It's a few weeks into summer and so far we've lost the sunscreen, wept about a snorkel, inspected bug bites visible only to the child's eye, and made a mean succotash. Basically, same as most summers. (Last year it was a mean cole slaw and weeping about a lost flip flop. We like to keep it interesting.) We're also cooking as usual. There's much to love about summer food, so I've rounded up my favorites, some for you, and some for the little people sitting in front of the TV in their swimsuits.

Having been, ahem…unwise enough…to have three children with birthdays only 5 weeks apart, I have become a veritable expert a throwing parties that are low stress and low maintenance - it's the only way for me to survive "birthday season"!

Of course, the parties also have to be a hit with the kids...no problem. One of my favorite low-stress party strategies is to go for an animal themed party.  Truly, you can’t go wrong here – there are a lot of different ways to make an animal party memorable, fun, educational…and EASY!!!

If one more person asks, "Is it hot enough for you?" we just may snap. (Lucky for them we're too tired to fight back.) If the heat's getting to you too, there are plenty of ways to cool off in the city, like pools, beaches and sprinklers, plus we just put together a list of playgrounds with lots of shade, which we added to our brand-new NYC Parks & Playgrounds Guide.

The Urban Park Rangers are currently holding lotteries for their free family campouts in NYC parks. If your family is lucky enough to snag a spot, our L.A. site has a great post with tips for camping with kids. Our New Jersey site shared an awesome list of mostly free apps to prevent "summer slide." Meanwhile on Long Island, we've got a roundup of 62 things to do on the East End this summer, in case you're heading that way.

If you missed Macy's spectacular sparklers on Wednesday night, don't fret: There are plenty of fireworks coming up, both in the 'burbs and right here in NYC. For example, next Wednesday the New York Philharmonic kicks off its series of free concerts in every borough, and there will be fireworks after all of the outdoor shows. There are also a couple of free family movie series starting up next week, including RiverFlicks for Kids in the West Village and Williamsburg's SummerStarz, plus Clearview Cinemas will be showing free kids' movies on Wednesday and Thursday mornings through the end of August.

You can find more info about all of these cool programs in our Summer Fun Guide. Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

(Photo: Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center)

Long Island seems to be decompressing from the Fourth this weekend, though the Independence Day celebration is going strong through the weekend--you'll find still more fireworks this Saturday. So grab a blanket, take the kids, and enjoy the fireworks shows! There's also a great toy show at Hofstra for all those collector dads (they might even bring the kids along!), and the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center is offering an essential camping skills class.

Anyone conscious the day the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Healthcare Act couldn't help but hear lots of opinions about what it all meant. Surprisingly, the cheers and jeers on both sides did little to help clarify how "Obamacare" is going to affect us as individuals.

Embrace your child’s inner Bam-Bam and Pebbles! Organic, holistic, eco-friendly...these words appeal to those moms who seek baby products that are all-natural and contain no harmful dyes, sprays, or materials. New Jersey moms are sassy, savvy, and not afraid to do research—and realizing sometimes green is the way to go when purchasing baby products. Below is Part 1 of our series on New Jersey-based companies that are riding the green wave and embracing Mother Nature!

Whether your family celebrated Independence Day last weekend, on the Fourth itself, or is taking advantage of the mid-week holiday to get a full week’s time off, we hope you had a happy and safe Fourth of July.

Although summer officially arrived over two weeks ago, many summer programs move in to gear in the days ahead. We’ve highlighted several of these programs below, and be sure to check our posts about outdoor movie screenings, free museum admissions, and our list of 50 free things to do this summer for more ideas. It’s also blueberry picking season (have you tried our blueberry buckle recipe?), and Tara has a review of the new World’s Only Curious George Store - if you find yourself with a free afternoon, it’s worth the visit!

As always, you can find more things to do by visiting our Events Calendar.

Enjoy!

I don't know about you, but as I plan for this weekend, I still have a little bit of a fireworks hangover. You know: echoing booms and elusive flashes of light around the edges of my vision. No worries - the fun that's in store for us this weekend will make all those red, white, and booms a thing of the past.  We've got multi-generational drum circles,  movies for everyone from tots to tweens to polar bears, stories from the Silk Road, magicians, puppeteers, and cowboys.  We've...hold the phone...

Okay,  that's weird. Could have sworn I saw a Jedi in a track suit.  Perhaps those fireworks addled my brain more than I realized. Anyway, did I mention the music festivals?  There's LevittLA and Manhattan Beach; and Santa Monica Pier's Twilight Dance begins this Thursday,  and ...

...There!  On the Pier!  You can't tell me I didn't see that: Jabba the Hut is stretching his hamstrings!  There can only be one explanation: a 5-day light saber relay from Santa Monica down to San Diego. The Course for the Force raises funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation and gives aspiring Jedi a chance to strut their stuff. Now if only the room would stop spinning.

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