Paul Frank and his signature monkey Julius has always been one of our favorite stuffed characters. (We probably wouldn’t have Ugly Dolls or Happy Tree Friends if it weren’t for this eccentric little ape.) So we’re really excited to be giving away a set of four adorable Paul Frank plush dolls perfect for your little monkey at home. Click here to enter, then visit the Paul Frank boutique at 195 Mulberry St. to peruse all of the different styles.

Due to scheduling issues, Time Out Kids Big Sex Talk event on November 18th has been canceled. We regret any inconvenience this has caused.

After much controversy, Costco opens in East Harlem today. It’s the first Manhattan location for the well-known buy-in-bulk chain, as well as the first superstore to inhabit the brand-new urban mall East River Plaza at the FDR Drive between 116th and 119th Sts. Best Buy, Marshals and Target—the latter of which is already trying to curry favor in the neighborhood by sponsoring free admission to El Museo del Barrio the third Saturday of every month—are slated to move in early next year. The question is: Will New Yorkers shop there? We’re all for snagging discounted merch; trouble is, we don’t know where we’ll store 192 ounces of organic milk, etc.

Think we’re overstating it? Well, just check out this incredible NYC holiday prize package. Even Santa wants to get his hands on this one. It includes:

- Tickets to a host of hit shows, including the Radio City Hall Christmas Spectacular, Wintuk, The Nutcracker and others

- Free entry to the Bronx Zoo, the Holiday Train Show at New York Botanical Garden and the Top of the Rock and more

- Goodies such as a Nintendo DSi system, The Nightmare Before Christmas on DVD, $100 Wendy Mink gift certificate and more

To peruse a complete list of prizes and to enter, just click here. Yup, it’s that simple. Happy holidays (way in advance).

We’re so silly. Of course the final doodle would feature the entire gang. After all, Sesame Street is first and foremost a community, right? The 40th season of every preschooler’s favorite show kicks off today but the celebration will likely continue all season.  If you want to mark the occasion with other fans, the Brooklyn Public Library’s Sesame Street exhibit opens this Saturday, November 14 with a family fun day, including costumed characters and themed activities. You can also head to 64th and Broadway any time this week: The corner’s been temporarily renamed in honor of the show.

We suspect you already know that we here at Time Out Kids are big fans of Dan Zanes. Perhaps the coolest thing about the iconic kiddie crooner is that he tackles myriad musical styles, from folk to punk to rock ‘n’ roll. But with his new album, 76 Trombones, he goes where he’s never gone before: the Great White Way. Not only does he cover classic Broadway tunes, he welcomes a number of Main Stem regulars as guests, including Matthew Broderick and Brian Stokes Mitchell. We’re giving five copies of the CD in honor of its November 17th release. Click here to enter to win!

We already touted the USS New York as a great Veterans Day destination. But since the weather on Wednesday may turn out to be wet, today may be the perfect day to visit the brand-new battleship docked in Midtown West. With temperatures near 70, a walk down by the waterfront sounds heavenly. We may play hooky and join you.