More coolness from recent weeks…
Play Mats Fit For Trust Fund Babies
Well it's about time that someone created the high-end, fancy pants, gorgeous version of all those ubiquitous fugly play mats. Here the honor goes to Plain Mary, creator of the Kensington Baby Play Mat. And it is indeed very fancy. Did I mention it's fancy?This padded...
Lead-Free Toys, 100% Totally Guaranteed.
Last year's scandals about lead levels in toys were really a wake-up call for many of us. Toy safety became serious business, and while you can always turn to resources like our Safer Toy Guide (and a new one coming out soon!) what's a Mama who just wants to go...
Color By Name
Ever since my daughter was pegged as The Budding Artist, she gets about 14 boxes of crayons at every gift-giving holiday. Boy would she love to get her hands on the custom name crayons from Story Blox. For around $5, depending on the length of your kid's name, the...
Give Hippos a Chance
I like the concept of animal decor for the baby nursery but circus animals? No. Noah's ark? Not so much. Parade of cutesy farm animals? Pass. The Delicate Hippo might just be the key to my heart. This hilarious vinyl wall sticker set from Toronto-based So-deco made me...
Boys Get the Grills in the Back
Feminism and other gender equality issues aside, I'm more than happy to relegate the grilling to the sigOth. Men just have some primal need to play with fire, and I'm more than happy to let them. My guy would totally love Grill Charms, which is a smart little...
Memorial Day: The Beginning of Outdoor Ride-On Toy Season
It's hard to be one, or so it seems to my one-year-old niece who longs to keep up with her older brother. Try as she may, her wobbly legs are no match for her brother's racy, zig-zaggity gait. Things have changed now that she rides the Cheeky Chic, a sturdy and smooth...
Surfing Safari
Today officially marks the beginning of swimwear season. And if there's one complaint that I have about boy's swim suits (okay, make that one of maaaaaaany), it's that it's nearly impossible to find regular length shorts and swim trunks. Everything I've seen could be...
Chiara Kruza Maternity: One Shirt Flatters All
With my first two kids, I collected a pile of mediocre maternity clothes, not one of which I could wear from start to finish. Even my favorite pieces had to be retired after a couple of months - or when I hit the "sausage stuffed in casing"...
BYO Kids’ Placemats
Going out to dinner with the kids can give me indigestion even before the food arrives. That is why I am in love with Doodles at Dinner, a smart solution for "the itchies" that strike kids who are forced to sit still at a restaurant table. Even if all you can find in...
A show for kids with two mommies, two daddies, or even one of each
Who says great preschool entertainment has to be heteronormative? (There's a new word for Scrabble for ya.) Not Dottie's Magic Pockets, the self-proclaimed "greatest kid's show not yet on TV" for alternative families. And lest you think it might be all about...
How Do You Know if the Bath Water Is Too Hot? The Whale Will Tell You.
I am one of those sad NYC moms with a single bathroom to accommodate our family of four. My greatest dream in life, besides the one about the full scholarships to college for both kids, is a second bathroom - one which I could fill with all that fun goofy kid stuff....
Green is the New…Well, Yeah. You Know.
Some of the kids eco-tees we're seeing are a bit heavy-handed for my taste. There's a fine line between a clever slogan and some creepy preachy statement on a preschooler. Junkfood's ultrasoft Live Free/Live Green tee spotted at hip kidswear purveyor Stinkypants...
Clogs: They’re Baaa-aaaack.
Remember those clunky wooden shoes with the suede leather strap that were all the rage about 25 years ago? Yeah, I'm trying to forget about them too. They were our generation's Crocs, another trend I'm happy to avoid.I've found a much more fashionable option at Cape...
The Incredible, Invisible Bib
I have long come to grips with the necessity of the bib. I have not, however, been swayed by the bib to match the outfit concept. To me, the bib and the outfit are entirely individual entities.Until now, that is, courtesy of the matching bib sets from Bibs and Match....
The Wii Fit: Getting In Shape Hasn’t Been This Fun Since…Well, It Never Has.
As bathing suit season approaches, I mourn that I am not more of a gym person. I am more of a sit on my butt and play Guitar Hero then complain about how bad I look in a bathing suit person. So I decided to give the new Wii Fit a whirl. Oh my goodness, am I smitten....
Green Up, Green Up, Everybody Green Up
If you're not yet familiar with Method Home, you haven't been in my bathroom where the pink grapefruit liquid soap is a permanent fixture.(Don't worry, you're not missing much not having been to my bathroom.) Their nifty line of household and cleaning products...
Space Travelers: Your Book is Ready
The Way Back Home, written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, is the most randomly appealing book I've read. For one thing, the main character discovers an airplane in his closet on the second page. For another, he gets stuck on the moon with a Martian who looks just...
The Gentleman’s Diaper Clutch
When it comes to diaper carriers for the menfolk, there's definitely a trend towards the heavy duty camo bag that screams "I'm a dude!" But for dads that want something sleeker and swankier, we suggest the new Gents line from two...
Have a Ball
I don't care how technologically advanced baby toys get, how many bells, whistles, batteries, voice chips or solar panels they have - a baby's favorite toy is still going to be a jingly clutch ball. Also a spatula. Massachusetts mom Kwan Chan-House of Apple...
A Taste for Popadum
Boy, am I liking this new flowy peasant top trend for kids this season. With any luck it will stick around, while the prematurely provocative belly shirts and tight blingy tees take a permanent hiatus. In hell. As a change-up from the Mexican-style blouses, take a...
Just What a New Mom Needs, Her Own Laundress
I figured out real fast that that baby laundry detergent that's supposed to be so great? Not so great. Overpriced and frankly, doesn't seem to actually get anything clean. Lesson learned.If you want to keep your baby clothes looking great for the next wearing, the...