When my son was younger, he'd shuffle around the house balancing a stack of his favorite books in his overloaded arms. I was thrilled to have raised a mini bibliophile, but after seeing countless board books tumbling onto his little toes…
When I find myself packing our bags for a beach side vacation , I always look for ways to cut back on the number of space-hogging things we're taking. With the SandSac they can bring their sand pail and shovel without taking up too much …
Craft kits are perfect for moms lacking that creativity gene, but then there are moms like me who combine both lack of creativity with an aversion to clutter. Our kids happily create, but then we wonder what to do with the (precious and …
Well it's about time my favorite local Brooklyn toy store, Acorn toys , went digital. Not that I was complaining before, mind you, but now everyone I know can check out the gorgeous selection of handmade toys and other special gifts for …
I am always impressed by those upcycle crafters who look at what most of us would send off to Salvation Army and see the potential for something fabulous and new. Or in the case of Australian artist and mom of four Leah, creating dozens …
Last spring, I recommended my family's two favorite children's scooters , the Mini Micro Kickboard and the Skoooch, based on extensive testing by three scooter-fanatic kids. During this past year, these children continued to grow as they…
This little wooden giraffe toy set spotted at the adorable shop My Sweet Muffin is a perfect marriage of toddler toys. First, you have the giraffe on wheels, which is adorable. Next, you have a set of domino-shaped pieces suitable for st…
I must say, despite the CPSA I still remain most confident by mass produced toys when they're made in Europe. The standards are consistently high, and the products seem made to last more than one kid. Or more than one month as the case o…
We're on tooth number three here and I'm desperate to offer any type of teething relief I can to my poor grouchy baby. At the top of my arsenal of soothers: the Dress Me Up Organic Teething Bonbon found at CMP fave Kai Kids. These mom-ma…
Now that the weather is nice, I kill some time during those dreaded post-nap-pre-bed hours at our neighborhood playground, which sadly consists of two swings, a terribly neglected sandbox, and a very scary spider web jungle gym. As a fun…
As a former therapist educator, I spent many a class period educating students about how there are no bad emotions. But as a parent of a preschooler, that concept, along with feelings in general, are a bit more difficult to explain -- as…
I've noticed this odd thing about lovies and security blankets -- the kids never like the ones I like. If it's soft, even if it's ugly, they dig it. Go figure. But in the case of the fleece Mini Miette baby lovie from the luxury eco-cons…
Whether you need a last-minute Mother's Day gift or just want to appear more stylish than everyone else while waiting for the pediatrician, I love the Posh Puzzle books by The Puzzle Society. These are the people who bring you nationally…
Because I'm skeptical of anything that yells AS SEEN ON TV! at me, I admit my initial thought was oh no...what kind of toxic garbage are those pipe cleaner looking Bendaroos (warning - loud sound when you click over) made out of? The ans…
Last week, I used Earth Day as an opportunity to introduce my girls to the idea of being good to the planet and all that other stuff we're supposed to do as (mostly) responsible moms. A week later, the organic heirloom tomatoes we plante…
The first thing I noticed about Colorado's Sprig Toys is that they smell like fresh-cut wood, even while they look like strong molded plastic. Turns out I was right on both counts--their special "Sprigwood" is an eco-friendly, kid-safe m…
I had the dizzying pleasure of attending the mammoth Toy Fair in February, and one thing that seemed to be everywhere was cardboard. Of all of them, my favorite was easily the U.S.-made Elia Mini Chair Kit which takes this basic material…
I notice when I hit the mass kids' toy stores that the blocks are always in the boys section. It's bizarre to me because both my daughters love blocks like a frat boy loves Spring Break. And I can assure you they'd go flat out bonkers fo…
If you had told me a few years back that I'd be counting the days until a toy company released their new trucks, I would have said you were nuts. But if you've seen Green Toys then it's not so hard to believe that I've had the date marke…
The last thing we ever thought we'd be featuring on these pages is a a Virgin Mary softie , or an eco-friendly one at that, created by hand from eco-fi felt made completely from recycled water bottles. But the way we see it, some pewter …
This city mom has a dream, and it includes a second bathroom, a third bedroom, and some actual outdoor space that isn't owned by the city parks department. If I were to magically come across this dream townhouse (which also should, by th…
As the only boy with two older sisters, my son knows that he may get stuck playing dolls or carrying his toy cars around in a sparkly pink bag. He has always been a good sport when playing dress-up, donning whatever his sisters put on hi…
Sure, siblings are going to have their own likes and dislikes, but overall, picking toys with a wide appeal that would have lasted through all three of my kids would have been one brilliant move. So learn from my mistake, mamas, and snag…
Babies these days have expensive taste. They've got designer shoes before they can walk in them and name brand clothes before they're able to put them on themselves. But while they might not be quite off the boob and onto unagi just yet,…