
You don’t need a blue Easy-Bake Oven to get boys to bake
Although Easy-Bake ovens are now coming out with "boy-friendly" versions (what, girls don't like blue?), there have always been lots of options for boys to cook--really cook--with the help of great products and cookbooks for kids. Handstand Kids is a longtime favorite...

Coffee gifts? Don’t mind if I do. Give, I mean.
I admit it. I used to settle for a cup of coffee from just about anywhere, then quickly douse it with milk and sweetener. Then I had a proper cup of joe, which was like the pigeon describing a hot dog to the duck in Mo Willem's beloved The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog:...

Cinnamon candies! Pear + clove candies! Bergamot candies! Papabubble…you’re killing me
While there's no shortage of ideas for food gifts around the holidays (we even have six of them you can make yourself, in our Holiday Gift Guide), here's one more I absolutely adore. But no, you can't make them yourself. And that's okay. If you're not familiar with...

Eco play food for kids that happens to smell delicious. Not in a pretend way.
In my part of the country, it is definitely more hot-cocoa time than ice-cream weather. But not according to my kids who know that any day is perfect for ice cream. Which is why this sweet-smelling six-pack of cones would be a welcome addition to their playtime, no...

Maternity lingerie ideas to help you make the holidays a little uh…more festive.
Why maternity lingerie? Well between the well-meaning but okay-enough-already belly touches of visiting relatives and feeling like your burgeoning bump is making you look a bit too much like Santa himself, holidays can be rough on a mama-to-be. So we're for anything...

Sweet and safe: an allergy-free gingerbread house kit
Food-allergy suffers and vegan families, fret no more at Christmas! You, too, can experience the joy (and balancing act!) of gathering around the table to assemble a candy-covered gingerbread house. This year, an allergy-free bakery in Orange County, California, will...

The Sbyke: the best gift your tween or teen will get, period.
The siren song of electronics has a huge pull on my tweens this holiday, so if I'm going to ask Santa to bring them something that doesn't begin with an "i" it'd better be something pretty cool. I found something pretty cool. No...really cool. The Sbyke is the rad...

Elizabeth Mitchell’s latest kindie CD takes on Bowie, Hendrix and your kid’s playlist
Smithsonian Folkways artist Elizabeth Mitchell has one of those crystal clear, beautiful voices that can take any song and turn it into the musical equivalent of spun gold. And while she has already released the much-loved, Grammy-nominated collection of Woody Guthrie...

Modern Nativity scenes you won’t mind the children touching
When you consider that most nativity sets include a couple of sheep, some people, an angel, and a stable, is it any wonder that most kids can't wait to get their hands on them? But after my three were finished playing with the set I had growing up, I understood why my...

6 tech picks you won’t want to miss this week
Unless you're willing to pay for overnight shipping, the clock is counting down for Santa's little tech helpers. Here are several of our favorite picks from the last week, many of which would make fantastic presents. Hint, hint! 1. With one brilliant little change, a...