My kids are in that nightlight phase right now. (They're also in a Silly Bandz phase, a make me a sandwich and then I won't eat it phase, and a fighting about who gets to drink out of which princess cup phase. But that's besides the poin…
There's nothing like finally taking that summer vacation and then getting stuck in the hotel while the skies rain down on your plans. To save us from extreme hotel ennui, I make sure we take along a few easy-to-pack games to help us pass…
Me, oh, I'm just sitting here coveting some sweet new Vans with cartoon characters on them. Okay, so they're not just any cartoon characters; I do have my standards you know. They're the totally rad-meets-wtf Yo Gabba Gabba Vans. They're…
What do you dress your baby in when you want something that's good for the planet, totally comfortable, and also totally cute? We've found quite a few of them over the years and I'm so happy to add Urban Munchkin to the list. [don't miss…
After she watches Lion King, my kid spends most of the day running around in her pink underoos and roaring. She's being Simba, of course. But it's not really a costume she can wear out in public when she's feeling fierce. These t-shirts …
I spent a lot of time in airports last month, and one thing became as clear as an airplane-sized glass of Sprite: Europeans are just uniquely cool. I think they must be born with it. The scarves , the sunglasses, the bags -- and definite…
One of the most all-time hilarious family moments of ours was the time my mom (the awesome elementary educator ) got my kids (the hams) into handmade masks and acted out Little Rabbit Foo Foo for the whole brood. Let's just say a kid's c…
My nieces and nephews from Israel are on their way visit grandparents. My 2 year old son will probably not have a chance to visit but would like to send something to them while they are here. Any ideas for a gift to help entertain the 2 …
It's probably pretty clear that my favorite time for shopping is anytime, but I do so love the end of season sales - and what a doozy we found over at Parasols Kids Boutique. If you act fast, you can grab designer duds for your kids rang…
If there were ever a Fall/Winter collection I've been waiting for, it's the one from one of my favorite kid's shoe designers, See Kai Run. And while my kids will probably be in sandals for a few more months down here in the Deep South, t…
Honestly, the number of hoops you have to jump through to sell on eBay these days is crazy (who has the patience?), and I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels like Craigslist is overrun with scammers, cheapskates and crazy people. So…
My daughter's fourth birthday is coming up, and I spend a good bit of time daydreaming of mastering fondant, hand calligraphing creamy envelopes, and crafting a birthday banner in lovely watercolor washes over newspaper. Ha freakin' ha. …
Almost every day, we drive by a castle. No, really-- it's in a field near our house, and the moat is a swimming pool, and the iron fence is guarded by concrete dwarves painted in garish colors. I can't make stuff like that up. "Mommy, ca…
We've long adored the cute, unique little kid backpacks from Little Packrats (now PVC-free, by the way!), but now that some of our little kids are turning into big kids, we're glad that they've added some new bags just for them. The new …
Here comes Jimmy Bond. He rolls up on a black Big Wheel and requests his favorite drink: chocolate milk; shaken, not stirred. Aunts line up to pinch his cheeks. And I imagine him wearing this effortlessly cool striped shirt and tie combo…
Picking out a baby gift for my brand new niece, Isabella, was incredibly easy when I discovered makaboo --or difficult depending how you look at it. [don't miss a great offer, and giveaway after the jump!] Easy, because the shop has a gr…
Childhood diaries are always depicted as the tool of brooding, angry, angst-filled goth girls; more Heathers than Clueless . Personally, my own first journal was filled with a lot lighter fare. And a whole lot of bad rhyming poetry and o…
I was absolutely blown away when my four year-old, in a single day, suddenly mastered lowercase letters. No thanks to me, of course. This time, all the credit goes to the new Brain Quest write and erase alphabet book . Filled with 40 pag…
After all these years of crushing hard on the cool kid's clothes from Appaman , it's high time that they added an accessories line. And just in time for back to school time . I'm really digging their hats, like the pilot hat in a cool st…
We're lunch packers around my house, but when there's no microwave to heat up anything, it makes it challenging to pack the hot lunch my daughter would beg for. Too bad we didn't have new Crocodile Creek insulated food jars , now at mom-…
When we moved to Georgia, I tried to pad the transition with various books about what a great place it was and the interesting things that have happened here. My efforts were met with a resounding "meh" from my children. Hmph. Of course,…
Maybe toddlers shouldn't fish. I remember thinking this as I watched my 3-year-old niece clutch a big fishing pole while my husband tried to keep her from falling into the deep dark water or skewer him with the sharp fishing hook that wa…
If my kids are any indication, Stickermania may in fact be an actual medical condition. It strikes kids between 2 and 3, can last as long as a decade, and side effects may include weak and broken nails--your own--after scraping stickers …
It was a red-letter day in our household when each child was old enough to get his or her own library card. They love picking out books, handing their card over to the librarian and then skipping out with their new reads. What they don't…