Issue link: http://hvparent.uberflip.com/i/603414
4 Hudson Valley Parent n December 2015 ON OUR COVER In this issue COLUMNS FEATURES 6 Publisher's Journal: Our staff shares their 2015 highlights 38 Calendar: Great places to go and things to do 46 Marketplace: Hudson Valley products and services HV PARENT READER FEEDBACK Do you set a budget for your holiday shopping? We never spend more than $100- 200. We usually buy one or two big gifts or take a trip to NYC as a family. — Katie Angell I have three kids. They each make a list of three things that they would want and then I get them one gift each. Usually the things they want don't cost more than $50. Except for the year that they wanted an Xbox, a laptop, and a Nintendo DSI! — Cristina Colon Depends on the age of the child. If you're talking elementary school age, then I do $150. If you're talking high school age like my stepson, then that's more because all they want is electronics. — Pamela Kiene Roe I always set a budget since we have a big family and a lot of people to buy for. — Melissa Florio I'm already done. My goal was to not spend more than $150 a child, and I'm under my goal for both! — Martina Rau I set my budget in January and start putting a bit aside each month so that I have money by November. — Kali Viker I pretty much shop year round. We do a secret Santa type of deal for my huge extended family, and then we primarily focus on my son. I keep it under $150 for him, and I get a lot for that by shopping clearance throughout the year, special deals, coupons, etc. — Kelly Dee Fears 9 I am a Hudson Valley Parent Megan Matsen: Crawl before you walk BY BRIAN PJ CRONIN 10 Grace at home Five local religious leaders on faith and families with parent feedback on what they hope their kids can learn from participating in religious services BY JEFF SIMMS 13 6 Can't-miss toys Local toy experts share their best toy stories AND ideas 14 HV Parent's Favorite Docs — REVEALED! Ooodles of doctors in all specialties that have gotten rave reviews from our readers 32 Milk sharing — is it safe? What to know when using donated breast milk BY KELLY AURIEMMO 36 Kid-friendly events for holiday fun Some are here just for the season — so get it on your calendar now! 14 This month's cover kid is Kai, 27 months, from Monroe. As you can see, he's thoroughly enjoying bouncing at the Fun-E Farm indoor bounce house center in Kingston. In good weather, you can always find Kai playing outdoors in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Photo by Michael Bloom