Let me say up front, we have nothing against princesses. My daughter rocked her Rapunzel costume for Halloween last year. Princesses rule. But it’s easy to get into a princessy rut. The gown and crown becomes the default costume, to the point that many girls don’t consider any other costume options for Halloween time. So when I asked my child what she wanted to be for Halloween this year, I have to say I was pleased that she chose a non-royal alternative.

One of the coolest things about being a parent is getting to relive childhood all over again with our little ones - the zoo, holiday trains, and of course, trick-or-treating. But instead of just snapping a few pictures of the kids in costume, how about inviting the gang over early for a festive Halloween shindig? Read on for some spectacularly spooky menu ideas that might make you decide to just stay in, or at least provide some homemade snacks before you venture out with your little ghosts and goblins.

How many costumes will your kids be wearing between now and Halloween? My daughter has three outfits prepared for the many Halloween celebrations we'll be attending: Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph, Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas and Michael Jackson for when she goes trick-or-treating on October 31

By now, your calendar and closet are probably as full as ours, but if you're still looking for memorable ways to celebrate, many of NYC's best FREE Halloween events take place this weekend, including the Pumpkin Festival in Central Park, Prospect Park's Haunted Walk and a bunch of kids' costume parades. You can also turn your revelry into a day trip by hitting haunted hayrides and corn mazes on Long Island, trying an off the beaten path Halloween activity in New Jersey or joining our Mommy Poppins Westchester peeps at Ridge Hill in Yonkers on Saturday for HarvestFest 2013. We'll be there with a craft table and we'll be giving out treat bags so kids can hit all the stores for candy and other goodies.

However you decide to mark Halloween this year, we wish you and your family a fun and safe holiday. And we hope the Candy Fairy makes a visit to your home to take away at least some of those sweets! Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This weekend is all about Halloween celebrations. Check out Henny the Clown at the Halloween Family Day at The Walt Whitman Birthplace. Go on a spooky trail walk at the Clark Botanic Garden. The Long Island Children's Museum serves up lots of ghostly fun at its annual gala. Learn about the plight of Ichabod Crane during the performance of the Legend Of Sleepy Hollow at the Sands Point Preserve. Head to the Sweetbriar Nature Center for a spooky spin on stories, crafts, and nature walks. Venture out east and head to the Fire Island Lighthouse to listen to eerie tales. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family. Don't forget to check out our current giveaway: $150 worth of Target boys and girls clothing and a $100 gift card.

It's the final weekend before Halloween, and Boston families can enjoy a variety of weekend activities that run the gamut from the scary to the not-so-spooky. Check out our roundup of Halloween fun, including more than 20 mostly free events for kids and families. And read on for some great non-Halloween events happening this weekend, including the opening weekend of Wheelock Family Theatre’s The Hobbit, Play Date at the ICA, and more.

Also this week on Mommy Poppins Boston:

• If you have a family photo shoot coming up, professional photographer Korri Leigh Crowley has five tips for getting the most out of the experience, panic-free;
• Find Five Picks for Kid-Friendly Biking Trails in the latest post in our guest blog series with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Kids Outdoors Boston free online community;
• Celeste shares six steps to organizing a Babysitting Co-op in your neighborhood; and
• Don't miss a chance to enter our Great Giveaway to win $150 of Target Boys and Girls clothes and a $100 Target gift card - now through Sunday.

Enjoy!

Halloween may officially fall on October 31 but many of New York City's best celebrations for families take place this weekend—and a bunch of them are FREE. Put on your costumes and head to Central Park's annual Pumpkin Fest, Prospect Park's Haunted Walk and Halloween Carnival, Battery Park City's Screamin' Green Halloween or one of the many kid-friendly Halloween parades taking place throughout NYC. There are also a handful of truly exceptional Halloween events worth paying for like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Ghouls & Gourds fete, the ride-filled Children's Fall Festival at the Queens County Farm Museum and a spooky after-dark tour of the New York Botanical Garden's Haunted Pumpkin Garden.

Need a break from all the fearsome fun? There are actually some great non-Halloween events this weekend, too, like Pickle Day on the Lower East Side, a big anniversary celebration for Encyclopedia Brown at the main branch of the New York Public Library, and opening day at Wollman and Lasker Rinks in Central Park.

There's so much going on this Saturday and Sunday that it's easy to feel overwhelmed. (I actually had a couple of panic attacks while writing this post!) That's why we've done the work for you by highlighting the very best things to do with kids this jam-packed weekend, Halloween-themed and otherwise. Now all you need to do is go and enjoy!

As a parent, finding time for doctor's appointments, job interviews, or the much-coveted date night out can be challenging enough -- finding someone to watch the kids can be even more difficult. Turning to your virtual village to organize a childcare cooperative is a great, free alternative to costly babysitters or drop-off centers.

A babysitting co-op lets you trade time watching each other's kids for time to do real grown-up things like go to appointments, clean the house, or just take a break. Lots of parents do this informally in a "you get my back this time, I will get your's next time" approach, where the only reckoning of debts owed is karmic.  This works great among friends, but tends to involve only a small group of select people.  Creating a more formally organized cooperative allows parents to expand their network of willing sitters while accurate tracking keeps things fair and equitable. Here's how to get started: