This weekend is about more than just the long weekend (though it is a long weekend). This weekend asks us to examine the power of the individual: to do good, to achieve, to entertain and inform.

Whether your skill is trick shotting, krill eating, or sheep herding, whether your area of expertise is geekdom or brick-building or onomatopoeia, this weekend reminds us that we can all rise up and achieve great things.

On Monday in particular, we look at the American presidency and the power of one individual to impact the lives of so many. LA is lucky to have two presidential libraries in the region, both of which offer up observances of the holiday. Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you are going to do with your kids on this long weekend. 

Read on for our most statesmanlike picks for this weekend …

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'" This weekend, families can join together to answer that question, by participating in the MLK Day of Service. A day spent giving back is just one way to honor Dr. King's memory. There are parades, celebrations, and concerts throughout the weekend to bring our families and communities together in honor of his legacy.

Little ones can learn from Dr. King's example as well, with a number of events this weekend particularly geared toward young children. Kids can listen to inspiring stories , participate in service projects, and share their dreams for the future.

Inspiration can be found on other fronts with founding fathers  and kung fu figure skaters, blood moons and behind the scenes, bulldogs and boars, ephemeral art and fast moving motocross, high flying acrobats and dancing on, what do call em? feet, all serving as examples of what one can achieve. Now is a good time to ask our children: how do you try to make a difference? And where do you find your inspiration?

Keep reading for some of our most inspired picks for this weekend.

Happy Holidays, folks! We're smack dab in the middle of a festivity frenzy, with Christmas and Kwanzaa coming on strong. (Those of us who are been-there, dreidel'd-that, done with Hanukkah can turn our attention to the Baby New Year's impending arrival. And Mary Poppins!)

This weekend offers the last chance to put the finishing touches on Christmas, before the big guy comes down the chimney late Monday night. Across Southern California, lights are twinkling, nuts are cracking, and reindeer are romping, as moms and dads scramble to buy last minute gifts (while finding time for a seasonal spectacle or two).

And then comes Christmas. No doubt many of you plan to spend Christmas Day at home with friends and family. For those of you looking for activities outside the home, good news: we're here to help. First up, we offer 25 Things To Do on Christmas Day. And if your kitchen closes on Christmas Day, we present a list of restaurants that are open. Christmas is the gift that keeps on giving, and after the presents are all exchanged we can still enjoy the gift of other people being gone. (Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the freeways much more bearable.) For holiday cheer that continues on into next week, might we suggest some of LA's finest Christmas light displays, or some in Orange County (and, if you're willing to spend a little, some holiday light displays are worth the ticket price). 

And this year we have a special surprise under our tree: Mommy Poppins has just launched sites in Washington, DC and Chicago!  Thank you, Santa, it's exactly what we wanted!