Sleep Tight. Really Tight.
One of the first things I noticed about my amazing newborn daughter (aside from her obvious beauty and superior intellect) was that she would jerk herself awake throughout the night. And really, what’s more frustrating than watching all of your hard putting-the-baby-to-sleep-work go to waste?
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Lucky Little Devils
I'm not entirely sure if there really is a baby boom right now, or if I'm just more aware of every stroller on the street since having kids myself.
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Starting today, Old Alt Indie Country Artists Don't Die, They Just Make Children's Albums
The other day, my son and I were wandering aimlessly in a children's clothing shop when I started humming along to the piped in music. "Wait a minute," I said. "That's Rosie Flores! Awesome!" An iTunes search for the song led me to The Bottle Let Me Down: Songs for Bumpy Wagon Rides.
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Water Babies
Despite my irrational fear of fish touching me in the ocean (damn you, Spielberg!) I wanted to make sure my daughters fell in love with the water from the start.
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Watch it Both Wiggle and Inflate Your Child's Ego
I'm convinced kids will put pretty much anything in their mouths that's personalized just for them. Of course I've only tried it with pancakes, and birthday cake - not like those need much help going down.
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Answering a Pregnant Woman's Favorite Question: "Was It Planned?"
My reaction to finding this tee: Ha!
Like the Best Flea Market Ever, and No Tube Socks
Needless to say, I was thrilled to hear about Hyena Cart, an online community where moms can sell their handmade wares--and the rest of us, luckily, can buy them.
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Start the Sibling Rivalry in Style
When my son arrived, I wanted to include my daughter in the announcements. I figured what the heck, let's force the whole sharing thing on them early.
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Pearls for the Not-So-Into-Pearls Set
I've never been the Grace Kelly type, although I certainly admired her style. I just couldn't pull off a pearl choker over a cashmere twin set without looking like I was in a costume. But boy do I like pearls.
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The Alternative to The Unfinished Baby Book
Moms seem to fall into two categories: Those who never finished their baby books, and those who are like, "what baby book?" At this point, I'm falling into both categories, one for each child. Mea culpa!
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Flights of Fancy
Sometimes I come across one-of-a-kind artwork that's just so wow, I'm almost tempted not to share it here. Because if you like it before I get around to clicking "add to my cart," I lose.
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Dream Dolls
If I were a designer, I would create excellent dolls that looked like turkey on rye. But thank goodness designer Esther Schuivens is Esther Schuivens, and her line of fabulous Esthex softies are inspired by a non-sandwich cast of characters.
Babies That Actually Sleep Like Babies
After receiving a sample of the Cozy Cocoon, I admit I was skeptical. A single piece of fabric that you just stick your baby in, like a sock? It can't be that simple to swaddle, can it?
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Who Doesn't Like Jimmies?
God love the Wonderpets soundtrack, but I'm just about one long car ride away from "accidentally" cracking the CD in half. So on a recent trip, I was happy to have another CD on hand to try out: The premier album from NY-based kids band, The Jimmies, Make Your Own Someday: Silly Songs for the Shorter Set.
Stuck on Stickers
My daughter has officially reached that very important developmental milestone known as the sticker age. If it's got an adhesive back, then to her it's the single greatest thing since ice cream--Scotch tape included.
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The Itsy Bitsy Yet Totally Stylish and Even a Little Avant-Garde Spider
I am all for spending a little more on an article of kid's clothing if it's gorgeous, well made, good for multiple uses, and particularly if it's supporting a small business. And now that I have a second daughter, I've got a new trick: Just look at any price and divide it in half - 50% for each child. Isn't justification wonderful?
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The Grand Canyon: Not Just a Big Hole in the Ground
I'm an old-fashioned kind of mom. You won't find tubes of yogurt in my refrigerator, licensed characters on my kids' sheets, or a portable DVD player in my car. I don't care whether we're driving five miles or flying five hundred miles - Dora is not my co-pilot.
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Merit Badges for Diaper Changing? Right On.
The one drawback to Mother's Day is that it gives some people the idea that you only need to be thanked, rewarded, and otherwise showered with praise one day a year. Beg to differ. We (I) need all the gratuitous "good job" and "you're pretty" type accolades we (I) can get.
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That's Mr. Posh Spice To You
As our nation's kids head back to school--and soccer practice--with visions of bending it like the newly green carded David Beckham, I say get them a little gear to go with the aspirations.
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Once in a Blue Moon, Farts Aren't Funny
If you had a cranky, gassy baby like my daughter, then you know how terribly frustrating it can be. And while there's no shortage of products to help relieve bloated bellies, not all of them work for every baby.
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Sucking It
Straws just make everything taste better. You could probably blend up a shake for your kids, the ingredients of which are straight out of an episode of Fear Factor, and they'd drink it if it had a straw in it.
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Rockin the 'garten
It's an understatement to say that my daughter is thrilled about her first day of kindergarten. She's already selected her outfit and has been mulling over backpacks. But she also has a gazillion questions
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The Many Colors of Babies
As a bi-racial woman raising a multi-racial child in a homogenous suburban neighborhood, it's challenging to provide my daughter with a wide range of cultural experiences. In plain speak: All the kids are white!
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The Closest I'll Ever Get to Making a Bib
We've reached the world of solid foods at my household. And you know what that means, right? Piles of dirty, nasty bibs.
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Craning Your Wrists
As we all know by now, birds are the new black. Also, navy is the new black. Therefore navy birds? A fashion triumph!
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Love Bug
I used to chuckle when all my friends with little boys would complain about the clothes offerings. Little did I know, I'd be chiming in with my own disgruntlement with the lack of anything other than crossed hockey sticks and little toy trains.
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An Heirloom Minus the Mothball Smell
Who doesn’t love those high-quality, family heirloom baby clothes that were skillfully hand-made by Great-Great-Grandmama after which they were preserved and passed down through the generations?
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Those Who Skipped the Changing Table, Raise Your Hand
With my daughter, I invested in a handy dandy changing table that I used all of four times. I strongly suggest you use a dresser top and a changing pad...or like I did, maybe just your bed. Then all you need is a cute little diaper caddy to hold the essentials.
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Surviving Those Nine Long Margarita-Free Months
When I first cracked the cover of The Newly Non-Drinking Girl's Guide to Pregnancy: Advice and Support for Surviving 40 Weeks without a Cosmopolitan I was wary. "Surviving" without a Cosmopolitan? Isn't that overstating the case a wee bit?
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Could I See Your ID?
My parents started a lovely tradition of buying each of us an engraved gold ID bracelet when we were born.While I love the sentiment, I just can't see myself buying my kids a filigree yellow gold bracelet considering they'll probably never wear it.
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We'll Always Have Paris
Being a mom of two little ones means the only Paris I'm likely to see anytime soon will be on a movie screen. Oh, who am I kidding. It'll be my television if I can pry my eyes open past 9pm.
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Going to the BlogHer Conference?
The Cool Mom Picks staff can't wait for next week's BlogHer Con '07. Well, almost all of us. Tina will be home with her newborn, but Julie, Nancy, Laura, and editors Liz and Kristen will be there, babies in tow.
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The Smarter Animal Alphabet
I will be honest, when I got wind of another line of alphabet tees, I wasn't expecting much. But whoa! Where are the silly illustrations? Where's that old standard, C is for Cat?
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Pick Up A Spare
At only 22 months, my son may not have the coordination to throw a strike, but he can sure look the part in the smart bowling shirts from Kid Brother.
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Leave the Free Stuff From the Hospital...at the Hospital
I searched long and hard for the perfect diaper bag but oddly, I spent less energy on the stuff that actually goes inside it--you know, the things your baby actually comes in contact with, like the changing pad and those disposable wipe thingies I nicked from the hospital.
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Trading the Treadmill for a MacLaren
Say what you like about my postpartum figure, but getting back in shape after pregnancy sucks and we all know it. Some parts will never look the same again without surgical intervention - like tummy wrinkles and those two "rocks in tube socks" - but that's no excuse to ignore the muscles.
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Necklaces That Won't Get You All Choked Up
My daughter has been struck with a full on jewelry obsession. And while I'm fine with purchasing little girl necklaces and bracelets, I'm overwhelmed with the amount of little plastic and wooden beads that scream "choking hazard."
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Come On Baby, Light My Fire
Now that the weather is reaching stratospheric temperatures in my Northeastern neck of the woods, naturally my thoughts turn to barbecue. Nothing like that classic combo of a huge open flame and 147% humidity.
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Today Dr. Seuss, Tomorrow Dostoyevsky. Or Maybe Danielle Steele.
I'll bet I'm not alone in my reluctance to haul around a stack of books in the event that my child might want to crack open one of them. I'm a mom, not a pack mule.
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Bling for Braniacs
I've got a nagging fear that today's generation of girls, growing up in Swaraovski-studded shirts that say future model, are in for quite a shock when they get older and do not, in fact, turn out to be models.
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A Taste For Bourbon
I am so not the matchy-matchy type, and anyone who's ever seen me pushing a red stroller with a purple blanket and a floral orange diaper bag will nod vigorously in agreement.
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Forget Mr. Right, I found Mr. Klean
You can't swing a loofa without hitting a specialty beauty product shop. With so many options, I thought I'd keep mine open, play the field. No settling down with one brand for me. Then I hooked me up with my destined spa product soul mate and things all changed.
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Uptown Layette With Not-Quite-Uptown Prices
Unwrapping the big box that had arrived in the mail last week, I was excited that one of my parents' fancy uptown friends had sent me a spectacularly expensive looking layette for my new baby.
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Kinda Makes Up For The Sore Nipples
'm trying not to be offended by the fact that my 5-month-old rejects my boobs to instead watch his sister run around the playground. But while I'd love to refocus his attentions, the thought of a nursing necklace makes me cringe. I get the concept, but it's tough to find one that I'd actually wear in public.
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Heal the World Through Dolls
I remember, with some regret, the first doll my daughter was given. It was made from a heavy plastic and had a gigantic wobbly head -- certainly not something I'd like to cuddle up with in bed.
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The Family That Spells Together...
It's true that works of kiddie-style art rarely resemble anything that can be described as art, or style. Seriously, how many ways can you draw a cartoon bear?
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Shades of Brilliance
I see the racks of kid's sunglasses at the superstores and while the hot pink princess shades might seem terribly cute to my daughter, they do nothing to protect her from the sun--or make me keen on buying them.
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Dribble Me This, Dribble Me That
We've officially landed in drool central at my house, and while necessity has forced me past my bib aversion, it has not yet led me to one that makes drool look fabulous.
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A Sheep That Dreams of Being More Than a Lamb Chop
If those mall makeover shops for grade-school girls are any indication, a young girl's fantasy career is now limited to slutty rock star, slutty model, or slightly less slutty princess. So I'm very happy--even relieved--to have been introduced to Nick Katsouris' Growing Up with Loukoumi.
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How Much Do You Hate Your Inlaws?
If the last thing you imagine doing after delivering your baby is having to call six million family members and answer the same questions over and over again (8 pounds, 2 ounces...yes of course it hurt...I don't know who he looks like, he's two hours old!) you're in luck.
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Ever since I was introduced to Che What?
You know a trend has peaked when the parodies start making the rounds. And the best one we've seen yet: This new take on the already ooooold Che Guevara tee at DryGoods.com that says I have no idea who this is.
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Carriers That Don't Break Your Back or Your Budget
Unless you do a good amount of research or read Cool Mom Picks on a daily basis (as well you should), chances are you will only encounter the mainstream brands of baby carriers. But as you probably know, you pay a fairly hefty price with m
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Just the Boost You Need
When my daughter moved from high chair to booster seat I was incredibly disappointed at the selection. We went from ultra modern to cheap and unchic with a flash of the credit card.
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Look Ma, No Tractors
I've got girls around the house. So admittedly I'm not as impacted by the shortage of cool boys' duds out there as my friends who continually beg me to track down "clothes with no tractors." Who knew there was such a backlash against heavy machinery?
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Equal Opportunity Guitar Tee
If the kids' tee motifs are any indication, rock n roll dreams are strictly for boys. They get shirts featuring drums, guitars, the upright bass--while girls are stuck with sparkly pink groupie shirts that say stuff like rock n roll princess.
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Playing House. And Senate.
Don't be surprised if your little one starts asking why all the commercials on TV now have have scary, angry voices saying mean things about other people. It's just the start of election season.
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Cooking with the Bambinos
I'm not a cooking enthusiastic, but I do want to encourage my daughter to learn life skills. In other words, I hope she can expand her food prep repertoire beyond instant mac-and-cheese before she heads off to college. Unlike, ahem, her mother.
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Harmonize the Nursery For a Song
I think a lot of people don't buy original art for their kids' rooms because they're under the impression that it's too expensive.
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From The Fabulous Folks Who Bring You Gouda
I have nothing against pink, especially now that my daughter has proclaimed it her favorite color. But pink plus frills, plus lace, plus spaghetti straps on an active three-year-old just doesn't cut it around here.
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Send The Kids Packing
I spent longer than I'd like to admit searching for a good overnight bag to send with the kid (now kids) to Grandma's this summer. During that time I made use of old messenger bags, duffels that still smelled like daddy's gym clothes and even CVS bags. Embarrassing, I know.
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Maxivans
I've heard it said that driving a minivan may not be the coolest thing ever. Have you heard that? Or am I just making that up?
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Feeling Tip-sy?
It always seems like I'm the last one to know the tricks of the trade--you know, like toothpaste gets crayon off the wall or Preparation H has more than just that one use.
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Win It!
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Ask Cool Mom Picks
I have been searching for a photo album or scrapbook that is NOT in the classic style you see everywhere that's either pink and fluffy or traditional leather. Any ideas? -Sarah
Googling "photo albums" can definitely lead to very bad things. We always find cool stuff at Zanisa and we like the Molly West books at Chittypulga.
But lately we really dig the handmade wooden albums from Tree by Kerri Lee [pictured] with metal hinges and the funky wooden ring and strap. And the prices are terrific.
Got a gift dilemma? A shopping conundrum? Write to CMP at info@coolmompicks.com.
CMP Flickr Group
CMP reader Sarah's daughter Alli looks cozy and snug in her Baby Bisou Carrier.
Have a picture of your little one (or yourself) in a Cool Mom Picks find or prize you've won? Join our Flickr group so we can show off your good taste to the world.
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