"The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day."-- Dr. Seuss. Well, you're not making any more of a mess in MY house--my basement looks like a Disney Princess Island of Misfit toys. Even if Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring, I'm still not seeing the light at the end of this tunnel. Get out and explore some of the best indoor play spaces in Northwestern NJ--in other words, a place where your kids can make a mess and you don't need to clean it up!

“When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.”  - Mitch Albom

Growing up, my mom always said to me that i'll never understand how much she loves me until I have a child of my own. I feel blessed to finally comprehend how my son has changed me forever. So while we often think of February 14 as being a romantic holiday, take some time to remind your children how much you adore them. There are many events to do this weekend, including our list of Valentine's Day Events in Fairfield County. 

Roses are red, violets are blue, Fairfield County’s abuzz...with Valentines events to pursue!

Clearly my poetry leaves much to be desired, but you get my point.  There are lots of Valentine’s events for kids to participate in over the next two weeks.   To my mind, outsourcing both the sugary projects and the gluey, sticky projects is always a good idea!

Can you keep a secret? We at Mommy Poppins LA are harboring a crush on someone very special. Actually a whole lotta special someones: the moms, dads, and kids who visit our site. That’s a lot of Valentines to create. Luckily, we can take our own advice and snip, scribble, and paste together cards for you all! Artsy events at Vroman’s, reDiscover Center, and One Colorado also help craft special tokens from the heart. 

A card is all well and good, but sometimes a loved one wants a special night (or afternoon or morning) out. What could be more romantic than a stroll through the camellias (at your choice of gardens)? Perhaps a cultural journey to France?  Kids can share tea time with their favorite dolls, and maybe invite their dads along. Even wizards are feeling the love.

And lest you think we have nothing but hearts and roses on our minds, this weekend we also celebrate Chinese New Year (Year of the Snake) and Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday!). So what are you waiting for? Grab your honey(s) and celebrate!

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend...

Due to the snowstorm, many venues are canceling their events on Saturday. We're doing our best to keep this post updated but before you head out to an event, please check the official website to confirm it's still happening. Or check out our post about the best things to do on your snow day, including the scoop on awesome sledding hills, special snow sculpting contests and free hot chocolate courtesy of the Parks Department.

Happy Lunar New Year! The Year of the Snake officially kicks off on Sunday, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate throughout New York City. This weekend's big to-do is Chinatown's free Firecracker Ceremony and Festival but there are also fun celebrations at the main branch of the Brooklyn Library, Queens' Flushing Town Hall and Asia Society on the Upper East Side.

There are also lots of great arts and culture events this weekend, including the debut of two awesome sounding kids' shows, The Mark of Zorro at the New Victory Theater and the musical Bunnicula!, and cool concerts by David Weinstone and Music tor Aardvarks and Father Goose.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. As always, you can find additional choices in our Event Calendar and our Winter Fun Guide.

It’s the February edition of our new series, “Poppins Parents”! Last month, we met fitness dad, Ryan T. Debin. This time, we’re featuring funny gal, brand marketer, and yoga studio owner, Kristin Quinn (KQ). When she’s not playing with her toddler, she helps local families achieve peace and good health through yoga at her studio, Charlestown Yoga. She also writes a blog, “Misadventures in Mommyhood”, where she uses laughter as the best medicine for new parents who are feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

Read on to find out the secrets to Kristin’s success, which of her jobs has proven most challenging (it wasn’t when she worked for Martha Stewart), and the reason her daughter has a stuffed dog named Marchand.

This weekend, there's an abundance of Valentine's Day–related activities for kids to get into the holiday spirit! At Not Just Art, design valentine sculptures and projects with fancy trimmings. Calling all chocolate lovers: Head on over to the Chocolate-Making Workshop at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center where you'll learn facts about this confection and make your own chocolate. Painting takes on a whole new twist at the Children's Museum of the East End's Get Creative: Homemade Puff Paint Hearts workshop, where you'll make puff paint with shaving cream and then decorate valentine hearts.  Maritime Explorium's Super Science Focus: Celebrate Valentine's Day with Heartfelt Messages workshop will give you the opportunity to design and create your own nautical valentine for a message in a bottle.  If you enjoy decorating sugar cookies, attend the Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating Workshop at Guild Hall where you'll get plenty of hands-on experience with a Citarella pastry chef. For those who would prefer to brave the cold and explore nature, the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center is hosting Winter Quest 2013, where you'll get to go on an outdoor scavenger hunt with GPS units and make a natural winter shelter. Enjoy warm beverages and a bonfire afterward. And much more! As always, please check out our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family!

Earlier this week we posted about six awesome NYC day trips perfect for a quick February break getaway. However, we realize that even though public school students are looking at a four-day Presidents' Day weekend, many parents will need to work one (or more) of those days and need to find school holiday activities.

Since winter is a season when kids start bouncing off the walls from spending way too much time trapped indoors, we figured it was a great opportunity to highlight some of the city's best athletic camps for children. So instead of doing our usual massive roundup of winter break programs, we picked out seven sporty spots, all offering drop-off camps on Monday, February 18 and Tuesday, February 19. One even offers coverage the entire week for those few kids (like my son in parochial school) who still get the entire winter break off. Best of all, most of these camps let you register for just a day at a time, so if Tuesday's the only day you need, that's all you pay for.