After months spent in OB offices browsing parenting magazines that ran the gamut from mindless fun to downright annoying, I had no idea that there was something out there for moms that was actually (gasp) literary. While I love a good holiday cookie recipe or rainy day craft idea as much as the next gal, sometimes I do have capacity for a bit more in my head.

Enter Brain, Child, a magazine that no thinking mom should be without.

What? You’ve never heard of it? Good thing you came here today.

Founded by two smart mamas themselves, Jennifer Niesslein and Stephanie Wilkinson, this is no little grassroots zine. Past issues have included essays from the likes of Barbara Kingsolver and Susan Cheever. But don’t worry, it’s not all that taxing on the gray matter – I often find myself laughing out loud at features describing ambivalent co-sleeping, or a message board newbie stumbling around the acronyms.

Brain, Child is accessible, it’s fun, and it’s smart. Three good things if you ask me. All for less than $20 a subscription. Twenty bucks to keep that mama brain sharp. Twenty bucks for a great gift for a new mother. Twenty bucks to know you’re not alone out there. –Liz

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