All of NYC seems to be illuminated in honor of the holidays. While there are some really spectacular light displays in the outer boroughs, you can find a few fun ones in Manhattan, too. (Our photo was snapped on 117th Street and Madison Avenue.)

Like last week, we were very holiday heavy this week, with posts about Hanukkah celebrations, awesome pop-up shops, winter break camps and other holiday fun.

This is the season for giving, and we've been really moved by how much our readers have given to our holiday food drive. We are less than $500 from our $2,500 goal, which will feed 10,000 hungry NYC children this holiday. Our drive ends on Monday, December 19. We hope as you dash around town buying cool gifts and having fun that you'll consider helping us meet our goal.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

It may not feel much like December, but it's sure beginning to look a lot like the holiday season. Department stores have unveiled their magical holiday windows, Santa has set up shop at lots of NYC spots and various productions of The Nutcracker are dancing around town.

This week we officially launched our 2011 Holiday Fun and Holiday Gift Guides. While we've already updated many of our annual posts, we'll continue to add new info throughout December, so check back regularly for more seasonal fun. Also, please consider supporting Mommy Poppins holiday food drive. We launched it last week and the response has been really heartwarming. As our founder Anna explains in the post, our appeal is very personal.

This week we also wrapped up our series of posts about the Upper West Side. Even if you live there, we think you may find out about a great toy store, restaurant or play spot you didn't know of.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

This week was all about Thanksgiving. Now that the parade is done and the turkey's been eaten, we're turning our attention to the holiday season. Black Friday sales are here, and the first big tree lighting of the season at South Street Seaport is on Friday night. There are also a bunch of spectacular illuminations and celebrations next week, including Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square, the Holiday Lighting Extravaganza at the Winter Garden and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

While holiday fetes are fun, one of the best things to do at this time of year is give back to your community. In addition to launching a MommyPoppins food drive to help 10,000 NYC children this holiday season, we updated our post on volunteering with kids in NYC and we even have suggestions for ways you can help without leaving home. We'll continue to update our Holiday Fun and Holiday Gift Guides over the next few weeks, so be sure to check back throughout the season.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.