After reading this wonderful tip on giving thanks, I thought I'd test it out, and on the morning after Thanksgiving I suggested that my family talk about people who deserved our thanks (but weren't in the room). My wife thanked her new boss (for hiring her). My mother-in-law thanked her other daughter (for driving her to doctors appointments and other necessary "errands"). My daughter thanked her new teachers (for being nice). I thanked my son's baseball coach (for being inspiring). And who do you think my son--the seven-year-old master of sarcasm--thanked? "The man who invented television."

*For holiday shopping inspiration, we've compiled some fabulous toy and gift guides from across the web. First, scroll through New York Family's Wish List Wonders for cute wooden classics like Manny & Simon's wooden roller duck. Next, view our big gift guide at The Season Of Gifting. You'll find everything from practical winter-weather gear from The North Face and appaman and a modern dollhouse by Brinca Dada. Then, check out all the other great round-ups we found for parents ranging from Cool Mom Tech's focus on electronic goodies to Inhabitot's ideas for green gifts--with call-outs of our favorite finds!  

*NYC is the place to be at Christmastime, if not for the holiday shopping then for the Christmas trees! From an origami tree at the Museum of Natural History to nearly 40 blocks of firs down Park Avenue, here are ten of the city's coolest trees with twinkling lights.  

*What's winter without a big ski trip? For cold weather havens for the whole family, read our Where Rugged Meets Retreat story for great ideas on where to go for snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing and, of course, skiing! The list includes faraway favorites in Colorado, as well as resorts within driving distance. 

*The next stop on the New York Family Camp Fair tour is next weekend! On the afternoon of Sunday, December 11 at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School (33 Central Park West), families can start to find the right day camp or sleep-away camp for their children. Produced with the ACA of NY & NJ, the camp fairs are free, fun (children are welcome) and incredibly helpful--allowing parents to meet with directors from dozens of summer camps, all under one roof. RSVP now at newyorkfamilycamps.com.

*Listening to music has never been so adorable. Utatama's pocket-sized puffy speaker pals can connect to any portable music player. For on-the-go tunes, attach a little frog, bunny, cat or owl to a backpack or belt loop. These sweet little critters can play up to six hours of music. $45, ahalife.com  

*The award-winning author Melissa Sweet brings us Balloons Over Broadway--the story behind Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and its iconic helium-filled wonders. In this true tale, children learn how puppeteer Tony Sarg created the floating spectacles that delight families in NYC. $16.99, hmhbooks.com 

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: To relive the wonder of the parade balloons, we're giving away five  copies of the book! Send us an email with the subject line "Melissa Sweet." Then, post on our Facebook Page telling us about your child's favorite balloon in the parade (or yours). Deadline to enter is Wednesday, December 7.       

*Love the Muppets? The youthful sweetness of a fuzzy Kermit or Miss Piggy hat-scarf-combo--with pockets to boot--can't be denied. Keep your kiddies warm all winter with SpiritHood gear. (Part of the company's proceeds go to animal welfare non-profits!) $99, spirithoodskids.com 

*This once fearsome herbivore, the eco-friendly Torosaurus, is awfully cute shrunk down to anamalz size. With bendy legs and soft textile accents, wooden anamalz toys are great for imaginative play. And we have three to give away! To enter, send an email to familygiveaways@manhattanmedia.com with the subject line "Anamalz." Deadline to enter is Wednesday, December 7.

*Could your child be the next Bobby Flay or Rachael Ray? Encourage culinary creativity with this Green Toys Chef Set. Four readers will receive Chef Sets as part of our Holiday Toy Guide giveaway series! To enter, email  familygiveaways@manhattanmedia.com with the subject line "Chef Set." Then post on our Facebook Page telling us what you like to cook with your kids. Deadline is Friday, December 9.

*Vote for your favorite toys! The Toy Industry Association wants to know what you think of this year's games, dolls, activities and toys for kids. It's a great opportunity for holiday shoppers to peruse the industry's chosen items. So please help select the 2012 Toy Of The Year (TOTY) Awards by voting in 11 different categories like educational, innovative and outdoor toys. And if you vote in at least three categories you can register to win the "America Loves TOTY Sweepstakes." For more information and to vote, check out toyawards.org.    

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