Every year I find myself googling the same information - how do I make sure that my Christmas tree ends up being made into mulch and not heaped in the landfill. In fact, I usually start the season by googling around trying to decide how guilty I should feel about having a Christmas tree at all and is there some other alternative that would be cool, environmental and not make my children feel like I'd killed Santa Claus. I am happy to announce that after years of debating this whole issue I have finally come to a concrete conclusion. So here is my Definitive Guide to a Greener Christmas Tree Experience from the question of getting the tree to the question of getting rid of it:

Welcome to Mommy Poppins. Click here to go directly our virtual food drive.

Confronted with the statistic that one out of every five children in the U.S. is food insecure, a friend expressed incredulity. "How can that be true? I don’t know a single person like that.” That's the tricky thing about hunger today. Not only has the demographic of who suffers from hunger changed, it's a problem happening right under our noses without us realizing it.

Sometimes situations that lead to food insecurity are complicated. And, let’s face it, people don't introduce themselves by saying, “By the way, I don’t have enough money to feed my children” unless they are panhandling on the street. I speak from experience because I was food insecure as a child, and most of the people around me had no idea, outside of one English teacher who frequently bought me a bagel for lunch if I hadn't eaten that day.

That’s why I’m proud to sponsor Unilever Project Sunlight, a program that brings awareness to the issue of hunger in America and encourages supporters to Share A Meal to fight childhood hunger. I hope you’ll consider joining me in our virtual food drive. Our goal is to raise $1500 through Feeding America, and if we reach it, Mommy Poppins will double the amount by adding an additional $1500 donation.

A preschool tour is the best opportunity for parents to get a feel for a school before tackling the admissions process. Hopefully, you see the school in action, or at least check out what the classrooms look like. Keep your eyes open for important details. What type of student work is on display? Do the kids seem happy and engaged? How do the teachers interact with them?

When you're on the tour, don't be shy about asking questions. This is your chance! "Parents should ask as many questions as they want to help understand and grasp our program's philosophy," says Lisa Pacheco, center director at Children’s Creative Learning Center. Jennifer Jones of Battery Park Montessori and the Pine Street School adds, "I encourage parents to ask questions based on their personal priorities for their children. For example, if the child is physically active and the parents are concerned about it, they should ask how the school will satisfy the child's need for physical expression." Open-ended questions are best, as they tend to reveal more about the school. For example, "How do you support literacy?" is better than, "When do you teach the alphabet?"

Here are the top 10 topics to ask about when you're visiting preschools.