More coolness from recent weeks…
Sandal season is here – are you ready? I’m not.
So it's officially June (how did that happen?) and of course my kids do not yet have sandals. Poking around the web this weekend, I saw these Siaomimi children's sandals online at Popodona and I think I'm in love. They remind me of the kinds of sandals we all wore as...
Nightlight out, k?telight in
I can't believe how far the world of nursery and kids' room decor has come even since I was first waddling through the baby mega-store, wondering if there were really that many people interested in decorating their nurseries with Winnie the Pooh. There was...
Supermom might be a myth but SuperCook is all real
On a good week, I plan our meals but in reality, I sometimes find myself facing a nearly-empty fridge, wondering what I can cobble together for dinner out of half a lemon, some mustard, and a handful of mushrooms. (Oh, like that's never happened to you.)Thanks to...
Duct tape goes designer, and metrosexuals everywhere rejoice
Anyone with a baby knows the brilliance that is duct tape. No! I kid! Duct tape is only for older children and only when they're very very loud.But for real, I do love duct tape and its 1001 uses and obviously I'm not alone. So it was only a matter of time before...
Comicon fans, this one’s for you. Or your kids.
From skateboard and sneaker design to children's picture books, Australian artist Luke Feldman has created quite a cult following of his waif-like illustrated characters known as Skaffs. They hang in the Cartoon Art Museum, they delight hipster animation fans, and now...
Sales whoo! Special Saturday Edition
We've rounded up the best sales and deals from this week just for you. Get 15% off all new kid cape styles at Little Capers with "NEW15" or take 20% off everything else with "UNIQUE20" through 6/7/09. For one week only, you can grab a pair of Eleven shoes (pictured)...
Maybe not the final frontier, but possibly the cutest
Ever on the search for more money-saving ideas that don't compromise your design sense, we've found there's no need to pay for stickers when you can download awesome designs for free and print them right in the comfort of your own home. Lotta Bruhn is now offering a...
The lighter baby bootie
My six-month old is at a point where she could use a little something on her feet other than socks, but doesn't yet have a need for heartier leather (or fake leather) booties. Enter Wombagully Wonders cotton baby booties, handcrafted by Aussie mom Charlotte Northrope,...
A whole new level of gift organization
I pride myself on my "gift closet"--I always have a few goodies stashed for those unexpected invitations, and it saves me tons of time and money to stock up at my leisure (and when things are on sale). But if I had a nickel for every time I had to stop and ask the...
Camp stationery the kids might actually use (we say now)
I went to summer camp for five years, and I loved every minute of it. I also almost never wrote home, despite my mother's exhortations, because it just seemed too much trouble to write a whole letter when there were things to do.But maybe if I'd had this adorable Note...
No passport required for this European playground
It's already been ten years that Putumayo's eclectic playground series has been introducing families like mine to kid-friendly music from around the globe -- from New Orleans, Brazil and even a multi-cultural Sesame Street. And now the new European Playground takes us...
Organic play clothes of a different stripe
When I first discovered Scout Baby organic children's clothes at the Bubble trade show a few years ago, it was still a big deal to find fair trade organic clothes that were so soft and so vibrantly colored. Now a lot has changed in that world, and a lot has changed...
A gift for the littlest graduate (or maybe even bigger ones)
If you're looking for a graduation gift for the preschooler in your life - or even the high schooler who's not so cool she can't appreciate a sweet children's book - Peep: A Little Book About Taking a Leap gets a big thumbs up from me.Maria van Lieshout's...
Kids dress clothes that make you hope for a special occasion on the calendar
We probably get more reader requests for cute wedding clothes for kids "that aren't, you know...wedding-y" than nearly any other. And now that San Francisco-based Velvet and Tweed has opened their online shop, far more parents can breath a sigh of relief when...
These are a few of my favorite things (in wood)
This little wooden giraffe toy set spotted at the adorable shop My Sweet Muffin is a perfect marriage of toddler toys. First, you have the giraffe on wheels, which is adorable. Next, you have a set of domino-shaped pieces suitable for stacking or other imaginative...
Move over hippies, tie dye just got cool again
Hey, I know tie-dye. Tie-dye involves buckets, little boxes of dye, and an unholy mess, right?Not anymore, actually. Welcome to 2009, and the Jacquard Products Tie Dye Kit. The dye gets mixed in squirt bottles, the soda ash for pre-soaking your shirts makes the colors...
Get an A in teachers’ gifts with Khaya Cookies
I personally think that most teachers deserve a sports car and a month in Hawaii as an end-of-year gift, but know that many would just like to hear a heartfelt thank you as the kids scramble out the door for the last time. You might also add a box of the deliciously...
French shopping, hold the airfare
I must say, despite the CPSA I still remain most confident by mass produced toys when they're made in Europe. The standards are consistently high, and the products seem made to last more than one kid. Or more than one month as the case often is. Plus, the French know...
Free movies for kids all summer. As in, free. No catch. I swear.
Call me frugal, or cheap, or just a big old party pooper, but there's just no way I can rationalize taking three young kids to the movies these days when all they really do is gorge themselves on popcorn and bounce around in the big seats.But this...
Cards from Paper Culture: Design totally within reach
The beautiful new collection of modern cards, announcements and invitations from Paper Culture have me as excited as any note cards we've seen in a while. And we see a whole lot of note cards so that's saying something. The baby announcements are a welcome change from...
The Karaoke Channel: You’ll love it, hate it , or really really love it.
I've sung karaoke in a bar once, and my face still reddens at the memory of attempting Hollaback Girl in front of a room full of strangers. My kids share none of my shyness though and since I refuse to drag them to the nearest late-night "open mike," I'm thankful...