Welcome 2010! Not only the start of a new year but also the start of a new decade!  Can you believe it?  I've seen a lot of people discussing and blogging about what they were doing 10 years ago, as we welcomed 2000.  Personally so much has changed - 10 years ago, I was in heavy wedding planning mode and now am a wife, mom of two kids and a business owner.  How have times changed for you?  Let us know with a post on the thread entitled "10 Year Ago..." under the category General Chat in Parent Chat.

As we say goodbye, and in some cases good riddance, to 2009, we all look forward to what 2010 will bring.  There are so many exciting things going on in our world and we are eagerly awaiting a brand new year!

Although it has died down a little bit, people everywhere are still talking and worrying about the seasonal flu and H1N1.  Lysol is currently working with the CDC on the Ounce of Prevention Program, designed to teach kids about staying healthy.  To participate, visit www.oopkids.com with your child for fun games, puzzles and activities to teach them about personal hygiene, nutrition, exercise and safety.

Keep reading for some fantastic upcoming events and a refresher course on using our site!

Absolute Yoga in Woodbury has a 6 week session of Yogi Baby classes starting this month for parents and babies from newborn to active crawlers.  For more information, contact them at 516.682.YOGA.

Congratulations to Kenwal Day Camp for being voted one of the 2010 Best Camps on Long Island by the Long Island community and the Long Island Press!  If you have a child between the ages of 3 and 15 and are still thinking about what to do for the summer, call Kenwal Day Camp at 631.694.3399 to schedule your tour and see why they won this amazing honor!

If you love LIParentSource.com and want to join our team, now is the time! We are looking for outgoing and networked individuals to join our Sales Team.  If you're looking for a great part-time job where you can work from home and around your own schedule, e-mail your resume and cover letter to sales@liparentsource.com.  Previous sales experience is helpful, but not necessary.

Below is only a partial list of upcoming events and activities so be sure to click on our EVENT CALENDAR so you do not miss anything.

Use the PARENT PLANNER to click on events and resources you are interested in and click PRINT MY PLANNER to print or email your list.

LOCAL RESOURCES | PARENT PERKS DISCOUNTS | NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

If you're looking to update the pictures you carry in your wallet, take your family to CL!X Portrait Studios, located on Route 110 in Huntington.  At CLIX, picture taking is exciting and your end result is high quality, professional portraits that you can take home the same day.  The studio is fun, hip and now, and even has a toy area to entertain the kids. Services include portrait photography, special event photography, holiday cards, printing of digital photos from your camera and even birthday parties for your little girl!  CL!X offers a variety of portrait packages and programs to suit your needs and your wallet.  You can visit click online at www.ClixLongIsland.com or call them at 631.425.2900 to schedule your appointment.  Don't forget to visit Parent Perks for a great discount offer!

With so many new users signing on each day, we thought a refresher course in using our site was in order.  Even seasoned users might find something new, so whether you're new to the site or have been with us from the beginning, read our tips below!

1. Use our RESOURCE DIRECTORY to find information about any type of business that you need - preschools, day care centers, after school programs, camps, birthday party resources and anything else relating to families.  Our directory is super easy to navigate - simply click on the category you are looking for and you'll find all of the information that you need.  Are we missing a great resource? E-mail us and let us know.
2. Saving money is something that is important to every single family, especially given the current state of our economy. Visit PARENT PERKS to find money saving offers from the businesses that support our site. Each coupon is easily printable and can be used when you visit that business. Check back often since new discounts and offers are updated daily.  Another great way to find out about PARENT PERKS is to subscribe to our e-newsletter - you'll receive the latest Parent Perks delivered directly to your inbox on the first Tuesday of each month!
3. If you're looking for fun things to do with your family, friends or out of town guests, don't go any further than our EVENTS CALENDAR. Fully stocked and constantly updated, the EVENTS CALENDAR can help you plan your days, evenings and weekends - and many of the events that are listed are FREE!
4. Don't have time to check the site each day but still want up to the minute information? Subscribe to our RSS feeds and have our latest information delivered to your Google, AOL or Yahoo! home page or other RSS feed reader.  Not sure how it works? Let us know and we'll help you out.
5. Every time you log onto our home page, check the left side of the screen at the section entitled Current Highlights. Here you will find everything that's newly posted to our site including helpful links to contests, blog postings, classified ads, local perks, great events and more. This should always be your first stop on the site to see what's going on.
6. LIParentSource.com is interactive! Enter our contests, register for our newsletter, read and comment on our blog and send us your photos to post to our gallery. Always remember that our site is here for you - your continued participation will help us make LIParentSource.com be the most comprehensive resource for Long Island families!
7. Do you have gently used toys that your kids don't play with anymore? Are you looking for a babysitter? Or a job? Or are you a babysitter looking for more work? Visit our CLASSIFIEDS and browse the posted ads or post your own - it's free!
8. Here's a great way to keep track of all of the great resources you find on our site - the PARENT PLANNER! Next to each Local Resource within our directory and event on our calendar, you'll see a small link that says "Add to Planner". Click this links when you find something interesting and at the end of your visit, select PARENT PLANNER on the left side bar or from the drop-down menu at the top of your screen. You'll be brought to a new screen that includes all of the details of the items you selected, which you can print for your own use or e-mail to a friend. Either way, you save yourself valuable time by not having to write all of the information down. (Note: Parent Planner does not save from visit to visit).
9. Parents need to be able to connect with each other and get feedback and PARENT CHAT is a great place to start. Here you can read tips, information and questions or post your own and get answers sent directly to you without having to publicly post your e-mail address. All responses are sent via LIParentSource.com's contact manager and will arrive in your inbox.
10. We should always be teaching our kids about helping out families less fortunate than our own and different causes within our communities, but every family goes back to the same question - how do we do this? If you're trying to figure out a way to get your family involved, visit FAMILIES GIVING BACK. If you're a non-profit organization, post your needs here so families can learn how to help your group. On a monthly basis, we will profile one non-profit organization and post their wish list and information about their group to give families a little bit more insight into how they can help.

Questions? Comments? Never hesitate to drop us a note and tell us what we're doing right or if there's something that you don't want to see on our site. We ask for and welcome your feedback!