'Tis the season. Christmas is officially a fall holiday these days, and Black Friday was really Thanksgiving Thursday. The madness has begun. I say mom deserves a break in the form of a Monday Morning Mommy Movie. If you cooked last week and start shopping this week, give yourself a break on Monday. 

For those of you who love holiday cheer but refuse to celebrate on the merchants’ accelerated schedule, your patience has been rewarded. Though much of the Southland started lighting up in November, there are still a few tree lighting events for those of us who prefer to celebrate Christmas in December. Sherman Oaks, Culver City, Hermosa Beach, Burbank and Long Beach all illuminate this week. What else is on the calendar? Read on for our picks.

There's a lot going on this holiday weekend in NYC beyond Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Our Thanksgiving and Holiday Guides are packed with plenty of ways to celebrate the season, including the best places to see Santa like Macy's Santaland, festive Christmas tree illuminations and the kickoff weekend for the jaw-dropping Dyker Lights displays in Dyker Heights.

There's lots of holiday fun in New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island and Connecticut, too. You can cut your own Christmas trees on LI and in NJ, take a train ride with Santa in NJ or gawk at amazing holiday displays in Philly.

If you happen to be traveling up I-95, our Connecticut site has a list of fun family pit stops if you need a break along the way. And if you're in the market for a virtual vacation, our Travel site has a slide show about the best family activities in Jamaica's Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week. We hope you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving!

On this long Thanksgiving weekend, there are tons of ways to get out and burn off all that turkey! Starting on Thanksgiving Day, get the family moving at one of the Turkey Trots in the area. For a more leisurely activity, the kids will love walking around Franklin Park or Stone Zoo for Half-Price Zoo Admission on Friday. Everyone can get out and enjoy Giving Thanks to Nature event on the trails at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, and even the smallest family members can get active on Sunday's Tykes Walk in Framingham. Holiday events to brighten the day include the Festival of Trees in Wellesley, the Macy's Holiday Tree Lighting in Boston on Friday, and the Roslindale Tree Lighting on Saturday.

Four picks from our November GO list are happening this weekend, too! Check out Family Trees at the Concord Museum in Concord, Magpie - Season of Light at the JFK Museum in Boston, F.A.T. Chain Reaction at MIT in Cambridge, or Play Date - Family Concert at the ICA in Boston.

Performance offerings include The Little Prince for older children and The Yankee Peddler at the Puppet Showplace Theatre for the younger crowd. Entire families can join in on the fun at the Sing-A-Long Mary Poppins in Arlington or enjoy one of the many Nutcracker performances in the Boston area.

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

• Get the whole family in the holiday spirit by heading to one of these local farms to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree.
• These 8 Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks are great spots to glide around the ice in the fresh air.
• Teach your kids to give thanks to others by making and handing out Thanksgiving Gratitude Cookies with them.
• For a thrilling ride, bundle everyone up for a ride on one of the Winter Coasters and Zip Lines in New England.

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to check out the full events calendar!

There's no way around it.  Literally.  If you're heading north or south on I-95 -- especially over a holiday -- you're going to run into Connecticut.  And sorry to say, that's gonna go part and parcel with traffic.  Gnarly traffic.  We're sorry.  Really.  So, if your brood has positively HAD it in the car, we've got some ideas for where you can catch a break just beyond the mayhem of the official rest stops.  We mulled over our favorite playgrounds, beaches, and play spaces, and hope we can take a little agitation out of easing down the road. Note, this is for Fairfield County only (exits 3-33).

Local mom and “Outdoors with Kids Boston” guidebook author, Kim Foley MacKinnon, shares her best family outing tips and picks with you as part of our guest blog series with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Kids Outdoors Boston free online community.

There are many ways for young speed demons to get a rush outdoors in winter, from racing down mountains on skis to sledding down the highest hills around on snow tubes. But for kids looking for both speed and height, winter coasters and zip lines at several New England resorts offer some fast, chilly thrills. Make sure to call in advance as rides often depend upon weather conditions.

It's a truly mixed bag of news this Thanksgiving week. Things to be thankful for: the opening of a new cat cafe (with adoptions!), the announced marine center in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the plan to reopen Central Park's Lasker Rink on Thanksgiving. But there are also things we'll undoubtedly be griping about during our turkey dinners, like the closing of a beloved 110-year-old treat spot in the East Village and the end of Posman Books in Grand Central. Plus, how kids can contribute their art work to a MoMA PS1 display, help your local library get much-needed funds and other news of interest to NYC families.