More coolness from recent weeks…
Super funky, ultra cool, kitchy fabulous pillows
No, Noogie, Moosey and Alfalfa are not part of a lovable gang of 1950's ne'er-do-wells. They're a few names from the line of totally hip silhouette pillows by Aunt Bucky, now available at CMP favorite Happy Chickadee. And all they need now is the goofy mutt with one...
Baptism gift ideas? Reader Q&A
You guys are so great at finding great gift ideas, and so I come to you with this: I have my fourth niece/nephew to buy a gift for . . . Hoping you have some good ones up your sleeves! -Christina W. Congratulations again! I hope these ideas help you find...
Cool kid travel guides they’ll actually read
When we moved to Georgia, I tried to pad the transition with various books about what a great place it was and the interesting things that have happened here. My efforts were met with a resounding "meh" from my children. Hmph. Of course, the brand new Cool Stuff Every...
Some like it hot, some like it cold
We're lunch packers around my house, but when there's no microwave to heat up anything, it makes it challenging to pack the hot lunch my daughter would beg for. Too bad we didn't have new Crocodile Creek insulated food jars, now at mom-run boutique Cattiwampus. Known...
Give the gift of baby labels
I've learned over the years it's nearly impossible to register for everything that you will need for your new baby. In fact, I've got a huge list of items that I wish I had thought of asking for or even just ordering for myself. And up high on that list would be...
From dirt to diapers: A Weleda journey
I'm back from Germany, and I've got jet lag, chocolate, and answers to your questions regarding Weleda's biodynamic farm. I've also got stories about canceled credit cards, hairy men in capri pants, blood sausage, and homeless hedgehogs wearing soccer shoes. But...
Go fish
Maybe toddlers shouldn't fish. I remember thinking this as I watched my 3-year-old niece clutch a big fishing pole while my husband tried to keep her from falling into the deep dark water or skewer him with the sharp fishing hook that was waving wildly in the...
One cure for the affliction known as stickermania
If my kids are any indication, Stickermania may in fact be an actual medical condition. It strikes kids between 2 and 3, can last as long as a decade, and side effects may include weak and broken nails--your own--after scraping stickers off the living room floor and...
The perfect gift for bookworms with authority
It was a red-letter day in our household when each child was old enough to get his or her own library card. They love picking out books, handing their card over to the librarian and then skipping out with their new reads. What they don't love is listening to me hound...
Random acts of stainless steel bottle beauty from Earthlust
Sure, my husband is happy with his solid blue, no-name water bottle. But he also eats the exact same ham sandwich every day and owns an endless army of white socks. Me, I want my environmentally conscious, BPA-free water bottle to be as colorful and artistic as the...
Pucker up for The Lemonade Tour by Baby Loves Disco
Yeah there she was, like disco lemonade...You know we love to party hearty with the fine folks at Baby Loves Disco. And you really know we love to shop. Now, thanks to the new Lemonade Tour, you get to do both at malls all across the country--with proceeds going to a...
Hallmark.com launches personalized baby announcements. Finally.
I guess I must have just assumed that Hallmark already offered customizable baby announcements because they're pretty much the greeting card pioneers. But apparently, that was not the case, since I just got word that their brand new line personalized baby...
How to parent smarter, with a little help from an expert
Betsy Brown Braun's You're Not the Boss of Me promises to brat-proof your 4- to 12-year old, and so my natural aversion to parenting manuals was overcome by curiosity as to whether such a thing was actually possible. I quickly fell deeply, shamelessly in love with...
Hey Kid – Make your own cupcakes
My three kids, and even my 2-year-old, are super eager to help me in the kitchen. And surprise, they seem even more eager to consume what I've prepared when they've had a hand (or entire arm as it seems to go) in making it. Granted, they probably won't need any...
Couture diaper bags without the couture prices
I've owned my fair share of diaper bags, and I've definitely got a sweet spot in my heart for the huge, honkin', very pricey bags that might just fit all your personal belongings and your baby. But by the same token, it's just not feasible for me to lug something like...
Summer sales – Stock up for next year!
I'm a huge fan of hitting end of season sales to outfit my kids for the following year. The clothes are still cute one year later (imagine that!) and even better, I can usually score the more expensive designer brands that I've been coveting all season long. Take the...
One more reason to love Klean Kanteen
We all know that drinking lots of water is essential, especially since this summer has been hella-hot. And while the reusable bottle movement is hardly new, these special-edition Fill. Drink. Repeat. bottles from Klean Kanteen give you even more incentive to switch...
Kids name labels go designer
If you're like me, then you probably try to have a nice stack of name labels on hand for all those things your kids have to take to camp, school, daycare and everywhere else their busy little social calendars may take them. But when kids start to outgrow those...
The 3 Little Pigs go 21st Century
I have a soft spot for nursery rhymes and classic kids' stories, both of which seem to be slowly dying in our age of technology and television. But the folks at Sprout San Francisco have revived one of my favorite tales with a cool new set of kid's t-shirts....
Snowflakes in summer
It seemed like yesterday that I was dying to put a hair clip in my oldest daughter's nearly bald little head. And now with her bangs all grown out and her hair all grown in, she really can't leave home without one, so I'm always on the lookout for cute hair...
Moop, there it is!
In the summer, I tend to let my handbags go a little more casual and a little less structured. Messenger bags can do the trick, but frankly, I don't want to look like a messenger. [don't miss the giveaway after the jump!] That's where Moop comes in. Their meticulously...