Susan Miele

Latest posts by Susan

Mostly Free and Fun Things to Do This Weekend with Westchester Kids: Super Bowl Cooking, Frozen Party, Chess Tournament and More, Jan. 31-Feb. 1

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 01/28/2015 - 9:00pm

If your family has cabin fever from snow days, don’t despair--we’ve assembled our top picks for the coming weekend in Westchester to help get everyone out of the house and back in action.

In light of this being Super Bowl weekend, we’re excited about the special edition of Let's Cook Together!, where little kids and their big grown-ups can jointly prepare a festive Bowl-worthy meal. Also on the sports theme is We Got Game: Sports on Film, with a topic you’ll probably recall from when it garnered considerable media attention--and debate.

Need a little mental stimulation after the abbreviated school week? There’s the Annual Chess Tournament, a history lesson at Old-Time Carpentry and nature study at Marvelous Moths: Grand Opening Weekend.

If you’re feeling like you just want to kick back and be entertained, try the much-lauded B.Y.O.K. (Bring Your Own Kids) Concert Series: Joanie Leeds & the Nightlights or Free Concert: Yonkers Philharmonic. For more interactive entertainment, there’s Danceworks for Children.

Finally, you’re sure to be a hero when you take your child to the Frozen Party--which is FREE!

Check out our Event Calendar for even more great activities, as well as our roundup of the best places to go sledding in Westchester. Read on for details about this weekend's top picks.

Weekday Picks for Westchester Kids: Teen Super Bowl Party, Camp Fair, Frogs and More, January 26-30

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 01/25/2015 - 5:00pm

If the recent weather kept you home, get back in your groove at any of the many great indoor programs happening this week in Westchester! We’ve culled our top picks for you, but it was really hard to choose--there are a lot of noteworthy things scheduled, so be sure to comb through them on our Events Calendar after reading the ones we’ve highlighted below.

In addition to international flavor with Taste of Korea, getting hands on with Fascinating Frogs and a jumpstart on summer with the Yorktown Camp Fair, our calendar also includes open mic night for kids, square dancing, a 50^th anniversary event for Dr. Who and more! As always, most of these events are FREE!

If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and activities throughout Westchester and Lower Hudson Valley.

Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Cold Spring: Top Picks for Family Dining & Dessert

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sat, 01/24/2015 - 12:00pm

We continue our month-long coverage of Cold Spring with a look at restaurants and other eateries. Though Cold Spring is small, there's a reliable cadre of restaurants to choose from, most of which are on Main Street and all of which are within walking distance of the MetroNorth station. Outdoor seating is a staple.

You won't find changing tables in the bathrooms or kids-eat-free deals, but the places we've highlighted are all welcoming of children and very laid back. For those craving sweets, your best bet is ice cream, but be forewarned, there are several excellent spots for that, so you'll have to try them all!

Read on for our top picks for dining with families in Cold Spring. Also, be sure to check out our Winter Fun Guide and Indoor Activity Guide for ideas to keep kids busy all season long. And if you haven't already, sign up for our FREE newsletters to have our latest content delivered right to your inbox.

Mostly Free and Fun Things to Do This Weekend with Westchester Kids: Bodypainting Day, Performances, Workshops and More, Jan. 24-25

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 01/21/2015 - 5:00pm

Winter is proving to be an exciting time in Westchester with tons to do despite the freezing temperatures! This coming weekend in particular is full of entertainment and hands-on education.

With so many performances of various genres happening this weekend—it’ll be hard to choose! We've rounded up a magic show, plays, concerts and even a visual-arts performance dubbed Nyack Bodypainting Day. For even more upcoming shows, check out our roundup of kid-friendly performances happening through March.

Several compelling classes and workshops are also being offered this weekend, including Maker Day, NASA Ambassador David High and Intro to the Instruments, to name a few. The annual Toy and Train Show also returns to Westchester.

We've culled even more activities on our Event Calendar, plus find the month's highlights on our January GoList! Read on for details about this weekend's top picks.

Weekday Picks for Westchester Kids: Spelling Bee, Stuffed Animal Tea Party, MLK Day and More, January 19-23

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 01/18/2015 - 5:00pm

The winter months can sometimes feel dreary and uninspiring. But we can't hibernate all season and, honestly, why should we when there are so many fun things to do throughout Westchester? The coming week is chock full of appealing events happening all over town! There are numerous ways to celebrate MLK Day, plus indoor (i.e. warm) activities throughout the week including crafts, performances and more.

This week kicks off with a school holiday and we've got details below on exploring its true meaning with MLK Day Singing Parade and Celebration. Another favorite this week is the return of the Scarsdale Library Spelling Bee, where local contestants test their whits…er, wits…in a friendly competition (last year’s losing word was “mischievous”). If cuteness is what you’re after, the Stuffed Animal Tea Party is surely a good bet.

Read on for our top weekday picks, click through for details and visit our Events Calendar for even more great things to do!

If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and activities throughout Westchester and Lower Hudson Valley.

Weekday Picks for Westchester Kids: Paranormal Investigation, FAFSA 101 and More, January 12-16

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 01/11/2015 - 5:00pm

This is our second installment of the new Mommy Poppins roundup of weekday events for kids in Westchester--and wait till you see what’s in store! The winter chill has finally arrived, so this week we’re highlighting indoor activities to keep your kids both busy and warm. While our Events Calendar is full of additional activities of interest, below are some of our top picks—one for every day, Monday through Friday. Click through for event details.

Whether your interest lies in crafting, college financial aid, healthy snacking or even paranormal investigation, we’ve got the activity for your family. What’s more, all our weekday top picks this week are FREE! So read on to learn more about Huma Beads and Popcorn Party, FAFSA 101, Paranormal/Ghost Investigation and more.

If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and activities throughout Westchester and Lower Hudson Valley.

Mostly Free & Fun Things to Do This Weekend with Westchester Kids: Forest Magic, Camp Fair, How to Pay for College and More, Jan. 10-11

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 01/07/2015 - 5:00pm

As our focus shifts from the festive holiday season to the cold winter ahead, it may be hard to muster up the motivation to head out of the house. While the temperatures may dip, the little ones will still grow restless. Luckily, there are plenty of enriching and fun activities throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley, including a wide variety of events this coming weekend!

It may be January, but that doesn’t mean that outdoor nature programs have come to an end. There’s Birding Hike, Winter Walk and Forest Magic to name a few. Bundle up!

If the arts are what you’re after, you can collaborate with artists at Live Art Fest, enjoy a FREE performance at Shakespeare in the Church, kick up your heels at Danceworks or Walk to the Beat Workshop Series: Square Dancing or get crafty at Model Magic Winter Wonderland.

Also happening this weekend are a couple of informative programs for parents: Financial Aid: How to Pay for College and Summer Camp and Teen Program Fair.

That's not all! Consult our Event Calendar and January GoList for lots more. Also sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter to get top picks delivered straight to your inbox--both our weekend roundup and our newly launched weekday highlights.

Introducing Weekday Picks for Westchester Kids: Poetry Slam, Teen DIY, & Passport Fridays January 5-9

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 01/04/2015 - 8:00pm

Happy New Year! With a new year comes a new feature for Mommy Poppins Westchester--a weekly roundup of top weekday events, brought to you in a Monday morning newsletter. Similar to our weekend roundups, we'll highlight fun things to do with kids all week long. This means that subscribers will hear from us twice a week in 2015: once with weekday highlights, and once with weekend fun. If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and activities throughout Westchester and Lower Hudson Valley.

Below, we’ve singled out our favorite event for each weekday, Monday through Friday, for the coming week. There are a lot of great roll-up-your-sleeves events and a particular hotbed of activity for tweens or teens--like Teen DIY and Poetry SLAM and Open Mic. Four of the five are FREE! Click through for event details, but don’t stop there--be sure to peruse our Events Calendar for even more events happening around town.