The days are warmer, the produce is ripening and it's a great time of year to get the kids involved in choosing healthy fresh food ingredients. You may not immediately think of Hudson County as offering many options in that department; we all know it offers close proximity to NYC, museums, fabulous restaurants, but the truth is Hudson County offers 12 fantastic Farmer’s Markets, so check out our list of Hudson County Farmer’s Markets by city and get Jersey Fresh with your NJ kids and families!

At Mommy Poppins we don't just inspire our readers, we inspire each other! After hearing about our founder Anna's trip to the Guggenheim's Gutai exhibit with her nine-year-old, I decided to take my seven-year-old. That's her in the pic, having a blast literally leaving her mark on a piece called "Please Draw Freely." It's a thought-provoking show that prompted my daughter to start thinking about what constitutes art. Gutai closes next week, so it's your last chance to check it out and enter to win our Guggenheim giveaway.

It's a new month, which means it's time to get out your calendar. Our NYC, New Jersey and Connecticut sites all posted their May Go Lists, highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout the month. With spring kicking into high gear, there are lots of amazing free festivals and fairs, plus Mother's Day is on the horizon. Speaking of the holiday, in addition to our posts about fancy brunch spots and readers' restaurant picks, we came up with five unique Mother's Day brunch ideas in NYC that offer more than just a meal. Meanwhile our Boston site has three easy recipes kids can make for mom on her big day, and our Travel site has Mother's Day getaway deals.

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

Our weekend calendar is packed with fun and free things to do in and around Boston this weekend. From the return of the Birds of Prey at the Stone Zoo and the Open Arts Day at Arsenal Center for the Arts on Saturday to the Harvard Square May Fair on Sunday, the weekend is filled with festivals and celebrations. Read on for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to check our Events Calendar for even more ideas.

What else will you find on Mommy Poppins Boston this week? We’ve rounded up some of the great learn to sail programs that are available for kids in and around Boston. And Kristin shares some tips for planning a toddler birthday party at home in Boston. Yes, you can bring a bouncy house into your living room! Mother’s Day is only a week away; you may want to consider a special meal at home (giving you plenty of time to get to The One Family Music Festival to support The One Fund!). And for families looking for more ways to volunteer and help out those in need, Tara has some insights in her family volunteering post.

Enjoy!

Now that the weather is getting warmer, it can be dizzying trying to figure out what to do with the kids. The options are endless, and thanks to Mommy Poppins CT, we help you break it down. Our list of Best Things to Do in Connecticut: May 2013 will help you plan your calendar for the month so you don't miss any of the fun happenings around the state.

Are you ready for some free fun? Because there's plenty of it this weekend. Spring festival season kicks into high gear with the return of the New Museum's biennial IDEAS CITY StreetFest, Hippo Playground's annual spring fair, a slew of school fairs and the NYC Irish Dance Festival, which kicks off this season of Summer on the Hudson.

Lots of our top event picks for the month of May take place this weekend as well, like the Super Sonic Kindie Music Festival, citywide volunteering initiative It's My Park Day and the New York Road Runners' no-cost Youth Jamboree. Plus there are free concerts by Gustafer Yellowgold and Sugar Free Allstars, the annual Cinco de Mayo Mexican Parade and free comic books will be given away in all five boroughs.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide. And if you're looking to plan out your entire month, check out the new edition of our NYC Go List, which highlights the absolute best things to do with kids throughout May.

Planning a toddler birthday at your house can be stressful, especially if you are like me, (a bit of a perfectionist) and want everything to be just so. There are two pieces of advice I can give here: (1) expect nothing to go “just so” and (2) hire entertainment. Here‘s some insight on the latter...