More coolness from recent weeks…

Meta Ornament

Meta Ornament

I have this thing about choosing holiday cards - if there's any chance that mine ends up shoved to the back of the mantle behind the 8 million other cards, I'd just as well not send one.  The Ornament card from Sprinkles Invitations is a very clever idea for a...

Because You Pushed it Real Good

Because You Pushed it Real Good

Of all the unspeakables that go along with pregnancy, can we agree that hemorrhoids take the cake? Chances are if you pushed out a baby, you've got a few of your very own, um, badges of honor. Thanks to parent-owned  Least Likely 2 Breed (who CMP readers might...

You Say Draidel, I Say Dreidel…

You Say Draidel, I Say Dreidel…

Calling all Hanukkah revelers: You have 3 weeks--that's 21 days--left until the first night of the Festival of Lights. Man, we got a little ripped off with the limited shopping time this year, didn't we.If you've been looking for some Hanukkah cards that feel a little...

Christmas Cards For a Song

Christmas Cards For a Song

We're always on the lookout for something a little special and different in the way of holiday cards. I mean, anyone can hit the local Hallmark for a box set--if you don't mind your generic card blending in with all the other generic cards on your loved ones' mantles....

The Modern Family Tree

The Modern Family Tree

Sometimes you just want a little something to send to a new parent, something with a Cool Quotient that exceeds the price tag. We've found that very thing in the limited edition Fill-in-the-Blank Family Tree at Sarah Neuburger's always awesome shop The Small...

Keeping the baby close to your heart. Literally.

Keeping the baby close to your heart. Literally.

So you've done the ID bracelet. You've done the locket. You've done every cool keepsake-y baby gift known to man and yet you're still not satisfied. You want the newest, freshest, coolest, latest. Voila: The brand new Baby Coins from perennial CMP fave, Julian &...

A Pillow Worth Grabbing

A Pillow Worth Grabbing

Everyone knows that babies go nuts for tags, but not everyone loves the mass produced tag blankets made from synthetic materials. (Raising hand here.) In which case, the Grabby Taggy pillows from the wonderful shop, Nico & Zoe might be more your style. We found...

Laptops All Around!

Laptops All Around!

As the day of giving thanks approaches, I think it's important to think about how privileged we all are just to be able to sit behind our computer screens, connecting to other parents, doing a little shopping, playing a little Snood. Starting tomorrow, not-for-profit...

Tuning Out

Tuning Out

I used to say that I'd never lie to my child. But the older he got, and the more obsessed he became with watching registered trademark cartoon characters, the more often I've found myself saying, "Sorry honey, the television is broken again."  BOB gets...

Psst…Girls Like Trains Too

Psst…Girls Like Trains Too

I know that traditionally, it's boys who like cars and trains and trucks and girls who like...I don't know. Sparkles. I guess. So what do you do when you've got a daughter like mine who likes the cars and trains and trucks? You hook her up with a pair of super cute...

Peace, Love and the Blankies

Peace, Love and the Blankies

I think we can all conjure up a few music artists today whose tunes are snappy, but whose life choices and lyrics might be a little, um... toxic. That's why I dig the idea of cartoon character pop stars. For starters, their managers can make sure they're focusing on...

Delicious, Not Deceptive

Delicious, Not Deceptive

There's been quite a bit of buzz among parents lately about whether hiding healthy foods in other foods is the right thing to do. For those who prefer to keep nutrients in plain view of the family, I've found a great resource in the Smart Foods Healthy Kids web site....

Phooey!

Phooey!

Back in my younger days, I had a thing for the Tin Tin series of comics on my shelf. They were in French. I didn't speak French. It didn't matter. The illustrations allowed me to create my own story in my head. That's just what I was reminded of when I got a copy of...

Shopping Cart Covers You Don’t Want to Cover

Shopping Cart Covers You Don’t Want to Cover

We are considering starting a category in the CMP archives called "If You're Freaked Out By Germs..." There are seemingly more high chair and shopping cart covers out there than people actually using them. Perhaps because most of them are so ugly, you'd...

Not Like Any Grandmother Sweater We’ve Ever Seen

Not Like Any Grandmother Sweater We’ve Ever Seen

When I think of grandma sweaters I think of scratchy, wooly, dated things that you pull out for holidays - if you really really have to. But Fairybread for Kids, is putting a new spin on the term. Brooklyn mom (and Parents magazine art director) Amanda Kirk designs...

Europe on $40 a Day

Europe on $40 a Day

When I was little, I was lucky enough to go to this super cool place in Holland called Madurodam, an entire city done in miniature. You could even drop a coin into certain displays and watch a teeny wedding party enter a teeny cathedral or have a teeny boat cruise...

The earth minus plastic bags? My kind of math.

The earth minus plastic bags? My kind of math.

In my efforts to make my household a little greener, I've attempted to give up plastic grocery bags. (And yes, paper ones too, smartypants.) So I'm always on the lookout for something that holds more than a gallon of organic milk, and I've found a great contender in...

Pieces of 14

Pieces of 14

If your child loves puzzles as much as mine, maybe you've got a collection (like we do) featuring boring animals and licensed characters that really have no business being called "a collection."But puzzles based on original art, like these from Seattle-based...

Getting your fixx of indie

Getting your fixx of indie

Just in time for the holidays, our blogging friends at Indie Fixx have come along with their very own online boutique, appropriately named the Indie Fixx Shop. Perfect! You'll have fun browsing the beautiful site for all kinds of very reasonable jewelry, yummy bath...