More coolness from recent weeks…
Making mail magical again. Real mail. Remember that?
No more pretending the Anthropologie catalog is a special delivery--kids deserve their own mailbox surprises. So I'm happy to have found a fun new service that combines original art and stories with good, old-fashioned stamps. Abe's Peanut is an original venture by...
Swankifying the booster seat with Clek
One of the biggest complaints we hear about kids car seats and boosters is how ugly they are. Yes, I know safety is the biggest priority, but once we check that off the list, I would prefer not to have a ginormous thing squarely in my rear view that's covered in neon...
One little two little three ballerinas
As a homeschool mom, I've got plenty of creative ways to teach numbers and counting to my littler ones. But that doesn't mean there aren't more creative options out there, like this one from artist and mom CarrieSue Gustafson who I recently discovered on Etsy. I'm...
Muslin swaddlers get as pretty as they are practical
If there's one baby product that's made a name for itself in the last few years, it's the cotton muslin swaddling blanket. Yes, we've been tracking down the best ones for quite a few years now, but they've never been as beautiful and adorable as they are now. The...
How to turn IKEA into MyKEA
I've got a love/hate relationship with IKEA. I love it, because it's reliable, dependable, and honest. I know what I'm getting, and there are no surprises. I hate it at times, for all of the same reasons. IKEA furniture can be dreadfully boring. Sometimes a room calls...
Yay Zara! One of our favorite offline stores goes online.
Recently, I wrote about Zara and what a fantastic option it is for affordable, European-styled kids clothes, and how amazing their sales can be. The one downside: no online shopping. So 2002! Well now Zara has gotten their e-commerce capabilities as 2011 as their...
5 alternatives to peanut butter for a peanut-free classroom
I really do consider myself lucky that my kids don't have a peanut allergy. And I consider myself more lucky that so far, kids in their classes haven't had any that would require banning it from the classroom. Still, I know we won't always be so lucky. And with more...
Gorgeous baby clothes that are neither baby pink or baby blue
I never understood why 90% of baby clothes are either pastel pink or little boy blue. Don't babies have the right to exercise their fashion sense as much as the rest of us?[don't miss a fabulous giveaway after the jump!] We fell in love with ridiculously soft baby...
I vant to suck your homework
If you haven't yet settled on a new backpack for your older kid yet, I think she'll probably love this one-- at least if she's a fan of Twilight, or vampires, or True Blood. Which she is. As required by law. The Vampire Orthodontics backpack at Threadless totally...
A loafer to love
Say goodbye to white pants and linen, mamas. Just fold it it up, put it in up on the high shelf of the closet and slowly back away. I know you can do it. But on the bright side, get ready to welcome all the really wonderful fashion choices coming your way for fall,...
Look what these kindie bands did this summer, Part Two
Did I mention that there were a lot kids' music releases this summer? If you saw Part One in our review of great kindie releases yesterday, you've read---and hopefully heard--of new stuff from Caspar Babypants, Belle & Sebastian and The Hipwaders.Now, even more...
Make lunch less of a chore with the world’s cutest personalized lunchboxes
School's back in session, and I'm back into my daily routine of packing lunches for my sons. I've been trying to think of ways to make this less of a chore, and I'm pretty sure I've found the answer. {don't miss an exclusive discount after the jump!] Each of these...
5 tech picks you won’t want to miss this week
September is upon us, friends, and we're celebrating with cool tech at Cool Mom Tech. (Of course!) Whether you need a quick app to entertain your preschooler in the carpool line or a surge protector to keep six laptops humming, we've got it for you. Here are 5...
Look what these kindie bands did this summer, Part One
While I was busy applying yet another layer of SPF 50 to my fair children, some of our favorite kindie musicians, and one newbie to the genre, were putting out great music to get us through the next few months. Thankfully, unlike my fading tan, their tunes are just as...
Invasion of the moustaches!
I've said before that the moustache is the hipster icon of 2011. And now, it's hitting the world of kids and baby clothes too, courtesy of one very popular designer. [don't miss a special offer after the jump] The Stella McCartney Kids collection for fall 2011...
Leaves of grass, now on your bookshelf
Some books are like cut flowers: I get them, enjoy them, and forget about them. But some books are like lawns, like rich green grass that I want to cultivate and nurture and wiggle between my toes every Spring. Okay, maybe just the first two.If you, too, have...
Shop it to Me turns your laptop into a personal sale shopper
I love a bargain, but I often hate the effort it takes to find one. Wouldn't it be great to have someone keep tabs on all your favorite retailers for you, and let you know when the things you love go on sale? Yeah, that would be super. Fortunately, that is totally...
Art, meet alphabet
Instead of yet another poster for your kids' rooms, I'm kind of digging this take on abc art, from Toronto Etsy shop, bookhou at home. The laser-etched birch plywood of this wooden alphabet would be so cool in a nursery or playroom. And I love the typewriter font on...
Have pouch, will travel in style.
Okay, show of hands: Who else gets ready for a fabulous trip by overloading a bunch of sandwich baggies with half-full sample bottles and hotel soaps? Um, me. Not exactly glamorous. Know what we be much more fitting? This pouch. "No matter how much I have seen,...
Take my heart, please.
Some mornings, as I leave for work, my daughter says, "Mommy, give me something from your bag so I can remember you!" I reach in and pull out a business card, a pen...anything will do really. It's become a sweet little tradition between us. But now I think I have a...
The march of the marionettes
On a recent trip to Prague, I fell in love with the town's infamous toy shops. Somehow, I managed to squeeze into my bag a set of 6" marionettes for my kids, along with a small puppet theater. Who would know it would turn out to be the best-loved guilt gift I ever...