More coolness from recent weeks…
A Fairy for all Seasons
It's always nice cracking open some children's books to get your kids into the spirit of the holidays, but not every parent is looking to do it through biblical tales or the Santa story. A cool alternative: Positive Spin Press offers three fairy tales--literally--from...
The coolest ABC magnets in the preschool
I still remember seeing a colorful print called Lea's Alphabets on this site even back before I was writing here. What made that alphabet artwork pop for me was Gregoire Ganter's amazing photographs of street signs and images from cities all around the world. I...
Yellow Pages, now more green than yellow
I think it's been at least five years since I used an actual telephone book. With a wi-fi broadband connection to the all-knowing Internet, those old books are now only useful to me as makeshift booster seats and yet they continue to show up on my doorstep, year after...
Rock-a-bye birdies, made of bamboo
I can't stop staring at this bamboo mobile by Petit Collage, available at Branch Home, and I'm just looking at a picture. In real life, those laser-cut bamboo birds each have a different pattern cut into their middles, so as they twirl around on the hanging thread I'm...
Get your felt on
The more I realize how totally impractical it is to wear anything remotely nice around my sticky-fingered kids, the more I'm started to appreciate the value of accessories that aren't all that valuable.UK shop Lupin Handmade, whose amazing felt mobiles we found...
Dipping a toe into the scarf craze of 2008
Since scarves are The Thing these days, I've been keeping a more focused eye on the NYC street vendors to see if any of their knockoffs are jumping out at me. Nope, not yet. Mostly, the same old fake Burberry and pashminas from 2000. So I was happy to stumble onto the...
Holiday baby gifts for baby that are actually more appealing than the wrapping paper
Oh I just can't wait for all those obligatory stuffed animals that my baby will get over the holidays because really, what else do you give a newborn for Christmas? So here's a suggestion: An adorable duck rattle baby toy from Estella NYC.Hand crocheted by...
Silhouette cards – Make sure they get your good side.
Every year, our families bug us about our holiday cards because we only send pictures of the kids. I guess my husband and I never figured that anyone would actually want to see our mugs too. Besides, it's pretty hard getting a candid family shot that doesn't look like...
Good news for the immature among us (ahem)
While I submit that no one in their right mind gives a kid a harmonica--even with a how-to book--I got the chance to poke around the Klutz site recently and there are definitely some cool new options from one of my favorite childhood mainstays. My favorite is easily...
Yak yak yak
Merino wool? Old hat. Soy cotton? So last week. The new hot luxury fabric of the day it would seem is hand-combed yak hair. Heavenly soft like cashmere, thick and yummy in every way.Sound appealing? Then check out Shokay (Tibetan for yak), a socially conscious company...
Scrub-a-dub-dub, Zoo Zuds in the tub
I love the idea of all-natural soaps, but often I don't actually love the actual all-natural soap. Sometimes they just seem... I don't know. Fussy. Slimy. And weird-smelling.So you have to believe me when I tell you that hand-made Zoo Zuds, currently on sale at Bitsy...
Berry beautiful holiday cards
These days you can spread "good will on earth" while being kind to it as well. But let's be honest, not all eco-friendly cards are created equal. The Winter Berry Holiday Cards we spotted from the new line of eco-friendly cards available at Red Stamp are just...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: The time our holiday shopping guide launches.
The winter sweaters are out, the tinsel is already in the store windows, and the annual Cool Mom Picks Holiday Gift Guide is live and, if we do say so, kicking. We've scoured the web to help you solve your every gift giving dilemma, from your adorable pirate-obsessed...
A bag that brings your work and your babies together in one
Yes, I'm an avowed bag fanatic, but that doesn't mean I want to carry a second one for my laptop along with my diaper bag. However I had yet to come across a hybrid diaper/laptop bag that I'd actually carry until I discovered the classic Vert Tote from Acme Made.Okay,...
Definitely not your granny’s crochet
Thanks to my not-so-quickly shrinking postpartum body, the only items that are guaranteed to fit me are accessories. So at the top of my "dear santa pleeeeeeeeease" list are these Floral Crochet Earrings spotted at Three Lovelies. Artist Claudia Lobao actually...
I always knew books could save the world
I suppose they could've come up with a different name for Better World Books, but when you're really making a better world for everyone through a love of books, well, the name fits. Perfectly.Next time you shop for books, consider the option that is both saving books...
Baby Bjorn makes the bouncy seat of my dreams
BabyBjorn did a really brilliant thing when they launched their fantastic, comfy new BabySitter Balance bouncy seat - they created an adult-size version and let the product review editors all sit in it. What they didn't do is figure out a way to cajole us out of it...
Not since the mimeograph have we been more excited to sniff paper
I'm one of those goofy, sentimental types where it comes to personal correspondence. If you send me a card, you can be sure it will occupy a place of honor on my refrigerator. But if you send me one of these holiday scratch 'n' sniff cards from Jack and Lulu,...
We’ve got the buzz right here
Timing is everything. Like I finally discover the excellent boutique Baby's Buzz, only to learn that they're closing up shop and moving onto other endeavors. Bad timing. But then I learn that it's actually all 40% off. Good timing!Head there now for terrific baby and...
Invisibelt – Putting an end to plumber’s butt for life
Invisibelt is basically an invisible belt that every fashionista seems to be buzzing about these days. Yes, it's invisible in that magic Wonderwoman airplane sort of a way because it's clear plastic, but also invisible in that it's designed to lie flat so it won't...
And the best kids music of 2008 is…
Last year, we helped introduce you all to the first ever Fids + Kamily music poll winners, decided by an incredible panel of judges who subjected themselves to endless hours of aural pain just to find the rare kids CDs that don't suck for your own listening...