It's the thing every expectant parent dreads and every new parent comes to accept within hours of their child's birth: the copious amounts of poo that little bodies are capable of producing. For families interested in "going green," cloth diapers may be an appealing alternative to sending endless bags of disposables to the landfill. But where to start? Fortunately, while cloth diapering can seem overwhelming, Boston has several local resources to help figure out if cloth diapering is right for your family.

My kids are what you might call foodies. They love trying new dishes, and they are enthusiastic about experimenting in the kitchen, too. We’ve spent many a school vacation learning about different cultures through cooking. (The most memorable? The summer my son and I became self-taught experts on Indian food.) Foodies or not, kids can have fun in the kitchen at just about any age.

Workshops and classes are one place kids can learn about cooking, but there’s no time like school vacation for them to test their culinary skills at home - plenty of time to experiment, and clean up, too. To help get you started, teachers from four local cooking programs have provided us with some easy recipes you can try at home (scroll down to find the recipes):

• Breakfast: Crepes and Fruit Compote
• Appetizer: Roasted Chickpeas
• Side Dish: Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• A Sweet Treat: Peppermint Mocha Bark

When you try one of these recipes, we'd love to see the results - send us a pic, and we'll post it to our Pinterest Good Food Stuff board. And for more kid-friendly recipes, please see our Food Fun Guide.

There's only a few more days until Christmas and the shopping frenzy is in full swing. Nevertheless, shopping just before Christmas doesn't have to be a painful experience. We've filled you in on several fantastic local shops for toys and books, now we're focusing on clothing boutiques in Westchester that truly make shopping a pleasure, even if it is last minute! So, if you find yourself searching for a special gift for a tiny person on your list, consider some of the lovely boutiques we've rounded up. Not only will you discover incredible finds, but you'll be supporting neighborhood businesses. How's that for style?! All of the boutiques below feature children's clothing, though each shop has its own eclectic flavor and style, so you're sure to find something to suit any taste. Read on for more details on seven neighborhood gems to help you find that perfect last minute gift for the holidays and year round.

The first STOMP stage show was in 1991—yes, it's been more than 20 years! Twenty years of entertaining audiences, young and old, around the globe. And right now, the North American tour of STOMP is at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills through December 29, 2013 - offering families an option beyond Nutcrackers and Christmas panto for holiday entertainment this season.

Kids all over the country are counting down the hours—make that minutes—until holiday break begins on Saturday. But even with 12 days off from school, it's going to be hard to find time to fit all the festive activities in. Here in New York City, we made a list of the top 25 things to do with kids over holiday break, a cheat sheet for seasonal family fun in case you don't have time to browse our jam-packed Holiday Fun Guide. If you're thinking of doing a day trip or a longer getaway over the recess, you'll find lots of inspiration in our Holiday Guides for Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.

And while you shop for last-minute gifts, make sure you take a moment to enter our Biggest Holiday Giveaway. We're giving away different prizes every day between now and Christmas Day—enter to win one or all. More ways to win cool stuff: We're also doing flash giveaways on our Facebook page and we've got a Skylanders Swap Force Starter Pack giveaway going, too. Hey, if you lost that record-setting Mega Millions jackpot this week like I did, maybe you'll be luckier this time!

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This weekend, several shows hit the stage. The Eglevsky Ballet performs The Nutcracker at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. Kathryn Crosby hosts A Crosby Christmas at Madison Theatre at Molloy College. Enjoy a musical performance of Scrooge at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies. For a change of pace, head to Bridgehampton and put those creative skills to the test by making holiday cookies or creating bird-friendly decorations. Don't forget to stop by the Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center for Breakfast With Santa. For plenty of ideas on how to enjoy all that the season has to offer, be sure to check out our Holiday Fun Guide. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family.

Don't forget to enter our Holiday Giveaway. Mommy Poppins is giving away over $3,000 in prizes until December 25th. We're also doing some flash giveaways all month long, so be sure to like our Facebook page to see what's coming up. Check back daily to enter to win one or all of these amazing prizes.

The start of school vacation and the last weekend before Christmas mean there’s a calendar full of things going on for Boston families. Special shows include Hansel and Gretel at Puppet Showplace Theatre and The Muppet Christmas Carol at Coolidge Corner Theatre. Vacation week activities kick off at several museums this weekend, and special holiday shows and performances continue.

And although most places in and around Boston are closed on Christmas day, we’ve come up with a few things you can do with kids on December 25. And if you are still looking for good camp options for December vacation, check out some camps for nature enthusiasts, LEGO fanatics, young artists, and preschoolers with a lot of energy to burn.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week is Celeste’s post about the Roslindale Village Main Streets (RVMS), an organization that works to make Roslindale a vibrant place to live or visit by sponsoring events, supporting local businesses, and making the neighborhood beautiful. (And be sure to check out Rachel's 20 Things to Do in Roslindale, too.)

A reminder: Our BIggest Holiday Giveaway continues every day through Christmas - have you checked it out yet? We're giving away over $3,000 worth of prizes!

Enjoy, and wishing you and yours a week that's full of friends, family and fun.

The Lythgoe Family Productions British panto-style production of Aladdin and His Winter Wish at the Pasadena Playhouse is an exuberant theatrical experience, delivered with a wink and a smile. The celebrity-studded cast is out to have a good time, and they make sure to bring the audience along for the ride. If you're wondering whether this holiday show is the right one for your family, read on!