Who loves Mexican-inspired cooking? Take a look at my top Mexican-inspired recipes – I bet you’ll find a few faves for your dinner rotation! We’ve got options for every picky member of the family and you’ll get some great, clean dinner inspo here. The Best Mexican-Inspired Recipes from The Mama Maven Blog So, which one looks...Read More »

I recently spent some time with the Kia Sedona Minivan at the end of November and we loved it. We had a lot of fun with it. I got away with my friends for a girls only weekend, went to Long Island for Thanksgiving, and up to my in-laws in Port Jervis, NY. But is it...Read More »

How do YOU explore the outdoors with your kids? PBS Kids sent my family a fun kit — to promote their annual Explore the Outdoors initiative. Catch new episodes of READY MET GO, NATURE CAT AND WILD KRATTS. PBS Kids premieres all episodes of these shows, including the 100th Episode of Wild Kratts. While the...Read More »

There’s a certain vibe about summer. Things are slower, more relaxed.. and we are too. We took our first trip down to the Jersey Shore this recently to spend time in Wildwood, New Jersey to check out Morey’s Piers. Journey: We journeyed down to Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey on Friday afternoon. We left around 3pm,...Read More »

As a mom of a young daughter, it’s really important for me to make sure I help her to build her self-esteem. I’ve suffered from self-esteem issues in my own life. I was teased and bullied as a child up to my late teens, both at school, hebrew school, and at home by my father. And...Read More »

If you are looking for a quick getaway with lots of stuff to do then a trip to Mystic, CT should be on your list of places to go for couples or with the kids. Over spring break, I took my three kids to Mystic, CT for a 2 night get-away (just about 2 hours...Read More »

This post contains affiliate links. I absolutely adore my Instant Pot. It’s been a game changer in the way I cook — it’s shortened the time I spend cooking without sacrificing flavor. Plus, my husband loves what I make in it – he never really loved my slow cooker and always complained things were “bland”....Read More »

We've made the classic Meatballs and Spaghetti Vegan!

Orange is the New Black is one of my favorite shows – and it just started streaming again for the new season. There’s no way that I can watch it in the same room as my kids, how does a mom (or dad) get their fix when the kids are still up? In this month’s Netflix...Read More »

We’ve gone a little hamentashen crazy over here at The Mama Maven, but did you know I also made a gluten free version and it was actually better than the regular versions (which were delicious)? What was my secret? To do this, I took the recipe I had been using, which is based on Maida...Read More »

Recently my daughter and I were treated to an afternoon at NYC’s American Girl store on Fifth Avenue. We were there to check out their Signature Studio: which is an new interactive experience lets girls design one-of-a-kind fashions to take home the same day! It’s available in American Girl Place Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. It was...Read More »

This creamy dairy-free soup gets it's rich taste from Almondmilk!

FlowRider at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, Pocono Mtns, PA

How to Keep Your Fitbit From Falling Off

This conversation is sponsored by Allstate. Sorry groundhog, you were wrong! Spring is coming sooner than we think and I am so excited! I’m planning on lots of walks in the sunshine and picnics in the park with my family but until then, I need to start thinking about spring cleaning. It’s a lot of work...Read More »

If you read my first post, I wrote about our Disney World Reveal and first day at Disney — For our second day at Disney, I woke up really early to catch the bus to go to Disney Hollywood Studios. My husband, kids and in-laws went to the Disney Boardwalk for a special breakfast. This...Read More »

Family Guide to Disney World: Part 2

Ever think about going on a volunteering vacation? Mr. Mama Maven has the scoop on working on archaeological digs.

This post contains affiliate links. Are you a tea fan? Pique Tea Crystals offers an easier (and healthier) way to enjoy your favorite type of tea. Pique Tea Crystals marries modern science and ancient tradition—they have a proprietary process that slow brews and extracts the fresh flavor and nutrients of whole leaf tea at optimal levels...Read More »

Here are some top and most viewed healthy recipes that we've done in 2016. A lot of them are either for the Instant Pot or Whole 30 Compliant.

This post contains affiliate links. Are you a tea fan? Pique Tea Crystals offers an easier (and healthier) way to enjoy your favorite type of tea. Pique Tea Crystals marries modern science and ancient tradition—they have a proprietary process that slow brews and extracts the fresh flavor and nutrients of whole leaf tea at optimal levels...Read More »

How to Enjoy Atlantis on Paradise Island Bahamas on a Budget

By Nancy Johnson Horn, Editor We can’t get enough of Disney stories in my house. So, when we were offered a trial of Disney’s new Storytime App, we were really interested. For $1.99 you get three stories included in the initial download (Toy Story: Starry Night, Tangled: Rapunzel’s Story and Monsters, Inc.: Always Time for...Read More »

Love meatloaf? My mother-in-law introduced me to this sweet take on meatloaf, using Turkey and zucchini. I’ve adopted it as my go-to meatloaf recipe. The sweet apricot preserves and dijon mustard adds a nice kick and makes a change from a tomato sauce based meatloaf. It’s very kid friendly too! You’ll need: 1 1/4 lbs...Read More »

Family Guide to Disney World: Part 2

No matter how my husband and I are in denial, we’re in our mid-forties. And with that, aches and pains have started to happen more frequently than before. It can be from working out to having your 5 year old jump on your neck and back… That’s where LivRelief Pain Cream comes in and saves the...Read More »

Hamentashen is the traditional Jewish Cookie for Purim and boy, do I love them. And if you need Hamentaschen Recipes – here are a few of my favorite Hamentaschen recipes (regular and gluten free)! The best thing about Hamentashen (yes, I spell it differently all the time) is that you can really customize it. If you...Read More »

I’m never sure what vitamins I need to take and if I do have them in my house, I get lazy about taking them. Plus, I’m a huge wimp about swallowing pills and vitamins, so I prefer gummy vitamins. Recently Vitafive contacted me and asked me to give it their service a try, I gave it...Read More »

A Royal Night Out (rated PG-13) opens today, December 4. Princess Elizabeth (yes, now known as that Queen Elizabeth) and her sister, Margaret, are young women who just want to have a little fun after the long 6 year war in Europe. The movie takes place on VE Day in 1945. They’ve been cooped up in Windsor Castle...Read More »

Add protein powder to your green smoothies to pack a satisfying punch!

We’re sharing a roundup of 100+ mom blog post ideas for almost every mom blog and parenting niche. Grab these ideas for your blog!

Winter has really made itself known, as of this weekend. Plans went out the window and usual activities were canceled. Keeping sanity was important. Luckily we had more than enough meals, snacks, and plenty of activities for our kids to do. Snow days can totally be smile-worthy! Plus, read on how your kids can make...Read More »

We just got back from a whirlwind trip to Disney World, attending the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration (#DisneySMMC). It was so thrilling and I am absolutely grateful that I was able to have my husband, three children, and my in laws with me). A big thing was that I wanted to surprise my kids....Read More »

Need a simple sesame ginger marinade for chicken? Our recipe has 4 ingredients and will literally take you 5 minutes to prepare.

by Contributing Blogger Maytal Wichman As a mom of three I’m all for making my life easier. Schlepping a stroller everywhere does not make life in the city easier, especially when you have lots of staircases to use. Ever since my oldest was born, babywearing has been my favorite means of “transporting” my kids. Not...Read More »

This post contains affiliate links. Are you a tea fan? Pique Tea Crystals offers an easier (and healthier) way to enjoy your favorite type of tea. Pique Tea Crystals marries modern science and ancient tradition—they have a proprietary process that slow brews and extracts the fresh flavor and nutrients of whole leaf tea at optimal levels...Read More »

Do you have relaxed or overscheduled summers? I’m the first to admit that I’m more relaxed in the summer. I like a slower pace with my husbands and kids. We don’t overschedule – just 6 weeks of day camp and fun on the weekends and after camp. We travel locally and take small and big road...Read More »

How to Throw a Frozen Dinner Party

Using Art to Inspire Creativity in Kids

The Ultimate Protein-Packed Lunch Salad

I got mom-shamed this week at my youngest child’s day camp. This is a new camp we’re at and my son is so happy here. He has special needs and this camp program is specifically for kids that have special needs. He loves going there and since we couldn’t get bus service, I take him...Read More »

This is a quick and healthy dinner that you can make with ingredients from your freezer and pantry.

Sometimes I want a little cake. Maybe it’s because of a hard day or maybe it’s because I just want a taste of something sweet. I’m sure you can relate, right? But I don’t want to buy a whole cake or even make one – so when I was contacted to check out Duncan Hines Perfect...Read More »

I’ve always been a food label reader. But after doing my First Whole 30, I scrutinize labels even more. It’s important to me to be healthy and use my dollars to buy products that can keep my family and I healthier. I try to buy as organic and as clean as possible, and that means that...Read More »

How to Keep Your Fitbit From Falling Off

Duncan Hines Perfect Size Cake Mix Makes Any Day Better

We’ve gone a little hamentashen crazy over here at The Mama Maven, but did you know I also made a gluten free version and it was actually better than the regular versions (which were delicious)? What was my secret? To do this, I took the recipe I had been using, which is based on Maida...Read More »

Staying Sane at the Indoor Play Place #FisherNUTEXACTLY