It's been a busy week here at Little Rock Family. We started off by celebrating the 13 awards we won at the Parenting Publications of America conference last weekend in Charlotte, N. C. We're proud to be members of PPA. They hold us to very high editorial standards, making sure we provide quality local content, clearly label all advertising sections (so as not to mislead our readers), and participate in a third-party audit so we can prove we do what we say when it comes to circulation and distribution. So to be awarded the Gold award for General Excellence by this organization means a great deal to us.

We also won top honors for Little Rock Special Family, our supplement for parents of children with special needs. You may remember that we launched this new publication only last year, with editions in May and November. My inspiration for it was my daughter, Emily, who developed a brain tumor several years ago. Our next edition of Little Rock Special Family comes out in June.

Enough about you, you're thinking. On with the weekend! Here are my top picks:

• Animal and crowd lovers will enjoy Dollar Day at the Little Rock Zoo on Saturday. Sponsored by Coleman Dairy, this special event offers admission for $1 for everyone. Expect record attendance and lots of traffic. But those braving the crowds will get to see Bakari, the new male lion, and Ellen and Mary's new elephant barn.
• Don't forget Ferdinand the Bull at the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre. Performances are  7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Call  to reserve tickets: (501) 372-4000.
• Today and Saturday, bargain hunters can find great deals at Duck Duck Goose consignment sale in the Hall of Industry Buidling at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds. Hours are 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday is half-price day.

And so I'll leave you with a little something for your iTunes. It's the Arkansas Business Publishing Group collaborative "Thank God It's #MixDay!" This week, we feature "Songs We Sing Out Loud in the Car." You can download it here. Parental advisory: not every song is appropriate for the kiddos. But it's well worth the listen when you're by yourself.

Enjoy the weekend!