My kids used to pick pennies up off the ground. These days I catch them trying to grab those small colorful Rainbow Loom rubber bands that seem to be scattered all over the place: sidewalks, school hallways (except where they're banned) and living room floors. It's a fad of course (remember Silly Bandz?) but one I can get behind. Crafting those intricate bracelets, necklaces and rings is fun and even challenging (have you tried some of those stitches?), and kids are even becoming entrepreneurs by selling their Rainbow Loom creations. Plus this hot hobby crosses the gender line: lots of boys are as into it as girls. (Heck, it was invented by a dad!)

While children as young as 5 seem to be able to master simple stitches as quickly as they do new apps on your smartphone, more complicated creations often require hours of experimentation or watching YouTube tutorials. So it's no wonder that local craft shops are capitalizing on the craze by offering Rainbow Loom classes, meet-ups and even birthday parties. Even if your kid can figure it all out on their own, it's a fun way to turn the obsession into a social outing.

New York City families with babies or toddlers usually have a crib, a changing table and a stroller or two crammed into their apartments. However, if you're visiting NYC with an infant in tow, there's no way you're going to be able to pack all of that stuff in your luggage. Sure, you can try to skip the usual amenities and just co-sleep, change the baby on the bed and wear a sling when running around town. But it would certainly be a lot easier on your body if you could just rent a crib, changing table and stroller—after all, vacation is supposed to be relaxing, right?

After receiving several emails from our NYC Kids Visitors Guide readers asking where they could rent baby gear, we decided to look into it. Turns out there are a number of companies that rent strollers, cribs and other baby equipment in New York City. They even deliver everything to you. So natives, the next time your sister-in-law swings into town asking to borrow your baby wheels, you know where to send her.

Somehow it's January already - a time for recovery (from the holidays) and resolutions for the new year. As we plan how to make Mommy Poppins even better than it was last year, with even more insights into even more wonderful ways to enjoy our time with kids, we take a look at some of our favorite mommy blogs of 2013, raising a glass to the network of parents who enrich all of our experiences in LA parenting. We're highlighting 10 below who turn out some of SoCal's finest reading for busy, fun, connected, and curious moms. And so, in no particular order (since they're all wonderful) we present 10 of our favorite family blogs from last year, covering everything from recipes to private schools, from baby gear to kids' auditions. Please feel free to shout out some of your own favorites in the comments below!

It's official... an official snow day that is. On Saturday, January 4, the Parks Department is inviting New Yorkers to come out to a neighborhood park for some winter fun. White-capped hills around the city are open for sledding, snowman-making and more. And at five designated locations, the Parks Department will be handing out sleds and free hot chocolate while supplies last from 11am to 3pm.

New is the word of the moment in NYC. We have a new Mayor, a new Schools Chancellor and we're all excited about the new adventures in store for our families in the New Year. To help get you started, all of our sites have posted brand-new January Go Lists highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout the month in NYC, Westchester, New Jersey, on Long Island and beyond. Even though the fun of the holidays is behind us, there are some really amazing activities worth putting on your January calendar, including unique experiences like a family trivia competition in the East Village and a hands-on maker fest in Brooklyn.

With a snowstorm set to hit the city, we're also furiously updating our Winter Fun Guide for the season. Check out our roundup of the best sledding hills in NYC as well as posts on snow tubing, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing in the tri-state area.

Finally, if you're itching to start your post-holiday purge, we have posts about where to donate toys and kids' clothes in New York City and on Long Island, and all the details on how to easily recycle your Christmas tree in NYC.

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

Whoo hoo! It's 2014, baby!  No more of that wishy-washy, so-24-hours-ago, 2013 nonsense. It's 2014 all the way. Because you are not only on top of, but in fact ahead of the curve, we can even let you in on our peek-into-the-future, best-of-what-is-yet-to-come highlights list known as our January Go List. (And for those of you who just wrote the first check of the year with a slash one-three date, all I can say is, really?  Really? SMH and RME.) 

2013 may have gone out like a wrecking ball, but 2014 is starting slow, thank heavens. (Momma needs a break after all the "vacationing" the kids have been up to!). In the meantime, maybe now's a good time to get back on track, tidy up your messes, and follow through on your resolutions. If one of your resolutions was to recycle more, we can help you off to a good start: Mommy Poppins has the low-down on Christmas tree recycling options throughout Los Angeles.

Before you know it, it will be business as usual. Martin Luther King. Jr. Day is just around the corner, and Lunar New Year events are starting to pop up, including this weekend's Oshogatsu Festival at the Japanese American National Museum (they have free pony rides!).  And that's just the beginning of what 2014 has to offer....

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