More coolness from recent weeks…
I Enjoy Being a Girl
I might not be a huge fan of the lacy froo-froo get-ups for my daughter, but that doesn't mean I can't get sucked in by some of our awesome girlie picks - like these custom wool felt crowns from Cakies. Granted, they're not really that girlie, except for those of us...
Lanolin Goes Beyond Nipples
Ask just about any former nursing mother about lanolin and she'll flinch and cross her arms over her chest. I'm having a nasty flashback myself now. Believe it or not, lanolin can be used on other parts of your body too, like those chapped lips that are an inevitable...
Mommybloggers Take Over the World. Or at Least the Bookshelves.
There is one book that the editors of CMP have been waiting for more eagerly than any other: Sleep is For the Weak: The Best of the Mommybloggers. Because it will be awesome. Because you won't be able to put it down. Because you will laugh your arse off then cry,...
Sitting Still is Highly Overrated
At first glance, the shell-shaped plastic Bilibo seemed sort of odd to me. Is it a seat? A stool? Another container for junk? I was skeptical when it came our way to say the least. But then I gave it to my three-year-old and she literally played with it for a solid...
Ignoring Your Parents Just Got a Little Harder
Everyone knows that Jet Blue is God's gift to traveling families. Even those who turn their noses up at TV for kids have to be at least secretly psyched for a few hours of Nickelodeon distraction. But I do admit a little hesitance to stick those earphones on my kids....
Shopping Cart Covers as Organic as the Stuff Inside the Cart (Right?)
Why have we not seen any organic shopping cart covers yet? Think about it, it makes perfect sense: If you're the type who is freaked out by what might be on that rickety cart in your local Albertsons, you're probably also worried about the chemicals that are treating...
I Never Thought I’d Utter “Perry Farrell” and “Juice Box” In the Same Breath.
While we Gen-X parents may have outgrown our Lollapalooza days (Primus so rocked it in '93) it doesn't mean we're ready to hang up the proverbial Docs just yet. Which is why the Kidzapalooza summer concert has become such a rollicking annual success.This three day...
Nursing Pads That Stem Both Leakage and Landfills
While I'll readily admit that I'm not the greenest mama out there, it's not for lack of trying. Let's face it: a lot of environmentally friendly products aren't as effective as their counterparts - and they're more expensive. I have no interest in spending more money...
Sk*rt Is Now Kirtsy. Cool.
What is cool? This site. And now it's got an even cooler name: Kirtsy. Just makes you want to flit around in a little floral twirly skirt to the Nutcracker Suite, doesn't it?Click over and check out the same awesome link sharing, same enjoyable time suck. In fact,...
Somewhere on the children’s swimwear continuum between innapropriate and modesty suits.
It's bathing suit season and I'm not ready. Not for me (although really, I'm not ready) but for my three year old daughter who, if this year's crop of children's suits are any indication, is supposed to be wearing a string bikini, a flirty tankini that says "hula...
A Princess Book for Anti-Princess Parents
Despite my husband and my efforts to foist sidewalk chalk and softball bats on my daughter, she prefers the sparkly, the frilly, and the delicate. I've often changed the words to fairy tales while reading them to her because they seem so dang sexist. Enter Princess...
One-of-a-Kind Dolls For Kids Who are Pretty Unique Themselves
I have never seen my 12 month-old daughter take to a doll quite like the handmade cutie that arrived from Poot & Boogie. Mostly she's happy to entertain herself with blocks or turn things like paper clips and dog kibble into playthings. It's not surprising...
The Medela Freestyle: Holy Heck, It Actually Works
You'll never guess what I was doing while I typed this post. Even if you guess, you'll never believe it. I didn't believe it either.I was pumping. Given my dubious relationship with my old breast pump, which caused total work stoppage (and parental incompetence) three...
The Greening of Playtime
Okay so it's like that old joke about grandparents who look at your kids' video games and say VIDEO GAMES? Back in my day we played with twigs and rocks and we LIKED IT. But the truth is, is there really anything so bad about playing with twigs and rocks? That's...
Happy Mother’s Day, cool moms
Hope you're enjoying plenty of pampering, relaxation, a few goodies to unwrap, and most of all, the love of your doting family.With major emphasis on the doting. Big, big big time doting. That's almost as important as the love part-Liz, Kristen, Julie, Nancy, Tina,...
Slainte Bags: Giving the Hippie Diaper Tote an Overhaul
I can certainly appreciate some moms' love of the classic fabric diaper tote. It's not too bulky, not too heavy, and can be tossed in the wash without thinking twice. But what I don't get is why they're still making them in the same old lame "mommy" fabrics....
If Your Breastfeeding Boobs Wrote a Book
There's not a lot of fun involved in breastfeeding in the beginning, as I can attest as a two-time, soon to be three-time nurser. Unless you enjoy the feeling of your boobs about to explode. But moms Shannon Payette Seip and Adrienne Hedger certainly found the humor...
Avoiding Your Own Version of the Nanny Diaries
Oh, the problems most moms are facing these days: Top tier pre-school interviews, PTA meetings conflicting with opening night at the opera, challenges with the live-in help.Okay, so that's not actually the lives of most moms unless you're watching that Housewives of...
Use Your Head, Save the Earth (Or At Least Your Baby’s Head)
I'm trying to be a more environmentally-friendly mom when I can, and fortunately I've found a way to conserve while indulging my shopping habit. The handmade knot hats at the bluemchen etsy shop are made from colorful pre-loved (or recycled, if you prefer) fabrics...
Crafty Moms, This One’s For You
Okay you mamas with the crafty gene. Now don't be coy, you know who you are. You're the ones who see some of the awesome handmade stuff we feature here and turn up your noses and say pfft, I could make that myself for THREE CENTS. And you might be right.So I'm going...
Baby Zen Guarantees No More Screams…Er, Tears.
My babies aren't babies anymore, but that doesn't stop them from acting like babies on occasion. In particular, my son is prone to shrieking like a lamb at the slaughter if a single molecule of shampoo or conditioner hits his precious eyeballs while he's in the...