The post has moved to: http://www.thepapapost.com/are-pizza-and-mac-n-cheese-really-vegetarian/

Steiff has the coolest bunny to rival any Easter bunny out there.  In fact when this appeared in the mail my girls were apprehensive to touch it as it looked so life-like. This little bunny who is known by the affectionate name of Dossy is just one of the several items in the amazing Steiff collection. Some stories are steeped in history and when a company has been...

It is true: less is sometimes more. Although I have been excited about washing dishes (sure, call me a freak) I have been concerned about living in the dishwasher liquid aisle to replenish my supplies. And before you think how can I really like washing dishes, if you read one of my older posts about hating unloading the dishwasher you will know that washing is not something...

CONTEST CLOSED!!! Congratulations Prachee! 4 more mugs to giveaway! So I made a mug. Friends liked it. They asked for it. Mommy Niri always delivers! SeeHere.com, who made the amazing mug I featured on the blog earlier, offered to celebrate Mommy Niri’s anniversary with me and offered me a few to give to my readers. I am an avid chai/tea drinker so that mug...

With one in 150 kids being diagnosed with being on the Autism Spectrum understanding, while we seek for answers, is of utmost importance. Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, is addressed in an episode of Arthur, which will be broadcast on Monday April 5th on PBS Kids. I liked the no judgement or preaching approach that was chosen to handle the topic. So much...

The post has moved to: http://www.thepapapost.com/passionate-gaming-community-at-pax-east-2010/

Sometimes laziness has its blessing. Ok, so not so much when it comes to blogging (which is not, ahem, why the Friday 5 is always late). But lately I have had the need for finding reasons, or rather benefits, for my lazy attitude in mothering. I nursed! I know nursing your kid is healthy and It was one of the reasons I did it but truth be told the driving factor was...

Dollhouses are one of those toys in my home that have a pretty long lifespan. Storytelling is healthy and I personally love toys that assist in it without doing all the thinking (read electronic sounds) for you. With my kids being on the younger end in age I am also pretty careful to the imagery they receive in dolls and having already been a fan of Strawberry Shortcake...

I was approached by Blockbuster Express to have a cheap date movie night. Since at one time I used to rent movies from Blockbuster I could never associate the words cheap and Blockbuster in the same sentence. Even if I did manage to get something cheaper it would be 100 years old that no-one would be interested in watching anyhow. Enter Blockbuster Express and I was amazed...

The post has moved to: http://www.thepapapost.com/top-5-things-i-learned-at-sesny/

CONTEST CLOSED! Congratulations Aimee! When I was approached by the guys at Fibers.com to review an item from their customized printed apparel it was just around the time I was thinking of getting a Mommy Niri t-shirt so I thought perfect timing. Now it is always dicey, in my opinion, to get sizing just right online so I was anxious at first. Since most of the products...

Amazing how many times I heard these words uttered and each time the same fury fills me up. I thought when my MIL uttered it I chalked it up to her age and tried to ignore it after my pleas to stop fell on deaf ears. I heard it several times since then. I just heard it again this week, at a pizza place no less – I wish I had said something to him.  Some of you...

CONTEST CLOSED! Congratulations Kevin! Curious George is a firm favorite in my home. I love that! He probably resembles a little child more than any character in any of the children’s shows. Enough curiosity to learn but enough mischievousness to constantly be in trouble. The maths and science aspects are well entwined in each episode that kids explore without realizing...

I am sure you have read about my latest amazing initiative To End Child Hunger.   The statistics are alarming. The poverty rate is 14% in Massachusetts alone, with a rate of 18% nationally. Scary stuff, right? You can check out these along with other amazing statistics for your local region can be seen on the Child Hunger Ends Here site (click on About Child Hunger...

Friday is here and that means it is time for this weeks dose of the Friday 5 series. Not sure about you but the mommy brain has not left me and my youngest is about to turn 3 any day now. Even though we had that whirlwind trip to Atlantis,  I am still exhausted. Maybe it has been years since I took off for a time longer than 2-3 days. You don’t ever seem to know...

I don’t watch reality television. There I said it! Now that is off my chest I feel relieved. I know there is a swarm of people out there that live on reality television and I don’t judge them, it is just not my cup of tea. I did agree to review Kirstie Alley’s new series called “Big Life” and I think in part because I have a soft spot for...

CONTEST IS CLOSED! Congratulations Elizabeth! It was a bit sunny out today in Boston so I know summer is just around the corner. While thinking of sun protection for the body, sunscreen is one that easily comes to mind. Sure we think sunglasses but more in terms of how cute our kids look in them. Now raise your hands if you have gone through loads of sunglasses for your...

CONTEST CLOSED! Congratulations Tara, Mocha Dad and Karen! Based on the beloved best-selling book by Roald Dahl, The Fantastic Mr. Fox is a mischievous tale of Mr. Fox who plots and plans a heist. Struggling with being a reformed “fox” he finds the lure of his old ways too strong to control. The sexy George Clooney (Up In The Air) and ultra talented Meryl...

So I am late. It was either this posting my Friday 5 or the contest to win a nook. I know 400 (and counting) entries confirm that the contest was needed. Anyway better late than ever. The ability to sleep in the most uncomfortable of spaces. Once upon a time I needed a good cushy (big) bed, proper timing, lighting etc. Now if you give me a spot I can sleep. Yup, even...

This post has moved to: http://www.thepapapost.com/the-man-behind-seomoz-rand-fishkin/

Bloggers have power. So it makes sense that we try and use that power for good. Right? When I was approached to join in the fight against Child Hunger with Con Agra, there was no thinking involved. Yes, there would be a lot of work involved but I love that I can use blogging to be a part of something so important. In the next few months Mommy Niri, along with a team...

UPDATE – You can win the Nook Color! While reviewing the Nook (the eReader from Barnes and Noble) we asked our readers what their thoughts were. There were concerns about the Nook freezing and though we love the Nook we also love our readers. We were baffled with what we could do to help. We found that there were already troubleshooting steps out there and finally...

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Congratulations Anne! But you can win the Nook Color! I read books. Children books count, don’t they? The thing is I was addicted to reading. Hiding books everywhere, thirsty for reading always. I am the type of person who will read labels to calm down – but I guess that is more than you need to know. These days I find snippets of moments...

Recently I put out a post about trying to get the value of money across to my preschooler (read Flowers and Financials) but coming from a poor background the concept of saving is one close to my heart so I place emphasis on it with my girls. I normally skip book reviews as they take too long (in fact the only reading I do is reading to the kids) but when I was pitched...

So with a hop, skip and jump (and a car and train) I got myself to New York for an event hosted by Ragu. I was psyched that Molly Ringwald was going to be there. Since I barely know any “stars” of today it was nice to hear a familiar name of “my” time. The event was short but pretty well put together. We got to the the “loft” which...

This post has moved to: http://www.thepapapost.com/spring-is-sprouting/

CONTEST IS CLOSED! Congratulations Saumya! Brushing is a necessary evil. I mean like it or not you know you have to do it.  If you skimp on it the results will be clearly visible each time you smile. Having a kid throws a spanner in the works. Oh, and I don’t just mean that you don’t find the time to pay attention to your oral hygiene (that too) but the fact...

Normally I love to clear out the kitchen when the kids are asleep. Except for the fact that it is great not to be tripping over the kids when they are around, cleaning up at the end of the day is a non-thinking therapeutic kind of job. The only thing I never do, that I wanted to, is kick off the dishwasher. Well at least that used to be the one thing I never did. No...

I headed to the car wash with a pit stop to the self vacuum place first. The car sorely needed it and nothing like Boston’s winter slush to make the car really icky. I guess the fact that I let the girls snack in the car does not help. Anyway after we were done, and after the car-wash freaked my little one into a hysterical bout of crying (while her kind sister...

Contest Closed! Congratulations Danielle, Elizabeth, Sherry, and Barbara! Never it be said that Mommy Niri forgets about all the mamas out there. This is just for you. This 3-piece kit from CoverGirl includes everything you need to get the smoky eye look. Easy-to-follow makeup application instructions by CoverGirl makeup artist Molly Stern are also included.  It comes...

Before I had kids I lived in the sheltered life of what a tantrum was. I mean surely I never had one? What on earth causes our cute-as-a-button kid to turn into something that makes you want to dig your head deeper in the soil than any ostrich could? I mean one minute they are as happy as a bee and the next like something possessed. The probability of one happening is...

What is Bloganthropy? Debbie: Bloganthropy is designed to explore the intersection between social media, corporate giving campaigns, volunteerism, and non-profit charitable causes. Do we need another charity started up? Candace: More than another charity, Bloganthropy fulfills a niche in organizing and promoting blogger charitable campaigns. We hope to support and amplify...

You read that right! He did! He un-friended me a while ago but the gall of the act still riles me and I decided I needed to share it with you. Oh, if you are wondering if we’re still together, well we are, but to the regular Facebook world we were not for a while. If you wondering what I am rambling about a few months ago I saw a common friend send me a Facebook...

Contest Closed! Congratulations Debbie! I love soda. I don’t keep it in the home and know it is BAD for me but I love it. I love tea. I never used to but it is one of those things living with a tea addict I became a lover of. The only thing is I like my tea hot. I never drink iced tea and have never had the urge. So when last year I was offered to try some I found...

Two years ago this time I set out to blog, not knowing exactly what the tide would bring in. It all started with a little Flip video camera. I wanted one. Hubby objected. His reasoning was we already had a very expensive one collecting dust in the cupboard. Ok, so he was correct, but the Flip video camera came in pink and they were cute. Anyway he heard about the rave...