Welcome Houston and More Exciting Mommy Poppins News

I’m thrilled to announce that Mommy Poppins is now in Houston! Our local Houston moms have been running all over town to get the inside scoop on the best attractions and activity ideas and share their tips with you. Already the Houston site has loads of information from 24 fun family fest in October to Houston restaurants where kids eat free, 25 splash pads for keeping cool, great advice for finding a local nanny, and so much more. And we’re already starting to load up our family event calendar and local business directories, too.

Newsletter subscribers will get our first weekly email with the top weekend activities this Thursday. If you’re not signed up, sign up now and tell your friends! Don’t forget to like Mommy Poppins Houston on Facebook, too, and make our page a favorite so you don’t miss out on the latest news, highlights, and giveaways.

We’re so excited about our new Houston community, but that’s not all we’ve had in the works. Those of you who are long-time readers know that we totally revamped our website in February. Boy, was that a lot of work! Since our launch we’ve continued to develop more improvements to make it easier to find what you are looking for in the vast amount of information we have. Apparently, it’s not that easy to build a website when you have over 20,000 articles, 5000 listings, and 450 guides to manage! I thought this might be a good time to quickly run through some of those changes that you might not have noticed yet.

Oktoberfest for Families: Kinderfest at Old World in Huntington Beach

Oktoberfest conjures up images of raucous crowds in beer halls, but Old World in Huntington Beach turns the fall tradition into a family event on Sunday afternoons with Kinderfest. This is a great thing to know if your personal limit on pumpkins, ghosts, and haunted houses is in danger of being met; adult fun with a childish (and canine!) twist is on offer all month in the OC.

Koreatown with Kids: Best Places to Shop, Eat, and Play

One of the best reasons to endure the cost of living and the crowded streets of New York City is just how easy it is to explore other cultures with your kids. There are vibrant ethnic enclaves around every corner, but few quite as vibrant as Midtown Manhattan's Koreatown.

Developed in the 1980s, this small enclave can be found between West 31st and West 33rd Streets and Fifth Avenue and Broadway. The main drag is Korea Way, aka West 32nd Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Although the district is small, really just two city blocks, it is packed with more than 100 shops and restaurants. If you can't see them, look up. Much like Seoul, the businesses in K-Town are stacked on top of each other to maximize space.  

We've rounded up 13 of the best places to explore in Manhattan's Koreatown as a family, so read on before your next outing. Peruse our Neighborhood Guides for more NYC nabes to explore, including those in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Houston's Fall & Winter Family Fun Runs

Fall marks the beginning of a lot of things, from Pumpkin Spice-flavored everything, (slightly) cooler weather, and race season for all of Houston's running enthusiasts. Interested in doing something active and fun with the whole family? Look no further than this list of family fun runs happening throughout the Houston area over the next few months. Whether you're a seasoned runner, weekend warrior, stroller strider, or someone who just wants to get outdoors and do something different with the family, there's a race on this list for you. 

11 Long Island Tree Lighting Ceremonies

The holiday season inspires many of us to take in a holiday show, shop for gifts and drink hot cocoa, and, of course, attend a tree lighting ceremony to kick off the season the right way. Rockefeller Center may only be a train ride away, but there are plenty of festive and spectacular tree lighting ceremonies right on Long Island. Here are 11 tree lighting events that are taking place across Nassau and Suffolk counties this season.

Swale: Floating Food Forest Docks at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Albeit temporary, a brand new installation, Swale, has made its home at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and we are thoroughly impressed. Swale is both a sculpture by talented artist, Mary Mattingly, and a functioning farm located on a barge made from recycled materials. Beyond the beautiful setting is a hands-on learning opportunity showcasing the impact of food sustainability, as well as demonstrating value in reusing our planet's natural resources. Oh, and did we mention that this exhibit is FREE?

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