This week we are all gearing up for Thanksgiving with cooking, craft and travel tips for families. Are you ready for Black Friday? There have been years when I've been at Toys R Us or Target before 7am, but I don't think that's going to be the case this year - I think I'm going to be doing mostly online shopping as opposed to braving the crowds at the stores.  Be sure to keep checking our blog because we're posting some great holiday gift ideas as well as special deals from some great online stores such as Disney Store, Amazon.com, the Gap and more.   If you are choosing the venture out on Friday morning, remember that Black Friday shopping isn't for amateurs so check out our tips below.

We also want to let you know about a major recall on cribs. Consumer safety officials say drop-side cribs made by Stork Craft can cause suffocation or other injuries. The federal agency in charge of product safety announced the recall of 2.1 million cribs yesterday, citing defective hardware that can cause toddlers and infants to suffocate. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said parents should immediately stop using Stork Craft drop-side cribs, which are made by Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. About 1.2 million of the cribs have been distributed in the United States. Read more information about this recall. >>>

Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. We are thankful for all of our businesses, sponsors and especially our readers.

Have a great week!

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.

If you're tired of listening to lyrics like "hot potato, hot potato" or "I love you, you love me" and think it would be fun to rock out with your kids, you'll definitely want to check out the new album from Bari Koral Family Rock Band, Rock & Roll Garden. It's rock & roll enough for parents and kid enough for kids, and everyone will absolutely love it.

Originally from Merrick and East Meadow, Bari Koral got her start in kids music performing at the Long Island Chidlren's Museum.  This weekend, Bari, along with her band, will be returning to perform at the LICM, November 27 & 28^th at 1pm and 3pm.   Admission to the shows is $4 with museum admission ($3 for LICM members), or $8 for theater only. LICM is located at 11 Davis Avenue in Garden City.

Last week, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Bari and find out more about our fellow Long Islander. Read our interview on our blog here.

Here's a few tips on keeping kids entertained if your family is traveling out of town for the holiday weekend.

• A few toys  Remember that you do not have to take every toy your child owns.  You'll be surprised at how many things will entertain them at your destination. 
• Books
• Coloring books/crayons (stay away from magic markers)
• Stickers
• Play-doh Bring only a few colors and let your child play with one color at a time.  This doesn't have to be messy.  (We'd recommend Play-doh for a plane trip as opposed to a car ride.)
  
• Magnet board & magnets, Magnadoodle, Etch-a-Sketch
• A few legos
• Box of fun band aids is great for 18 month olds through 3 year olds. The process of unwrapping and applying to self will keep child absorbed and if they have a favorite character on them, they're even better.
  
• Wrap a few small gifts to be distributed throughout the day. It gives them something to look forward to when the boredom sets in.
• Fun snacks
• Electronics: Portable DVD players are wonderful-they are small & easy to travel with (car adapters & extra batteries are available). They keep even young children entertained if you bring the right videos. You are also not depending on the airline choices for long trips. For older kids, Gameboys/Nintendo DS/Ipod's provide hours of entertainment.
• For older kids: Give each of the kids a roll of quarters. Every time they misbehave, take 1 quarter from the person(s) responsible. Once you reach your destination, the child can spend the money they have left on whatever they choose.

Have your own tips? Let us know and we'll use them before the Christmas holidays when many families are traveling!  Send an e-mail to info@liparentsource.com or post a comment to our blog.

We've put together some great tips to help get you through Black Friday power shopping with your sanity intact. Plan early, don't get crazy, and you just might save some money!

1. Preview the Black Friday ads and have a shopping plan - Where will you shop? What will you buy? Plot a map of the stores you want to shop at... use that GPS, baby! You don't want to find yourself going back and forth all over town. Don't wait until last minute to plan your shopping trip. Many stores are also having sales this week and one day only specials.

2. Arrive early for doorbuster deals. Most stores have limited quantities (especially of popular toys and electronics), so if you really want a certain item at that price you have to get there before everyone else. Each year it gets a little more difficult with stores opening earlier and earlier. So pick your favorite and go there first.

3. Shop with several reusable bags instead of a cart. You can maneuver better through the store and won't be stuck in 'shopping cart traffic'. This works great if there aren't extra-large items on the list. Plus, there are usually more shoppers than available carts.

4. Leave the little ones at home. If you're serious about getting the good deals, do not take the little ones! Lines are long, people can be crazy and they will definitely slow you down and probably be much safer at home. Try and trade babysitting for shopping - if Grandma comes early to watch the kids, pick up some gifts that are on her list too.  Teenagers can also babysit, or be bribed to come along and help shop.

5. Use the buddy system. If you make a shopping list and realize there is no way you can get all the doorbusters you want, recruit a friend...preferably a fast-moving one! Let's say you both want doorbusters at two separate stores that open at the same time. Make a list and you shop at one store for both you and your friend and your friend shops at the other store for you. This way both of you can get the deals you want. Here is another idea for 'shopping buddies'.

6. Be safe and don't get crazy! Don't push, shove or fight others over a deal. Show fellow shoppers decency and respect.  We all remember the incident at Walmart right here on Long Island last year - no savings are worth anyone getting hurt. Also, keep your purse and wallet on you at all times and put packages in the trunk and out of site if going from store to store.

7. Have Fun. Enjoy yourself and don't take Black Friday too seriously. If an item is sold out, it's sold out. No need to join the 'angry mob' (I'm sure you've seen these people who start yelling and get so mad an item is sold out when the ad specifically says limited qualities). Just relax, sip a latte and have fun shopping. Now that you've ran off the turkey you ate the day before, you deserve to go home, snuggle up and enjoy a good nap!

The Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments are participating in "Buckle Up New York, Click It or Ticket" through November 29.  The goal of this program is to increase compliance with safety belt and child seat usage to reduce serious injuries and fatailities resluting from motor vehicle accidents.  There will be checkpoints across Long Island and there will be a zero tolerance policy, so buckle up!

The laws relating to seat belts are:

• All front seat occupants must wear a seat belt.
• All back seat passengers ages 7 through 15 must wear a seat belt.
• All children less than 4 years old must be restrained in a federally-approved child safety seat or a booster seat (a child restraint system that is used along with seat belts). Note that a general rule is that a child needs to be at least 40 pounds to be safe in a booster seat.  If you're unsure of the type of seat your child should be in, check with your pediatrician.
  
• As of yesterday (November 24, 2009) all children ages 4 through 8 must be properly restrained in an appropriate child restraint system that meets the child's height and weight recommendations, according to the child restraint manufacturer.
• Drivers are responsible for passengers under age 16 who are found to be in violation of the law.

For more information about New York State's Buckle Up New York, Click it or Ticket initiative, click here >>>