More coolness from recent weeks…

Don’t need no stinking hammer

Don’t need no stinking hammer

If you are like me and have a ton of photos that need to go on the wall, but you lack the motivation to frame and hang them, Stickr has got something to make the process a whole lot easier. We've recommended their more sophisticated reusable vinyl frames in the past...

The lazy mom’s smoothie

The lazy mom’s smoothie

My kids are fruit-eating machines, which is great except for when we get the urge to make a smoothie and have only a sad spotted banana left on the counter. Short of planting my own orchard, I'm happy to have discovered the new all-natural Chiquita Smoothies which are...

Putting the hip in hippie

Putting the hip in hippie

So Woodstock and I both celebrated our 40th birthdays this year, the one big difference is that mine isn't being commemorated with ridiculously cool apparel, like this Woodstock kids tee made by Rowdy Sprout. While the summer may be galloping towards the finish line...

Pencil cases for the bookish

Pencil cases for the bookish

I was clicking around etsy this past weekend and discovered this adorable handmade girls' pencil case that I love for so many reasons. The illustration is beyond precious of course, but the I Heart Books slogan is really the kicker. It comes courtesy of Vancouver's...

Jungle love

Jungle love

If your kids are like my kids, then it doesn't matter what the toys were intended for, they all still end up in their mouths. Hence my appreciation for the new sets of pretending and teething toys from Little Alouette. Hand carved from maple wood with love...

Cooking for kids just got 150 recipes easier

Cooking for kids just got 150 recipes easier

Recently, my Michael Pollan-obsessed sigOth and I have had some conversations about stepping up our meal preparation game for the kids. So I'm pleased to have discovered two new cookbooks that seem primed to help us find some options that lie somewhere between...

Packing school lunches gets more fun. And more eco-friendly.

Packing school lunches gets more fun. And more eco-friendly.

I pack school lunches for my kids every day. I don't mind actually making the lunches; it's the packaging that gets me, all those little plastic bags bound for the trash, stored in a garish character tie-in lunchbox. That part is depressing.CMP has brought you plenty...

Love me tender

Love me tender

After inheriting yet another useless stuffed animal courtesy of my in-laws, I have officially put the kibosh on any and all such toys. With one exception, of course. The King.If you're an Elvis lover, his spirit and likeness can now live on in your own home with the...

Happy birthday, hot stuff

Happy birthday, hot stuff

Eh, I'm over the ironic birthday cards with the cartoon characters telling you how saggy your boobs are or how you'll burn down the neighborhood with all those candles. Sure they were cute when I was 22 but maybe they hit a little close to home now? With my own...

Funky lunch – that’s a good thing

Funky lunch – that’s a good thing

I do not have six million free hours in my day but if I did, I just might consider turning my kids' sandwich into a giraffe. Or a caterpillar. Or Sponge Bob. Just because I could. And if I were to do that kind of a thing, I would have to hit the website Funky Lunch,...

The gift the kids will love to ruin

The gift the kids will love to ruin

With the kids heading back to school, the birthday party circuit will be starting up again. If your kid is old enough to read, you may understand my temptation to give other kids books rather than more toys. The problem is that while their parents might love you for...

Back to school dresses that go way beyond dresses

Back to school dresses that go way beyond dresses

Yes, I know that the dresses from Pink Chicken are not the least expensive in all the land, but I'll tell you why I love them beyond nearly anything else in my girls' wardrobe:They're well made, the styles are adorable and I can toss them in the wash along with the...

Our house is a very very very fine house

Our house is a very very very fine house

My husband has a bit of an obsession with graphic representations of homes, making no effort to hide his loud praise for them when he sees them on our friends' walls. I wasn't entirely in his camp until discovering the handmade little city hoops from Little...

The Mad Men diaper clutch

The Mad Men diaper clutch

Smaller diaper bags and diaper clutches tend to be sporty, so if you prefer something more stylish and on trend, you're often left to fend for yourself with a small purse stuffed with baby stuff, praying that the bottle doesn't leak onto your not-quite-waterproof...