While on a much-needed family vacation visiting my mom in West Palm Beach, my husband and I had planned a date night at the beautiful Delray Beach Movie Theater, where there was going to be a very special screening of the independent film “Ethan Bloom.” As a full-time working Mom of three daughters, two of whom are teenagers, I was really looking forward to this night out. 

Filmed in Miami, Florida is a very powerful and heartfelt coming of age story, directed by Herschel Faber and written by Maylen Dominguez. It is about 13 year old Ethan Bloom, played by star on the rise Hank Greenspan, who should be focused on preparing for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah, but instead, much to the chagrin of his widowed Jewish Dad, played by outstanding Joshua Malina strongly believes that his spiritual and religious path is with the Catholic Church where he secretly finds comfort, support and consolation. He gets guidance and advice from the caring, patient and kind Father Diaz, played expertly by Carlos Ponce.

Through the guidance and wisdom of the unconventional Rabbi Dani, played splendidly by Rachelle Lefevre, the love of his somewhat complex, yet quite funny and lively family and his very first romance with a somewhat rambunctious Camille, played by Caroline Valencia, Ethan must confront his deception and grief only to discover that faith and religion and finding one’s true purpose or inspiration isn’t about choosing one religion over another or choosing sides, but honoring all the beautifully flawed pieces of who we are and what makes us unique and special to our friends, our family and ultimately ourselves. 

Neil Friedman of Menemsha Films said, “The film ‘Ethan Bloom’ is a one-of-a-kind coming of age story featuring two wonderful young actors. The adult cast are equally compelling, making this film a unique look at faith, love and family we’ve yet to see on screen until now.” 

Director Faber stated that “’Ethan Bloom’ is about every kid who’s ever felt caught between different worlds, whether that means faith, culture, or family expectations and writer Maylen Dominguez and I set out to tell a story that could make people laugh, cry, and see themselves. Faber also said that he is thrilled that Mememsha Films understands this story’s heart and its breakout potential to reach audiences everywhere.”

One of my favorite characters was Ethan’s Grandmother Elaine, who was quite colorful, outspoken, and humorous, played by Mindy Sterling. The very sweet and caring Yaya character played by Adriana Pascual reminded me of my Grandmother Allegra.  What I especially liked about this film as well as the beautifully crafted story and endearing characters was the fact that interwoven throughout the story were subtle elements of the Sephardic as well as Ashkenazi cultures which are both two of the largest ancestral divisions of the Jewish people. I really enjoyed hearing Spanish being spoken whether it was the Sephardic Ladino or Castilian Spanish. I felt at home watching this film like we were actually a part of Ethan’s personal journey and quest for self-acceptance. I myself am a part of an eclectic family consisting of both Catholic and Jewish faiths. I am both a Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jew and my cousins are Irish Catholic and Sephardic Jews. Growing up I got to celebrate both Channukah at home and Christmas with my cousins on Long Island. Like Ethan Bloom, I developed a respect and fascination for the Saints and a fondness for Mother Mary. Although I never questioned my Jewish faith or wanted to convert, I definitely identified with what he was going through. To this day, I still ask St. Anthony to help me find things and I always kid around that despite me being Jewish, he usually always helps me! : ) I can totally relate to Ethan Bloom and his quest for self acceptance. 

This film was so endearing and I highly recommend it. It reminded both my husband and I of the famous sleeper hit movie “Dirty Dancing” which also had such relatable and endearing characters. You felt like you were at the Sheldrake at times just like you were in the kitchen with Ethan and his dad Gary Bloomfield. It recently won the Directors Choice Award for Best Feature-Comedy at the Sedona International Film Festival. 

The wonderfully talented cast includes Joshua Malina (“The West Wing,” “Scandal”), Rachelle Lefevre (“The Twilight Saga”), Carlos Ponce, who is also a singer and songwriter, and Mindy Sterling (the “Austin Powers” trilogy). The film is led by rising stars Caroline Valencia, best known as young Selena Gomez in the hit Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building,” and Hank Greenspan, who appeared in the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood” for eight seasons.

“Ethan Bloom” is available on streaming platforms and in certain theatres. Check out the trailer here:

Now Playing​​​

Delray Beach, FL- Movies of Delray*

Starts June 19th

Tampa, FL – Tampa Theatre

Starts June 26th

Sedona, AZ- Mary D Fisher Theater

Screens June 29th

New York, NY – JCC Manhattan

*Q&A with Writer Maylen Dominguez and Star Caroline Valencia In-Person!

More Theaters Coming Soon!

All photos courtesy of Mememsha Films

The post Ethan Bloom Film Review & Talkback appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Sunset Circus is back by popular demand with new, never-before-seen Juggling and Aerial Acts! A circus for audiences of all ages, Sunset Circus is a family you’ve just met but you’ve known forever. Featuring circus artists from Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, and beyond, SUNSET CIRCUS features a sensational cast of seven circus artists, including aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, and comedians who will bring audiences laughter, awe, and perhaps a tear. This unique theatrical circus experience presents innovative circus acts interwoven with characters who would be at home in your own backyard, entertaining everyone from kids to parents and grandparents.

The performance is one-hour long and is appropriate for all ages.

When: March 22 and May 3, 2026 at 11 am and 2 pm

Where: Marlene Meyerson JCC
334 Amsterdam Ave., at 76th Street, NYC

Price: $40 and up

To purchase tickets click here.

Photos by Maike Schultz

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty-five years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 19, 16 and 13.

• Take Gorgeous Photos with the Kodak PIXPRO AZ421 Camera
• The Big Apple Circus is Coming to Town (+ Coupon and Giveaway) – Ends 10/2
• Giveaway: Big Apple Circus Tickets – Ends 5/15
• Big Apple Circus Luminocity Review
• Don’t Miss Big Apple Circus’ The Grand Tour

The post Don’t Miss: Sunset Circus by Parallel Exit appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

My oldest child LOVES spicy foods. So when he gets a choice of snacks, he wants Buffalo Wings and me to use hot sauce. So recently, I broke out my air fryer oven and made Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings. He was so thrilled with the result.

I was going to cook them the same way I made my other wings, but found that I needed to cook them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and longer than the 20 minutes that I did my other wings at. The air fryer, for me, is still about trial and error and to me, it’s not like the Instant Pot, that you can just set it and forget it. But it will be so crispy as opposed to making them in the oven or in the Instant Pot!

What You’ll Need:

3 lbs of Chicken Wings and Drumettes (or any amount you like)
Spray Oil — I like Pompeian or any oil you like. Avocado or Olive Oil works well
Hot Sauce of your choice – I used Frank’s Red Hot
Optional:
Celery
Blue Cheese Dip – I used Bolthouse Farms‘ Blue Cheese Salad Dressing (any blue cheese you like is fine)

Instructions:

Defrost your wings and then spray them with oil spray or toss in oil. You can use frozen wings, but I honestly like them better defrosted.

Place on a tray and/or basket in your air fryer.
I have the oven air fryer and I set it on 400 for 25-30 minutes (for the raw, defrosted wings). Turn over when halfway cooked. Check after 25 minutes and see if they are totally cooked.
If you have the basket air fryer, I would cook them at 360 for 20 minutes.
Let wings cool slightly and then toss with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce in a bowl. Add as much or as little as you like!

Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing.

You can play with intensity by adding more or less sauce. I usually add sauce and eyeball the amount – you want the wings totally covered in the sauce.

Print

Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings are easy to make and come out delicious! Teenager approved!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Air Fryer, Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Wings, Buffalo Wings

Author The Mama Maven

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 3 lbs Chicken Wings and Drumettes
• Spray Oil I like the Pompeian brand Avocado or Olive Oil works well. If you don't have oil spray, you can use any oil like Olive or Avocado
• Hot Sauce I like Frank's Red Hot (Original)
• Blue Cheese Dressing I like Bolthouse Farms
• Celery sticks

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Defrost your wings and then spray them with oil spray or toss in oil. You can use frozen wings, but I honestly like them better defrosted.

  Place on a tray and/or basket in your air fryer. I have the oven air fryer and I set it on 400 for 25-30 minutes (for the raw, defrosted wings).

  Turn over when halfway cooked. Check after 25 minutes and see if they are totally cooked. If you have the basket air fryer, I would cook them at 360 for 20 minutes. Let wings cool slightly and then toss with Frank's Red Hot Sauce. Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing.

What you need:

Emeril’s 360 Air Fryer Oven

Olive Oil Spray

Frank’s Red Hot Sauce on Amazon

Other Wing Recipes on the blog:

BBQ Chicken Wings

These BBQ chicken wings taste decadent, but they’re sugar free, dairy free, and gluten free.

https://www.themamamaven.com/air-fryer-bbq-chicken-wings-using-frozen-wings/

Honey Mustard Wings

These honey mustard wings are guilt free and absolutely delicious when you make them in your air fryer!

https://www.themamamaven.com/air-fryer-honey-mustard-chicken-wings-sugar-free-and-low-carb/

And these yukon gold potato wedges would pair with the wings nicely.

https://www.themamamaven.com/air-fryer-roasted-yukon-gold-potatoes/

More Related Posts:

• Air Fryer Honey Mustard Chicken Wings (Sugar Free and Low Carb)
• Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings (Using Frozen Wings)
• Air Fryer Grilled Shrimp Bowls with Veggies and Rice
• Sweet & Spicy Cheesy Gluten Free Cornbread
• Air Fryer BBQ Tofu

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The post Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings (Gluten Free) appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

So the last time I spoke about paying for college, I had one child who was graduating. Now that child is a freshman in college and my middle child is a senior in high school. As my middle kid gets their college acceptances, paying for that kid to go to college is heavily on my mind. Our costs are going to double! One thing that gives me comfort is that we have NY529 plans. But there’s another way that things can be made easier for paying for college and beyond: UGMA accounts, which stands for Uniform Gifts to Minors Act, and it’s a type of custodial account (meaning it’s managed by an adult on behalf of a minor). I’ve mentioned this before and here’s why opening UGMA accounts are a smart strategy when you have two kids in college and expenses are doubling. I did write a blog post about UGMA accounts two years ago, but this post will give you even more information.

Facing not one, but 2 college tuitions is definitely daunting. Next fall, we’ll be paying double what we paid this year. Add in non-educational expenses like:

• Transportation
• Healthcare expenses (prescriptions, medical devices, etc)
• Dorm furnishings (including bedding, organization, laundry baskets, etc…
• Clothes including new winter boots, winter jacket, college swag, extracurricular activities
• Snacks and money to go off campus for social activities

My middle child will need to fly back and forth to their university and my oldest sometimes takes the bus to NYC (but the price of that is at least $70 roundtrip now). My kids may want to go abroad to study also! Planning for these expenses helps. We also want to make sure our kids will thrive after graduation.

The main benefit of an UGMA compared to another account like a 529 is that once your child reaches the legal age of being considered an adult in your state, they can use UGMA funds for any purpose. A 529 is limited to educational expenses only or you’ll get hit with taxes and penalties. My oldest could use his UGMA account to pay for his first apartment or car, which you cannot do with a 529.

Anyone can contribute to UGMA accounts, including grandparents or other relatives. These contributions come from after-tax dollars. A UGMA account is handled differently than a (UTMA) Trust account, there are less restrictions. You should research which one is better for your child.

Related Posts:

The post Opening UGMA Accounts: A Smart Strategy When You Have 2 Kids in College and Expenses Are Doubling appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Headlined by seasoned magicians Jim Vines (from Penn & Teller’s “fool Us”) and Carl Mercurio, this family-friendly show is the perfect cross-generational activity that’s got something for everyone – from young school-aged kids, to teenagers to grandparents.

My 13 year-old son (who gets bored by most things these days) and I were dazzled by the cool magic tricks and the magicians’ chemistry and charisma.

The most impressive trick for me was the mind-reading trick. The magicians asked the audience to think of a random number. Somehow, the number I thought of ended up being the number which was written down! They did the trick again with another number, but I was so preoccupied with trying to figure out how they did it the first time, that I lost my focus. I also loved another interactive trick: the card trick. Every member of the audience received four playing cards and, without giving too much away, let’s just say that we were very impressed!

The magicians used family-appropriate humor and the entire show was entertaining from start to finish. It’s the perfect family event this winter!

The performance, which is recommended for ages 5 to adult, is one-hour long and takes place at a comedy club, so you are sitting at tables, as opposed to theater seats. You can purchase food and drink, if you wish. Photography and videography is permitted.

Tip: Arrive early to get the best seats up front. Also, Before the show begins, a magician will walk around the audience and perform really cool magic tricks. And be sure to stay after for photo ops with the magicians!

Below are special holiday performances for December. (After the holidays, the show will resume regular performances through March 2026.)

Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 2PM
Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 11AM
Sunday, December 21, 2025 at 1PM
Monday, December 22, 2025 at 2PM
Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 2PM
Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 2PM
Monday, December 29, 2025 at 2PM
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at 2PM

Where: Broadway Comedy Club
318 West 53rd St., NYC

Price: $25 per person (plus tax)

To purchase tickets click here.

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty-five years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 18, 16 and 13.

The post Don’t Miss: Broadway Magic Hour appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Francis Patrelle’s holiday classic returns for its 29th season! Enjoy a magical tour of 1895 New York City with Dances Patrelle. The journey begins with a Christmas Eve party at Gracie Mansion attended by dignitaries from around the world – including new police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt. There will be a battle with life-sized mice, a midnight skate on the ponds of Central Park, and a sleigh-ride to the Grand Conservatory of the Bronx Botanical Gardens in time for a beautiful sunrise buffet of sweets, hosted by the Sugar-Plum Fairy.

Where: The Kaye Playhouse, 695 Park Ave., NYC

When: Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Friday, December 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM & 5:00 PM

Price: $80 per ticket

To purchase tickets click here.

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty -five years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 18, 16 and 13.

The post Don’t Miss: the Yorkville Nutcracker by Dances Patrelle this Holiday Season! appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Fidelis Care offers mobile StreetSide vehicles, local community offices, and community events to bring care closer to home. They also partner with local gardens (like the Bed-Stuy Farm through GrowNYC), nonprofits, schools, and community organizations to promote health and wellness across New York State, focusing on improving maternal health, behavioral health, as well as urban and rural health.

I remember talking to parents of my students’ who didn’t go for routine screenings for their kids or for themselves because they didn’t know that they should. Many of them didn’t have access to regular medical care, they would just go to the Emergency Room when they absolutely needed to (either with an accident or a severe illness). As a mom to a kid with Type 1 Diabetes, my kid goes to his endocrinologist every 3 months to make sure things are okay. I don’t know what we would have done if we didn’t have health insurance to cover the visits and all the medical supplies (including insulin, CGM monitor, and insulin pumps).

Fidelis Care New York is the only statewide health plan, accessible to all, regardless of income, background, or zip code.
Learn more at: https://www.fideliscare.org/

This is a sponsored post. As always, all opinions are completely my own.

The post Fidelis Care Launches “Here for Your Health” to Support the Well-Being of New Yorkers appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Need a recipe for making a vegetarian version of Chicken Matzoh Ball Soup? The recipe includes fresh vegetables, a vegetable broth, and matzoh balls, with options for reducing sodium and making it vegan-friendly. My middle kid is a pescatarian, so anything I cook — especially holiday dishes — has to be vegetarian or pescatarian for them to enjoy it. For the past 9 years, I’ve made sure they could enjoy our family meals just as much as everyone else. If I make a meat entree, there is always an entree that is pescatarian or vegetarian also. One of the biggest traditions in our house is Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls. The recipe comes from my father, who learned it from his mother, and I’ve cooked it so often that I don’t even need to look at the instructions anymore. However, my middle kid cannot partake since they are pescatarian, so here’s my own vegetarian version of this soup.

Back when we celebrated holidays at my mother’s or mother-in-law’s house, I’d bring along vegetable broth and toss in a few matzoh balls and carrots for my kid so they wouldn’t feel left out. But during COVID, I started experimenting. I realized I could take my dad’s soup and make it fully vegetarian. Over time, I refined the recipe, and now it’s become a staple. I still make my Chicken Matzoh Ball Soup, but I also make a vegetarian version at the same time! The way I do it is I make my soups the day before our dinner. I use my right and left hands and I make my chicken version of the soup on the left side of the stove and my vegetarian version on my right side of the stove.

The best part? My middle kid absolutely loves it — a vegetarian version of our family classic, complete with matzoh balls. (Note: this isn’t vegan, since matzoh balls use eggs. If you’d like, you can experiment with an egg substitute to make it vegan-friendly!)

Read on for my Vegetarian Matzoh Ball Soup recipe — a family tradition made meat-free so everyone can enjoy the festivities.

If you are at a supermarket like a ShopRite or a Stop and Shop (bigger grocery stores here in the Queens, Long Island area where I live), they often have a package of “Soup Greens” which will have a leek, celery, carrot, parsnip, onions, parsley or dill in a package. I usually pick up one or two of these to make my soup + additional veggies. I steer clear of bullions, but I will add a vegetable broth package (32 oz) – a lot of bullions and broths will have an extremely high sodium content and since I have hypertension and it runs in our family, I try to minimize salt.

Ingredients

For the broth:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 5 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 6 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small parsnip, peeled and chopped (optional, but adds sweetness)
• 1 small turnip, peeled and chopped (optional, adds depth)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (I use a store-bought one without tomato paste and without cane sugar)
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• Fresh dill and parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small container of mushrooms, diced
• 1 whole leek, chopped

For the matzoh balls:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup unsalted matzoh meal
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup melted butter (or you can use olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash of black pepper

Instructions

Make the vegetable soup:

Chop up all your veggies on a bamboo cutting board.
I like this BNBUN bamboo cutting board, which is made from 100% sustainably sourced bamboo—a rapid-renewable resource that grows 30 times faster than hardwood—this cutting board set is designed for those who value eco-conscious living without compromising functionality or style. Each board is crafted to meet rigorous environmental standards, offering a truly Earth-friendly alternative to traditional kitchen cutting tools. The set includes three versatile sizes perfect for everything from daily meal prep to entertaining guests, all featuring thoughtful details like non-slip mats, juice grooves, and built-in handles. Natural bamboo not only resists moisture and odor but also brings warmth and elegance to any kitchen space.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 8–10 minutes, until softer. Be careful not to burn the pan.
Stir in cut up parsnips and turnips, and then add any other veggies you like (mushrooms are especially delicious in this.
Add vegetable broth, herbs and a pinch of salt.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 3 hours (cook this a minimum of 3 – 3.5 hours).

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Make the matzoh balls:
Beat eggs in a bowl. Then add water, margarine/oil, salt and pepper to the beaten eggs. Mix well. Add Matzoh meal and stir.
Refrigerate at least one hour.
Form into balls (you’re going to have to wash your hands extra well and form with your hands) and drop into pot soup or boiling water. Cook 20 minutes. Makes 8-10 matzoh balls.

Assemble the soup:

Ladle hot broth into bowls, add matzoh balls.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes & Variations:

• For extra richness, add a splash of soy sauce or miso paste to the broth.
• If you want it vegan, try an egg substitute in the matzoh balls (results may vary).
• Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3–4 days, but store the matzoh balls separately so they don’t get soggy. I usually strain the veggie broth and keep the cooked veggies in a separate container.
• I would not add in any kind of fake meat or ch’kn. You can use something like Not Chicken Boullion, but watch the sodium.

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Print

Vegetarian Matzoh Ball Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine Jewish

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword vegetarian matzoh ball soup, vegetarian soups

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Author Nancy M Horn

Equipment

• 1 Stockpot
• Bamboo Cutting Board

Ingredients

• For the broth:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 5 carrots peeled and sliced
• 6 celery stalks chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small parsnip peeled and chopped (optional, but adds sweetness)
• 1 small turnip peeled and chopped (optional, adds depth)
• 4 cups vegetable broth I use a store-bought one without tomato paste and without cane sugar
• Fresh dill and parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small container of mushrooms diced
• 1 whole leek chopped
• For the Matzoh Balls
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1 cup unsalted matzoh meal
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup melted butter or you can use olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash of black pepper

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Make the vegetable soup:
• Chop up all your veggies on a bamboo or wooden cutting board. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
• Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 8–10 minutes, until softer. Be careful not to burn the pan.
• Stir in cut up parsnips and turnips, and then add any other veggies you like (mushrooms are especially delicious in this.
• Add vegetable broth, herbs and a pinch of salt.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 3 hours (cook this a minimum of 3 – 3.5 hours).
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Make the matzoh balls:
• Beat eggs in a bowl. Then add water, margarine/oil, salt and pepper to the beaten eggs. Mix well. Add Matzoh meal and stir.
• Refrigerate at least one hour.
• Form into balls (you’re going to have to wash your hands extra well and form with your hands) and drop into pot soup or boiling water. Cook 20 minutes. Makes 8-10 matzoh balls. I frequently double or triple this.
• Assemble the soup:
• Ladle hot broth into bowls, add matzoh balls.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Buy:

BNBUN Bamboo Cutting Board – Each board is crafted to meet rigorous environmental standards, offering a truly Earth-friendly alternative to traditional kitchen cutting tools. The set includes three versatile sizes perfect for everything from daily meal prep to entertaining guests, all featuring thoughtful details like non-slip mats, juice grooves, and built-in handles. Natural bamboo not only resists moisture and odor but also brings warmth and elegance to any kitchen space.

Related Posts

• Recipe: Foolproof Matzoh Balls (Guaranteed Fluffy)
• Printable Recipe: Matzoh Tacos #Passover
• Crispy Matzoh Meal Pancakes Recipe
• Healthy Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls (Vegetarian/GF)
• How to Make Matzah Pizza – A Delicious Kosher for Passover Meal

The post Vegetarian Matzoh Ball Soup: A New Family Favorite appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

My son did a Gap Year in Israel last year (September to mid May), so this wasn’t our first time for him being away. I dealt with missing him like crazy, but he did stay in constant communication. It helped. Technology does make missing someone easier, because you can do video calls, in addition to regular calls and texts. What’s App is the best thing ever. He had fantastic experiences and met wonderful people. We knew our child wasn’t ready last year to start college so this was a good decision.

My son came back in Mid May and then basically slept late, gamed on his computer, and saw friends. After a family vacation, he started working for the next 6 weeks as an aide in a kitchen in a school through a program NYC has for kids 14-21 called SYEP (Student Youth Employment Program). He was never late (he started at 7 AM) and it was a positive experience for him. The supervisor loved him. He worked hard and made a little money to boot. Success!

Then the countdown to college started. I frantically started figuring out what we needed to buy for him and made tons of lists. He didn’t care as much – do teenage boys really care what their bedding looks like and if it matches the rug you buy? Not my kid. He picked out a set in blue and called it a day. He looked at one poster from a 90’s rock band and announced that his wall decor was done. I joined facebook groups about dorm packing and called on my girlfriends for advice. I sent my mom to Aldi to pick up dorm items for me (she lives right near a good one in Carle Place, Long Island and while I’m working full time, I was worried the items would be gone). I ordered A LOT of Amazon. I went to Target and Walmart. I made sure to get a LOT of storage. My kid just kept on gaming and going to work.

I drew the line at packing his clothes. I bought the famous “moving” bags (IKEA dupes). I got a pack of 6 and figured I’d need more. He packed 2 of those with clothes. He didn’t think about packing any sweatshirts/rain jackets/ warm fleece jackets. So I packed those. I reminded him to pack his hiking boots. He forgot them. I’m not even sure if he took his winter jacket. Then I reminded myself that these weren’t huge problems and he didn’t need the boots or heavy jacket yet. He was only going 2 hours away and while it’s closer than the other colleges he applied to, it’s still not a hop, skip and a jump.

And then the move in day finally arrived. The night before he left, I organized everything and made my son help me. I drove him crazy by making him take his insulin pods out of the boxes and pack them neatly in the plastic top drawer (if you are a regular reader you know my son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 8 years ago and while it’s been a roller coaster, since his growth slowed down, it’s been better). We took a lot of his supplies so he could manage himself, plus a small cooler of insulin. We had been in touch with the school’s FANTASTIC Disability Resource Department and we were told we could ask for an extra fridge to hold his insulin as it wasn’t fair to his roommate to have a ton of insulin in the fridge, taking up room.

Move in Day
I had everything ready to go the night before. We left on time and only hit a touch of traffic, it was raining, but it stopped when we reached the college’s exit. We drove onto the campus at 10AM, which was when we were supposed to get there. The campus was ready for us and we saw lot of staff in the school t-shirts directing us where to go. We were told to check in and then we could move my son’s stuff in. We pulled up to the dorm. We saw HUGE lines to get in. It was just past 10AM, so we figured it might take 30 minutes or so, or maybe 45 minutes. But NOPE.

We stood on line outside for 2 hours just to check in. The line barely moved. The families that had been able to check in already were waiting outside for 1-2 hours to get their stuff upstairs. It did help that the staff was very nice, but clearly something was going on. Our easy move in was now full of drama. No one told us what was happened. Luckily the rain had stopped once we got to the college.

We finally got into the building around 2 hours later. Check in literally took 5 minutes (which was really puzzling). We had to go upstairs and fill out the room condition form. The room was clean, but there were clear signs of damage on the walls in a few places. When we finally got my son’s stuff and went into the building, the elevator had broken. So walking up two flights of stairs it was! The student athletes who had helped with move in were gone by the time we able to move in. As my husband and son carried bags up to the 3rd floor, one of the staff members helped (again, the staff was so nice). 

We did try to stay positive, as this clearly was not the staff’s fault. It took us around 2 hours to set up my son’s side of the room. I had bought a rubber mallet to move his bed up the 4 rungs to raise it, but the bed rails wouldn’t budge. I found a helpful janitor who put in a work order to get that done. The room was so small that when his roommate showed up there wasn’t room for them to come in. We put away bags that were now empty and consolidated items so they could come in. I made the bed, wrestling with his mattress topper, bed bug mattress encasement, sheets, pillows and comforter.
Once we set up and were all sweaty, we went to eat off campus. I didn’t get the beautifully decorated dorm photo. Life went on.

We had wanted to go to the college bookstore to buy college SWAG. However, by the time we got off campus and ate, it was time to get home (we knew we were going to hit traffic anyway). A trip that should take 1 hour and 45 minutes was now going to take two and a half hours. So I didn’t get the T-shirt with the college name on it. As my husband and I both took the day off to move him in, the day was now over.

We figured it may be chaotic, but this was over the top. We still love this college and know we made the right decision to send him. I ordered some posters from Amazon that he liked and he put them up. It made his side of the room look better. I spoke to a bunch of other parents from the school (yeah for Facebook Groups) and we were the only dorm that had this issue. That did make me feel a little better.

However, perspective- my kid has a good school to go to and is happy and healthy. Hopefully our drop off for our middle kid next year will go a little smoother. We do love the school my son chose (if you go on social media, you can see where he is). But I still want the damn T-shirt I promised myself.

Related posts

Why We’re Not Worried About Saving for College

The Ultimate Shopping List for College Essentials

The post My First Kid Went to College (and I Didn’t Even Get a Lousy T-shirt) appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I recently came back from a trip to San Francisco, where for 3 glorious days, I had some R & R with my husband, before I covered the PBS Annual Meeting started. We played tourist and had a wonderful time.

But one thing I didn’t have to worry about was my purse. I tested out Travelon’s Classic Anti-Theft Mini Shoulder Bag and knew things were much more secure.

I prefer cross body bags, because I can walk around lighter and with just the essentials. But I worry about being a target of theft, a determined thief can slash straps and panels. However, after I saw Travelon’s products, I thought their bags would be perfect for worry-free traveling. Plus, I knew my credit cards were safe inside (there’s RFID blocking card and passport slots).

Note – this is not a high fashion bag, it’s a black nylon-ish bag from Travelon’s classic line. However, the size, body length, and functionality was perfect. I would love to see this design in a slightly fancier fabric, with the exact same size, dimensions and features.

I am very picky about cross body length and the Classic Anti-Theft Mini Shoulder bag was able to extend to a comfy length. And since this mini shoulder bag is perfect for traveling, it’s going to be my travel handbag. But if I was going to be running around a touristy area, I would definitely use this for the day.

How it actually worked: 

I did keep the front compartment locked and it did ease my mind that I could do that. I felt safer. With this bag, that’s where you should keep any valuables. It’s not completely sealed shut, you can slip a finger in, but not your whole hand.

I liked the flap on the outside of the bag. I kept my MAC compact and lipstick in that compartment.

On the other side of the bag, there’s another zippered compartment. I kept gum and my extra mobile battery.

Thank you to Travelon for providing the Classic Anti-Theft Mini Shoulder Bag for review. 

Travel Safety Tips, courtesy of Travelon

-Tourist spots, public transportation stations and restaurants are notorious hangouts for pickpockets and thieves. Always be aware of your surroundings. Be wary of sudden crowds or commotions around you,  these are often designed to catch you off guard.  

-Pickpockets often work in teams where one member diverts your attention elsewhere while the second member picks your pocket.

-Keep a small amount of cash in your pocket and avoid showing large sums of money in public. Use an anti-theft bag like Travelon or an undercover waist pack to keep your money secure.

-Every summer day around 100 tourists will be victimized near Rome’s Spanish Steps, the Coliseum, and the Vatican.

What travel safety tips would you add to this list?

Since this review posted, I’ve switched to Travelon’s Classic North South Crossbody Bag, which has more room AND space for a small water bottle. I use it for travel and every day and find it’s the perfect bag for me!

My middle kid always refuses to carry any kind of bag, but before they went on their semester abroad last spring, I convinced them to try the Travelon Essentials North South Bag and they keep using it.

Buy on Amazon.

The post Have Safer Travels with Travelon Classic Anti-Theft Mini Shoulder Bag appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

So your kid is going to college. Are you ready? Are they ready? While we can’t help you feel better about your kid taking this huge life step, we can help you with packing for their dorm life. It’s definitely an adjustment to sharing a small room with a stranger who could become a close friend.
Add in shared bathrooms, going to the dining hall for meals, attending classes – it’s a lot of change.

We’ve created the ultimate college dorm checklist to make shopping simpler. Whether your kid is a freshman, transfer or just going back for another year, these must-haves will set you up for a successful year.

Pro Packing for College Tip: Most dorm rooms are small and shared, so stick to essentials that are compact, multi-functional, and easy to organize.

Bed Essentials

You’ll spend a lot of time in your bed—it’s your sleep zone, study space, and chill-out corner. Comfort is key! Pick soft fabrics and make sure you are comfy!

• Twin XL Sheet Set – Soft & Breathable
• Mattress Topper – Ultra Soft Twin XL size: Viscose Made from Bamboo Pillow Top Mattress Pad for Back Pain Relief – Naturally Cooling for Hot Sleepers, Green
• Bedsure Pillows (Set of 2): Soft Bed Pillows for Sleeping 2 Pack, Fluffy and Supportive, Hotel Quality, Original Down Alternative Filling for Side
• Soft, Lightweight Down-Alternative All-Season Comforter and Bedding Set, Pinch Pleat, Twin/TwinXL
• Reading Pillow (Husband): Supportive back-rest cushion, Oeko-Tex Certified
• Under-Bed Storage Bins
• Bed-in-a-Bag Set
• Fan – we love Woozoo! Spend the money on a good fan like the Iris Woozoo fans.
• FanShelfie Adjustable Fan Holder for Dorm Room

Now to take all this up to college? Wash your items and then use a vacuum storage bag to hold and compress these bulky items so they’ll fit in your car.

Here’s a 15 pack of vacuum storage bags with a pump included, you can use the included pump (But I used my new Shark Ninja Upright Vacuum to suck the air out of it and it was really quick).

Kitchen and Snacks

We love our snacks and treats, right? While you may be able to use a mini-fridge and microwave in your room, as well as a K Cup Coffeemaker, make sure to check your college’s housing rules. At my son’s school, you cannot have an air fryer, a hot pot electric kettle, a student owned microfridges or refrigerators larger than 3 cubic feet, portable ranges (like those little one burner plug ins that you see in cooking videos), griddles, toaster, toaster ovens, rice cookers, George Foreman Grills, popcorn makers, fondue pots/fountains, electric pots/pans/woks, Coffee makers/electric kettles with exposed heating elements, hot plates, crock pots, Instant Pots, and other electronic pressure cookers, etc.

But you can get:

Mini Keurig Coffee Maker Sure, this may not satisfy all your caffeine cravings for early morning classes or late night study sessions, but it will sure help.
Simply, Doritos & Cheetos Mix Variety Pack
Compact Mini Fridge with Freezer (just make sure your school allows you to bring your own).
Reusable Utensil Set with Case
Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Food Storage Containers – my niece actually suggested this, for when you want to take food from the dining hall.
Glass Food Storage Containers with Airtight Snap Locking Lids BPA Free
Snack Organizer Tray (aka Snackle Box)
Snack Box Variety Pack (40 Count) Candy Gift Basket
Frito Lay Baked & Popped Mix Variety Pack, (Pack of 40)

Laundry & Cleaning Supplies

Even if laundry isn’t your favorite chore, you’ll need to keep things clean.

• Pop-Up Laundry Hamper with Handles
• Laundry Sheets – leave the bulky bottles of detergent at home
• Stain Remover Stick
• Compact Vacuum or Handheld Dustbuster
• Disinfecting Wipes – Bulk Pack
• Swiffer Sweep & Mop Deluxe 2-in-1 Floor Mopping and Sweeping Kit

Organization & Storage

Maximize every inch of space with smart storage.

• Over-the-Door Hanging Organizer
• Plastic Storage Drawer Cart with Wheels
• Desk Drawer Organizer Set
• Collapsible Storage Cubes
• Bedside Caddy with Pockets

Tech & Electronics

Make sure your dorm is wired for success and convenience.

• Surge Protector Power Strip with USB Ports
• Clip-On Reading Light for Desk or Bed
• Noise-Canceling Headphones – I like these SONY ones.
• Bluetooth Speaker

Bathroom & Toiletries

With shared bathrooms, portability and hygiene are a must.

• Shower Caddy – Quick Dry & Portable
• Flip-Flops for the Shower
• Towel Set – Quick-Dry & Soft
• Toiletry Bag with Hanging Hook
• Robe – Lightweight and Cozy
• Odor Eliminator – you remember that your kid will be sharing bathrooms. Make it less stinky.

Desk Supplies & Study Aids

Make your study space inviting and efficient.

• Adjustable Desk Lamp with USB Port
• Laptop Stand – Ergonomic & Foldable
• Weekly Dry Erase Planner for Wall
• Sticky Notes, Highlighters & Pens Set

Comfort & Personal Touches

Make your dorm room feel like home.

• String Lights with Clips for Photos
• Comfy pizza throw blanket
• Sprinkle Donut Throw Pillow

Final Checklist

Twin XL Bedding
Storage & Organization
Laundry Supplies
Cleaning Tools
Tech Accessories
Kitchen Essentials
Bathroom Supplies
Study Tools
Personal Touches

Ready to Shop?

Save or print this list, or better yet—create an Amazon wishlist and start checking things off!

Bonus Tip: Make sure to reach out to your roommate so you don’t end up with two mini fridges or six lamps.

Here is a link to my Amazon Storefront, with all these suggestions in one easy place!

Want to join Prime? College students, this one’s for you. Students or 18-24 year olds can enjoy Prime as well as an extra 5% cash back on eligible purchases and monthly perks. Plus, it’s $0 for the first 6 months. Go here to sign up.

Don’t forget about ordering some groceries for those late night study sessions!

The post The Ultimate Shopping List for College Dorm Essentials appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

An eternal love that defies all expectations. Reimagined by an international team of creative minds together with Hong Kong Ballet’s Choreographer-in-Residence HU Song Wei Ricky and MAI Jingwen, “The Butterfly Lovers” is a legendary Chinese folktale about humble scholar Liang Shanbo and aristocratic heiress Zhu Yingtai, who disguises herself as a boy in order to study at a prestigious academy. From innocently meeting as students and forging a strong, immediate bond to dangerously rebelling against centuries-old forces that threaten to keep them apart, the lovers face unexpected challenges at every turn, as secrets are revealed and a shocking family betrayal ultimately seals their fate.

This multi-award-winning production includes stunning sets and costumes and a sweeping original score that bring to life a world with traditional and modern elements.

When: Friday 8/22/25 at 7:30pm
Saturday 8/23/25 2pm & 7:30pm
Sunday 8/24/25 at 2pm

Where: David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, NYC

To purchase tickets here or at the box office. Prices start at $39

Photos courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty -five years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 18, 16 and 12.

• King Kong on Broadway: It’s Not a Show, It’s an Experience! (+ Discount Code)
• What’s New For Netflix in 2016 & My Trip to LA
• Family Jazz Party With WeBop! of “Jazz at Lincoln Center”
• A Visit to the Columns, The Museum of the Pike County Historical Society
• Upcoming Show: 2014 Spring Performance at Ballet Academy East

The post Don’t Miss: Hong Kong Ballet at Lincoln Center appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Start with the luggage! I usually try to pack carry-on only, but this was a 16-day trip, with stops in 3 countries: Hungary, Israel and Spain) and visiting two of my kids who are studying in Israel — so we needed a bigger suitcase to take. Carry-on just wasn’t going to cut it as we were going to be away for too long, plus we just had to bring too much stuff to bring to the kids. We took large suitcases, plus travel backpacks. These links are from Amazon Prime – and I highly recommend these products!

Sturdy Luggage

Make sure you have the sturdy suitcase whether it’s carry-on or for checked baggage. We’ve had the same large and medium checked bags that was bought from our wedding registry. Knowing those didn’t have much life left in them, we sent them with my middle kid when they went overseas in January. So my husband and I bought up two large hard shell suitcases and while they were big, they were ideal for us. We spent around $100 for each one and were happy with how they performed on their trip. We were prepared to spend more if we needed to. Here are some choices similar to what we had.

Amazon Basics 30″ Hardside Large Checked Luggage, Hardshell Suitcase With Wheels

DELSEY PARIS Helium Aero Hardside Expandable Luggage with Spinner Wheels, Brick Red, 29 Inch

Hanging Toiletry Bag and Silicone Bottles for Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash/Serums/Moisturizer

Using a hanging toiletry bag was a game changer! I hung it up in the bathroom on a hook and using the clear zipped pockets, I could get to anything I needed instantly. And yes, I get the larger size as I’m an overpacker.
I like the shampoo I use at home and bought some soft silicone bottles for my shampoo and conditioner. It’s a good thing that I did because in Israel I couldn’t find travel sizes of shampoo and conditioner. I had stuck an extra travel size shampoo in my toiletry bag and I had to dip into that. In the hotel in Israel, they had small bottles that we could use, but it was shampoo+conditioner+body wash and I’m not a 3-in-1 person. I like my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash separate, thank you very much! After all these years on this earth, I know what works for my hair and a 3-in-1 does not.

I also bought travel sizes of my favorite hair care items – which is the Color Wow Dream Coat Spray, Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Set, and a travel sized hair spray.

Need to do Laundry?

Sink Suds to the rescue! I bought an 8-pack of Sink Suds from Amazon. The packets will wash around 3-5 items and they include a sink stopper. It made it so easy to do my laundry in the hotel room sink. Because you may not know where you can hang wet clothes in your hotel room, get a retractable travel clothesline.

Sink Suds with Drain Stopper (pack of 8)

Beach Vacay?
Microfiber towels are your friend. I picked up this 2 pack of Beach-sized Microfiber Towels and they were wonderful.

Microfiber Beach Towels

Make Up/Skincare Musts

You’re going to want to keep things compact, so get a travel sized makeup brush set (it’s genius), and your favorite skin care items in travel sizes.

I love all things CeraVe, so getting minis was a no brainer.

Travel Pillow

While I have a travel neck pillow, I chose to get a small roll up memory foam pillow for sleeping in hotel rooms. This one folds up small and was perfect when our pillow situation just didn’t work for me. What a neck saver!

Travel Backpack

This is the second travel backpack from Matein that I bought for myself (a mouse destroyed my first one). I love it. Tons of room and it’s so sturdy.

Reusable Water Bottle

I wanted a small water bottle that would fit at least 10 ounces and be lightweight. This one fit 11 ounces and fit into my Travelon Crossbody’s water bottle pocket. It’s stainless steel, insulated vacuum, leak proof and kept my water cold as I traveled.

Compact Mirror with LED Light

I got this cute small compact mirror with an LED Light for doing my eye makeup/eyebrow plucking maintenance. It has 1x/10x magnifying power, it’s rechargeable and still pretty small at 3.5in.

Tech Needs

I use a USB-C charger, but my husband and kids use lightning cables/USB 2.0. Sometimes when I travel I need a USB-C to USB 2.0 cable and sometimes I need USB-C to USB-C. Instead of carrying 25 cables around, this Multi USB Charging Adapter Cable Kit can convert your cable to what you need. It’s small and easily fit into my crossbody bag without adding weight. Genius.

Air Tags

This helped us find out luggage when our two big suitcases stayed in Zurich as we almost missed our connection to Budapest. Air Tags are a must and helped our piece of mind. I was able to call the Swiss Air office at the Budapest Airport and tell them that my luggage was in their office.

Power Banks

I always have at least 2-3 power banks on me. This is one of my favorites – Anker MagGo Power Bank, Qi2 Certified 15W Ultra-Fast MagSafe-Compatible Portable Charger, 10,000mAh Battery Pack with Smart Display & Foldable Stand, For iPhone 16/15/14/13.

Travel Adapters

If you are traveling overseas, then you need a universal travel adaptor. They can break pretty easily, so my advice is to have 2 with you. Get the kind that can have your cables to plug right into it so you can use the adaptor for something else, like your Cpap machine! I like this one – TESSAN Universal Travel Adapter, International Power Adapter 5.6A 28W 3 USB C 2 USB A Ports, Travel Worldwide Plug Adaptor, Outlet Wall Charger for Europe. I noticed that in Scandinavia, the travel adaptor was a little harder to get into the outlet, it was easier to use in Hungary, Israel and Spain.

Get Your Reading Time In

Sure, you can read on your iPhone, but when you’re traveling, a kindle is lightweight and great for getting those pages in. You’ll need Kindle Unlimited and you and your e-books can be very happy together.

Sign up for Amazon Prime. If you are ages 18-24, sign up for Prime here and get 5% cash back for a limited time.

The post Packing for an International Trip? These International Travel Must Haves Deserve a Spot in Your Suitcase appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Baked oatmeal has been my go-to breakfast for the last month or so. It’s filled with fiber and deliciousness. This Strawberry Peach Baked Oatmeal easily comes together in one bowl and is then baked. It contains strawberries, peaches, banana, coconut (to top), walnuts, eggs, oats, milk. Feel free to get creative and sub in the fruit or nuts of your choice. This is wonderful for meal prep and will stay good for the week. With working out of the house and remotely, I love having my breakfast already made in my fridge. Heat up a piece and set your day up for success (because your stomach won’t be growling!). Strawberry Peach Baked Oatmeal will soon be your favorite meal prepped breakfast!

You’ll Need

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups milk (I used lowfat)
• 1 banana 
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/8 cup strawberries
• 1 cup peaches (I used frozen)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 
• 1/4 cup coconut shreds (unsweetened)
• Oil spray or olive oil to grease the pan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Mix together well. What I like about this recipe is that you mix everything together in one bowl and then pour it into your baking pan. I prefer Pyrex because I can add a lid and store it in it all week. I just cut my piece and then either warm it up and enjoy it or pack it for breakfast on the go. Remember to add a cutlery set!

Pour into a greased baking dish. I sprinkled the coconut on top. Nuts will also taste delicious in the baked oatmeal and on top! I used walnuts for this, but any nut will work.

Bake for 50 minutes or until set. Some people may like to enjoy baked oatmeal like a cake, if you don’t and prefer it more oatmeal-like, baked for a little less time.

This will stay delicious in your fridge for 4-5 days! I store it in my glass pyrex pan that comes with a lid!
I’ve topped this with whipped cream or more cinnamon. Any way, it’s a keeper! Strawberry Peach Baked Oatmeal will instantly become a meal prepping favorite for breakfast.

Print

Strawberry Peach Baked Oatmeal

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword baked oatmeal, breakfast ideas

Author Nancy M Horn

Equipment

• 1 knife
• Oven
• large mixing bowl
• pyrex baking dish

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups milk I used lowfat
• 1 banana
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/8 cup strawberries
• 1 cup peaches I used frozen
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds optional
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
• 1/4 cup Coconut shreds (unsweetened) optional
• Olive Oil spray or use olive oil to grease your pan

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
• Pour into a greased baking dish. I like to make it in glass pyrex pans.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until set.

Allergies

If you have allergies, you can sub out the ingredients that you may be allergic to. Nut milks or alternative milks like oatmilk or soymilk can easily work in this. You can leave all nuts out if you wish to.

Pin This!

Shop:

My Amazon Storefront for Cooking Essentials

Good Knives
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with lids
Pyrex Baking Dishes with lids (my favorites!)
On the go stainless steel cutlery set
Chia Seeds

Related Posts

• No Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Energy Bites (Vegan) + Video
• Honey Balsamic Peach Chicken
• Peach Ice Cream (Ninja CREAMI, Nonfat)
• 5 Different Ways to Make the Same Lunch For Your Child
• Easy Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

The post Strawberry Peach Baked Oatmeal appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Working parents, so you need a dinner that can be on the table in under 30 minutes and will easily use ingredients you may have on hand? This Instant Pot Garlic and Herb Chicken and Rice can do that! It doesn’t take more than 5-7 minutes to prep and takes 14 minutes after your IP comes to pressure. What working parent doesn’t love a one pot quick and healthy meal?

My instant pot hasn’t gotten a lot of love these days, since I pretty much use my air fryer 24/7 – but I still pull it out every few days to make rice and some other things. I was browsing in a supermarket and saw a packet for Garlic Herb Chicken and Rice in a multi-cooker and decided to give it a try. However, the spice packet was way too peppery. I decided to try it again the next night, using spices that I liked and changing up some of the cooking instructions. If you make this, use the spices you prefer, add different veggies or use my recipe to make this Instant Pot Garlic and Herb Chicken and Rice dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of chicken breasts (usually 2 breasts in a standard package).
• 1 cup of white medium grain rice (I used white basmati rice)
• 3 large carrots, peeled
• 1 small onion
• Frozen Peas (added after cooking)
• 2 cups water (if you rinse your rice, fill your measuring cup just slightly below 2 cups)
• 1 small zucchini
• 3 garlic cloves, minced. I used fresh garlic and a garlic press, feel free to use whatever garlic you have on hand – frozen cubes, jarred minced garlic, garlic powder…etc
• Paprika (1/2 teaspoon)
• Oregano (1/4 teaspoon)
• Olive oil
• Pepper (1/4 teaspoon) – this is optional
• Fresh parsley- optional, to top with after cooking

Equipment

• Instant Pot Electric Cooker
• Large cutting knife
• Cutting board
• 2 cup measuring cup
• Garlic Press

Instructions:

Mince your fresh garlic cloves and set aside. A garlic press is your friend, folks!
Chop your onions and set aside.
Chop your carrots and zucchini.
Measure out 1 cup of rice. I always rinse my rice, but you do you, babe. Set aside.
Take out your 1 pound of chicken and cut off any visible fat.
Make sure you instant pot is clean and ready.
Add your olive oil to your instant pot and hit the sautee button.
Then add your garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes until it’s slightly browned.
Turn off your instant pot and add the rice, the cut up carrots and zucchini and then place the chicken breasts on top. Add your spices and then add in the water. I try to mix in some of the spices with the rice (though most will be on the chicken).

Put your instant pot on for 8 minutes at high pressure.
Then let it do a natural release for 5 minutes and then release the rest of your pressure.
After cooking, take out the chicken breats and add your peas to the rice mixture. Place the lid on top to let the peas steam into the rice and veggies.
Cut up the chicken into small pieces (or shred it with a meat claw)

Add the chicken back into the rice mixture and mix it all together.

Serve!

Tips and Variations:

• You can sub in other veggies, but root veggies will cook better than other veggies in this.
• If you are really rushed for time, don’t saute the onions and garlic before adding all the other ingredients. Just leave the olive oil out and add the minced garlic and onions when you add all the ingredients in.
• Top with fresh parsley or the spices of your choice!

Will there be leftovers?

• This recipe will feed a family of 4 and most likely there won’t be leftovers. You can double this if you want leftovers.
• It will heat up the next day easily for dinner.
• I like to serve this with a simple salad on the side.

Conclusion:

Enjoy this recipe for Instant Pot Garlic and Herb Chicken and Rice. Let me know if you make it! Your family will love it!

Print

Instant Pot Garlic Herb Chicken and Rice

Course dinner, Dinner Entree, Entree, gluten free entree

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten free dinners, instant pot, instant pot chicken and rice, instant pot dinners, instant pot meal, quick dinners

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Natural Release 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Nancy M Horn

Equipment

• 1 Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• 1 large cutting knife
• 1 cutting board
• 1 2-cup measuring cup
• 1 garlic press

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breasts usually 2 breasts in a package.
• 1 cup white medium grain rice I used white basmati rice
• 3 carrots peeled
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 cup Frozen Peas added after cooking
• 2 cups water if you rinse your rice, fill your measuring cup just slightly below 2 cups
• 1 zucchini
• 3 garlic cloves minced. I used fresh garlic and a garlic press, feel free to use whatever garlic you have on hand (frozen cubes, jarred minced garlic, garlic powder…etc)
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Oregano
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/4 tsp Pepper 1/4 teaspoon – this is optional
• Fresh parsley- optional to top with after cooking

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Mince your fresh garlic cloves and set aside.
• Chop your onions and set aside.
• Chop your carrots and zucchini.
• Measure out 1 cup of rice. I always rinse my rice, but you do you, babe. Set aside.
• Take out your 1 pound of chicken and cut off any visible fat.
• Make sure you instant pot is clean and ready.
• Add your olive oil to your instant pot and hit the sautee button.
• Then add your garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes until it’s slightly browned.
• Turn off your instant pot and add the rice, the cut up carrots and zucchini and then place the chicken breasts on top. Add your spices and then add in the water. I try to mix in some of the spices with the rice (though most will be on the chicken.
• Put your instant pot on for 8 minutes at high pressure. Then let it do a natural release for 5 minutes and then release the rest of your pressure.
• Take out the chicken and add your peas to the rice mixture. Place the lid on top to let the peas steam into the rice and veggies.
• Cut up the chicken into small pieces (or shred it with a meat claw).
• Add the chicken back into the rice mixture and mix it all together.
• Top with fresh parsley (if you want) and serve!

Buy:

Instant Pot Electric Cooker

Large cutting knife

Cutting board

2 cup measuring cup

Related Posts

• Healthy Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls (Vegetarian/GF)
• Simple Roasted Chicken with Mediterranean Seasoning
• Shrimp Marinara
  
  

The post Instant Pot Garlic Herb Chicken and Rice appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

SnapDragon apples are grown by more than 150 family farmers in New York state and are available to purchase from many major retailers across the country including Food Lion, Publix, The Fresh Market, Sprouts, Aldi, Tops, Wegmans, and more. For making this apple snack board, I headed over to Wegman’s in Brooklyn to pick up SnapDragon apples.

And the best part? You can customize it with your family’s favorite flavors!
An apple snack board is a a fun, themed charcuterie board that highlights apples as the spotlight ingredient. Instead of focusing on meats and cheeses, these boards center around fresh, sliced apples and their perfect pairings—from nut butters and cheeses to dips, dried fruits, and sweet treats.

What You’ll Need:

Here’s what I used to build this delicious snack board, but feel free to mix it up! You can make a big or small snack board (girl dinner anyone?)

SnapDragon apples – I used several SnapDragon apples
Cheddar cheese (I love Cabot)
Gouda cheese (this one will work beautifully)
Assorted cheese party tray with Colby Jack, cheddar and a few other cheese
Marcona Almonds
Bruschetta toasts with olive oil
Wheat Crackers
Pumpkin raisin crisps – you can sub in these cranberry pumpkin seed crackers as I got mine from a local store.
Dried apricots

Apples (The Star of the Show!)

I used SnapDragon Apples for this. These were so tangy and had a Monster crunch!

How to Assemble Your Apple Snack Board:

Slice the apples and arrange them on a large board or platter. I used a large white rectangular one (you can find a similar one on Amazon).
I cut and placed my apples in a circular design and placed an SnapDragon apple in the center.

I cut up the cheese into bit size slices.
Place the crackers, cheese, apricots and nuts all around the apple swirl.
Serve & enjoy!

Watch my video on how to make it!

Why We Love This Apple Snack Board

Healthy & fun – It’s a great way to get kids excited about fruit!
Customizable – Swap out dips and toppings for variety.
Perfect for sharing – Whether it’s for a family night or a playdate, this board is always a hit.
Pro tip: Use an apple slicer to get perfect wedges quickly! I also like this apple slicer.

Additional Ideas to add to this Apple Snack Board

Dip Ideas

• Peanut Butter (or almond/sunflower butter)
• Greek Yogurt with a drizzle of honey
• Caramel Sauce (because, why not? )

Toppings & Add-Ons

• Mini marshmallows for a fun twist
• Granola for crunch
• Chocolate chips for a little sweetness
• Cinnamon for a warm, cozy flavor
• Crushed nuts for protein

Print

Apple Snack Board – an Easy and Tasty Treat

This apple snack board features SnapDragon Apples, nuts, fruit, cheese and crackers

Course Appetiser, Appetizer or Kids Meal, charcuterie board, Dinner Entree, snack board

Cuisine American

Keyword Apple Brown Betty, snack board

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Nancy M Horn

Equipment

• 1 white serving platter

Ingredients

• SnapDragon apples – I used several SnapDragon apples
• Cheddar cheese I love Cabot
• Gouda cheese this one will work beautifully
• Assorted cheese party tray with Colby Jack cheddar and a few other cheese
• Marcona Almonds
• Bruschetta toasts with olive oil
• Wheat Crackers
• Pumpkin raisin crisps – you can sub in these cranberry pumpkin seed crackers as I got mine from a local store.
• Dried apricots

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Slice the apples and arrange them on a large board or platter. I used a large white rectangular one (you can find a similar one on Amazon).
• I cut and placed my apples in a circular design and placed an SnapDragon apple in the center.
• I cut up the cheese into bit size slices.
• Place the crackers, cheese, apricots and nuts all around the apple swirl.
• Serve & enjoy!

Video

https://www.themamamaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SnapDragon-Reel-Nancy-Horn.mov

Notes

Healthy & fun – It’s a great way to get kids excited about fruit!
Customizable – Swap out dips and toppings for variety.
Perfect for sharing – Whether it’s for a family night or a playdate, this board is always a hit.
Pro tip: Use an apple slicer to get perfect wedges quickly! I also like this apple slicer.

Additional Ideas to add to this Apple Snack Board

Dip Ideas

• Peanut Butter (or almond/sunflower butter)
• Greek Yogurt with a drizzle of honey
• Caramel Sauce (because, why not? )

Toppings & Add-Ons

• Mini marshmallows for a fun twist
• Granola for crunch
• Chocolate chips for a little sweetness
• Cinnamon for a warm, cozy flavor
• Crushed nuts for protein

.

 

This delicious apple snack board is proof that simple ingredients can shine when thoughtfully arranged. Snack boards are easy, nutritious, and totally customizable. Whether you’re prepping for a game or movie night, a weekend or holiday brunch, or just need an afternoon pick-me-up, this snack board is a scrumptious way to celebrate.

Give it a try—and don’t forget to snap a photo before it’s devoured Will you try this Kid Friendly Apple Snack Board? Let me know in the comments!

Buy:

Cabot cheddar
Dried apricots
Gouda cheese
Marcona almonds
Bruschetta Toasts
Deluxe apple slicer
Basic apple slicer
Wheat Crackers
Cranberry Pumpkin Seed Crackers
Cheese Party Tray
Large white platter

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• Smart Snacking: Bare Fruit Apple Chips

The post Kid Friendly Apple Snack Board – an Easy and Tasty Treat appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

While we were recently in Budapest and Israel, I fell in love with chicken schnitzel. It’s just breaded chicken cutlets, right? Well, kind of. But the taste is a thousand times better. What makes it special, according to All Recipes, “Schnitzel is a slice of meat, often pounded until fairly thin, then breaded and fried. The dish’s name actually comes from the German word schnitt, which translates to “cut.” The most popular type of meat for schnitzel is veal (wiener-schnitzel) or pork (schweine-schnitzel), but you also see varieties made with chicken (hänchen-schnitzel), or turkey (puten-schnitzel). The breading is typically an easy coating of flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. Schnitzel is not typically highly seasoned, relying instead on bold toppings such as fresh lemon wedges, mushroom sauce, or cream sauce to add a boost of flavor.”
Since I needed my chicken schnitzel to be kosher for Passover, I was so excited when I stopped in a supermarket and found a Kosher for Passover Pretzel Crusted Matzo Meal Crumbs (gluten free) from Haddar. We are not a gluten free family anymore (my husband had been misdiagnosed with Celiac in 2020), but it was perfect to make a this Pretzel Crusted Chicken Schnitzel – perfect for Passover and Gluten free! I was so happy to have this recent vacation favorite of chicken schnitzel on my dinner table! Want to learn how to make this Pretzel Crumb Chicken Schnitzel – which is Kosher for Passover and Gluten Free?

We had chicken schnitzel several times on our trip recently- the best place in Budapest to get the chicken schnitzel was a restaurant named Marty’s Local Kitchen and Bar. In Israel, you can find chicken schnitzel almost everywhere and yes, their chicken schnitzel version is usually kosher (unless you are seeking a pork schnitzel, which is more rare therel). The best chicken schnitzel we had in Israel was at Falafel Gabay in Tel Aviv, which was a few blocks from our hotel and the beach. The chicken schnitzel was terrific, however, their chicken schnitzel blew me away. Seriously amazing.
Needless to say, I came home with chicken schnitzel on my mind. However, pulling out normal breadcrumbs during Passover wasn’t an option. I was planning on making pesadika chicken schnitzel with matzoh meal subbed in for breadcrumbs, but I was out shopping for Passover and picked up Passover Pretzel Crumbs (kosher for Passover and Gluten free). If you cannot find any passover friendly pretzel crumbs in the stores or on Amazon, crush up some Passover pretzels or gluten free pretzels.

Before I stopped to get the Passover Gluten Free Pretzel Crumbs, I checked Flashfood and saw that the Stop and Shop I was near had chicken breast 1/2 off. I added that to my Flashfood cart and picked it up.

Flashfood is a fun way to reduce food waste and save up to 50% on groceries at stores near you. Here’s my personal Flashfood referral code: NANC5V0TX. If your first purchase is over $7, you’ll get $5 off! Use the code when you sign up or on the Rewards tab. Download the app today! https://flashfood.onelink.me/yAxk/referral

Check out my video!

You’re going to need:

1 package of Chicken Breasts – I bought a small package of chicken breasts with 2 large chicken breasts
1 10 oz can of Haddar Passover Pretzel Crumbs (Gluten Free)
If you can’t find Pretzel Crumbs that are kosher for Passover and Gluten Free, track down some gluten free pretzels and crush them up. Add some matzoh meal and seasonings.
4 eggs
Oil Spray – I like this brand
Olive oil – I like this brand
French Rolling Pin to flatten chicken
Parchment paper to flatten chicken in between and on cooking sheets to keep yourself organized
I used a ceramic frying pan to make this, but you can use your air fryer.

Instructions:

To differentiate schnitzel from chicken cutlets, you need to cut the cutlets thinner and then use a rolling pin (I like this French one) to make it as flat as possible. I put my chicken between two sheets of parchment paper and place it on a cutting board. Flatten all your chicken.

Then set up a little assembly line with your beaten eggs, Passover gluten free pretzel crumbs and something to place your chicken on.

Dip your chicken breast in the eggs, then dip in the pretzel crumbs and coat thoroughly. If it looks too thin, dip it again. Place each piece of chicken on your parchment paper. Then you can fry your chicken schnitzel until it’s cooked though.

Place your schnitzel on a piece of paper towel to make sure any oil is soaked up.

Serve! Schnitzel is great with salad, rice, pasta – really, anything!

Making this with an Air Fryer

Figure with an air fryer, since it’s smaller than your oven, it will take around 3-4 batches to get all your chicken air fried. If you have a basket air fryer, it should take just as long (and you should shake them a little).
Cook your chicken around 390 or 400 for around 20 minutes, flip over and cook for another 10 minutes. With chicken, I always cut open a few pieces to make sure it’s cooked (there’s nothing worse than uncooked chicken!).
Serve!

Keeping it Kosher for Passover

If you are serving this for Passover, you can pair with potatoes, rice (if you eat rice on Passover), gluten free pasta or salad. This would go great with a my Instant Pot Brown Basmati Rice or my Yukon Gold Roasted Potatoes – just make the potatoes before your gluten free breaded chicken in your air fryer!
For a veggie, I like to serve garlic sautéed spinach or steamed zuchinni.

What will you serve this with?

Print

Pretzel Crumb Chicken Schnitzel – Kosher for Passover, Gluten Free

Course Dinner Entree, Entree, Gluten Free, gluten free entree, jewish holidays, Passover Friendly Main Dish

Cuisine german, Jewish, Jewish – Passover

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword breaded chicken, chicken cutlet, chicken cutlets, chicken schnitzel, gluten free breaded chicken, kosher for passover, passover friendly chicken schnitzel

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Author Nancy M Horn

Equipment

• 1 ceramic frying pan
• 1 French Rolling Pin
• 1 Air Fryer Optional
• 1 package of parchment paper sheets

Ingredients

• 1 package of Chicken Breasts – I bought a small package with 2 large chicken breasts
• 1 can of Haddar Passover Pretzel Crumbs
• 4 eggs
• Olive Oil Spray – I like this brand
• 1 can Matzoh Meal (if you cannot find passover pretzel crumbs)
• 3-5 small packages Gluten Free/Passover Pretzels, crushed (if you cannot find passover pretzel crumbs)
• Olive oil to taste

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• To differentiate schnitzel from chicken cutlets, you need to cut the cutlets thinner and then use a rolling pin (I like this French one) to make it as flat as possible. I put my chicken between two sheets of parchment paper and place it on a cutting board. Flatten all your chicken. Then set up a little assembly line with your beaten eggs, Passover gluten free pretzel crumbs and something to place your chicken on.
• Dip your chicken breast in the eggs, then dip in the pretzel crumbs and coat thoroughly. If it looks too thin, dip it again. Place each piece of chicken on your parchment paper. Then you can fry your chicken schnitzel until it’s cooked though. Place your schnitzel on a piece of paper towel to make sure any oil is soaked up.
• Serve! Schnitzel is great with salad, rice, pasta – really, anything!

Buy

French Rolling Pin (to flatten chicken breast)
Ceramic Pan (I used one similar to this) – this one will also work well
Passover Pretzel Crumbs (Gluten Free)
Olive Oil cooking spray
Olive Oil
Air Fryer that I like

Flashfood is a fun way to reduce food waste and save up to 50% on groceries at stores near you. Here’s my personal Flashfood referral code: NANC5V0TX. If your first purchase is over $7, you’ll get $5 off! Use the code when you sign up or on the Rewards tab. Download the app today! https://flashfood.onelink.me/yAxk/referral

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• Gluten Free Pretzel Crusted Chicken
• Red White and Blue No Bake Cheesecake Parfaits
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• Dairy/Parve Lunch Ideas for Kosher Schools

The post Pretzel Crumb Chicken Schnitzel – Kosher for Passover, Gluten Free appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Foolproof Matzoh Balls

Print

Recipe: Foolproof Matzoh Balls for Passover

Want to make foolproof matzoh balls? This recipe is adapted from Streits' Original Matzoh Ball Recipe (yes, the one on the back of the old box).

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Jewish

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Nancy Johnson Horn from http://www.themamamaven.com

Ingredients

• 4 eggs beaten
• 1 cup unsalted matzoh meal
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup melted margarine you can use canola or vegetable oil, I used Smart Balance Baking Sticks melted in the microwave
• 1 teaspoon salt I usually add salt to the soup before I eat it
• Pinch of black pepper

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Beat eggs in a bowl.
  
• Add water, margarine/oil, salt and pepper to the beaten eggs.
  
• Mix well. Add matzoh meal and stir.
  
• Refrigerate at least one hour.
• Form into balls (you're going to have to wash your hands extra well and form with your hands) and drop into pot soup or boiling water.
• Cook 20 minutes.
• Makes 16 to 20 small matzoh balls.
• 
• You can put them right into a soup or store them in the fridge for a couple of days before adding to soup.
• 

Matzo Tacos

Print

Recipe: Matzoh Tacos AKA "Macos"

Super simple, super easy Passover dinner choice! Go beyond Matzo Pizza!

Course Passover Friendly Main Dish

Cuisine Jewish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Nancy Johnson Horn

Ingredients

• 1 can refried Pinto Beans we like Old El Paso's Refried Pinto Beans - you can also take a can of black beans, heat up slightly and puree when it cools.
• 1 box matzoh usually adults will eat two pieces of matzoh, kids may eat 1/2 a piece
• Sour Cream we use low fat
• Mashed Avocado or guacamole
• Salsa any strength you want, kids may prefer a mild version
• Shredded regular or reduced fat cheddar cheese or a Mexican style blend
• Extra Add-ons:
• Tomatoes
• Shredded lettuce
• Mushrooms sauteed

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pieces of matzoh in oven for 5 minutes (just keep an eye on it).
  
• Spoon on beans and sprinkle cheese, bake for 5 minutes.
  
• For my super picky kids, we kept it pretty simple - beans, cheese, matzoh.
• 
• My husband and I like toppings, so we piled on the tomatoes, guac, salsa and sour cream. And it was delicious!
• 

Matzoh Pizza

Print

Matzoh Pizza

The secret is to toast the matzoh before you add the sauce and cheese.

Course Entree

Cuisine Jewish - Passover

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes minutes

Total Time 11 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Nancy Johnson Horn, The Mama Maven Blog

Ingredients

• Matzoh
• Tomato Sauce
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Oregano

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Take a sheet of Matzoh.
• Toast in toaster oven or 350 degree oven for a few minutes.
• Add tomato sauce
• Add shredded mozzarella
• Add a little oregano
• Add the toppings of your choice.
• Toast for 5-6 minutes or until melted.
• Kids will eat around 1 whole sheet of matzoh pizza, adults 2- 3 whole matzoh sheets.

The post Passover’s Coming — Foolproof Matzoh Balls, Matzoh Tacos & Matzoh Pizza Recipes appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Joining TDF in this partnership to forge a lifelong relationship with the arts for the next generation are the hit Broadway musicals Hell’s Kitchen and SIX along with the New York City Public Schools Arts Office. In addition to the free TDF Membership, every student who signs up can enter a drawing to win up to two free tickets to see Hell’s Kitchen at the Shubert Theatre or SIX at the Lena Horne Theatre on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 7 p.m. At those performances, the full houses will be offered to graduating seniors and their guests. Earlier that day, there will be a graduation party by the red steps of TDF’s Times Square TKTS Booth, which will include music, an opportunity to take graduation photos, and other fun activities.

If you are a NYC senior, head over here to sign up. To prove eligibility, students will be asked to provide their NYC DOE Student ID number (OSIS number). To learn more about this program, go to tdf.org/gradgift.

TDF’s Graduation Gift launched last year in partnership with Hell’s Kitchen and the New York City Public Schools Arts Office and provided free TDF Memberships to more than 2,200 graduates.

Ali is a 17-year-old girl full of fire–searching for freedom, passion, and her place in the world. How she finds them is a New York City coming-of-age story you’ve never felt before–Hell’s Kitchen, a new musical from 16-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys, whose songs and experiences growing up in NY inspire a story made for Broadway.

Rebellious and stifled by an overprotective single mother, Ali is lost until she meets her mentor: a neighbor who opens her heart and mind to the power of the piano. Set to the rhythm of the ‘90s, Hell’s Kitchen is a love story between a mother and daughter. It’s about finding yourself, your purpose, and the community that lifts you. Come remember where dreams begin.

The “powerhouse cast” (Variety) is led by Tony Award nominee Brandon Victor Dixon, Tony Award winner Kecia Lewis, Phillip Johnson Richardson, Jessica Vosk, and Tony Award winner Maleah Joi Moon. Hell’s Kitchen is directed by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif, with choreography by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown, a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, and the music of Keys, featuring new songs and her greatest hits.

Hell’s Kitchen began performances on Thursday, March 28, 2024 and opened on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre (225 West 44^th Street). Tickets for Hell’s Kitchen are available at HellsKitchen.com and Telecharge.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Shubert Theatre box office.

From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st century girl power! This original musical by Tony Award winners Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!

SIX is the winner of 23 awards including the 2022 Tony Award for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The New York Times says SIX “TOTALLY RULES!” (Critic’s Pick) and The Washington Post hails SIX as “Exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!”

SIX is currently running on Broadway at the Lena Horne Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Tickets are available at www.SixOnBroadway.com.

Founded in 1968, TDF (formerly known as Theatre Development Fund) is a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to sharing the power of the performing arts with everyone. TDF’s mission is to engage a broad and diverse audience by removing the financial, physical, and invisible barriers to participation in the performing arts. TDF’s initiatives include the TKTS by TDF Discount Booths; TDF Memberships; the TDF Costume Collection; and TDF Accessibility, Education, and Public Engagement Programs. Those Programs include open captioned, audio described, and ASL-interpreted performances; Autism Friendly Performances; the Veterans Theatregoing Program; school programs serving more than 11,000 NYC public school students annually; and partnerships with over 150 NYC community organizations serving 18,000 people in the tristate area. TDF envisions a world where the transformative experience of attending live theatre and dance is essential, relevant, accessible, and inspirational.

So, if you have a graduating senior from a NYC Public or Charter school, tell them that TDF Offers Free 1 Year Memberships to All Graduating NYC Seniors and to head here to sign up! Theatre is such an amazing thing!

Head over to tdf.org.

We were not compensated for this post.

The post TDF Offers Free 1 Year Memberships to All Graduating NYC Seniors appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

For the past month, I’ve been testing out the Meaningful Beauty Skincare System. In my first post, I shared my first impressions. In this post, I’ll share my thoughts about the system. With Meaningful Beauty, Cindy Crawford shares her secret to protecting and renewing the skin. The Meaningful Beauty system delivers powerful antioxidants to fight free radical damage, vitamins to enhance radiance, and marine extracts for intensive moisture and firming. Here is my Meaningful Beauty product review.

There are several products in the system. I’ll admit it’s more than I ever typically used and I was a little intimidated. I was worried about how I’d remember what to use and when to use it.

However, I don’t have to remember it. There is a handy waterproof chart that I keep in my bathroom, right next to my mirror. Here’s the AM side.

My favorite products were the Wrinkle Smoothing Capsules and the Glowing Serum.

Did you know that you need to feed your skin, just like you feed your body? Any skincare that you choose should keep it protected from damaging free radicals and harsh environmental factors (example being the winter we’re in right now). If you give your skin nutrients it will help it look healthy and resilient. Meaningful Beauty can help skin appear radiant and youthful with ingredients designed to moisturize, protect, hydrate and rejuvenate.

My Thoughts:
Did I see a difference in my skin? Yes, I actually did. My skin looks healthier overall and much more hydrated. I now moisturize with several of the Meaningful Beauty products twice a day and I barely moisturized even once a day before, so I am pretty pleased with this system. I can actually skip makeup most days (ie. powder or foundation) if I am just going about my day, working at home or being with the kids. . Seriously. No makeup. For a gal that just turned 45, that really impressed me. I love the skin polishing brush too. It actually felt good to really clean my face and I think it also helped to make my skin better. What I would like to check out next is something to get ride of a sunspot on my left cheek. It is a little lighter, but I wasn’t sent a product that specifically tackled that and I am wondering if that would have helped it.

Find Meaningful Beauty on Amazon.

Related Posts

#AD @MeaningfulBty #MeaningfulBeauty #IC

The post Meaningful Beauty Product Review appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Breast Pumps have seriously gone down in size since my kids were born and some of them are so much smaller! So it makes sense finding a stylish tote or backpack (include a cooler too) that you can use. You simply remove your pump from the carrier it came with and slip it into your bag. My Medela pump fit perfectly, and they say that if you remove the divider in the bag that it will also hold Hygeia or Ameda pumps.

You want to look for totes and backpacks that have a lot of pockets, are easy to wipe clean and will fit your pump as well as a cooler.

Here’s what we found:

CURMIO Breast Pump Bag Backpack Compatible for Spectra S1, S2, Medela, Pumping Tote with Compartment for Cooler Bag, with Padded Laptop Sleeve. This backpack is cute as well as functional. Main compartment is spacious enough for pump accessaries. (Bag only, not including the breast pump and cooler bag)
Dimensions are 14″ x 9″ x 17.7″. The bottom compartment with a front open flap fits for most major Breast Pumps and cooler bag. Extra pockets can hold tissues, bottles, umbrellas, key, wallet, phone or other baby items.
The top of this bag can be opened fully, which is easy access to items inside. A padded pocket for Laptop is ideal for working breastfeeding mothers.
The padded handle and adjustable shoulder strap with back breathable padded pad make it convenient and comfortable to transport your baby items and work stuffs from work to home.
Made of high grade and water-resistant nylon fabric, it keeps clean easily. The front pocket for pumps is collapsible when not in use to transfer this pump bag to diaper bag, travel bag, daily backpack or for other uses.

Fasrom Wearable Breast Pump Tote Bag Compatible with Medela Pump in Style and Accessories, Pumping Bag with 15.6” Laptop Sleeve for Work Moms to Carry Pump Parts. This comes in black and pink and is so super cute!
Features include:
Generously sized: Dimensions 15.35 x 7.5x 11.8 inches. There’s a large padded interior pocket compatible with Medela* Pump in Style. Thick cushioned sleeve can accommodate 15.6″ laptop, tablet and more. (But remember, that’s when the bag is empty! ie: NOT includes breast pump and accessories.
This pumping bag has a well organization system to sort all the breast pump parts. Designed with a separated zipper pocket(7.28 x 6.69 x 6.3 inches) to store small breastmilk cooler bag (NOT included). Many different sized pockets, pouches and compartments inside and outside help to keep baby bottles, breast shields, power cords and your daily essentials in their own place.
The lightweight pump tote makes it easy to carry pump accessories back and forth wherever you go. Reinforced shoulder straps provide most convenient way for commuting. The back luggage strap helps to fix your tote on suitcase when traveling.
Made of long-lasting, easy-to-clean nylon material with high quality stitching for long term use. Padded lining all around the bag helps to protect your devices from bumps and scratches and keep them in good condition.

How about a backpack with vegan leather? Marzelie Vegan Leather Breast Pump Bag with prep mat, compatible with Spectra S1 S2 may be a good option. No one will even suspect that this is holding your breast pump!

And of course you can’t forget bags by Sara Wells. The company makes so many cool breast pump bags that stylish moms love!

Sarah Wells “Maddy Caddy Breast Pump Bag Stroller Caddy – Insulated Neoprene – Luggage Sleeve – Adjustable Pockets – Crossbody (Purple)

Features:
Ultimate Versatility: The Maddy Caddy seamlessly transforms from a pump bag to a diaper bag, travel bag, or stroller caddy—whatever mama’s day demands.
Machine-Washable Magic: Made with soft yet durable materials, it’s easy to clean and built to last. Toss it in the wash and keep it looking fresh. No joke…it’s machine washable. However, please air dry and open all zippers to let it dry out.
Insulated compartments keep milk chilled for hours. Pair with a milk chiller like Ceres Chill for extended cooling time on the go.
The built-in photo pocket lets you keep your loved ones close, adding a sweet reminder of why you do what you do.
It offers adjustable backpack straps, stroller straps, and a luggage sleeve ensure you’re ready to roll no matter where life takes you.

The post Stylish Breast Pump Totes and Backpacks for the Mama on the Go appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

1. Birthstone Stud Earrings

Birthstone stud earrings are such a classic gift! Your friends who love the zodiac would definitely be into these! For my recent birthday, I decided to treat myself and order a pair of garnet birthstone stud earrings to honor my mother and my daughter’s birthstone (they are both Capricorns). My birthstone is London Blue Topaz and I think I will get the birthstone stud earrings for myself next year.

2. Personalized Birth Chart Print

If your zodiac loving friend For the astrology enthusiast who knows their moon, sun, and rising signs, a personalized Custom Birth Chart Wall Art is a unique way to honor their cosmic identity. These customized watercolor prints by artist Michelle Bold add a personal and decorative touch to any space. We’re fans!

3. Astrology-Themed Candles

Candles infused with scents tailored to each zodiac sign make for a cozy and customized gift. These zodiac candles come with descriptions of traits and energies associated with the sign, plus delicious scents. Plus they’ll make you laugh!

4. Zodiac-Inspired Journals

Journaling is a great way for astrology lovers to reflect on their journeys and figure out their goals. A zodiac-themed journal featuring their sign or celestial motifs is both practical and thoughtful. Check out these cute zodiac journals by Sabrina Dinucci (We Love Divine on Instagram).

5. Astrology Books

From beginner guides to in-depth explorations of natal charts, astrology books are perfect for friends who want to expand their astrological knowledge. This book, the Guided Astrology Workbook by Stefanie Caponi will definitely spark interest in learning more about astrology!

6. Astrology-Themed Apparel

Fashionable zodiac-themed clothing like t-shirts, hoodies, or even socks lets them wear their sign with pride. Look for designs that match their personality – subtle or bold. T-shirts can be great to wear with jeans or a long maxi skirt (remember to wear your birthstone stud earrings with it!)

7. Zodiac Mug

Who wouldn’t love a super cute and practical mug, especially when it’s personalized with their zodiac sign? This Zodiac Sign Ceramic Mug is perfect for their morning coffee or tea or for something warm before bed.

Bonus Tip: Create a Zodiac Gift Basket

Combine a few of these items to create a personalized zodiac gift basket. For example, pair a crystal set, candle, mug, and journal for a thoughtful bundle that’s out of this world.

No matter what you choose, your zodiac-loving friends will appreciate the thoughtfulness of a gift that aligns with their astrological vibes. Happy gifting! These are the best gifts for zodiac fans!

Which gift is your favorite?

Related Posts

• Busy Parents’ Guide to Hannukah
• Birth Story: Benjamin 9/28/2005
• Unique Gift Idea: Personalized Growth Charts from I See Me

The post The Best Gifts for Zodiac Fans appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I’ve always had foot issues. You can call it a love-hate relationship. I love the way my feet carry me through my life, whether it’s exploring NYC, working, taking care of my family in our home, or dancing. But the hate relationship? It’s my bunions.

My mother and my grandmother always had bunions, and I know how much my mom has suffered. We’ve got the same feet, however mine are much bigger! I’ve always had a problem with finding shoes and no matter what brand or size I tried, I was always uncomfortable. However, I developed bunions in my mid 20’s, and they’ve been a constant source of discomfort ever since, adding to even more issues with my feet. Through the years, I’ve had jobs as a production assistant and classroom teacher, which means being on my feet for at least 8 hours a day.

Bunion Symptoms:

If you don’t know what bunions are, they are those unattractive, often painful bumps that form on the joint at the base of the big toe. They push the toe inward toward the other toes, sometimes causing the entire foot to misalign. The pain can range from mild discomfort to throbbing agony, especially after a long day on my feet. While my left foot looks worse, it’s actually my right foot that is more uncomfortable. You can see that I have prominent red bumps on the base of my big toes, which get sore when I walk too much or when I wear shoes. While I’m lucky my bunions don’t hurt when I bend my foot now, I hope that doesn’t change in the future. I can see how my toes are slowly shifting towards my outer feet. 

While the exact cause of bunions are unclear, genetics and lifestyle choices influence the likelihood of developing bunions and the speed at which they progress and get worse like wearing tight-fitting or high-heeled shoes¹. 

In my case, I believe genetics plus my own shoe choices and career have also played a role. It seems like everyone on my mother’s side of the family has had bunions, so I wasn’t surprised that I developed them also. 

Bunion Relief:
I can get some relief by resting my feet after a long day of work or exploring NYC. I recently did a long sightseeing day over a month ago with a friend from London and my feet are finally recovering now. It’s getting longer and longer before my bunions feel better. I also use remedies like bunion pads if I know I must walk around a lot and that does help a little. I also like to soak my feet and elevate them when I get a chance. If I don’t need to wear fancy shoes, you can find me in sneakers and wearing supportive slippers at home to cushion my feet. I am careful with every shoe I wear – even sandals! Due to having flat feet, I sometimes wear orthotics from my podiatrist to help my bunions feel better because of the extra support. 

Living with Bunions:
I tried to ignore my bunions. I switched to wider shoes, made sure my heels were at most 1 to 1 ½ inches, and tried to wear sneakers as much as possible. While this did offer bunion relief, it didn’t fix the issue. While people living with bunions might find relief through nonsurgical treatment like wearing wide-toed shoes, over the counter medications, foot pads, ice packs, etc., surgery may be a long-term solution. I have not had bunion surgery myself.  That’s why I was curious to learn about Stryker, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies.

Stryker Bunion Surgical Treatment Options:

A leader in bunion solutions, Stryker offers various options that allow surgeons to treat their patients with the solution that is best suited to their specific needs. As they say, no one size fits all!

Stryker offers innovative surgical treatments, such as PROstep minimally invasive surgery and LapiFuse bunion correction surgery. Treatments that were designed to help you “free your feet” and resume your mobility and active lifestyle. 

The LapiFuse procedure preserves the joint movement of the big toe, it is specially designed to improve mobility, letting you get back to your active lifestyle². It’s designed to preserve toe length, reduce pain and restore the natural appearance of the foot³. 

PROstep is a minimally invasive surgery that gives patients the pain relief they need while providing the fast recovery they desire^4,5. The difference? Compared to the traditional bunion surgery, the minimally invasive PROstep bunion surgery gets patients back on their feet faster^4,5, with less pain⁴, and smaller scars⁶.

Only your doctor can help you decide if surgery is your best option. Click here to learn more at Stryker’s website.

This is a paid advertisement sponsored by Stryker.

Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery. Only a physician can tell you if these products and associated procedures are right for you and your unique circumstances. Please consult with a physician for complete information regarding benefits, risks, anticipated implant duration and possible outcomes.

For important risk information on PROstep MIS visit: patients.stryker.com/prostep
For important risk information on LapiFuse visit: patients.stryker.com/lapifuse

References:

1. www.aaos.org
2. Galli, et al. JFAS vol. 54 (2015) 437–440.
3. Walker, Harris. Foot Ankle Clin N Am vol. 24 (2019) 641–648
4. Lee M, Walsh J, Smith MM, Ling J, Wines A, Lam P. Hallux Valgus Correction Comparing Percutaneous Chevron/Akin (PECA) and Open Scarf/Akin Osteotomies. Foot Ankle Intl 2017; 38(8): 838-846.
5. Maffulli N, Longo UG, Oliva F, Denaro V, Coppola C. Bosch Osteotomy and Scarf Osteotomy for Hallux Valgu
6. Lam P, Lee M, Xing J, Di Nallo M. Percutaneous Surgery for Mild to Moderate Hallux Valgus. Foot Ankle Clin N Am 2016; 21: 459-477.

The post How Living With Bunions Impacts My Daily Life appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

We all know we need fruits and veggies, but even as a fruit and veggie lover, I find myself struggling to get my daily share. Imagine being a really picky kid and it becomes even worse! Imagine having three kids and a husband that are picky eaters (yes, that’s my life). Even if I serve a rainbow of veggies, there are still issues. My daughter (who’s now a pescatarian) doesn’t like certain veggies, my youngest child who has to approve every single thing on his plate and my oldest child has Type 1 Diabetes. My oldest child was my original picky eater but started changing as he got older. Now with his Type 1 Diabetes, he can eat anything he wants as long as we know the carbohydrate count for it and I’m trying to make sure he eats as many healthy foods as possible. He’s the healthiest eater in our house, but I still have to bargain to get him to eat all his vegetables! My little one – he’s just so super picky now. It’s maddening! So what can you do to get your kids to stop being so picky with veggie eating? Here are 10 simple tips to get your kids to eat their veggies.

1. Get kids involved with your family’s meals.

Either plan out meals for the family or take them shopping with you. I took my younger kids food shopping and we decided to make salmon and veggies skewers for our dinner. You can also open the grocery app or website you use and have them help you plan. They need to know that a meal includes planning a main, a veggie, and some kind of a whole grain.

2. Kids can do meal prep.

Even smaller kids can washing veggies and do simple meal prep. My 10 -year-old loves washing veggies for our dinner. I’m teaching my daughter to cut veggies (with my supervision). She’s even helping with mean planning and the meal prep when I need her to. I just bought this cutting board set and think you may like it too – https://amzn.to/3oBg23B

3. Teach cooking skills.
Show them how to break lettuce up or how to make a simple salad dressing. Plus, it helps with bonding. You can also buy kid-safe knives that really cut!

4. Salads Don’t Need to be Boring
Make salads as a side dish or as a starter nightly! Salads can be a lot of fun. Throw in veggies that they like and add some other veggies that they may have declined to try before. It can even be a simple salad with romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers. I usually grab one of my biggest metal mixing bowls and throw everything in it. I like these on Amazon (they have lids).

Or you can go really crazy and throw in practically everything in your fridge. I took my simple salad and the next night I added strawberries and sliced almonds. My family absolutely loved this. 

Add a low-fat dressing or a choice of dressings to give them even more control over their salad. My kids tend to go towards ranch and caesar dressings, while I love a balsamic vinaigrette. You can even make a quick dressing from scratch.

5. Let kids set the table and hand out beverages.
They can put out utensils and fill shallow water glasses. They can also put dishes of veggies on the table – hey, it may help to spark interest!

6. Set out raw veggies as snacks while kids are hungrier.
I do this often – I’ll set out carrots and hummus or cucumbers with ranch dip while I’m making dinner. If kids are starving, this gets them to snack on veggies. Even if your kids are helping you make dinner, while the food is cooking, they can hang out at the table and snack on veggies. Sometimes I even ask my kids to do this. I sometimes serve the veggies on a big platter or a cutting board with these little pyrex bowls for hummus or ranch dressing.

7. Encourage kids to try new meals.
Even if they take one bite, experts say that it takes kids up to 10 times before they like a new food. I try to make a lot of soups, because they contain tons of veggies and kids won’t realize it. My family’s chicken soup recipe is great for that.

8. Model good eating behaviors.
Pile your plate high with veggies and dig in. While I have been trying to lose weight, I don’t discuss it with my kids, I show them how healthy I eat and I also don’t criticize my body in front of them.

9. Is there a non-negotiable veggie?
I try not to have many “rules”, but I do insist that my kids have to have at least one vegetable at dinner. Most of the time I will give them a choice (like cucumbers or broccoli), but it needs to be eaten. My little guy dislikes onions and will find the smallest speck in a meal. My middle one dislikes any cooked peppers (so I always make sure to serve them some raw red pepper).

10. Relax and regroup if it doesn’t work!
If your kids see you getting upset over them not eating their veggies, it’s not going to change anything. I’ve sneaked veggies into their food when they aren’t looking and I’ve decided that’s not how I want to parent. So, I’ve decided not to stress. My kids may never love eating veggies like I do, but I can model veggie- loving behavior and in the meantime, I make sure I give my family a good multivitamin and make sure my husband and I take one too. 

Here’s my Rainbow Layered Salad Recipe – which is a great way to encourage veggie eating!

https://www.themamamaven.com/layered-rainbow-salad-platter-great-for-picky-eaters/

First Pin Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay 

Related Posts:

BUY:

Kid-Safe Knives

The post 10 Simple Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

In my many years of mom experience, with my 3 kids — each one reacted differently to cup transitioning. My first child was finally transitioned from his bottle at 22 months. We just didn’t think about it until my brother in law, a dentist said that it could affect his teeth. My son, who was almost 2 at the time, did not want to use a cup –  he wanted his babas back. Finally I had to just keep saying no and give him a cup and it took a weeks to stick (and was a nightmare). Plus we went through so many cups to find the perfect ones.

My second child picked it up easily at around 13-14 months. She saw her big brother using a cup (peer pressure is a wonderful thing!) My third child, who was breastfed until 13 1/2 months had a rough time. He would take one bottle a day until we weaned at 13 1/2 months and then I gave him bottles more often (mistake). When I’d give him a cup, he’d look at me and drop it off the high chair. Then I tried a straw cup and it surprisingly worked instantly (I also gave it to him when he was hungry!).

Remember this doesn’t mean you have to stop giving your toddler breastmilk! Just transition the breastmilk from bottle to cup.

Here are some tips to help:

1. Start as early as possible: While most people don’t think about it (with a baby you’ve got enough to deal with), you can introduce a cup as early as 6 months of age. But most parents, including myself, introduce a cup between 12-24 months of age.  Don’t stress if your child looks at you like you’re an alien and bats the cup away. Keep the cup in your cabinets and pull it out every few days or weeks so they get used to seeing it.

2. Let them play around with it: You may want to restrict cup time to when they’re in their high chair or feeding booster seat.  But keep offering the cup during mealtimes.

3. What can you put in the cup? You can give them expressed breast milk, water, formula, or whole milk (if they’re over 12 months). If you choose to offer juice, water it down. We love WebMD’s tips from Atlanta pediatrician Jennifer Shu, MD, co-author, with Dr. Laura Jana, of Heading Home With Your Newborn and Food Fights, “Start weaning baby by skipping a bottle feeding every five to seven days and Give your little one the liquids he likes best in the sippy cup and the ones he likes least in his bottle.”

4. Don’t let your children keep toting bottles or sippy cups around. Dr. Susan Sorenson explains the reason why in an article on BabyCenter, “Every time he takes a drink, natural bacteria in his mouth feed on these sugars and attack the teeth for 20 minutes. If he’s taking sips from a bottle every few minutes for an hour, his teeth are exposed to the sugars for at least 80 minutes. Over time, that causes tooth decay.”

3. Change up the Bedtime Bottle Routines. Some babies use bottles as security objects, like during a bedtime routine (like drinking their bottle as you read to them in the glider in their room). Just modify the routine, by using a cup of milk, but make sure to add toothbrushing in. Milk contains sugars,  which will cause tooth decay, by brushing their teeth, you’ll prevent that. Bring in your baby’s toothbrush and baby/toddler toothpaste (flouride-free) in the room with you and you brush their teeth gently after their bottle, before you put them into their crib.

4. Keep cups out of the crib, unless they contain water. Between 12-24 months, children decrease waking up at night, so going bottle free may be much easier.

5. Straw cup Vs. Sippy? If your child keeps refusing the sippy cup, before you get totally frustrated –  try a straw cup. My oldest child and my youngest child preferred them to sippy cups.  You also may have to go through several brands and types (soft spout, one handle, two handles…)

If your child keeps resisting any cup, Dr. Shu in the WebMD article recommends, “let him get into the groove of eating solid foods before trying again. Some children naturally lose interest in the baby bottle or breast once they’re eating three solid meals most days.”

How is your child doing with transitioning to a cup?

Cups we like:

Playtex Baby Sipsters Stage 3 Spill-Proof, Leak-Proof, Insulated Toddler Straw Sippy Cups – Milk and Water, 9 Oz, 2 Count

Playtex Baby Sipsters Stage 2 Hard Spout Cups, Green/Pink, Blue/Lavender, 9 Oz, 2 Count – Spill-Proof and Leak-Proof

WeeSprout 2-in-1 Drinking Cups for Kids, Durable Stainless Steel Tumbler for Smoothies, Silicone Straws with Stoppers, Premium Plastic Twist Lids, Easy-Grip Sleeves, Set of 4 Dishwasher Safe Kid Cups

Munchkin Cool Cat Sippy Cup for Toddlers, Stainless Steel Straw Cup, 8 Ounce, Blue

• Tips for Transitioning Your Child to a Toddler Bed
• My Toddler Fell Holding a Sippy Cup and Injured his Mouth #toddlers #pediatricER
• Why We love the Joovy Dood Sippy Cup
• Update: My Toddler’s Mouth Injury & Our Visit to the Pediatric Dentist
• Four Must-Haves for Back-To-School

The post Transitioning Your Baby To a Cup appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I recently saw this abridged performance and loved being able to understand the libretto. The jaw-dropping set design and dazzling performances were, of course, outstanding, but the costumes and puppets stole the show, and for a very good reason. The opera’s costume designer is Julie Taymor, who co-designed the puppets with Michael Curry. If the name Julie Taymor, who is also the opera’s director, sounds familiar, it’s probably because she has won Tony Awards (and many other awards) for the direction and costume design of the Broadway musical The Lion King.

Indeed, the one-of-a-kind look of the costumes and the unique puppets is something you have to see in person to appreciate. With dazzling colors and elaborate details, the performance was nothing short of breathtaking, with each scene bringing new stunning visuals on stage.

Together with the music (the Queen of the Night’s Aria is a showstopper) by the splendid performers and chorus, this opera is a must-see this holiday season.

The Magic Flute is playing until January 4th, 2025 in the following performances:

Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 7:30pm
Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7:30pm
Friday, Dec. 20 at 8:00pm
Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1:00pm
Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 12:00pm
Thursday, Dec. 26 at 7:30pm
Friday, Dec. 27 at 7:30pm
Saturday, Dec. 28 at 12:00pm
Saturday, Dec. 28 at 6:00pm
Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2:00pm
Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7:00pm
Friday, Jan. 3 at 7:30pm
Saturday, Jan. 4 at 12:00pm
The Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center is located between 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.

Price is $35 and up. To purchase tickets click here.

Photos by Richard Termine

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 17, 15 and 12.

The post Don’t Miss: A Kid-Friendly Version of The Magic Flute at The Metropolitan Opera appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Francis Patrelle’s Holiday Classic, “The Yorkville Nutcracker,” returns for its 28th Season!
Enjoy a magical tour of 1895 New York City with Dances Patrelle. Your journey begins with a Christmas Eve party at Gracie Mansion attended by dignitaries from around the world – including our new police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt. Thrill as you behold a battle with life-sized mice! Then go for a bracing midnight skate on the ponds of Cental Park. Finally, take a sleigh-ride to the Grand Conservatory of the Bronx Botanical Gardens in time for a beautiful sunrise buffet of sweets, hosted by the Sugar-Plum Fairy. New York City Ballet’s Miriam Miller and Tyler Angle lead the Dances Patrelle cast in this magical and whirlwind seasonal confection, with rich delights for ballet lovers of every age. Approximately two hours long.

When:  Thursday, December 19 at 7pm
Friday, December 20 at 7pm
Saturday, December 21 at 2pm & 7pm
Sunday, December 22 at noon and 5pm

Where: The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College
524 West 59th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues, NYC

Price: $80 per person.

To purchase tickets please click here.

Photos by Eduardo Patino

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 17, 15 and 12.

The post Don’t Miss: The Yorkville Nutcracker by Dances Patrelle This Holiday Season appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

The Details

There are 190 miniature twinkling, plant-based replicas of famous NYC landmarks. Remember that unless there is a sign saying it’s okay, don’t touch the trains. Unfortunately kids keep doing that and it derails the trains – however, the employees keep an eye on this and we saw them fixing multiple trains. There are several trains that kids can touch – most are located outside before you go into the main area.

Check out our video!

There is Stroller Parking

There is stroller parking, as no strollers are allowed inside. If you have a tiny one, either carry them or take a fabric baby carrier with you. The Holiday Train show is too crowded and the pathways are much too narrow to let a stroller through. Your stroller is also a great place to stash your jackets, as the Haupt Conservatory is very warm for the plants that are inside.

Your railroad obsessed kids will be thrilled, plus there are lots of places to run around outside. Hit the nearby snack bar for some sweet treats and hot cocoa after you go! The snack bar is to the right of the NYBG Shop, which is filled with souvenirs, toys and even Santa from on Tuesdays & Thursdays, November 21–December 31, 2024.

Make sure to bundle up and bring your family to the Holiday Train Show! Now through January 20st. Plan your visit at NYBG.org and make sure to get your tickets in advance on their website as the Holiday Train Show sells out. We recommend taking public transportation as parking may be tough at times. 

Prices for the Holiday Train Show with Grounds Access
Adults are $39
Seniors are $35
Students are $35 (School ID necessary)
Kids (2-12) are $27
Kids under 2 are free.

If you don’t want to go to the Holiday Train Show, prices are much less for NYC residents (but they will check at the Haupt Conservatory to make sure you have tickets for the Holiday Train Show.

Membership

If you want to get into the Holiday Train show for free, we recommend becoming a member. Family memberships are $155 and if you are a family of 5 like we are, you will spend more than that anyway. Memberships pay for themselves usually pay for themselves even if you visit 2x a year.

Santa and Elf Photos

If you are looking to take Santa photos, head over to the NYBG Shop on Tuesdays & Thursdays, November 21–December 31, 2024.
https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show-2024/photos-with-santa-at-nybg-shop/

Adults Only

After dark, the roving Train Conductors welcome you to Holiday Train Nights, and set you on your journey through the warm glow of the Holiday Train Show. You’ll enjoy the colorful lighting, have a sweet or savory treat, along with a cocktail and sing along to holiday classics and Christmas pop favorites sung by performers in our Locomotive Lounge.

Holiday Train Show

November 16, 2024–January 20, 2025 from 10AM to 6PM at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

Holiday Train Nights
Adults 21+: November 23, 29, 30; December 7, 13, 14; January 4, 11, & 18
All Ages: December 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, & 28
More info: https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show-2024/holiday-train-nights/

Get more information: https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show-2024/plan-your-visit/

Essential Info:
Strollers. Strollers are allowed throughout the Garden grounds with the exception of the Haupt Conservatory, where the Holiday Train Show takes place. Stroller parking is available.
Accessibility. Most key areas of the Garden are wheelchair accessible, including all of the Holiday Train Show. Wheelchairs are available to borrow free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at the Visitor Center and Mosholu Entrance. An ID must be left with a Visitor Experience representative. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own mobility devices for Garden navigation. Accessible lifts are located in the Haupt Conservatory and at the entrance to the Mertz Library Building. Use our online accessibility guide to plan your visit or pick up an accessibility guide at an entry gate.
Travel light. NYBG does not offer bag or coat-check facilities.
Photography. You are welcome to take personal, non-flash photography. Tripods, monopods, easels, selfie sticks, and lighting equipment are not permitted in the Haupt Conservatory. Check their Visitor Guidelines for more information about photography at the Garden.

Make sure to discover the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden! It’s definitely a Mama Maven Must!

All photos and videos were taken by Nancy Horn for The Mama Maven Blog© and are copyrighted. Please ask for permission before using or linking to this post.

The post Visiting the Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Garden appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

The holidays are around the corner and before you head to the airport to visit relatives or drive upstate to go skiing be sure to add a new tradition: the gorgeous and hysterical ballet of Peter and the Wolf. Why hysterical? Because fashion designer and TV personality Isaac Mizrahi will narrate the famous Prokofiev story – to which he has written a libretto. I have seen this production over the past several years and it just gets more and more clever each time.

Show Dates and Times

Friday, December 6, 2024 6:30 pm
Saturday, December 7, 2024 11:00 am
Saturday, December 7, 2024 1:00 pm
Saturday, December 7, 2024 2:30 pm
Sunday, December 8, 2024 1:00 pm
Sunday, December 8, 2024 2:30 pm
Sunday, December 8, 2024 4:00 pm

Where: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Peter B. Lewis Theater
1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street)
New York, NY 10128
Enter via ramp at 5th Ave and 88th St.

Price: $20 per person and up; Everyone needs a ticket regardless of age.

Click here to purchase tickets or call the box office (212) 423-3575

Photos by Robert Altman

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

——————————————————————————————————–

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 17, 15 and 12.

The post Don’t Miss: Peter & The Wolf with Narration by Isaac Mizrahi appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Our Town is such a show, with minimal sets, requiring the audience to use their imagination and – more importantly – focus on what the actors are saying.

I recently saw a production of it on Broadway which gave this timeless, classic show a new twist.

The 1938 Thornton Wilder Pulitzer prize-winning play features a cast of 28, which includes Jim Parsons and Katie Holmes, who both gave a stunning performance. It is directed by Kenny Leon, who won a Tony for “A Raisin in the Sun.”

In this modernized production, which emphasizes diversity, Leon chose to include actors of multiple races, as well as a deaf actor.

One of the unique aspects of the show was that two scents emanated from the stage: the scent of heliotrope early in the show and, later, bacon, during the breakfast scene.

I loved that the play is allegorical and has a universal message that is simple, and yet so powerful: the importance of being present in the moment. In a fast-paced world where our attention is constantly diverted from one thing to another, I found it refreshing.

That, along with a gorgeous, superbly-performed production, makes the show a must-see. 

The show is 1 hour and 40 minutes long, with no intermission. It is currently playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theater at 243 47th Street and closes on January 19, 2025.

Click here to learn more and to purchase tickets. Go see Our Town on Broadway – A Classic Play With a Twist!

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 17, 15 and 12.

Starring Jim Parsons, OUR TOWN returns to Broadway for the first time in
over 20 years. Hailed by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever
written,” Thornton Wilder‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic will shine in a
momentous new production. Directed by Kenny Leon, this is an OUR
TOWN for our time.
In Wilder’s timeless tale of a small town, a stage manager narrates the daily
lives of its locals, depicts a childhood friendship turn into marriage, and sets
the stage for magnificent truths of what it means to be alive.
OUR TOWN features a cast of 28 actors, including Parsons, Katie Holmes,
Zoey Deutch, Ephraim Sykes, Billy Eugene Jones, Richard Thomas,
Michelle Wilson, Julie Halston and Donald Webber, Jr.
The show is one hour and 40 minutes long and plays at Broadway’s
Barrymore Theatre on 47th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue.

The post Our Town on Broadway – A Classic Play With a Twist  appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.