More coolness from recent weeks…
Fun new parent gift: Peripop is a baby play mat, blanket, and floor cushion all in one.
The nursery in our apartment was used by the previous tenant as a walk-in closet so as you can imagine, it's small. Every item our baby's room has to earn its place by either looking great or serving us with high functionality. Ideally both. Sadly this means when I...
Simple tips for moving with kids: How to make it easier, from a mom who’s done it. A lot. Alone.
Over the last three years, I've moved alone with my four kids twice -- once long distance, once pretty much right around the corner -- and hey, I survived. And so did my kids. All of us with our sanity intact. Well, mostly. Of course, there were plenty of challenges,...
Should every kid get a trophy?
This week's outrage du jour is brought to you by football star James Harrison and his now controversial Instagram photo in which he threatened to take away his kids' participation trophies. So of course we tackle (puns! puns!) this controversial stance on...
13 outrageously cool sneakers for kids not satisfied with the same old same old.
If your kids are like mine, and want to express their personality through cool kids' sneakers, you're in luck. That's pretty much what's on the shelves these days, and they're not just the so-called fashion brands. Even the big athletic sneaker brands are getting...
What Does it Mean to Be Kind? | A perfect children’s book for our time.
If you ever pick up a newspaper in front of your children, turn on the news, or even have an adult conversation about the day's events, there's no doubt that they are aware in some way of the tensions, divisiveness and frankly, ugliness, in our world right now. As...
16 adorable free printable lunchbox notes for kids: From Minecraft, to Star Wars, to fill-in-the-blank with your own words of love.
I am never going to be the mom who makes that impressive bento lunch for my kids, featuring a Chewbacca made out of sesame noodles. But I am in fact that mom who stashes a bunch of free printable lunchbox notes in the drawer under the kitchen counter, and when I...
A terrific opportunity for teens to do some good this fall with the Baby Buggy Youth Service Corps
As the carefree days of summer wind down and the structure of the fall rounds the bend, its time to start thinking about curricular activities. While sports and school clubs are great, I like the idea of encouraging a teen to take on a hobby or activity that...
We’ve got 21 of the coolest coloring books for adults. Pass those markers over, kids.
It's so easy to find yourself on-the-go all the time as a parent, but having downtime is important. In fact, I think it's vital to being a good mom or dad. Of course, a few hours alone to get a manicure or go for a walk is so nice, but I like to find ways to unwind...
A lovely new line of natural baby and pregnancy skincare: Dear Baby
When you are pregnant or have a new baby, you are suddenly super aware of all the ingredients in everything you put in and on your body. Decoding labels can be a chore and while we're all for splurging when it counts, it's even nicer when we can find affordable,...
13 great fantasy and adventure books for tweens. Get ready to buy the sequels!
My ten-year-old is the kind of kid who is still reading in bed long after his siblings have fallen asleep. But it can be hard to keep up with his pace, and continue finding age-appropriate fantasy and adventure books that tweens like him will be excited about. I mean,...
The coolest school supplies to make the year a little more fun | Back to school shopping guide 2015
While there are certain must-haves for school, like backpacks and lunch boxes, we always love finding the coolest school supplies that just make things a little more fun this time of year. Whether you're helping your kid express his or her individuality with a cool...
The coolest backpacks for kids who carry more than a change of clothes | Back to school 2015
We've already shared our picks for this year's coolest preschool backpacks in our Back to School Guide, but now we've got you covered for backpacks for big kids too. Older kids, tweens and teens, as you probably know, have slightly more sophisticated taste (aw, we'll...
First day of school photos: 9 ideas for easy printables and props to make posing a little more fun.
My family was in the middle of moving halfway across the country last year when my son's preschool started, so I missed the opportunity to take those official first day of school photos every parent loves. I'd like to think I snapped a picture of him wearing his...
Fayvel shoes let kids play their own shoe designer
It's probably no surprise that when a pair of Fayvel shoes for kids arrived at my house, my brood went nuts. There may have been some fighting, actually. Designer Erin Slater was inspired by her own nostalgia for sticker collecting to create shoes that allow today's...
Target removes boy and girl toy signs, Internet implodes.
Geez, Target! Change a few signs in your store and you blow up the whole entire Internet! In the past, we've discussed our issues with labeling girls toys vs. boys toys, as opposed to just calling them, oh...you know. BLOCKS. And DOLLS. Well, apparently Target has...
Break out the new crayons for this awesome coloring book from indie illustrator Laura Palmer
Who doesn't need more coloring books in their lives? Well, okay, if you look in my kids' craft drawer, maybe we don't. But, we do need awesome ones. The cheap, thin, licensed ones can get tossed and we'll replace them with cool, creative coloring books that the whole...
The coolest backpacks for preschool and little kids | Back to school guide 2015
There's something so fun about picking out that first backpack for a younger child headed off to preschool or kindergarten for the first time. So we love helping you do that very thing! Check out our picks for the coolest backpacks for smaller kids who don't yet have...
The cutest new baby and toddler dishes happen to do good for the planet, too.
If your kitchen cabinet is anything like mine, the brightly colored kids cups, bowls and plates have likely taken over. If you're going to give into the kid stuff (which you probably should, unless you like broken dishes), first check out this fantastic new find of...
The hottest fall fashion trends for kids. Warning: You may want them for yourself.
If you ever want to get one totally cool, fun, on-trend outfit for your kid's fall wardrobe, I always turn to Appaman to see what's in for the season. And lucky us, we get to give you a first look at all the fun new fall fashion for kids that are available for...
The Day the Crayons Came Home: The must-have sequel to one of our favorite hilarious kids’ books
The Day the Crayons Quit, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by the amazing Oliver Jeffers, has been sitting on my kids' bedside table -- and getting read every night at bedtime -- since the day it came home from the bookstore. It's quickly become a classic that...
FashionABLE rocks fall with big style that gives back to women in a big way
While I may still be desperately combing the summer sales racks for swimsuits that fit my girls, I've also got an eye toward fall fashion, and I am so happy that CMP beloved maker, fashionABLE, has extended their line of wearable scarves into more fall-weight...