To celebrate the official beginning of summer, this week we are doing a huge Summer Kick-off Giveaway with great prizes. Some of the prizes we'll be giving away are passes to NYC area amusement and water parks, and an amazing catered dinner for ten! What could be a better way to start your summer. The first giveaway will be posted later today and more giveaways will be posted through out the week, so check back in and don't miss out.

In other news,read on to hear about changes to the NYC public school schedule for next year, teachers who are paid to do nothing, a col new website from the parks department, more deals, a computer program that teaches physics in a fun way and a fun way to learn about New York's Dutch history. Enjoy.

Debbie Koenig teaches a unique cooking class for new parents, called Parents Need To Eat Too, from her own Brooklyn kitchen, where she arms her students with tips, techniques and recipes to make sure putting a delicious and healthy dinner on the table doesn't get put aside along with your pre-baby jeans.

We got Debbie to share some easy, healthy no-cook recipes that are perfect for enjoying this summer, when the last thing you want to do is sweat over a hot stove. Thanks, Debbie!

The kids may be too young to know Alice Cooper's famous "School's Out" anthem, but they sure know that feeling of freedom that takes over at the start of summer vacation. Public schools are finally out, plus all of NYC's Free Public Swimming Pools open this weekend. Celebrate the beginning of summer with activities in all five boroughs: shadow puppets, a little Swan Lake, fairs and fectivals, clothing sales and some Laurie Berkner.

Don't forget, starting this week, we will have weekly listings for Long Island events and New Jersey events on their respective pages (whether you live there or are looking for a day trip). And of course, our event calendar is jammed with even more things to do, as is our Summer Activity Guide.

Today is the anniversary of the day that I idiotically decided to stick to my commitment of teaching my STUDENT UNION SILKSCREENING CLASS! rather than going to see They Might be Giants, who were playing live in a great small venue in Madison, Wisconsin on the day that happened to be my 20th birthday. Since I'm getting perilously close to an unspeakable age anyway, as of today, I am no longer celebrating my birthday, but only celebrating the anniversary of Don't be an Idiot Day. To celebrate Don't Be An Idiot Day you must go do something fun, preferably at the expense of some obligation that really won't matter in the long run. All of you are welcome to celebrate it with me.

Also, in honor of the mumble mumble anniversary of that momentous day and the first inaugural Don't Be An Idiot Day, I am rejoicing with some news about the band that started it all. Here's some cool stuff going on for TMBG fans:

Often thought of as the real “Little Italy” of NYC, Arthur Avenue is a wildly popular destination for foodies from all over.  There are countless Italian restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and bars along Arthur Avenue, as well as its lesser known counterpart, 187th Street.  Arthur Avenue is quite a popular day trip for families with small children because it is just a few blocks away from the world-famous Bronx Zoo. 

Mommy Poppins has always been a labor of love, but never more so than working on this redesign. Actually this project started out as just a simple desire to expand our neighborhood pages and make it easier to find all our new guides, but Simon, my amazing (and handsome) developer, was so good at making my wouldn't it be cool ifs... come true, I just kept coming up with more, and more...and more. Finally, a mere 9 months later, we've got a whole new site, with a new design and lots of cool features that make it easier to find what you're looking for and more fun to use.

Read on for highlights of some of the new cool features of the site and please leave a comment and let us know what you think:

The 10th Anniversary of the Congo Gorilla Forest makes now an especially good time to visit, because The Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo is celebrating with special programs that highlight the Congolese culture. There will be traditional African drum and dance performances by the Harambee Dance Company, kids can watch “lunchtime with the gorillas” at 2pm each day, and experience the crafts of the Republic of Congo with artisans from the Museum for African Art leading workshops in Basket-making, Gourd Adornment, Bead-making and Mask making. Best of all, visiting the zoo contributes to WCS's ongoing conservation work with gorillas and the Congo.

Every single event in this post is free (not even one pay-as-you wish!). Not that there aren't cool events worth paying for this weekend, but there's just so much goodness going on for absolutely free, why pay: Giant BBQs, monster art festivals, science fairs (and not the 5th grade kind) and tons of free music, food, shows and so much more. Isn't summer in the city great?