If your husband's like mine, he refuses to carry any sort of diaper bag. I've tried Camo messenger bags, hulking backpacks and indie-rock totes, but nooooooo. He has rejected each and every one. So when I saw the Dad Gear Diaper Vest at Emmy and Ally, it was like the clouds parted and all was well in the world.
... [More]
When I was in middle school, I should have failed Home Economics. I burned my banana bread in cooking class, and the blouse for my final sewing project might have fit had my head been the same size as my arms. But woodshop--now that, I aced. And Aunt Ginny loved her new birdhouse.
... [More]
It's not easy finding The Perfect Gift eight times in a row. No wonder my parents always pushed us to opt for the "one big gift" on Hannukah instead of the eight little ones. Consider your list now reduced to seven.
I just came to the realization that the hooded towels I own cover only about half of my 2-year-old daughter's body. No wonder she's always shivering after bathtime.
... [More]
I'm a lover, not a wrapper. My version of creative holiday giftwrapping involves creating a messy patchwork of paper from mismatched leftover scraps.
... [More]
The time has come for me to search for the perfect big sister shirt for my daughter. But, I'm not so much for the sparkley stick figures designs or the cutesie kid-style typefaces I keep coming across.
... [More]
While it's not indicated on our calendars, every parent knows that candy season starts just before Halloween, progresses through chocolate turkeys on Thanksgiving, peaks gloriously on Christmas day, and then trickles to a close with nervous dental visits in early January.
... [More]
We're all finally getting the message that sunscreen is not optional, particularly for the sensitive skin of little ones in our lives. But what about protecting those beautiful baby blues or greens or browns?
... [More]
Lately, the SigOth has been dressing our daughter in the navy, red and olive garments that he'd wear himself. I've been insisting that we'd get fewer, "oh, how old is he?" remarks if we girled her up just a wee bit more.
... [More]
The lovely yet ill-conceived baby book is almost a guaranteed shower gift. While we all love to keep track of the milestones as best we can, let's be honest, those early days are exhausting. If you're going to spend the energy keeping track of details, it's not going to be things like "the outfit baby wore on her sixth day" or "the date he got his fourteenth tooth"
... [More]
In most cities in America, the stress of getting into college is a distant second to the stress of getting into preschool. Because of course not getting into the right preschool will take your child down a path of misery, destitution, or possibly a career in fast food service.
... [More]
If you've got kids, then you know what it's like to have a pack of wild animals roaming around. They make strange noises, they eat everything in sight, and they leave disasters in their wake. Even little girls do it - if you need proof, I'll send pictures.
... [More]
Now you don't have to feel bad going back for seconds (or thirteenths). Only 3.79 at drugstore.com.Now if only we could find the tryptophan coma remedy. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Now go overdo it--you know you want to.... ... [More]
After the labor, delivery, and oh yeah, the pain, don't moms deserve a little more than yet another six-pack of infant socks, or worse, one of those scary looking diaper cakes? While we're all grateful for every baby gift we receive, it's easy to feel a little, well, forgotten, amidst all the new baby commotion.
... [More]
If I don't absolutely adore an outfit for my girls, I don't buy it. Not even if it's on the five-dollar rack. But it's not easy being picky, especially when you've been to sixteen stories looking for Just The Right Thing.
... [More]
If you haven't heard of Dan Zanes, you haven't been through labor and delivery. Or at least not in good long time. While many families Zanes for his folksy, sing-along musical style, his "House Party" videos on the Disney Channel, and above all, his wild hair, Zanes also frequently lends his name and his talent to some important causes.
... [More]
We constantly come across maternity tee-shirts with cheeky statements that try to fend off questions like, "when are you due?" or "what are you having?" But personally, I'd rather spend my money on clothes I'll actually be able to wear... ... [More]
Recently, after confessing an irrepressible pregnancy craving for very forbidden spicy tuna rolls, I found out that I was far from alone. But only one thing was more comforting: A sushi recommendation that gets thumbs-up from even the most cautious OBs. Perhaps because it's not actually made from raw fish.
... [More]
Recently a friend of mine arrived home with her beautiful new daughter - a thirteen month-old from China. I love how she's making an effort to help her child retain aspects of her heritage, even as she assimilates into her new home. A perfect gift for her--or any new parent, come to think of it--is one of the Chinese Satin Baby Blankets from Graceful Kate Designs.
We tell our kids it's what's on the inside that matters, right? But now they can wear the adage--literally--with the hilarious shirts from I Heart Guts.
I
t's not often I find a cookbook that actually motivates me to cook something. Make that never. But the new Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Georgeann Brennan and Frankie Frankeny certainly did the trick.
... [More]
It won't be long before snow blankets much of the country, bringing with it exorbitant heating bills and mothball scented sweaters. And it also won't be long before some of us escape it all, heading south to warmer climes.
... [More]
I'm terrible about knowing my kids' vital stats. When someone remarks that one of my girls seems to have grown taller, I just smile and hope he doesn't ask me her actual height. The problem is, I haven't been keeping track – somehow I never started that tradition of lining my girls up against a doorway and getting out the old #2 pencil.
... [More]
Chanukah-celebrating moms are busy enough picking out eight presents each for the kids, that the last thing they have time to do is weed through the paltry selection of decent cards out there. Most of them look as if they were slapped together in two seconds by design-school dropouts or little old ladies with a surplus of gold paint on hand.
... [More]
Nothing tickles us more here at Cool Mom Picks when a mom we know personally goes from making cool duds at home to cool duds we can buy ourselves. Such is the case of Debbie, who along with her husband, a professional sportswear designer, has opened the brand new kids duds e-tique, Fadiddle.
... [More]
I'm a huge fan of organic clothing, particularly because my daughter has extremely sensitive skin. But the muted creams and pastels aren't necessarily my taste, nor are they very practical when they're clothing a self-feeding toddler.
... [More]
Once in a while, a product happens upon us that is so genius I can't imagine living without it. MayaLena's Momonos are one of those too-good-to-true but thank-goodness-they-are things, a must-have for the wardrobes of all new mothers.
... [More]
As we all know, new moms get an average of 16,247 receiving blankets for their first child. So why are we still compelled to continue to give them? For me, it's sort of a sick competitive streak - I want to be the giver of THE blanket, the one she loves best of all.
... [More]
Front carriers are great and all until your baby gets big enough to hold his or her head up. And then while you can flip them around, they still precariously dangle in what I sometimes fear is not the most comfortable position.
... [More]
Hip kid art is hard to come by, hip personalized kid art even harder. But it's exactly what you'll find at the appropriately named Hip Kid Art.
... [More]
For the first time ever, defying all expectations to the contrary, my better half has actually shown interest in one of the kids duds sites we've uncovered. Why, you ask? Because the site is Little Ruler, which appeals just to parents just like him--those who now rock the Bjorns the way they used to rock the 7.5" deck on a halfpipe.
... [More]
When I was young, mentioning that a child was adopted was akin to disclosing Daddy's salary or talking about how Mommy drinks too much wine. Thank goodness for progress.
... [More]
Battery: It's one of the first words kids learn, right after "NO!" and "MINE!" and "GIMME!" If a toy moves or makes noise or has any potential for fun whatsoever, then certainly it requires batteries. Or does it?
... [More]
There's nothing like getting all dressed up for your much awaited date night only to find you're lacking in fun jewelry--i.e. that which would be yanked painfully from your person by any person under six, should he be accompanying you on your date. Which, of course, he will not.
... [More]
Holiday cards never fail to make me smile. Yes, even the ones containing a single-spaced, full-page dissertation of the year's activities--heavy on the boredom, light on the entertainment (and ocassionally the truth). My favorite cards include pictures, but let's be honest, most photo cards leave something to be desired in the taste department.
... [More]
When I hear about kid stories on CD, I imagine some generic, B-list voice over talent reading Peter Rabbit as my brood rubs their eyes. But Tell Me a Story: Timeless Folktales from Around the World from writer/producer/mastermind Amy Friedman was a different, um, story.
... [More]
I remember the glorious day when I folded up my two-ton diaper bag, shoved it in the back of the closet, and brought home my first real bag in ages. It was worthy of a celebration-- until I realized I still needed to carry at least one diaper and some wipes at all times.
... [More]
My grandmother always wore a large butterfly locket containing pictures of her favorite little people so she could "keep us close to her heart." I like the idea of honoring my kids, but wearing a giant silver insect--or most any locket for that matter--just isn't my thing.
... [More]
Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder how a former Doc Maarten-wearing, black lipstick-owning alternachick looks just so...mom. While I'm not going back to those styles any time soon, at least I have a baby to project them onto. That's why I love the rockin' tartan baby booties from Babesta, an online boutique that can easily outfit the most trendsetting tot with innovative duds from independent artisans. Just our kind of place.
... [More]
I'm all for alphabet artwork, but it's always bugged me that the images are of things kids will most likely (and sometimes hopefully) never encounter in their daily lives. Never seen an alligator on the street, not even once. And certainly not a yodeler.
... [More]
If you haven't seen or heard of Robeez shoes, then I'm surprised you even have an internet connection. My daughter lived in them from near day one, like so many other children who get a pair for their first shoes. The designs are adorable, and I love the success story -- the company was created by mom Sandra Wilson after losing her airline job to downsizing.
... [More]
While we're big fans of the rock n roll around these parts, we also have a soft spot for the country classics. And no, that doesn't mean Achy-Breaky Heart. Bite your tongue.
... [More]
One of the hardest wardrobe staples to let go of is definitely the concert tee. Filled with the memories (and aromas) of youthful indiscretion and unfortunate hairstyles, it's as if tossing the battered old thing is tossing the memories.
... [More]
As a mama-to-be once again, I am suddenly remembering how absolutely every concern about childbirth and beyond is magnified by sixteen million. It's not inconceivable that you experience as much anxiety over picking the right pacifier as you do picking the right pediatrician.
... [More]
I am the great procrastinator. So much so in fact, that it's a wonder I'm even writing about the December holidays a full calendar month beforehand.
... [More]
One of the downsides of our charming New York apartment - our toys outnumber our square footage. I fear any holiday gift for the kiddo bigger than a breadbox is going to have trouble finding a permanent home here--except for maybe a breadbox itself. Then at least we could store other toys in it.
When I first had my baby, I spared no expense at procuring the fanciest, most expensive, la-di-da baby lotions and creams from Europe. And then, I promptly gave them away. The smell! Oh my goodness, the smell--so sweet, I felt my insulin levels soar as soon as the cap came off.
... [More]
It's no secret that I have a thing for bags. Certainly not to anyone who's ever opened my closet only to have dozens of them tumbling down on her head. But, as most women know: There's always room for one more.
... [More]
Shopping during the first trimester of pregnancy is a nightmare. Not big enough for the materni-tents, but too bloated for my current crop of fitted tees, I resigned myself to being doomed to fashion purgatory for a while.
... [More]
As I am just beginning to realize, there is no end to the fears we have as parents. Just as our kids outgrow the SIDS risk, we're worried about mercury in water. When they're done with the finger in the electric socket phase, we're reading up on what's in those plastic Halloween masks.
... [More]