Hooray, it's Local Gems time! Today's Newton recommendations come from my friend Sharon Reilly, mom of three, blogger at ViolaCay, and cofounder of the Newton Kitchen Tour. Thanks for sharing these 11 local gems, Sharon! And be sure to check out the Arlington Center, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Coolidge Corner, Huron Village, Easton, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Medford, Natick, Watertown, and Wellesley features!

From Sharon:

Newton was founded in 1630 and is comprised of 13 villages, all with their own personality. We have a population of close to 80,000 in approx 18 square miles. So yeah, it's big. For today we're going to concentrate on the north part of Newton. Yes, the one with the gazillion dollar high school! There's no shortage of fine dining, high end boutiques, and hair salons, but I'm going to focus on my favorites as a mom! My parents both grew up in Newton. I have loved it forever and knew I wanted to raise my kids here.

1. The Cove/Lyons Park/Charles River Canoe and Kayak (Auburndale). My first gem is a giant space encompassing Charles River Kayak & Canoe, Lyons Park, and The Cove. These outdoor spaces are loosely connected and awesome places to take the kids. You can paddle your way down the Charles River and end up at The Cove, a park run by the city of Newton. You can take a walk through the woods and end up at Lyons Field where they play little league baseball under the lights on warm spring nights. It's magical, all of it. I have had two of my kids' birthday parties at The Cove (you can rent sites that have BBQ grills and picnic tables), a massive park with tennis and basketball courts, a baseball field, a giant pile of sand, play structures, and bathrooms. In the winter there is ice skating on the river with a warming hut! Sometimes the mayor even stops by with hot chocolate!

2. Just Next Door (Auburndale). I buy almost all of my gifts at Just Next Door! I can stop in on the way to a 7-year-old's party find something awesome for the right price and they wrap it up. I've even found something for the ever difficult to buy for 14-year-old boy. They have a huge selection of Vera Bradley and fun jewelry. My Christmas presents from the kids always consist of a bangle or a necklace from JND. 

3. West Newton Cinema (West Newton). West Newton Cinema is a small six-screen theater that shows first run and film festival favorites. You can rent a theater for kids parties and special occasions. WNC was a part of our wedding celebration, showing our love story to our guests. It was built in 1937 and the seats have seen better days, but it's still a gem. I'm hoping Newton native John Krasinski (of The Office) will swoop in to restore it. Oh, and the popcorn has REAL BUTTER!

4. Sweet Tomatoes (West Newton). Sweet Tomatoes is a small chain of pizza places throughout Massachusetts. It's pretty close to true Neapolitan pizza. My personal favorite is mushroom, spinach, and ricotta. Ask for the smooth sauce if you have chunk-averse kids (like mine).

5. The Rox Diner (Newtonville). The Rox Diner is one of our go to family dinner spots; they serve delicious salads, burgers (Green Lantern please!), and breakfast. The Mickey Mouse pancakes are available all day long AND they have wine and beer. Major win.

6. George Howell Coffee (Newtonville). I am a coffee snob. I love a good cup of coffee. I like it roasted well. I like espresso better than drip. A good latte is a day-changing event for me. Yes, I have had baristas remake a coffee. I'm that customer. However, I always get great coffee at George Howell Coffee in Newtonville. Always. They consider themselves a coffee lab. They brew new coffees to gather customer feedback before offering them online and test new coffee equipment and brew methods.

7. Down Under Yoga (Newtonville). Ohhhhhhhhm. Take a break mom, take a well-deserved break! Down Under Yoga is a great spot to get your ohm on. 

8. Salvis Barber Shop (Nonantum). I take my boys to Salvis Barber Shop when they need haircuts. The price is right. The guys are awesome. My father and grandfather also got haircuts at Salvis back in the day, which makes me feel all kinds of nostalgic. 

9. Coletti-Magni Park (Nonantum). There's a little park in Nonantum called Coletti-Magni Park (across from Salvi's) that gets LIT UP at Christmastime. It is home of the Giant Santa. No matter your religion you'll have a fun time at the tree lighting festivities. The Newton Children's Association Christmas has been doing this since before I was a kid.

10. Prana Power Yoga (Newton Corner). Prana offers a lot of heated power yoga classes, but lots of variation as well. I most like the Hour of Power. A quick sweat and back to the pick up line. 

11. Amarin of Thailand (Newton Corner). I have been going to Amarin of Thailand for Thai food for over 20 years. I lived around the corner when I was in my twenties and that's where the love affair began. This is my mom splurge because I can't go here with my kids or bring home my pad thai because of my peanut allergic guy. I have tried a lot of Thai food in my day and apart from the street vendors on Kao San Road in Bangkok, Amarin is my favorite.

Thanks for sharing, Sharon! If you have other Newton North village favorites, feel free to share in the comments below. If you'd like to pen a Local Gems guest post, contact Christine at editor@bostonmamas.com to check on availability.

Image credits: all images via linked websites or associated Facebook pages, with the exception of West Newton Cinema, Coletti-Magni Park, Salvis Barber Shop + Amarin of Thailand images, courtesy of Sharon Reilly.

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! Jon and I enjoyed a truly magical overnight to Rockport; our first kid-free trip together since well before Violet was born! I'll have more to share about Rockport soon, but meanwhile, following suit from Thanksgiving week, I'm sharing a combined weekday + weekend roundup today to aid your planning if you're in town, and also so I can hop off the grid later this week. Enjoy!

December 22 + 23: Holiday lights trolley tour and sing along. (Boston)

December 22 + 23: Harvard Square Holiday Faire. (Cambridge)

December 22 - 28: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. (Boston)

December 22 - 28: The Christmas Revels; celebrating the Winter Solstice. (Cambridge)

December 22 - 31: The Whaling Museum is a festive winter wonderland. (Nantucket)

December 22 - January 1: The most beloved festival of lights. (Carver)

December 22 - January 4: Blink! A light and sound extravaganza. (Boston)

December 22 - January 4: A Splendid book collection. (Chestnut Hill)

December 22 - January 4: The zoo becomes magical with thousands of twinkling lights. (Stoneham)

December 23: Winter wonderland crafts. (Easton)

December 24: It’s Chanukah on Ice. (Arlington)

December 26: Early access to the museum for children with special needs. (Boston)

December 26: KidsJam monthly family dance party. (Boston)

December 26: It’s Boxing Day at the Old Manse. (Concord)

December 26 - 28: Last weekend to hop aboard the Polar Express. (Carver)

December 26 - 28: A Christmas Carol. (Worcester)

December 26 - 30: Sing along to The Sound of Music. (Arlington)

December 26 - 30: Holiday vacation boredom busters. (Easton)

December 26 - 31: Make art inspired by winter. (Boston)

December 26 - January 2: Take a journey during school vacation without leaving Boston. (Boston)

December 26 - January 4: December school vacation fun at the Ecotarium. (Worcester)

December 26 - January 4: Some good old-fashioned school vacation activities. (Sturbridge)

December 27 - January 2: Get sculpting this school vacation. (Boston)

December 28: Cajun band Sqeezebox Stompers Zydecho performs. (Boston)

December 28: Prepare and eat a complete 19th-century dinner by the hearth. (Sturbridge)

Image credit: Christine Koh

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful week! I'm so loving the holidays this year; it's been delightful to send and receive cards, bake and distribute cookies (so far I've made #1, #4, #7, and #10 on this list...all awesome!), get festive with the kids, and reflect on 2014 and think about work and nest projects for 2015. And if you're looking for a little holiday spirit, there's no shortage in this roundup of 29 events for your weekend. Enjoy!

1. Alastair Moock family holiday hootenanny. (Arlington)

2. Breakfast with Santa! (Boston)

3. Boston Children’s Theater presents The Velveteen Rabbit. (Boston)

4. Holiday lights trolley tour and sing along. (Boston)

5. A cookie swap for a cause. (Boston)

6. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. (Boston)

7. ASL interpreted rainforest reptile show. (Boston)

8. The classic tale of A Christmas Carol, Muppet style. (Brookline)

9. The Christmas Revels; celebrating the Winter Solstice. (Cambridge)

10. Harvard Square Holiday Faire. (Cambridge)

11. Hop aboard the Polar Express. (Carver)  

12. A Splendid book collection. (Chestnut Hill)

13. Come together to celebrate the shortest day of the year. (East Hampton)

14. Nantucket Noel, the quintessential yuletide experience. (Nantucket)

15. The Whaling Museum turns into a festive winter wonderland. (Nantucket)

16. Chanukah hoedown with Josh and the Jamtones. (Needham)

17. A holiday breakfast with Mrs. Claus. (North Andover)

18. Expert tips on creating your own gingerbread houses. (North Andover)

19. Santa’s workshop is open for business. (North Andover)

20. Polar Express holiday celebration. (Princeton)

21. One of the oldest Christmas pageants in New England. (Rockport)

22. FREE showing of Elf! (Somerville)

23. Photos with Santa. (Stoneham)

24. A good old-fashioned brunch with Santa. (Sturbridge)

25. Escape the frenzy of a modern Christmas and celebrate by candlelight. (Sturbridge)

26. Have tea with Santa. (Waltham)

27. Music for the “holly”days. (Waltham)

28. Etsy artists of Boston winter bazaar. (Watertown)

29. A Christmas Carol. (Worcester)

Image credit: Boston Children’s Museum

Ever since we cut the cord a few years ago, I've changed the way I do television. I can't just flip it on and watch. It has to be purposeful. We got Xfinity for the high-speed Internet, but I'm still struggling with TV.

I read a book a week, but sometimes, I just want to watch.

This said, I'm caught up.

I searched for best series of 2014 and started watching How to Get Away With Murder. I just binged The Newsroom and am caught up on Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Parenthood, Modern Family, Breaking Bad. I can no longer get True Detective without paying. I've seen Downton Abbey and Orange Is the New Black. I saw Kevin Spacey knock twice on House of Cards.

I want scripted television. I don't do zombies.

What else should I watch?

It's apparently Bake Cookies Day. For real. Get on it! Now, about the title of this post. During the holidays, for me cookie perfection isn't about fanciness or uniformity; instead, I want to make cookies that: 1) are delicious; 2) are easy to make; 3) yield generous batches (i.e., work well for gifting); 4) can be made in small bite-sized portions (i.e., make for happy sampling); and 5) freeze well (so you or your recipients can save leftovers for a less cookie-saturated time). Here are 10 cookies that fit that definition of perfection for me.

Click through the links for recipes, additional photos, and lots more culinary inspiration from these fine bloggers!

1. These gingerbread chocolate chunk cookies are my new favorite. I'm actually going to start making them year round they are so awesome! We actually have a stash in our freezer right now and it's like a little gift every time I take out a cookie and enjoy it post-defrost.

2. These melt-in-your-mouth Italian wedding cookies are so pretty and snowball-like; perfect for holiday gifting.

3. I love peanut butter cookies. I especially love when it only takes 3 ingredients to make them.

4. I'm intrigued by these ricotta cookies, especially given that they make a big batch (perfect for gifting). I'm planning on making these this weekend; I know Laurel and Violet will love adding the sprinkles!

5. I love a classic sugar cookie and this recipe doesn't require chilling!

6. The flip side of #6 are these dark chocolate sugar cookies. I love how dramatic they are!

7. I always gravitate towards chocolate crinkle cookies at a holiday spread but for some reason have never made them. I'm changing that this year!

8. Reese's cookies = another cookie that I always dive for at the cookie plate. Can't wait to make a batch of these!

9. I love the unexpectedness of offering lemon sugar cookies at Christmas. So cheerful!

10. I also love these coconut lime snowball cookies, which I made last weekend for a cookie party. The butter cookie dough can be used as a base for countless other cookie options.

Image credits: all images via sourced links above

Friends, do you know about the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility? It's kind of a mouthful of a name and I didn't know much about them until I was looped into managing a project for them this past spring, but as soon as I was briefed, I was like, I am totally on board with these people. FAAR works to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking, and also to promote responsible decision-making about alcohol. Part of this effort involves helping parents learn how to have challenging conversations with their kids.

While I was working with FAAR, they asked me to shoot some video Q & A, sharing tips about having tough conversations with kids. In the first video (which launched in the fall) I shared about one of my favorite ways to get kids talking. Today I wanted to share a clip about one aspect of alcohol responsibility that totally changed once kids were in the picture.

This topic is particularly top of mind given that holiday parties are in full swing. The reality is, kids soak in everything you do (and ultimately want to mimic you); modeling responsible behavior is one part of the equation and initiating conversation is another part. Just last week I engaged Laurel in a conversation about alcohol -- partly inspired by the fact that she was working on D.A.R.E. homework, and also because I was thinking about this clip and wondered how she perceived my social alcohol intake.

It turns out I'm going to be working with FAAR more formally in 2015 so I'll have more to share. I have a lot of thoughts and personal narrative around alcohol, and to be frank, I need to think about what and how I want to share some of my stories. But at the moment, I'll just say that I would love for you to join me -- let's holiday responsibly together; the below video clip shares one simple way.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsEW62AGg_o?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Listen to more real advice from my fellow bloggers and visit Responsibility.org for additional resources and tips to keep teens safe. You can also join the conversation via #HolidayResponsibly.

Disclosure: This post reflects a sponsored editorial partnership with FAAR; all opinions/storytelling are, of course, my own.

I love cookies. Truly love them. And from the reaction I received on Instagram and Facebook when I posted this picture, clearly y'all love cookies too. On Thursday I'll share more cookie inspiration, but first, here are two amazing cookies I brought to a cookie party on Sunday. They're classically holiday (in the buttery goodness sense) and worked well as small bites for the sampling party. Many people asked for the recipes/sources, so here they are:

1. CHEWY CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD COOKIES

These chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies via Martha Stewart are simply perfect. There's fresh grated ginger in them but it's not overpowering and I love the marrying of flavors. My only deviation from the recipe is that I rolled the balls to 1-inch (smaller than in the recipe) so they would be bite sized.

2. COCONUT-LIME SNOWBALL COOKIES

This was my first time making these coconut-lime snowball cookies and they were AWESOME. This recipe comes from Baking Illustrated, with annotations below.

Cookie ingredients:

• 2.5 cups flour
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softed but still cool, cut into 16 pieces
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature

Glaze ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1.5 cups (6 oz) confectioners' sugar
• 1.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut, pulsed in food processor until finely chopped, about 15 1-second pulses

1. Mix flour, sugar, salt, and lime zest in an electric mixer to combine. With the mixer running on low, add butter, 1 piece at a time, until the mixture looks crumbly, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until clumps begin to form.
2. Turn dough into a bowl and knead/press together until dough sticks together. Don't panic if there are some crumbly bits...just stick it all together. Split dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheets about 1.5 inches apart and bake about 12 minutes, until bottom edges very lightly browned. Cool completely.
4. To make glaze, whisk cream cheese, lime juice, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Dip cookie tops in glaze and scrape away excess then dip in coconut. Let stand until glaze dries, about 20 minutes.

In both cases, it works great to prep these cookies ahead of time. Our cookie party was after the Girls on the Run 5K so I knew I didn't have time to do everything in one day. I made both doughs and rolled out the balls on Saturday (the dough balls need to be refrigerated anyway so it works perfectly). I baked the cookies Sunday morning and then after we got back from the run, I did the final icing/coconut step for coconut-lime snowball cookies.

If you have any left, these cookies also freeze well!

Image credits: Christine Koh

I'm all about food delegation, especially around the holidays, and I'm always looking for new inspiration. I asked a few of my favorite food blogger friends to share their go-to (culinary freak out inducing) holiday recipes, whether they're bringing a dish for potluck, making something for an open house, or want to serve a family favorite at home. I also included a couple of personal favorites. Happy cooking!

1. I love spinache artichoke dip. I love stuffed mushrooms. These spinach and artichoke dip stuffed mushrooms are my new everything.

2. I am a huge fan of appetizer spreads, especially ones with items that are easy little bitefuls like these smoked salmon pinwheels.

3. I can totally see myself cozied up with this cheesy ham and hashbrown breakfast casserole on Christmas morning.

4. One of my favorite things about the holidays is being able to take your time at breakfast. I love making pancakes from scratch (it's not hard!) and these apple pancakes offer a lovely way to add fruit to the carbs.

5. I cannot count the number of times I've made this magic Mexican casserole; it's a hit every single time and amenable to your favorite substitutions.

6. Carrie is totally right: baked lasagna with bechamel sauce is a completely different -- and sublime -- beast.

7. I made this slow cooker vegetarian chili a few weeks ago for a last minute dinner party and it was a huge hit. I was attracted to the recipe because hey, crockpots are sexy, and also because of the unusual inclusion of black bean soup and baked beans. I also offered a bowl of cooked ground beef for those who wanted to add meat to their chili.

8. My dear friend Paige says that people regularly go bonkers over this potato gratin with rosemary crust. Sign me up.

9. This simply artichoke casserole looks divine on its own, as a side, or as part of an appetizer sread. YUM.

10. I've been consuming lots of sweet potato these days; I'm excited to give this sweet potato souffle a whirl!

11. These gorgeous pickled grapes (who knew?) would be awesome in an appetizer spread or would make for a fantastic food gift.

12. Though I love making pie crust from scratch, I am that person who usually just scrapes and eats the filling and leaves the crust behind. So I'm especially excited to try this crustless Swedish apple pie recipe.

Image credits: all images per linked sources above, with the exception of #8, per Paige Lewin.

I am working, at the moment, with a big black cat who used to be an overly-long-yet-still-skinny black kitten asleep in my lap. He has utterly ruined me for the rest of the cat world.

I'm in love with black cats.

His fur is silky beyond compare and shines in lamplight. He has tiny tufts of white fur at the epicenter of his little ears. Even his nose is black, so when he closes his eyes and curls up on a black blanket, he disappears.

He has the power of invisibility.

We were at PetSmart buying ridiculously expensive prescription cat food for this little black cat who almost died last year of urinary blockage (remember that??), and they had four little black kittens of varying sizes in one of those stand-up adoption cages.

We swooned. Even Beloved, who says NO every time I ask if we can get Kizzy a friend. (And I don't really argue that hard, because there is peace in my home now and I'm not sure if peace would reign if we challenged Kizzy's ownership of Chateau Travolta.)

But the three of us stood for ten minutes before the four little black kittens and poked our fingers through the wire to touch their little furry black toes and fawned over their perfect black noses and noticed how when they curled up on top of each other and closed their eyes, they disappeared into a pillow of silky black fur.

I wanted THEM ALL.

How cool is it that while all cats are gray in the dark, black cats can actually disappear? Who else among us has such superpowers?