Keelhauled by cardboard
Cardboard cottages are more common than refrigerator boxes these days, and cardboard castles are no longer hard-to-find real estate. But we've found a new line of structures that go beyond the typical rose-covered cottage-- and that boys will enjoy, too. Box Creations...
Save Handmade update: C’mon, Congress. Help us out.
As you probably know by now, there's a bill in Congress to ensure that toys and clothing are free of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Which is good. Unfortunately, while the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act is well-meaning, the way it's been implemented has...
Kids snow boots that actually work in the snow
I did this year what so many parents do, and I should know better by now: I bought the cheap kids' snow boots for my daughter. I knew they weren't really waterproof, but they seemed like they would suffice. Until the actual snow came. (All that snow!)So I bit the...
What could be uglier than an Uglydoll? An Uglypillow!
I love the new Uglypillows from Uglydoll. Perhaps it brings out the motherly instinct in me? A face that only a mother could love? Oh, no. I hope this isn't a throw back to my awkward years. Do you think the Uglypillows would be the last to be picked for kickball? And...
A swaddling blanket for the swaddle-impaired
I remember wrangling that swaddling blanket and trying to wrap our first newborn babe like a burrito over and over and over again. More often, we accomplished a tortilla, flat and floppy, with baby girl seriously unimpressed with her parents' swaddling skills.Oh, if...
13 Words to add to your child’s bookshelf
My five year-old's current vocabulary include words like despondent, haberdashery, and Mezzo-Soprano. Not because she's any sort of verbal genius, but because her grandmother introduced her to one of the most wonderful books for kids I've seen in a long time. 13 Words...
Altitude Design Summit, here we come!
I am so excited about heading to Salt Lake City in two weeks for the Altitude Design Summit, I'm already stressing about which boots to pack. (The really warm fashionable ones? Or the super waterproof Hunter boots? Or wait, what if I go skiing with Julie...does that...
An heirloom-worthy stacking toy
I'm one step closer to becoming a treehugger. My new toy crush is made with organic maple, cherry and walnut wood and tackles balance, problem solving, pattern recognition and fine motor skills. Oh, and it's for babies. The Brainbow Stacking Nesting Arches (Brainbow!...
Guilty pleasure TV shows for moms. Hold the guilt.
While we love bringing you what's new and cool and educational in media, we thought it would be fun to share with you our own staffer's favorite guilty pleasure TV shows. Admit it--or only to yourself-- we all have those shows we love to watch when the kids are asleep...
Tiny bubbles end the whine
My favorite parenting hack: If you give your kids a bubble bath and encourage them to roll around a lot, they get clean and smell great without loads of scrubbing and whining. Most of the store brands give my daughter a rash, so I'm super picky about what I'll pour...