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The Saint Louis Zoo is bringing the ocean back to you in 2010 when Stingrays at Caribbean Cove reopens for the season on April 24.

Pinkalicious is my homegirl.

As a teen who wanted to spend her summers and free time volunteering for local organizations, Simone Bernstein found the most difficult part was locating volunteer opportunities for teens her age. From the age of 12 she spent time volunteering at her local library and The Magic House, and as she got older, the St. Louis Crisis Nursery and local hospitals. But she had to devote a significant amount of her time to approaching local organizations to ask them what volunteer opportunities were available. She decided that as her next project, she’d make finding volunteer opportunities easier for her and others her age.

“I was surprised at how few resources were available to search for local youth volunteer opportunities,” said Bernstein, a student at Clayton High School. “There are national Web sites that are geared toward ages 18 and older, but I could not find a local Web site for youth.”

So Bernstein launched www.stlouisvolunteen.com last year. The site lists volunteer opportunities for teens and tweens (and even some for adults) at more than 40 local organizations.

About a year ago, my family and I moved from St. Louis to the Metro East, or as I lovingly call it, the Dark Side.

Bring your preschool-age children to see the Missouri History Museum’s The 1904 World’s Fair exhibit and participate in hands-on activities, including crafts, dress-up and more that incorporate touch, movement, smell, sound and art. Parent and Me Programs are held at the Missouri History Museum each Friday in April from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are $7 per class ($5 per class for members), or $20 for the four-class series per family ($15 for members). Activities are appropriate for children ages 2-5.

We’re used to hearing medical experts talk about new treatments and drugs, but in one area, infant nutrition, they’re all in favor of the oldest method there is: breastfeeding. While formula is a necessary option for some moms, doctors and child development researchers agree that breast milk is best for babies. This is a big contrast to 40 years ago, when not even 25 percent of moms nursed at all. Now, a new report says, the national average of those who’ve ever nursed is nearly 75 percent.

2010 marks the 10th running of the GO! St. Louis Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend, Missouri’s largest fitness event. In addition to the full and half-marathon events, there are plenty of activities for families and kids to enjoy some fit fun in the (hopefully) sun.

Looking for a way to get some exercise with your baby or toddler while enjoying the great outdoors? Check out Strollerobics classes at the Missouri Botanical Garden from April 6 through May 28.

Five of St. Louis’ top cultural institutions – the Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Science Center and Saint Louis Zoo – will join together on Saturday, April 17, to observe “Des Lee Day” in honor of St. Louis philanthropist E. Desmond Lee, who died earlier this year at age 92.

Moms are a busy group of ladies. Between juggling kids, work and the household, we still need to get our shopping done. Whether we’re stocking up on groceries for the week or finding the perfect dress for a night on the town, we’re short on time and want to find helpful stores that make our lives easier.

For business owners, a simple way to grab a portion of this $2 trillion market is to understand just what women want. So I asked a few fellow mommies – how did the stores you love capture your loyalty?

Culinate, one of my favorite foodie e-newsletters, hit my inbox just now, and being hard at work, I naturally opened it immediately. It features an excerpt from the book Squeezed by Alissa Hamilton that takes a look at the orange juice industry. If you're like me and start every single morning with OJ (or pour it for your kids while you drink coffee), you will want to read this, from Chapter 13: "Fabricating Fresh."

Dear Big-Time Hollywood Producers,

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thank you. Thank you for understanding that parents must sit through children’s movies. Thank you for realizing that although they may walk into walls and eat Play-Doh once in awhile, our kids are pretty smart and can laugh at things besides bodily functions. Thank you for creating films we can enjoy together as a family and don’t make me want to beat myself silly with the remote control.