More coolness from recent weeks…
The holiday cards for people who love paper
One of my favorite holiday traditions is sending and receiving cards in the mail -- especially the photo kind. (I can't possibly be the only one. Who doesn't love getting real mail? And photos? Everyone does!) It's the best part of December, by far. Here's the thing,...
5 tech picks you won’t want to miss this week
In case you missed them, here five of our favorite picks from Cool Mom Tech this past week.1. Pumpkin carving meets Angry Birds. We just hope no one starts launching them...2. These two amazing new apps from Toca Boca will keep kids happy as the weather gets colder....
6 reasons to love Harry & David more than you did before
I'm back in town from a delicious jaunt to the Rogue Valley in southern Oregon, and I've got all the dirt on one of my favorite holiday gift companies, Harry & David. (You know, the pear people. With all the catalogs?) So here's my confession: I am probably the...
This mummy is yummy
My kids won't even go into the basement by themselves, so let's just say we do Halloween Lite around here. For our kinder, gentler Halloween, I've found a tee shirt from CMP favorite Threadless that would fit in just fine to our version of the spookiest of holidays....
There was an old lady who lived in a graphic novel…
My middle son loves graphic novels. They really get him excited about reading, and I'm certainly down with that. I want him to excitedly pick out a book from the library and read it on the ride home. So he about nearly flipped when we saw Nursery Rhymes in comic form....
Two awesome essentials that make traveling with kids so much easier
As every mom learns pretty early on, ease of travel with kids can come down to having the right gear. Whether we're flying across the country or just taking the kiddos out to eat in our 'hood, if we don't have the proper seat, stroller or sippy cup, we're in for a...
A little bitty, crumbly-jumbly sweet treat of a book
What do you get when you combine a kindhearted elephant, some hard-working mice, and the Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator of Click Clack Moo?A sweet little treat that's fun to eat... I mean, read. The Little Bitty Bakery by Leslie Muir and Betsy Lewin is a...
Sibling Pride
When new babies make their grand entrances, their bigger siblings can sometimes feel the shaft. It's important to include them in welcoming the new addition--or, you can do what I did and have them so close together the older one doesn't know what hit him. (Not...
Indie meets affordable with Dana Kellin for Target
My first job out of college was managing a fantastic gallery of artisan crafts in Philadelphia. It was in that glorious place full of so many beautiful things that I began a love affair with handmade designer jewelry. Let's just say that a decent part of most...
Take a musical spin through the decades with Laura Veirs and Tumble Bee
The good ol' days sort of lose their luster for me when I think about a life without indoor plumbing, internet access and Starbucks. But, I will give them one thing: Their folk songs sure were beautiful as evidenced in this lovely and playful collection of tunes by...
Go thermal for fall
Every year I go through my son's clothes to see what has stood the test of a season, and what needs to be retired. Since discovering Red 21 Boys last year, I'm delighted to say he's still wearing everything. And for my crazy active boy, that's saying something. This...
Shop. Get deals. Give back. Why we love Pure Citizen.
Oh, honey. You know we love our flash deal sites. Gilt for designer duds? Check! Fab for home goods? Totally! Little Rue for kids? Please! Ideeli for splurges? You get the picture. And it goes on. But this one has a unique twist that makes our hearts feel as light as...
Your kid: The next Paul Klee
I've tried to encourage my tween's intense love of all things art since she was a wee thing. To fuel her fire, we have loads of art books from "open-ended" coloring books like Rosie Flo's and those by Taro Gomi, to more academic tomes with pages of famous artwork from...
We’re wishing for Wishbone. The bike, not the salad dressing.
My oldest daughter, now 7, learned how to ride a bike in a matter of minutes thanks to a few months spent on a balance bike beforehand. However, when it comes to my littler kiddos, they tend to get more frustration than fun out of riding it. Or really, falling over on...
The coolest Halloween printables – go forth and be crafty!
With the money I'm spending on Halloween costumes and bags of candy, I'm not about to drop a fortune on decor too. So, I'm so pleased to have found so many affordable (and free!) printables that don't require me to do much of anything or spend much of anything. This...
Smencils: A no-sugar Halloween treat that is no trick
My kids are at the age where their Trick-or-Treat bags return home weighing almost as much as they do. At this rate they'll be up to their knees in mini-treats until 2012. So I'm often looking out for other things to hand out at Halloween parties, or when the doorbell...
The no glass, no plastic, drive your carrots to school plate
Forget the plastic--we've found a shiny little metal school bus that's ready to rock the five food groups-- and keep them separated, too. The Din Din Smart Stainless Steel Bus Platter is non-toxic, lead-free, and it's heavy-duty, too; we haven't had a single dent or a...
Speed dating for babysitters. Now online.
A good babysitter is hard to find. I've been way picky about who gets the, er, privilege of watching our active preschooler and toddler. This has kind of backfired--the only guaranteed babysitters we now have are grandparents. And, since the kids...
A new take on the classic monogram charm
We have loved the beautiful keepsake jewelry of JULIAN & Co. since way back when they went by the name Little Jules. Since then, we have been consistently impressed with Tania Condon's vision and unique designs that interpret "mother's jewelry" in the best...
Kiwi Crate: Surprise! Supplies!!!
If you've seen our posts about our favorite subscription box gifts for moms,,book subscription boxes for kids of all ages, and cool subscription gifts made for men and dads, you'll recognize that monthly subscriptions are all the rage. And now, there's one meant just...
The twin bone’s connected to the cute bone
Let's face it: If Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter had twins, they would look just like this, and Johnny Depp would give them a set of onesies like this at their Beetlejuice-themed baby shower. The Skeleton Love Kids organic shirt from Mimosa is based on an...