What's the best baby shower gift for a friend who is having a baby? In my opinion, skip the cute onesie and BRING FOOD.  A healthy, home-cooked meal delivered to a new mom's door, ready to eat, is an amazing gift any time, but especially when you’re trying to adjust to one of life’s curve balls. I remember my mother bringing foil-covered lasagnas to neighbors after a birth or death in the family.  Now our generation is continuing that awesome tradition with the help of a modern resource: online meal registries which make organizing deliveries amongst friends much easier.

It is a good weekend to be a kid in the Big Apple!  In one weekend they can choose from a kite flying festival, a South East Asian Festival, a classic Volkswagen show and even an Ice Cream Fair.  This is the  last weekend that  kids can ride, walk, scooter or stroll their way through Manhattan uninhibited by traffic at Summer Streets.  They can also hit up a new playground, try a family friendly high-tech scavenger hunt game and take a trip to the beach on an old time subway and bus during the season’s last vintage train ride.  How lucky are they?

Adults, don’t forget about our Awesome Days Flip Camera contest. Simply tell us what you have been doing with your kids this summer and you can be entered to win! If you need some inspiration check out our events calendar, The Mommy Poppins Summer Fun Guide or our post on 100 free things to do this summer (there is still plenty of summer left!)

We have everything you need to know for a fun weekend. Hope it is great.

We've asked our readers to share their awesome outings with us this summer. We'll be posting the best ones on the blog and one lucky winner will win a Flip Video Camera. Find out more details in our Summer Fun Activity Guide . Read this submission by Ellen K. Schmidt about her fun day on Goveror's Island.

Geocaching is a fun, high-tech treasure hunt, except instead of searching using maps and compasses players use a handheld GPS and coordinates to find the cache or treasure.  We joined the game this past spring and it is really fun.  Plus, it is free to start and it is an activity your entire family can enjoy together.  So, what are you waiting for? We've got the details here for you, let the hunt begin!

Contrary to popular belief New York City doesn’t close down in August.  In fact, it is humming with activity and tons of fun stuff to do.  In town this weekend you will find celebrations galore– Harlem, Ferragosto, the beach – they are all recognized with their own festival.  Plus there is a cool interactive theater production, favorite storybook characters to meet, crimes to solve, cell phones to dissect and ships to board, all this weekend and all for kids.   Not to mention, the popular traffic free Saturday in Manhattan, Summer Streets, and car free destinations in Astoria and Jackson Heights, too.

Don’t forget to tell us what you and the kids are up to this summer and be entered to win a flip camera in our Awesome Days contest (you can even see your day featured on our homepage!) If you are having a hard time coming up with ideas for fun check out our post with a fun free activity for every day of the summer, our Summer Fun Guide or our newly remodeled Events Calendar.

We’ve got the goods for an awesome weekend. Read on and have a great one.

Only three weeks to Labor Day and the start of the school year, so let’s party in NJ this weekend! You can fish, hula hoop, be a princess eating a peach, or eat ribs and listen to rock’n’roll. You can even enter the Empire State to attend the famous New York Renaissance Faire (because who doesn’t want to take their kid to see actors hamming it up and saucy barmaids in push-up bras?) Enjoy the waning days of summer!

Perhaps you've read about some of the great amusement parks around NYC and are dying to go, but if you don't have a car the trills may seem out of reach. No need to fret, we've got you in mind with this post. You can keep your commitment to public transportation (or a greener lifestyle) and still have all the fun. Here are four amusement parks accessible from New York City that are guaranteed to increase the thrills, without increasing your carbon footprint.

Feel like grabbing the kids and getting your “giddy-up” on? New Jersey offers miles of beautiful trails and scenic countryside to explore on horseback, no matter what your level of riding skill. Guided tours make it easy for “first-timers”, but we’ve included locations for more experienced riders as well. Ride ‘em, cowboys (and girls)!