New England's beautiful fall foliage is here again, and that means pumpkins on the porch, in our pies and muffins, and even in our coffee. Picking a pumpkin is a fall ritual for many, and the perfect excuse to get outside on a crisp afternoon. Fairfield County has more than a few great spots to pick out your soon-to-be jack-o'-lantern, and most places offer activities like corn mazes and hayrides as well as mouth-watering cider donuts and other goodies. If you live in central Connecticut, look for your dream pumpkin at one of these patches near Hartford; and no matter where you live in the state, you'll find even more ideas to keep busy this season in our Fall Fun Guide.

There's no shortage of shoreline in Fairfield County, but that doesn't mean you won't pine for an outdoor swimming pool from time to time.  Finding one you're allowed to use, however, may be more challenging than finding an affordable beach.  Many towns have never had them.  Others have shut them down for safety/insurance reasons.  That leaves a handful of town pools, and those at private clubs (and ok, yes, countless backyard pools, but we're assuming you gave up your fence-hopping days when Junior came along).  Mommy Poppins has done some digging, and found a handful you can pay to take a dip in for the day. 

Preschool. How could something so full of fun and games be so, so, so agonizingly difficult to select?!  Surely, there was a time when it was either 'the one around the corner,' or that 'Montessori one across town'. No more. The Montessori approach has been joined by Bank Street, Project Approach, and Reggio Emilia (and no doubt, others I've never heard of). There's also a wide range in cost. And scheduling. And wait for it…admissions requirements. There are easily hundreds, if not thousands of options for preschool in Fairfield County. Mommy Poppins and her friends have, at least, HEARD good things about the following preschools, or have children enrolled in them. Surely, we've missed some good ones, so please jump into the conversation and let us know where they are (especially you city dwellers out there - Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport)!