I live in “horse country,” which just happens to be Central New Jersey. When we moved from the city I knew I wanted my daughter to give riding a try, and as I hoped, she fell in love. At five years old she's still very much in the learning process but riding is her passion, and because I'm a mama who does her research, we've tried and tested many stables in the Central New Jersey area. Whether you want to go for a single pony ride, or plan on purchasing a package of lessons, the farms listed below are wonderful with children. Giddy up!

It grieves me more than I can express to be collecting resources for our community similar to those our Connecticut and Boston editors have had to research all too recently. The children of Santa Monica go back to school today for two days that were scheduled mostly with end-of-year picnics and field trips, but the time will also be spent processing a senseless, violent tragedy - this time in our own community. Whether your children heard the gunfire as they hid under their desks, were on a field trip at the college, knew victims, or just heard frightening rumors, all of them have questions. I hope some of the resources below may be helpful to families processing last Friday's events.

Summer is heating up, which is why we're bringing you the coolest Mommy Poppins deals on top of the best seasonal activities. We reached out to some fun and enriching NYC summer camps and getaway spots (and one fantastic family photographer) and asked them to extend discounts to our readers. The result is a dozen awesome offers for kids that you won't want to miss. Save big bucks on language immersion camps, a dude ranch, circus camp and more!

One of the things I love best about living in NJ is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. They don’t call it the Garden State for nothing! From tomatoes to corn to fresh berries, it seems you can find delicious, locally-grown produce everywhere you look. And what’s better than buying directly from the farmers who’ve grown it? We've already told you about Farmers' Markets in Hudson County and now Farmers’ markets are popping up all over Union County, offering wonderful food and gourmet items at many convenient locations. Whether it’s fresh nectarines, yummy whoopie pies or mouth-watering mozzarella, you’re sure to find something scrumptious!

Summer on the North Fork means the return of annual carnivals and festivals. Whether you prefer snacking on garlic inspired food at the Garlic Festival or viewing the green surroundings from high atop a Ferris wheel, there are plenty of special events to check out from Riverhead to the Orient this summer. Read on for a list of our recommendations for festivals this summer.

We were all about the new on Mommy Poppins this week. We kicked off a new neighborhood focus for the month, Ridgewood, Queens, we're hosting a new giveaway of a week of cooking camp and we launched our brand-new site Mommy Poppins Westchester. We're particularly excited about that last one since our Westchester readers had been begging for their own site for years. We love giving the people what they want! Now you can find out about the best things to do with kids throughout Westchester County and the Hudson Valley and sign up for the local newsletter.

Over on our Travel site, we rounded up Father's Day family vacation deals to destinations both near (Mystic, Connecticut) and far (the Bahamas). Of course you don't need to leave the city to do something special. Our Summer Fun Guide is filled with fun ideas for Father's Day and beyond, including a bunch of just-added posts like FREE outdoor kids' concerts and performance festivals, and the best new museum exhibits for families.

We made great progress on our Mommy Poppins App as well this week: Our IndieGoGo campaign is almost 30% funded. If we reach our goal the app will be FREE to all so please consider contributing—a donation as small as $2 truly makes a difference and if you give more you get some awesome rewards.

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

Another spring into summer; another graduation! Whether the children in your life are 5 or 17, graduation is always an exciting time for the whole family. And who can resist those oh-so-adorable Kindergarten graduations? For your tween and teen grads, that feeling of accomplishment is contagious and inspirational—so why not reward the hard-working graduates in your life with a little “You Did It!” present? Here are some gift options for graduates of all ages.

Last weekend's warm weather might have made us believe that summer was already here, but this weekend's forecast poses a few more planning challenges. Never fear! We have a whole roster of activities to keep kids of all ages occupied--whether indoors or out.

Looking for a fun night out for your kids and yourself? Check out our guide to childcare providers offering Parents' Night Out in Fairfield County (in particular the Easton Community Center, which is hosting Parents' Night Out on Friday, June 7th from 6:30-10.)