Pokémon is a time tested fad. I remember when it came out and I was curious to see how long it would last. Little did I know that Pokemon has never really gone away! Kids go crazy for Pokémon. Pokemon is exciting and fun yet can be incredibly complex for a beginner. But it doesn’t have to be confusing. I spoke with Nintendo’s Pokémon expert Seth McMahill to find out more and to get some insider Pokemon tips.

Oakland County Moms: Pokemon can be intimidating to a new user. Can you give us a quick explanation about the world of Pokémon?

Oakland County Parks Summer Jobs Opportunities

High school students, home-bound college students or anyone looking to earn some summer cash can get a jump on summer employment opportunities offered by Oakland County Parks and Recreation.

Oakland County Parks and Recreation will accept applications for seasonal employment from February 13th through February 27th, 2012.

I interviewed Chef Anne Burrell of the Food Network to ask her for some tips on making a special Valentine's Day dinner for my family. Here's some of the interview below. For the full story, please watch the video.

Oakland County Moms: What recipe would you recommend to show my hubby how much I love him on Valentines Day?

U.S. News and World Report releases its 2012 Best Cars for Families awards

U.S. News Best Cars (http://www.usnews.com/cars) announced the 2012 Best Cars for Families Awards. These awards help busy parents navigate a confusing automotive market by identifying the cars that offer the best combination of factors important to everyday families.

Eight brands won awards across 18 automotive categories, including cars, SUVs and minivans. Honda and Ford led the pack with four winning vehicles each, while Acura, Buick, Subaru and Toyota had two wins each.

2012 BEST CARS FOR FAMILIES AWARDS:

Oakland County Parks and a host of local communities in Metro Detroit, Michigan offer Christmas tree recycling. Here is a list of communities that offer Christmas tree recycling.

Red Wings Tickets are available for discount prices through select local Oakland County Parks and Recreation departments. The discounts are available for for both general seating and premium seating for select Red Wings games in the 2011-2012 season. I'm told the discount Red Wings tickets go fast and most of the discount offers sell out quickly.

Oakland County Parks and Rec departments selling discount Red Wings Tickets include:

Kim Gayton, owner of Kimberella Parties, is contributing this column for our readers. Her background and specialties makes her an expert on the subject of children’s etiquette. With the holidays upon us, there’s no better time to learn these lifelong etiquette skills. Here’s the advice she has to offer in regards to teaching holiday etiquette to children…

The Oakland County Moms annual guide to holiday toy shopping is back (better late than never). OCM has reviewed hundreds of toys and games since its inception and this year's guide is an attempt to find some creative solutions to holiday toy shopping dilemmas for different ages and price ranges.

Children can take their letters to Santa Claus to various Santa Claus mailbox locations in Oakland County. If I'm missing any, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  with details.

Here are some places in Oakland County where kids can drop off their letters to Santa Claus