I'm always kind of bummed when I fall in love with a line of baby blankets or clothes and realize there's nothing left for me from that label once my kids turn toddlers. So it's nice that Portland's Baby Star has been taking their crowd-…
While I appreciate the joys of velcro as much as the next mom, I'm worried that if I don't start introducing actual shoe laces to my 4 year-old soon she'll be learning to tie her sneakers in college. (Right about when she starts eating p…
"Say, is that a 1950's original Davy Crockett costume beautifully framed on your wall?" "Why yes, yes it is." Petrie Point Designs has taken recycling to a whole new level with their Petrie Pint vintage collection. Susan Petrie-Badertsch…
I am one of those moms who avidly resisted a DVD in the car until I finally broke down before a 10-hour car trip with two under three. Even so, I am a strong believer in looking out the window, playing word games, and singing along to mu…
If I were walking down the street in Chicago and came across Lollie , owned by sisters Mimi and Alyssa Fron, it would be impossible not to go in. Unfortunately 1000 miles stand between me and this adorable boutique which carries practica…
Help! I am about to send my 3-year-old off to preschool this year and I am looking for a cute backpack in her size, minus the TV characters. Any suggestions? - Jessica Your preparedness is inspiring, Jessica. I just checked the calendar …
I know, organic cotton is cool, plastic is not. But cotton gets ... wet. With the drool. And the spit-up. And the yams. I'm grossing myself out just thinking about it. Never fear, though -- Wow Baby has a new line of US made, double-line…
I think the thing that bothers me the most about my kids begging for TV character clothes is that in a way, it makes them look like they watch a ton of television. Or really, like I let them watch a lot of television. Bring on the mommy …
I owe a whopping thanks to Big Day Chains for getting me to my daughter's 5th birthday (today!) without completely losing my mind. Because if there's anything more annoying than the "Are we there yet?" question, it's "How many days until…
There are few things that scream New England more than the ubiquitous lobster, but since I'm afraid a lobster may actually scream, I have never brought one home to cook for dinner. If you're like me, go a different route and bring home t…
We have been fans of Bella Tunno baby products since the early days, before little retailers like Target discovered how cool they were. It's been a while since I visited their site (they don't need us any more, sniff) and was intrigued b…
It had to happen eventually - -first Cookie Monster, and now pirates have gone on a health kick. Now your wee sea raider can easily sport a message of terror best befitting his or her station in life (right at the highchair) with these a…
I've admitted here before that I'm a terrible gift wrapper, but as long as there are children aging in the world, there will be presents to wrap. Which is why I'm so happy to have found the Eco Deco line of green gift wrapping from Olive…
We've all been there; the kid has found his Most Favorite Book Ever, and he wants to hear it over and over. Sure, you were a patient and loving model parent the first 5,000 times, but after that I think you get a pass. With One More Stor…
When I saw the Cardboard Designs airplane at Arte Bebe, I immediately sent it to my husband the pilot, who immediately sent it to all his pilot friends because it might just be the coolest plane toy we've ever seen. We're already fans of…
I think somewhere in my heart I'm a damn dirty hippie with all this suppressed nostalgia for the Woodstock era. Of course that would be the Pepsi commercial version of Woodstock, where all the guys are hot and shirtless, the tie-dyes are…
I have two boys, and while I adore them, I've always felt like I missed out a little when it comes to shopping, because boys really get the short end of the stick for play clothes. I'm especially feeling that way now that I've seen the b…
Just when I think I've seen every hair clip known to man (or diva-in-training), I discover the adorable children's barrettes from artist Hayley Hackler of Flying Frog Apparel. She takes fabric scraps and buttons, layers them, and refashi…
With three kids running circles around me, I've made some concessions when it comes to cleaning up. And one of them is that I'm not going to be doing all of it. My philosophy has always been that if my kids can make a mess, then they can…
When the kids ask to fingerpaint , I conjure up visions of them covered in gelatinous, who-knows-what goo which doesn't make me too eager to indulge them in their favorite medium. But, when they come calling with puppy-dog eyes and promi…
My younger son has always been a big blanket kid; even now, at six, he sleeps with at least one baby blanket every night. I love this, both because a kid with a blanket melts my heart and because we got some great blankies when he was a …
Summer's here, and I'm getting ready to bare some skin. Along with sit ups, a quickie pedicure and hedge clippers (you know what I mean), I've added The Spoiled Mama Orange and Chamomile Sugar Scrub to my bag of tricks. In those fleeting…
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…
Just when we think we're over the skull trend, something cute comes along and makes us go aw okay -- just one more . And right in time, because skulls are coming back to kidswear with a vengeance this fall from what we've seen. In this c…