Moms Who Rock Around Our Towns: Tarrytown's Angel Rafter

Each week, we're going to share with you a local mom that we think is awesome. We'll ask her some questions and hear about how she manages life with kids in our area. We hope you'll enjoy getting to know some of our neighbors.

Angel Rafter is the founder and owner of A Nu Toy Store and a resident of Tarrytown with her husband, Brendan and their two boys, Logan (10) and Jack (6).

1. How do you balance being a mom and working?
Angel shares that "it is hard, but   being local my kids just come to the store after school and on the weekend.s" Because of A Nu Toy Store's proximity to her home, she really gets "the best of both worlds. I get to be with my kids and work!"

2. We think your store is a great local spot and would love to hear more about it.
Angel opened A Nu Toy Store, located at 36.5 Main Street in Tarrytown in November 2008. This year, the store won Westchester Magazine's 'Best Of' Award, a true honor for this local business.

At A Nu Toy Store, Angel buys and sells new and used toys. She "loves going to garage sales and church tag sales and buying things that have never been opened, at a used price and being able to sell them way below retail."  For her, she enjoys "when her customers get excited about a toy   that maybe they would not have normally been able to buy and now they can because the price is right!" She and her staff are there to help pick out a perfect toy for the holidays or upcoming birthdays.

3. When you find time for yourself, what do you enjoy doing locally?
Angel makes an effort to find an "hour a day" for herself. One of her favorite activities is taking martial arts, Muay Thai, at Thornwood MMA in Thornwood.

4. What are some of your top things to do around Westchester with your family?
If Angel is not at the store, you can find her throughout Westchester enjoying the great parks. The Rafter family tries to "visit a different park every week during the summer in all of the towns!!"

5. What is your favorite thing about living in this area?
Angel loves Tarrytown and says that "this town is my favorite thing. Tarrytown is a wonderful, kid friendly town that has so much to do for the whole family." Angel is active in Tarrytown Third Friday and planning all of the wonderful events that bring the community together once a month.

6. Anything else you want to share?

Come by Friday's Tarrytown Third Friday and stop in A Nu Toy Store to hear Nick Bruel's reading of "A Bad Kitty Christmas" at 5:30pm.

Is there a question you'd want answered by our Moms featured here? Tell us!

Don't forget to nominate a mom you think is amazing!

Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to elizabeth@patch.com