Childhood memories of the holiday season for me include hot cocoa, making snow angels, and going ice skating. I remember traveling to the city as a young girl with my family to see the gigantic Rockefeller Christmas tree and, afterward, skating around the beautifully lit rink. That is when it officially felt like Christmas to me. But you don’t have to travel that far to have this magical experience. Hartford County has many great choices for both indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks so that you, too, can begin making family traditions and forming memories that will last a lifetime. For more fun check out our Winter Fun Guide.

“Mankind was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business.” So says the ghost of Jacob Marley in Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol. We all know the holidays are a season of giving, but sometimes it’s hard to know exactly where to give. If you are moved by the spirit of charity this holiday, here are some organizations in Fairfield and New Haven Counties that are working hard to make the holidays (and every day) a little brighter for families in need. 

We all have our favorite holiday traditions, whether it's viewing annual light displays, cutting down a Christmas tree, or having breakfast with Santa. All good stuff, to be sure. But if you're thinking you might like to mix up your holiday adventures a bit, check out some of these, shall we say, "off the beaten path" ideas. We've got activities that will take you on a boat, to an alpaca farm, and even back in time. Because sometimes parents need to throw something new into the mix to keep kids on their toes. And who knows? One of them might become a new favorite. For even more ways to celebrate the season, check out the December GoList and our Holiday Guide.

Moms of preschoolers: Are you ready to incorporate The Nutcracker into your holiday traditions, but wondering if your child is ready for the show? I attended the dress rehearsal of Boston Ballet’s performance of Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker at the Boston Opera House with my nearly 4-year-old son to find out exactly what it’s like to attend with a young child, and we had a fabulous time on our mother-son date at the ballet. Here are some tips for you and your young ballet-goer to have a wonderful time, too.

With all the getting that goes on this time of year, you have to be intentional to get your kids to understand the importance of giving as well.  If you'd like to go beyond the family gift exchange to teach your kids about the needs in their community, there are several ways to do it here in Fairfield County -- even if they're quite young.

(We've listed some options for volunteering with kids as well in Litchfield County and Hartford County.)

Food is one of the fraught topics of parenting. From day one it’s us against them when it comes to eating. Having spent weeks with a lactation expert for baby number one, I thought I had it down, but baby number two had other ideas. Moving on to solid food, our kids really show us who is boss. They like what they like and will eat what they will eat - even if that means pizza as vegetable and ice cream as protein. Meanwhile, mom and dad are craving something ethnic. You know, a little spice, more than one ingredient, maybe even a variety of vegetables. It may sound more daunting than another round of nuggets at Kids Eat Free night, but with a little planning your family could have a tastier, more exotic dinner out.

As amazing as this city is, living in NYC is not for the faint of heart. Raising kids here? Even more so. If you’ve gotten through preschool, elementary school, and even middle school admissions, you may be thinking, “I’ve got this.” Even spreadsheet-making, type-A parents who mastered the earlier grades may be shocked at how overwhelming and chaotic the high school application process is. I should know; I'm going through it with my second kid now and I'm still dizzy from the whirlwind.

Even if your kid is still a tyke, it's worth knowing what you are in for. I didn't want to just rely on my own experiences though. After addressing our mutual PTSD, I got the inside scoop on what you need to know about applying to high school in NYC from a bunch of been-there-done-that local parents.

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to visit the North Pole? This year Boston's City Hall Plaza is being transformed into a winter wonderland with New England’s first custom designed outdoor skating path and a holiday shopping market. Open seven days a week, "Boston Winter Presented by Berkshire Bank" is a one-stop-shop of holiday attractions for kids and parents alike.