More coolness from recent weeks…

Double-dare you not to love this book

Double-dare you not to love this book

When The Daring Book for Girls came out, I bought copies not just for my own girls, but for their friends.  If I could have afforded it, I would have gone around handing out the book like a missionary. Authors Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz are back...

Bumbleride Indie Twin – Redefining the Double Stroller

Bumbleride Indie Twin – Redefining the Double Stroller

I had forsaken double strollers because, let's face it, they are gigantic monstrous beasts that can hardly be tamed by one poor mother. The front-to-back strollers made me feel like I was pushing a huge shopping cart, and the side-by-side strollers inevitably tick one...

Pigs on Wheeeeeeeeels

Pigs on Wheeeeeeeeels

Sure, siblings are going to have their own likes and dislikes, but overall, picking toys with a wide appeal that would have lasted through all three of my kids would have been one brilliant move.So learn from my mistake, mamas, and snag one of these super cute new...

Dutch treat

Dutch treat

I admit to having a bit of euro envy these days, especially after seeing how many cute things are happening with children's clothes across the Atlantic. Our Dutch friend Kellie Smits at Buisjes en Beugels, or BB+++,  isn't helping matters much with her new...

Tea parties on the other side of childhood

Tea parties on the other side of childhood

You know what is a sign that a mom has it all together? Perfect hair. And freshly vacuumed floors. Thank-you notes sent in a timely manner. I have none of those.I do, however, have children who seem to like me and charming linen tea towels like the ones from...

Baby loves sushi

Baby loves sushi

Babies these days have expensive taste. They've got designer shoes before they can walk in them and name brand clothes before they're able to put them on themselves. But while they might not be quite off the boob and onto unagi  just yet, you can start priming...

Organic baby clothes love baby and mama earth too

Organic baby clothes love baby and mama earth too

With my newest baby having especially sensitive skin and the hot summer just around the corner, I've found myself more inclined to clothe my kids in organics. And the lovely onesies from Earthy Beginnings, who we found thanks to Showroom Indie, are some of my...

Mad Men style hits the preschool

Mad Men style hits the preschool

It was only a matter of time before Mad Men fashion trickled down to the youngsters and we started seeing tailored mid-century styles on the kiddos. I just didn't think it was going to come from Europe. I just got a look at the 50's inspired girls' dresses from Blond...

Viva La Revolution Foods

Viva La Revolution Foods

We're all for whatever it takes to improve the quality of school lunch programs, and the progressive Revolution Foods has been a leader in California doing just that. Now, the rest of us in the country get access to clever, organic kids snacks and treats from them and...

All along I was the puppet, I was the puppet

All along I was the puppet, I was the puppet

Why do babies seem to favor items that were never intended to be playthings? It never fails to amaze me how my kids spurn toys in favor of screwdrivers and old cell phones. But there's one standby that I can always count on to charm a child: Hand puppets. And the ones...

Keep that toothbrush to yourself, missy

Keep that toothbrush to yourself, missy

So here's one for the germaphobes: My kids run around the house with their little toothbrushes, leaving them under the couch and next to the dog bowl, then put them back in the big glass on the sink right next to mine. Gak! I'm thinking it's time for a toothbrush...

You show ’em, girls

You show ’em, girls

Through most of elementary school, my mother dressed me in dresses. When I complained that I couldn't hang upside down on the playground for fear of showing my underwear, she was unsympathetic. That was before Francie Pants, of course. These soft, comfortable "privacy...

Escape To Witch Mountain, old school style

Escape To Witch Mountain, old school style

"Mom! They aren't wearing seat belts!" It's funny what my kids and I noticed while we watched the re-released classic Escape To Witch Mountain on DVD. Kids sitting in the front seat without a seat belt, a "car phone" that has a cord into the dashboard, and even the...

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood

It sort of pains me that my kids will probably not grow up to the zipping of the sweater and the tossing of the shoes that made Mr. Rogers so endearing. But thanks to reruns, CD compilations, and toys, like these awesome wooden blocks from Holgate Toys, Mr. Rogers'...