We aked Westchester Family readers to vote on their family favorites and the votes have finally been tallied. Look who the big winners are in the 2019 Family Favorites contest. Best Ice Cream? Best Birthday Party Place? Best Dance Studio - learn the answers to that and much more ... Read more…

Feeding Your Family: School is starting and yes we all want our kiddos to eat healthy during the school day. We know it’s best for their physical and mental health. Sending a lunch box is a good way to offer healthy foods. We also know that we are all overextended, plus tired and groggy at 7 a.m. Let’s get a realistic take on the lunch box — let’s even get a wee bit lazy. Read more…

Contests: Enter to win A Little Book of Magical Stickers that includes 20 huge designs and more than 150 mini ones! The book features everything magical and mysterious - perfect for this time of year! Read more…

Activities: Summer in Westchester can feel so … manufactured. Between splash pads, amusement parks, zoo trips, and indoor play places where the air conditioning is cranked up, come September we long for some unfiltered fresh air. There’s no better way to detox from chlorine and hot plastic play equipment than a trip to an orchard to pick apples the good old-fashioned way. Our favorite spot to get back to nature is on Hardscrabble Road in North Salem, home to Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard and its neighbor Outhouse Orchards. Read more…

Technology: There are countless books, articles, and blogs perpetuating the idea that every child needs to learn to code. We’ve all heard “coding is the new literacy,” and “learning to code is essential to prepare kids for the future.” While programming skills will absolutely be in high demand as we move toward a future filled with automation, robots, and artificial intelligence, it’s not necessary to subscribe to the idea that every kid needs to become a coding expert. From seven plus years of experience teaching thousands of children and teens in all aspects of creative technology, I’ve made a simple observation: some kids are wired to be coders and others are better suited pursuing more creative aspects of technology. Read more…

Contests: Enter to win Hot Dots Jr., featuring Pete the Cat. This educational learning set helps makes learning fun for preschoolers and kindergartners. Kids learn about reading, math, science, social studies and more! Read more…

Activities: Everyone is heading back to school, but that doesn’t mean family outings must stop. Make a little time for some good family fun this season. Yes, the top fun-for-all family activity in September is apple picking. You can easily get apples in the grocery store, but here in the Northeast pick-your-own is a time-honored tradition. Read more…

Relationships: While not a public holiday, Grandparents Day is in fact a national holiday. President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation on Aug. 3, 1978 declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. Read more…

Feeding Your Family: Fruit. It’s the best kind of dessert, wrapped up by nature in a convenient and wholesome package. And summer is the best time to find the sweetest, freshest, seasonal local pickings. So many great fruits are grown right here in the Westchester region; they don’t have to travel thousands of miles, losing quality and nutritional value along the way. With the variety of fruits available now, this is the perfect time to encourage children to try all the colors of the rainbow. Read more…

Hot Topics: When my children compile their summer bucket list, I know they will include one outing that gives me a nervous twitch. They always want to go to the water park. Read more…

Nutrition: Promote your children’s hands-on learning by helping them open a neighborhood lemonade stand. Refresh yourself and your neighbors by featuring something slightly different – Watermelon Lemonade from Whole Foods Market. Read more…