Let's face it: no one's ever going to say, "Whoopee, a cello bag of Jordan almonds!" It's just not in our DNA. And yet we feel the primal call to give cutesy favors out at at baby showers. ( I once painted twelve identical paintings in o…
The night light is an essential component of the bedtime routine around my place, but no matter what method we employ, which lately has been our hallway light, it never seems to satisfy the kids' need for light right next to them. That's…
As a mom of a boy, I know how challenging it can be to find cool shirts that aren't drenched in licensed characters . Sure, I love super heroes as much as the next person, but even spider man wears real clothes when he's off duty. So, I'…
We first fell in love with Green Toys way back in the day of the lead paint recalls (aw, remember those fun days?) and knew they were onto something fabulous. Well sure enough, their line has expanded beautifully since then and today the…
First I feared the colicky newborn, then the Godzilla walker, then the Terrible Twos. Now I can see the Freaky Fours glaring at me from just a few months away, and I tremble in my flip-flops. She doesn't want to clean, she doesn't want t…
Those board books start out so cute and shiny, don't they? And then Baby Bookivore gets very interested in gnawing the corners, splitting the pages, and seeing what a slice of banana will look like sandwiched between B is for Broccoli an…
We've been fans of the Handmade Toy Alliance since this organization formed in 2008 in response to Congress's [expletive deleted] Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act. This ill-conceived (and ironically named) law is the impetus for …
If you've ever run from one side of the mall to the other trying to match a dress from the department store and shoes from a boutique with just the right cardigan, then you are going to totally love this discovery. I think it's the onlin…
As a budding young ballerina, I was simply in love with A Very Young Dancer by Jill Krementz. I used to just lose myself in those marvelous photos until the pages were as dog-eared as the copies in the used bookstores that now carry it. …
I don't care that it's only the first day of official summer, when it's almost 100 degrees every single day. And in the Deep South, that means planning a lot of indoor activities--preferably free ones--like the Free Family Film Festival …
Two of my favorite words are "simply elegant", but I've never gotten to apply that concept to my son's wardrobe before. Which is why I have a total adoration for the summer Daily Tea collection just out for boys and girls. We've already …
I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when Soft Clothing first arrived on the scene, bringing flat-seamed, soft cotton clothing basics for kids who have sensory issues. My own son isn't as picky as he used to be, but he still goes for th…
After falling in love with Canadian mom Kate Inglis' writing at her personal blog Sweet Salty , it was no surprise to me that she'd write a book. But what I didn't expect was that it would be the fantastically scrumptious morsel of kid f…
I was hoping--praying--that the Silly Bandz craze would stay far far away from my daughter's preschool. When it hit, it hit hard, like a giant neon apocalyptic storm of wiggly plastic and shrieking children. I can completely see why some…
This is one of those times when I find myself wishing I owned a sewing machine. And that I had a single crafty bone in my body. Check it out: Gulf Coast Cottage , a wonderful shop filled with soft toys, has an entire category filled with…
I have nothing against boys embracing pink, but when I went to buy a little boy doll for my nephew to love while his mama was caring for a newborn, I found that 99% of the baby dolls in the big toy store were of the female persuasion. Fr…
We're huge fans of the Dante Beatrix backpacks for almost too many reasons to mention--the eco-friendly materials, the perfect toddler sizing, the adorable designs. How's that for a start? Now the company is simply named Beatrix NY. And …
After getting two kids through the messy eating phase and currently dealing with one who's in the thick of it, I might just be a bib expert. And I have to say that the bibs from JJ Cole are some of my all-time favorites. It doesn't hurt …
As my poor waterlogged friends in the Pacific Northwest know all too well, June can be a wet one. It's as if Mother Nature doesn't give a hoot that we have bored little faces staring up at us waiting for summer to begin. I think it's bet…
I'll never be the eco-mama who reuses plastic wrap or gives up the soft toilet paper for the stuff that feels like newspaper. Mostly I look for small changes I can live with , and one of those has been cutting down on my reliance on disp…
With summer officially underway, I am busy getting my beach bag stocked so I can run off to the pool at a moment's notice. Along with towels, my unfashionable floppy hat and tons of sunscreen, I'm going to be including the new UV Board S…
These so-called " friendly monster finger puppets " bear such a striking resemblance to the Yo Gabba Gabba characters that I had to break down and buy them for my YGG-obsessed daughter's third birthday. I mean, that striped green one doe…
If you needed any more evidence that denim is hot again, take a look at the new denim diaper cover I just spotted at babyGap. I love the dark wash with the slight fade on the bum, and that little pocket in back is too cute for words. It …
Sandra Boynton's newest character in her newest book is the sweetest, funniest, cutest critter ever: My kid. And not because his sister drew him in with my missing Sharpie. I just love Are You A Cow? , a customizable (yes, customizable) …