I've tried to use babysitter notepads, but they're either too labor intensive, or they don't have spots for the information I think is important. So I usually end up just writing out my own on a blank piece of paper, until I found the Ba…
I have a confession to make: Generally I am terrible when it comes to sending out holiday cards. I always intend on ordering the photo ones, but there have been years when I just don't get around to it. Well, this year I've got another e…
This past weekend, no one was going to mistake my son for the MVP of his soccer team but he did try his best. It was the perfect occasion for one of the playing card-sized notes from Kiddo Kards: One that said Especially for you on the f…
One thing we haven't seen a whole lot of for some reason is cool kids wallpaper. And then we discovered Rollout , a creative design studio in Canada, which is doing some truly dandy things with wallcoverings. Their artists series feature…
Hey, there's nothing wrong with a picture of a pregnant woman on your shower invitations and thank you notes, but you don't want something all realistic, right? Because what would your "glowing" sciatica-suffering, never-sleeping, puffy-…
I admit it, I'm a sucker for just about any convert-the-kid's-art-into-a-keepsake service. And while art2believe will take your child's drawing and turn it into a stuffed doll, they'll also also turn it into a pillow, if you'd rather. Or…
When I was pregnant, I painted three pieces of furniture out in the cold because I was so freaked out about what the paint fumes could do to the bébé. But when you're pregnant is precisely when you decide you must paint right now . Fear …
What do you get when you combine vintage photos with snarky captions like Why do dishes when you can do daiquiris? The delightfully cheeky line of Anne Taintor products, of course. I'd seen these in local boutiques before but for some re…
Yes, there's the scent of their yummy heads and soft skin, but babies do a lot of stinky things. But using a big fake room scent machine just doesn't seem like the healthiest choice, nor does spraying a ton of chemicals into the air. If …
Back when I was shopping for nursery furniture, eco-friendly meant the crib wasn't painted with lead-based paint. Well looky looky how much has changed in a relatively short period of time. Today, cribs with "a conscience" are becoming m…
When it comes to interior design, let's just say that my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. I admire fabulous design, but possess neither the knack nor the bottomless pocketbook to bring it to life without some serious help. If I we…
I used to be really good at remembering names and faces. A little stalkerish even. But then I had children and a good percentage of my brain cells expired from lack of sleep. Now I'm lucky if I remember my own name, let alone the names o…
One of the great things about having a baby now as compared to even four years ago when I had my first is the ton of choices parents have as far as nursery decor. Take the mobile, which is no longer something you just buy in a themed set…
While I'll happily spend hours browsing through all types of stationery, searching for just the right mix of simplicity and elegance, greeting cards almost always leave me cold. Blame it on years of searching for some idealistic notion o…
When I first received the package of beautifully-decorated Halloween cookies from Fancypants Bakery, I thought they were just too cute to eat. Five minutes later, with mouth full of shortbread, I changed my mind. And they were just as go…
When planning my firstborn's nursery a few years ago, I did what many before me have done: I looked at a dozen uninspiring paint chips in muted shades of yellow, sage and ecru, and even contemplated a "theme." Eek. If only I had known ab…
Not that Yom Kippur is a Hallmark holiday or anything, but oh, how I am sending this Yom Kippur e-card out today to all my friends and observant family. It, along with a whole slew of other atonement-themed cards (seriously), comes court…
I can't believe I'm already starting to bookmark holiday gifts but yep, that's just what I'm doing. And right in time, I discover Happy Chickadee , an online shop featuring absolutely wonderful clothing, accessories, toys, and gear for (…
Look, it can be really hard to suss out which mainstream household cleaners and personal items are better for you and your family than others. Unless you're willing to just beat your laundry on some river rocks and brush your teeth with …
We go the whole nine yards on Halloween, which this year has me running around town for a child-sized red wig and face paint. But considering my daughter's extremely sensitive skin, I'm reluctant to just grab cheapo store brand face pain…
If How to Traumatize Your Children had been available when I remarried, I totally would've bought it as a wedding present for my husband. I think it would've been a fitting welcome to (step)parenthood for him, and I also plan to give it …
You can't imagine the debates that went on in our household when it came to naming the grandparents for the first time. If you start factoring in inlaws and the inlaws' inlaws, and everyone's different traditions and expectations, it's a…
I'm already on record as not being a fan of fluffy pastel nursery decor. How are children supposed to develop good design sensibilities if you don't show them the way? This striking mobile from Contexture , aptly named "As the Crow Flies…
Chicago artist Kelly Ventura is making beautiful original art with fabric, paper, buttons and adorable stitching that you'll want to leave on the wall well past the disassembling of the crib. Her Etsy shop, The Urban Thimble , has wearab…