will love.

Families also have their pick of performances this weekend. The North Cambridge Family Opera stages Kids' Court, its 2015 family-friendly production. Other options include the Shadows Around the World at Puppet Showplace Theater, Open Door Theater's production of Shrek: The Musical, and a stage adaptation of The Rainbow Fish by ArtsPower. Boston Ballet's Shades of Sound opens Thursday night and runs through next weekend. 

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• Fill your holiday calendar with your pick of these family-friendly Passover events.
• Michelle shares some great picks in her list of 25 Things to Do with a Preschooler in Boston.
• Find out Where to Find the Easter Bunny in Greater Boston this year!
• Wait! Before throwing them out, see how you can grow celery and other scraps!

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