The Summer Adventures series focuses on affordable summer fun for families in Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley. It’s all about exploring our own backyard and is the perfect resource for planning a killer staycation or finding something awesome to do this weekend. Interested in more local love? Head here.

I can’t for the life of me remember how I heard about Caramoor in Katonah, NY. It’s an absolutely gorgeous center for music and arts set on beautiful grounds with lush gardens and Mediterranean-style architecture that makes you feel like you’ve been transported to a faraway place. When I saw that they had family programs, including Dancing at Dusk in the summer, I knew we had to check it out.

We bought tickets for Dancing at Dusk: Filipino Music & Dance with Kinding Sindaw Melayu Heritage last week and it was so much fun.

A few months ago I wrote about our visit to the Jacob Burns Film Center and what an incredible day the girls and I had there. We can’t wait to go back next month to catch Matilda.

Because we love the place so much and I think you will too, I wanted to let you know that JBFC is currently in the midst of their May member drive, where they’re giving new members two extra month’s membership for free!

In case you’re unfamiliar with JBFC, it’s a nonprofit movie house located in Pleasantville, NY that screens new releases, foreign and documentary films, unique series, and special events. Even more exciting, you can meet filmmakers and actors like Richard Linklater, Billy Crystal, Ryan Gosling (!!!), and Meryl Streep, or learn to make movies of your own with classes in animation, screenwriting, and filmmaking at the JBFC Media Arts Lab. They also throw one heck of a party.

A few weeks ago the girls and I were fortunate enough to attend an incredible event at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville. It was a special preview screening of Academy Award-nominated director Mark Osborne’s latest animated film, The Little Prince, followed by an awesome party at the Media Arts Lab. We had the best time!

Before the screening we got to participate in a special meet and greet with Mark (who lives in Hastings and is a refreshingly down-to-earth, kind human). We saw some of the figures that were used in the stop motion portions of the movie as well as the copy of The Little Prince his wife gave him while they were dating, and the César he recently won in France for the film.

Mark told us that the making of this film was more or less a family affair, which got the interest of this momma’s heart right away. The movie is the story of The Little Prince within a story about a little girl, who was inspired by his daughter. And Mark’s son voiced the Little Prince. My girls thought that was so cool.

It’s no secret that we love science in our house (I mean, who doesn’t love exploring why and how things work?!), so when Liberty Science Center invited us down to check out their Science, Sabers, and Star Wars weekend we were all “Oh, heck yes!”

My husband had to work at the last minute (which was a major bummer because he’s a huge Star Wars geek), so the girls and I made the trek down to New Jersey ourselves, happily listening to Harry Potter the whole way. It was brutally cold but totally worth it!

It’s been a really long time since I shared some of my Instagram favorites with you guys—and not because my Insta addiction has waned at all. No. I’m still a screen-scrolling zombie come bedtime. My eyelids may droop, but my thumb keeps scrolling and double tapping until I just. can’t. even.

Is this the most productive use of my time? Uh, no. Most definitely not. But sometimes I try to trick my brain into thinking it’s OK by saying, “Hey brain. I’m actually conducting really important research here by checking out some local accounts to find some cool things to do. For the girls.” Because my brain is highly susceptible to mom guilt.

In case any of you local readers are interested in a really pretty time suck—I mean, highly productive research project for the good of your children—I put together a list of some of my favorite Hudson Valley Instagrammers. These guys regularly post gorgeous shots of things to do and see and eat and buy in our pretty stinking beautiful NYC suburbs.