The Shower Invitation No One Can Ignore
Fact: Moms like cookies.
Cookies That Hold the Allergies, Not the Taste
Okay so phrases like high fiber, no refined sugar, no dairy or eggs aren't generally an indication that kids will be excited about the resulting snacks.
Queasy and Nauseous Never Tasted Quite So Good
I am fortunate to have made it through my first trimester fairly unscathed, with only a few "race to the toilet, hand over mouth" incidents. But if you're going to reach for a shaky tummy remedy about 24 times a day, forgo all the artificial sweeteners...
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The Glass Sipper
We're always looking out for safer, non-leaching plastic baby bottle alternatives, but I'm still a bit reluctant to make the leap to glass.
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Boon is Putting the Self in Self-Feeding
I have one of those toddlers who insists on feeding himself with a spoon or fork. He also refuses to wear a bib. Put those two together and it's a brutal combination.
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Who Stole The Cheese Factor From the Cookie Jar?
If you've got kids, you've got cookies. Unless you're one of those moms. Oh man, you're not one of those moms, right? Phew.
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Mama Needs a Snack
After spending much of each day feeding this hungry new baby of mine, sometimes I forget to feed myself. Yes, I know new mamas need to take care of themselves too, but there aren't many three-course meals to be prepared one-handed.
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Cupcake Baking as Competitive Sport
As my daughter prepares for preschool in the fall, am just now learning that baked sale goods are not taken lightly there.
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Green: It Isn't Just for the Irish
With various reports re-emphasizing BPA leaching from plastic bottles, we're consistently tracking down safe alternatives that are still practical. Because let me be honest, there's no way I'm handing my toddler a glass bottle.
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Chalk Talk
Of Cupcakes, Lactose, and World Domination
It's clear that everyone's going green this year. But some retailers seem to be jumping on a trend, while others actually seem to be living their values. In the latter category, the very impressive Cupcakes? Who Doesn't Like Cupcakes?
Every so often, I have occasion to visit friends with a couple of young kids of different ages, and I'm stumped about what little gift will appease them both. Then I stumbled upon the Kids Mini Cupcake Kit at Pink Olive Boutique.
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Your Right to Chews
The baby may be bor (and yes, he's wonderful, thank you!) but thanks to breastfeeding, I'm still taking care to reach for nutritious food. Well, most of the time anyway.
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100 Billion Calories Never Tasted So Good
So if you asked me what I most certainly do not want (or need) for Valentine's Day, you know, other than a pair of red leather chaps, it would have to be a 14,000 calorie box of chocolates.
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Valentine's Chocolate Gets a Run for Its Money
Let's face it, the last thing I want to be doing February 14 is baking cookies. Especially now that we've discovered the adorable Sweet Lil' Gems Valentine cookies.
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So Good That I Don't Mind Licking the Spoon Either
There have been times when I've finished feeding my son and without thinking, licked the spoon. Blech. But since being introduced to Jack's Harvest, I actually have to stop myself from eating more than just the remnants.
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A Little Separation Between Your Kid and the Dining Room Table is Never a Bad Thing
Just because my daughter can feed herself does not mean she actually gets all the food in her mouth. Hence our love affair with Bibbitybop's Placemats.
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Pot Luck-y
Evidently You Can Run as Fast as You Can and Catch the Gingerbread Man
Plenty of families have their own weird Christmas traditions. At my mom's house, it was to bake gingerbread men to hang on the Christmas ficus, then bite their ilmbs off while they dangled from the tree.
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The Ultimate Bottle: According to the Company, and According to Me
Confession: I used to think nipple confusion was a myth invented by lactivists to keep kids on the boob. And then my second girl came along and, holy sleepless night, Batman, she would not take a bottle, no way no how.
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Bamboo For Babies
While we're busy paring down the plastic in our kids' toyboxes these days--whoops--totally forgot about the plastic in the kitchen drawers.
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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.
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Picky Eaters? It's Natural.
That stage between baby food and fully independent dining (you know, with utensils and napkins and food that's actually ingested) can be pretty awkward as I've now learned twice. Not only are toddlers not yet adept at transporting the food from plate to mouth, they tend to be annoyingly picky.
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Sugar Skulls to Go With That Sugar Cereal
Happy Dia de los Muertos! Or, as I think of it, single coolest holiday not yet imported to America.
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A New Take On the Old Lunch Bag
Ever since we started poking around the web for alternatives to paper lunch bags for our back to school shopping guide, we can't stop ourselves! There are so many great options to help us reduce that carbon footprint you keep hearing so much about.
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Baby Food That's Yummy Enough for Mummy Too
Now that my son is a full-fledged food eater, I'm on the prowl for something other than that jarred food that I swear all tastes exactly the same -- gross. And while I know many savvy mamas out there choose to whip up their own meals, that's not one of my skills.
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You'll Eat It And You'll Like It
If I told you a celebrity's wife had yet another cookbook out, you'd roll your eyes, right? I admit I did when I heard that Jessica Seinfeld had just published Deceptively Delicious.
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Born With an Eco-Friendly, Naturally Harvested Spoon In His Mouth
Okay, so we like our funky, toddler-proof melamine dishes as much as the next parent. But with all the heated controversy about plastics these days, we're slowly inching towards the whittle your own dishes out of wood camp.
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PB & J, Hold the PVC
I'm fickle when it comes to selecting a lunch box for my kids -- just ask my husband how many I've bought, used for a week or so, and abandoned.
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You Know You've Made It When Your Picture's On a Lunch Box
So here's a trick: Put a photo of yourself on your child's lunchbox before sending her off to school. She'll be more likely to eat those carrot sticks you packed instead of trying to trade them for Ho-Hos, what with you standing over her like that.
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Pregnant Women Say: Move Over, Saltines.
Yes, I do plan to eat that. And that. And THAT. I'm pregnant and hungry, and I'm also grumpy enough to sit on you if you get between me and my food. Only problem is, I can't always figure out beforehand what foods are going to taste good--and are good for me and that hungry baby in my tummy.
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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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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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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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Get Packing
An expectant mother walks into a baby superstore...No, it's not the beginning of a joke. Just the beginning of an overwhelming experience, especially when you hit the gear aisle. Which gadgets can you live without? Most of them.
The End of Cooties As We Know It
As anyone who's ever thrown a party knows, you need about six times as many cups as guests. Mainly because half of them get wasted when the guests get...well, wasted...and forget which half-full cup was theirs after they put it down. Or worse, instead of leaving it altogether, they unknowingly drink from someone else's cup. Yuck.
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Eating Groovy
Who says that kids have to eat off of plates with ducks or chickens or other barnyard animals on them? Besides if you ask me, there's got to be some sort of bad karma when it comes to feeding a kid a burger on a plate featuring a cute cartoon cow.
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Build Me a Martini?
We've officially hit the temperatures in my neck o' the woods where icy cold liquid refreshments are starting to be top of mind. And just in time, we've turned up this totally clever and very official LEGO ice cube tray.
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Sticky Fingers
When we receive an inquiry at CMP declaring, "no mom can live without it!" We can't help but look more closely. After all, we'd hate to think of countless mothers needlessly passing due to the lack of a particular product.
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Eat Your Heart Out, Betty Crocker
I try to be a homemaker, really I do. If only because I don't want my son to grow up thinking cooking merely involves pushing the buttons--currently my main culinary skill.
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Lick My Manolo
Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity for me to troll for two of my favorite indulgences - accessories, and chocolate. Although I admit I wasn't expecting to encounter both rolled into one.
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Little Green Thumbs
There's no better way to honor Earth Day than to grow something. Anything. That is, something besides mold on the expired sour cream in the back of the fridge. Or is that just me?
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Jonesin' for Some Soda
While I'm a fairly noncompetitive person, and I'm not so much about the one-upping around the birthday party circuit, I have to ooh and ahh over what has got to be the coolest party favor ever for my daughter's next bash.
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Whatcha Got Cooking?
It's no secret that cooking doesn't usually inspire warm and fuzzy feelings in me. I'm especially hesitant to try new recipes - after all that effort, will it turn out well? Or will it end up dumped into a napkin when I turn my back and shoved into the nearest receptacle or willing household pet?
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When You Think of My Family, Think of Booze
We have seen any number of ways to incorporate your kids' photo into gifts - mugs, keychains, jewelry, purses. I think we've unearthed something that tops them all: Alcohol.
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Hide (The Veggies) and Go Seek
Despite continued reassurance that we only serve delicious meals at our house, my older daughter stubbornly resists trying new foods. The tears, tantrums and intense negotiation are exhausting. For once, I'd like to sit down to a meal without ever uttering the words "...or you can go straight to bed."
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I Don't Have a Drinking Problem
Just this week I was browsing the juice box aisle for my toddler, thinking how convenient it would be to be able to stash one of those in the diaper bag and forgo the sippy cup. And then I remembered that the last time we tried juice boxes it entailed a change of clothes. For both of us.
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Hey, Joe
Have I mentioned that my kitchen and its various electrical appliances intimidate me? That sometimes even the the relatively benign coffee pot has turned on me in my hour of need? One morning not long ago, it tried to brew up something completely undrinkable, thereby ruining my entire day. Lack of decent coffee has that effect on me.
Cooking When Cooking's the Last Thing You Want to Do
Let's get one thing straight right away: I don't cook. I avoid it whenever possible. I'm not good at it, I don't enjoy it, and I'm damn lucky that my husband is happy to take over in this department. When I'm on duty, it's Frosted Mini Wheats all around!
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Dinner for One, Hold the Microbes
Whoever invented the Tiny Diner Portable Placemat has definitely walked a mile in my shoes. Whenever we go out to eat, I have no choice but to put pieces of food right on the table because my year-old son is known to send his plates sailing without so much as a head's up, suckas!
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Go Ahead and Get Fresh
I considered making my own baby food for a total of five minutes. I had a challenging infant and I desperately cut down on chores; however as a conscientious (albeit tired) new mom, I didn't want to give up on good, nutritious food either.
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Food is For Playing, Right?
I am convinced that the only way to get kids to stop throwing their forks and spoons on the floor isn't to improve the food, but to improve the forks and spoons.
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What Good is Having Kids If They Can't Do The Cooking?
I love celebrity chefs, but recently I discovered (the hard way) that some of the bold-faced Food Network names out there write books which are more self-promotional vehicles than useful kitchen resources.
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I am burdened with quite a few "people who have everything" on my holiday list each year. Fortunately, as I discovered a few years ago, no one can have enough Your Kids' Guaranteed Favorite Gift This Year
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.
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Sushi For the Jonesing Preggo
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.
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From Field to Fingers
Let's face it, some parents aren't gourmet chefs, let alone halfway decent cooks, so when it comes time for solid foods, many of us (and yes I'm raising my hand, here) struggle with the guilt that comes with feeding the kid pears out of a jar.
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Hold the Peanuts, Keep the Sugar
When I was a child, everyone ate peanut butter sandwiches and drank milk - no questions asked, no concerns voiced. Fast-forward twenty-five years, and I'm overwhelmed by the number of children with food allergies, especially life-threatening ones. It took the perspective of becoming a parent myself for me to grasp this new reality, and now I routinely ask parents before playdates: "Does your child have any food allergies?"
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Chocolate: It Does a Boobie Good.
With so many important causes that speak to me, I find it hard to keep track of them all. And while I do attempt to donate time or money to at least one charity a month, I'm fairly certain that I can singlehandedly fund breast cancer research with this one.
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I'll Pass on the Plastic Flavored Juice
It's one thing when you sniff your kid's clean plastic juice cup and it smells like a menagerie of the last few days of delightful drinks. Ick. But it's a whole other issue when you read about the leakage of chemicals from the plastic into your kid's digestive systems. That's just plain bad news.
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PB & Everything
I distinctly remember when Peanut Butter & Co opened its doors in New York's Greenwich Village several years ago. The whole city was abuzz - what could someone possibly do with peanut butter that would be worth a wait down the block?
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The Toaster with the Most-er
I'd love to be one of those moms who makes cool Jello jigglers and star shaped sandwiches. But alas, my sole attempt at creating a Mickey Mouse pancake for my daughter ended up looking more like someone had just spilled... ... [More]
Feeding Your Brain
With all the scary stuff in the news about lead in lunchboxes, I'm leaning towards the old reliable brown bags when my daughter hits "bring your lunch" age. But little did I know, today's lunch bags can be just as good for your kids as the food you put inside it. Cheetos not withstanding.
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When the Bottle and Boob are Distant Memories
There's something so sweetly simple about an infant, especially when it comes to the feeding. But then, after the rice cereal and stage one foods are no longer sufficient, the panic sets in. (Admit it - just a little.)
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Super Dishes!
W
hen I was a kid, our chores included washing our own dishes after dinner. Entirely coincidentally, my brother managed to break his plate en route from table to sink at least once a week. Imagine that.
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Be the Envy of The Entire Gym
I try to lay low during my infrequent workouts. No fancy footwear or coordinating clothes to bring any attention to myself or my built-by-Krispy Kreme hips. But with one of these Euro-chic aluminum SIGG water bottles at Reusable Bags, I'm bound to up my gym status without even joining the marathon club.
Who You Callin' Cupcake?
Cupcakes are one of the easiest treats to make, which is why they're a mainstay at school bake sales. "But how can I make my cupcakes stand out from the bunch?" you ask, like the good 1950s housewife that you truly want to be.
A Recipe for the Perfect Gift
I love that my crafty friends are willing to share their cute knit bootie pattern with me, however the illegible scribble on a piece of notebook paper just doesn't do their creations justice.
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We Don't Need No Stinkin' Fork
Maybe you're a champ with the chopsticks now, but do you remember how hard it was to get the hang of it? I bet you stabbed your Moo Shu Pork at least once (or worse) before the nice server made you a set of tong-sticks so you could eat more than three bites an hour.
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Summer Essentials for the Dad in Your Life
Since summer has quickly reared its hot and humid head here in the Northeast, I thought I’d start preparing for the season. Like most men, this entails digging out those flip flops from storage, loading up on some steaks, firing up the BBQ grill and enjoying some cool alcoholic beverages with friends.
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Everything I Needed to Know About Parenthood I Learned from a Cocktail Napkin
In honor of today's Cinquo de Mayo festivities, we scoured the web for a pop culture pinata or a designer sombrero. Just some little knick-knack or doodad, that we might pay homage to one of the most underrated holidays outside your local Chili's.
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As if Charlize Weren't Enough, Now South Africa Gives Us This
If you think Chai is still all the rage, then wake up and smell 2006--Rooibos is what savvy tea drinkers are turning to these days for comfort in a cup. A red tea from South Africa, Rooibos has many... ... [More]
Cooshie, Cooshie, Cool
Restaurant booster seats? Hate 'em. They're always covered with the slimy remnants of another toddler's meal -- or we hope that sticky mess is from leftover food and not something worse.
Let Them Eat Cupcakes.
A Cup-a-Cake container is one of those items that on first glance makes you say, "huh?" On second glance you think, "pretty smart," and on third glance you're like, "I need forty-two of them, NOW NOW NOW!"
Make mine a bologna on white, hold the lead.
Now that the Center for Environmental Health is suing makers of vinyl lunch boxes for harmful levels of lead (yikes!) it’s time to invest in a new carrying case for the pb&j.
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cmp book club
If you think Madysynne is bad, this list of real names will have you equally howling and cringing.
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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.
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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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