The Akumal Beach Resort in Akumal, Mexico is an all-inclusive family beach resort about 65 miles south of Cancun. Akumal was originally a small diving town, and it retains that quaint vibe. The beaches are gorgeous and the easygoing vibe of the hotel was just what my family wanted in a Caribbean family vacation destination. 

Click here to see the amazing 2014 Department Store Holiday Windows.

Taking a leisurely stroll from Macy's to Barneys to look at all of the magical holiday windows is a long-standing tradition for my family. In our pre-parenting days, my husband and I took this walk during the wee hours of Christmas Eve. Once our son was born, we moved it to Thanksgiving weekend at a much earlier hour. It's a wonderful and totally free way to kick off the holiday season, and creates lasting memories that our son will cherish long after he's forgotten about the toys under the tree.

Just like last year, we made it a Mommy Poppins playdate by inviting along fellow writer Raven and her daughter. Although our seven-year-olds enjoyed everything they saw, their hands-down favorite was the animated Disney short that screens in Barneys' windows. I admit, I'm partial to more old-school animatronic displays, but technology and digital decorations are an integral part of many of the windows this year.

Click through our NYC department store holiday windows slide show and find out about the themes and interactive elements of each display. If you'd like to relive the windows of yesteryear, check out our holiday windows posts from 2009, 2010 and 2011. And of course you can find lots of other seasonal fun in our NYC Holiday Guide.

While we usually review brand-new NYC kid attractions, sometimes we come across a popular neighborhood mainstay we've never heard of before and we just have to share. That's why we're writing about Play Days & Parties, a small, family-run play space in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. My family and I recently moved to the area from Manhattan's Upper West Side, and with four kids at home (including a newborn and two toddlers), I've been searching for indoor places to play in our new community.

Though my search is far from over, I’m happy to report I've found at least one I can count on: Play Days & Parties. Sandwiched between a firehouse and a deli, this little known gem has a modest storefront that's easy to miss. But if you're in the area, you should definitely take the time to drop by because Play Days & Parties offers kids a variety of ways to have fun on the cold, winter days we all know are coming.

Earlier this year, the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium underwent some renovations.  Like, $4 million dollars worth -- the largest transformation the attraction has seen in more than a decade.  I'm going to blame the mommy rock I live under for not noticing until now!  The Maritime Aquarium is just far enough from my house that we don't invest in annual passes, but we do try to get there at least once a year, because it's a respectable small aquarium.  Every time we go, my small fries are that much older and we get that much more out of it.  The recent changes aren't drastic enough to justify an immediate stopover, but fans of this local treasure will be pleasantly surprised by the upgrades when they get around to their regular visit.