It's that time of year again—the sugary treats are flowing freely from trick-or-treating, parties, and parades, and parents are either hiding their kids' Halloween haul or eating it themselves. There must be a better way, right? Never fear—Mommy Poppins has the solution. Whether you're in the city or the suburbs, you can find local businesses that'll turn sugar highs into good deeds. 

We may all be walking around our neighborhoods Halloween night dressed as witches (note to self: find witch hat in closet), but we’re not really mean; we’re planning to let our kids eat unreasonable amounts of refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and non-organic chocolate way past their bedtimes on a school night - for one night anyway.

The dilemma comes on November 1. When the trick-or-treating is over.

Like other big days, Halloween is a holiday of traditions. There's the tradition of collecting heavy bags of candy, the tradition of eating it until you're sick, and the tradition of wondering what the heck you're supposed to do with it all a few days later. 

Spicy or robust, fruit-flavored or floral, a hot cup of tea can set the right tone for time with anyone special, but especially with one of your own children! Are you looking to spend some special time with a tween or teen? Or trying to occupy a rainy afternoon?  Take them out for a cup of tea in one of these Connecticut tea rooms and see how the conversation flows.

For most kids, Halloween is all about the candy. Buckets and buckets full of sticky, sweet treats. Not to mention the candy coma that comes after. There might even be some new cavities as well. Yikes!

But for parents (and some kids), the thought of so much candy coming home only causes a headache. All that sugar can lead to too many belly aches and too many toothaches. Besides using the leftover candy for arts-and-crafts and decorations, there are several spots around Long Island where you can donate candy to a good cause. So instead of sighing in frustration at the amount of candy your children schlep home this Halloween, check out the below for a list of places happy and willing to take that candy off your hands.

Have a young robot fan or STEM-minded kid with a birthday coming up? Sure, you could host a Minecraft party at your home with all of the kids fixated on their individual screens in a haze. But why not fuel his or her creativity with a robotics party at a high-tech hub?

We've gathered several ways you can help your child celebrate with science and robotics, either on location or in your home. Looking for more birthday ideas? Consult our Kids' Party Planner Guide! 

With November upon us, so too are some magnificent holiday traditions. In the Bronx, the New York Botanical Garden team is busy behind the scenes getting ready to open the 25th anniversary edition of its beloved Holiday Train Show. Opening day is Saturday, November 19.

The humble cider donut. They are, without a doubt, not only an autumn tradition but a necessity here in the northeast. We in Fairfield County could not be luckier because we live in a major epicenter of cider donut greatness and just because apple picking season ends, this does not mean cider donuts go with it. Whether you prefer them moist or cakey, and whether you spell it donut or doughnut, here is a round-up of the very best places around to score one. Or a dozen.