That’s right honey, you can’t win
While I’ve never taken my husband to task for only buying three lemons instead of the dozen I requested (“Who asks for a dozen lemons anyway?”), I have to confess that I avoid sending him to the grocery store because…well, whatever he gets is...
Parenting tips from the (cool, funny) mom next door
I used to love reading parenting guides. My oldest child was an overachiever from the start, and the guides served as affirmation that she was a prodigy and I was a model parent.Then my middle child – my obstinate, tantrum-throwing, speech-delayed middle child...
You say it’s your Birth Day
When I was pregnant for the first time, I developed an unhealthy affinity for those birth documentaries that had previously repelled me. Something about growing a baby myself made me want to click over and immerse myself in the gory details.A new book from...
Flipping for BrainFlips
Kids these days have it so easy: Cell phones, computers, and cartoons on TV twenty-four hours a day. Technology has even made studying a cinch. No more Encyclopedia Britannica — now it’s all about search engines. But flashcards are one classic study method...
Purple Trail makes anybody a professional party planner
I want to be a good hostess, really I do. But my idea of throwing a party involves opening a few bottles of wine and putting steaks on the grill. I’m a little shaky where it comes to the details that elevate a party from fun to fabulous.Purple Trail is exactly...
Group gifts get smarter
With a child heading to second grade next year (how did that happen already?), I’m well-versed in the usual procedure of collecting money for a group teacher gift. Problem is, we’re still doing it the same way we did it when I was a kid: Everybody...
The more dust bunnies, the better. For a change.
I love the idea of a growth chart, but I’d never found any that appealed to my decor sensibilities, which are admittedly a bit quirky. Then I got a peek at the Dust Bunnies height chart from UK graphic wall art shop Spin Collective, which is actually a wall...
Making shots less shot-like
I think I can safely state that most parents would like to spare their children as much trauma as possible, which is why I was intrigued by the concept of the Buzzy. This FDA-approved plastic bee uses mechanical vibrations to “confuse” nerve endings,...
Let’s go surfin’ now
I may have mentioned once or forty times that our family spends a lot of time in the pool. Which means that we buy bathing suits and board shorts as part of the new baby layette. Problem is, it’s not that easy to find cool swimwear sized for surfer...
