Raven Snook

Raven is a writer, editor, performer and mom, who was born and bred in NYC, just like her husband, her mother and now, her daughter. As a writer, she's contributed articles to New York Magazine, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, the New York Post, TV Guide, Better Homes and Gardens, iVillage, AOL TV and Moviefone, Parents.com, and worked as an in-house editor for ParentsConnect.com and TimeOutKids.com. As a performer, she's appeared on many downtown stages (sometimes even for pay!), a couple of obscure films and TV shows, and The Maury Povich Show as a female drag queen. She's also the founder of Hot Mama Burlesque, the world's only all-moms burlesque show. After being the NYC editor from March 2011-March 2015, she is now happy to just be a blogger as she pursues additional writing opportunities.

Latest posts by Raven Snook

Mommy Poppins NYC's Holiday Activity Guide and Local Holiday Shopping Guide Have Arrived

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 10:00am

They're here. In honor of the first day of December, we're officially launching our 2011 Holiday Activity Guide. Unlike some other holiday guides out there, we primarily focus on inexpensive but unforgettable seasonal experiences, including family volunteering opportunities, so you can give your kids the best present of all: happy holiday memories.

We also launched our first-ever Holiday Gift Guide, but instead of filling it with toys and games you can buy off amazon, we concentrate on shopping local, and supporting our community stores and artisans.

Read on for a closer look at what you'll find in our Holiday Guides and a peek at cool Christmas and Hanukkah posts yet to come.

Weekly Wrap Up: MommyPoppins Food Drive, Black Friday Sales, Christmas Tree Lightings

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 11/24/2011 - 12:00pm

This week was all about Thanksgiving. Now that the parade is done and the turkey's been eaten, we're turning our attention to the holiday season. Black Friday sales are here, and the first big tree lighting of the season at South Street Seaport is on Friday night. There are also a bunch of spectacular illuminations and celebrations next week, including Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square, the Holiday Lighting Extravaganza at the Winter Garden and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

While holiday fetes are fun, one of the best things to do at this time of year is give back to your community. In addition to launching a MommyPoppins food drive to help 10,000 NYC children this holiday season, we updated our post on volunteering with kids in NYC and we even have suggestions for ways you can help without leaving home. We'll continue to update our Holiday Fun and Holiday Gift Guides over the next few weeks, so be sure to check back throughout the season.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

Weekly Wrap Up: Cool New Shows and Exhibits, Muppet Mania, Where to Play on the Upper West Side

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 3:00pm

It's been a busy week for us! Over the past seven days, we've reviewed two must-see shows, explored three fabulous new exhibits and rounded up 21 places to play on the Upper West Side. After all of this running around, we're definitely looking forward to resting a bit over the Thanksgiving break next week—once we finish cooking the turkey, of course.

Thanksgiving and the holidays are what's on everyone's minds, so we're furiously overhauling our Holiday Guide with updated info about Christmas tree and menorah lightings, offbeat celebrations and other seasonal fun. We also launched our brand-new, locally focused Holiday Gift Guide this week. We'll be adding a lot of info to both of these guides, so be sure to check back throughout the season.

Muppet Mania: 8 Ways to Get Your Muppet On in NYC

Submitted by Raven Snook on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 4:00pm

Even if you lead a media-challenged life (and if you did, you wouldn't be on this website), you probably know that the new Muppets movie is coming out next week. I can't remember the last time I was so psyched about seeing a film—and not just because I happen to like dressing up as Miss Piggy (yes, that's me in the pic). The Muppets is one of the few family flicks coming out this holiday season that I'm as excited to see as my daughter. (Alvin and the Chipmunks 3... not so much.)

Ever since they came to international fame on Sesame Street, New York City has been the unofficial home of the Muppets. Not only does the iconic PBS series film here in Queens at Astoria Kaufman Studios, its urban set was clearly inspired by the Big Apple, so it's not surprising that we love celebrating the Muppets in this town.

Here are eight fun ways families can get their Muppet on in NYC, besides going to the new movie.

Weekly Wrap Up: Thanksgiving Parade and Balloon Inflation Guide, Puppet Film Festival, Mommy Poppins Moms' Night Out

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 4:00pm

It's amazing how two days off from school can throw off your family's routine. And it came on the heels of the end of daylight saving time, too.

Even if this week was a little stressful, we've got a lot to look forward to, including this event-filled three-day weekend and Thanksgiving, which is only a few weeks away. Now all we need to do is get through next week's parent-teacher conferences (assuming you have a kid in public elementary school, like I do).

Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

Weekly Wrap Up: Neighborhood Spotlight on the Upper West Side, Dekalb Market, Chocolate Show

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 4:00pm

What a scary week! Last Saturday felt like February (can you imagine if that had been a weekday? NYC schools probably would have been closed—heck, Central Park playgrounds are currently shuttered and many suburbs were totally derailed by the storm). Then on Monday, families dressed up in their creepiest costumes to trick-or-treat for Halloween. (That's me and my family dressed in our Addams Family best.) We're still suffering from a bit of a chocolate hangover in our household. Luckily, we've got lots of suggestions about what to do with all of that leftover candy.

Now that October 31 has come and gone, we're starting to turn our attention to the holiday season. Over the next few weeks, we'll be updating our Holiday Fun Guide and adding new posts, too. We're also highlighting a new neighborhood this month: the Upper West Side. So stay tuned for in-depth posts about things to do and places to play in the area.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our brand-new sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

Weekly Wrap Up: Halloween is Here, Outdoor Ice-Skating Rinks Open, Mystery at AMNH

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 4:00pm

Does anyone else think Halloween should be a mandatory three-day weekend? Especially with October 31 falling on a Monday. Even though you can get your fill of Halloween parties and costume parades over the weekend, my family still intends to trick-or-treat door-to-door on Monday evening... even though I know we'll pay for it on Tuesday morning.

While Halloween was definitely our theme of the week, we're already looking ahead to winter fun (although we hope we're not as bad as Duane Reade, which has had a Christmas section since, oh, about August). Many outdoor ice-skating rinks open for the season this week, and we reviewed Mystery at the Museum, which is a cool, interactive way to tour the American Museum of Natural History. Remember that when you're entertaining out-of-town holiday guests.

Weekly Wrap Up: Free Halloween Fun, the Last of Our Chinatown Posts, Librarian Book Lists

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 10/20/2011 - 4:00pm

Got your costumes ready? It seems like all the kids are thinking or talking about these days is October 31. While there are certainly plenty of Halloween happenings throughout the month, we've been writing about lots of other things, too.

For example, the Little Orchestra Society kicks off its new season of classical concerts this weekend, the New Victory has a new show specifically aimed at preschoolers and, of course, you can always find fun at the library. Plus we're looking for a few good writers to join the Mommy Poppins team.