More coolness from recent weeks…
Dan Zanes outgrows the house party with The Fine Friends are Here!
My kids don't need another reason to zone out in front of the TV which is why the energetic new DVD from Dan Zanes, great god of the kids' indie rock movement, is okay by me. Part live show, part music video The Fine Friends Are Here! practically demands that we get...
Toothbrush sanitizer and adorable – two phrases not often heard together.
You don't even want to know where I find my kids' toothbrushes. I'm delighted that they love them so much that they carry them all over the apartment, but still. Ew. So when I discovered the Zapi toothbrush sanitizer from VIOlight I was like, sign me up.The Zapi is...
What’s a Noonie? A swaddle blanket. Or, utter sweetness.
I'm pretty sure that I'm done having kids, but every once in a while I see something that makes my arms ache to be holding a newborn again. Such is my reaction to the irresistible Noonie swaddle blanket from Lala's Pequenos. It's made from 100% organic fabrics with a...
Hooray for iPhone apps for children that give you five minutes to yourself
My husband is taking my two kids on a transatlantic flight all by himself, bless him. My contribution to the experience is my iPhone, fully loaded with toddler-distracting applications. Three of the iPhone apps I have lined up for her are Hippo Hooray's Colors,...
I’m a lumberjack and I’m okay
Because my own brood is rather estrogen heavy, whenever I see the cool stuff from Knuckleheads I think, hm . . .any boys I need to shop for these days?Their new plaid flannel boys' jacket is right on trend this year what with the Nirvana-Lumberjack redux that's...
These necklaces have me spinning
My birthday is coming up soon. Okay, two months. But why wait until the last minute to start dropping hints about wanting a new piece of jewelry? And by hints I mean Honey, get me a Torus necklace this year or sleep with one eye open.First let me say that these...
The greeting cards I wish I wrote but I’m just not funny enough. Darn it.
I always give props to greeting cards that make me laugh out loud. And I don't mean that ironic kind of laugh out loud, like the rhyming cards your great aunt sends you that have been in her dresser drawer since 1974. So when I started browsing Uncooked Greeting Cards...
Family travel, cheaper? Priceless!
Travel is essential to keeping one's sanity after having kids, but in this economy every little discount and special deal helps. Well if you have an American Express card, you can now reap the benefits of their new Destination Family travel program which seems pretty...
Surviving deforestation is one thing. Try surviving juice box mishaps.
I've always been a fan of cause-related marketing, or in human terms, charitable efforts for brands. Especially when the company really seems dedicated to the cause, and that's what I've found to be the case with Timi and Leslie and their new endangered species...
Artwork for Sid (or Nancy) the Science Kid
Attention science geeks: The nursery art of your dreams is here. Etsy printmaker Shannon Blank has turned the periodic table into alphabet prints that can be assembled to spell out your child's name. In fact, I don't think you even have to be a science geek to...
You blink and they’re grown? Yeah, pretty much
I'm having trouble deciding which I think is cooler--GrowShow's free and easy program to create a progressive slide show/movie of your child's growth, or their ingenious picture frames that can be configured in nearly endless ways.The slide show capability not only...
Martha does Halloween. It’s a ghoul thing
Around our house, Halloween is right up there with Hanukkah and birthdays so of course we're looking to see what the grande dame of decorating has in store for this spooky season. Martha Stewart's Halloween Central is a great place to find products and ideas that are...
What your best girlfriend would say, if she was a pediatrician
To say that I was a neurotic mess with my first baby would be an understatement; every sniffle and bruise had me wondering if I'd broken her. By the second baby, I figured I was an old hand . . . except that he was convinced he could fly and often howled for seemingly...
Keds stomps out breast cancer
I'm not entirely a fan of a pink ribbon as a fashion statement, even if it is supporting a great cause. Generally I think you can just give that money directly to the cause and make your own pink or red or white ribbon to wear on your jacket. But in the case of Keds...
Holiday cards? Already? Paper Culture says, yep.
I am so not the type to get my holiday cards picked out much before...oh, say December 26. At which point I call them New Year's cards and figure I've bought myself at least another few weeks to get them addressed and sent. But for you planners (and oh how I envy...
Organic baby food for the entire family. Yes, you read that correctly.
Thanks to smart people figuring out that baby food doesn't have to taste like garbage, I no longer have to cringe every time it's mealtime for my 11-month-old. But now, baby food is so darn tasty that my older kids can't stop eating it either. Created by a dad for his...
Scaredy cat
If you're looking for a fun Halloween gift for a child that sidesteps the cavity quotient, I think this black cat push toy is just adorable. Or, as the toymaker calls it, the "Scaredy Cat - Not Scary Cat Push Toy." Important distinction. It's real American folk art...
bTrendie – Discount shopping never looked better
I was initially introduced to the members-only sale site bTrendie as a beta tester and later as an advisory board member offering my opinions about the site itself as well as what products moms would want to buy. One of them is easily a Quinny stroller, which I fell...
Smart art makes a smart baby gift
When products claim to make your newborn baby smarter, I can't help to be skeptical. Sure, I want the best for my kids but part of me wonders whether I really need a bunch of special educational toys and other gear to give them the upper edge. But the Smarts decals...
Not your mama’s jeans jacket
Eek, is it October? Really? Good lord, how did that happen? I suppose it's time to start curating the jacket closet and making sure we have some decent fall outerwear options for the girls. On the casual side -- hoodie sweatshirts. On the snazzier side, I'm crushing...
Custom cons! Custom cons!
What's cooler than a pair of Chuck Taylor Converse high tops? How about a pair of canvas Chucks that your kid gets to customize from the outer pattern down to the color of the shoelaces? I know! I am swooning! The Converse website is really easy to navigate and you...