Thursday 15 May

Mommybloggers Take Over the World. Or at Least the Bookshelves.

There is one book that the editors of CMP have been waiting for more eagerly than any other, and that book is Sleep is For the Weak: The Best of the Mommybloggers. Because it will be awesome

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Tuesday 13 May

A Princess Book for Anti-Princess Parents

Despite my husband and my efforts to foist sidewalk chalk and softball bats on my daughter, she prefers the sparkly, the frilly, and the delicate. I've often changed the words to fairy tales while reading them to her because they seem so dang sexist. ...

Monday 12 May

The Greening of Playtime

Okay so it's like that old joke about grandparents who look at your kids' video games and say VIDEO GAMES? Back in my day we played with twigs and rocks and we LIKED IT. ...

Sunday 11 May

If Your Breastfeeding Boobs Wrote a Book

There's not a lot of fun involved in breastfeeding in the beginning, as I can attest as a two-time, soon to be three-time nurser. Unless you enjoy the feeling of your boobs about to explode. But moms Shannon Payette Seip and Adrienne Hedger certainly found the humor in it all ...

Friday 09 May

Crafty Moms, This One's For You

Okay you mamas with the crafty gene. Now don't be coy, you know who you are. You're the ones who see some of the awesome handmade stuff we feature here and turn up your noses and say pfft, I could make that myself for THREE CENTS.

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Monday 05 May

The Baby is Here. Now What Do I Do With Him?

It seemed like the great anticipation of meeting your baby was quickly dashed by the fact that he really doesn't do anything but sleep, eat, and poop. Or, if you're my babies, just eat and poop -- apparently sleep was optional. While I was sobbing over my breast pump, I wish someone had given me a copy of The Rookie Moms Handbook.

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Monday 21 April

Rockabye by Rebecca Woolf: A Shining (Yet Tatooed) Beacon in a Sea of Mom-oir Sameness

When former CMP contributor Rebecca Woolf left us to pursue other writing opportunities, we were terribly disappointed, but hugely anxious to see what brilliance she was brewing up. The result: The must-read Rockabye: From Wild to Child

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Friday 18 April

What Mama Couldn't Use More Zen in Her Life?

I'm fascinated by tales from other parts of the world; introducing stories I've never heard before to my daughter is one of my favorite parts of motherhood. ...

Thursday 10 April

The Pigeon Want 1. A Puppy, 2. To Take Over Story Hour Completely

Mo Willem's newest release in the pigeon series: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy in which our consistently unfulfilled winged hero uses charm, humor, and his trademark pleading to make his next request.

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Sunday 30 March

The Much Overlooked Turnip Gets Its Literary Due At Last

The Gigantic Turnip, the classic Russian folktale retold by Alexsei Tolstoy with Niamn Sharkey's amazing illustrations, had me at its cover. ...

Friday 28 March

Happy Birthday, You Little Rat

We're big fans of Chinese zodiac-themed items for unique baby gifts. Although let's face it, this lunar year being the year of the rat doesn't inherently provide as many cute options as say, the year of the monkey. ...

Tuesday 25 March

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

I love books for my kids that are interactive. And I don't mean press a button to activate some evil voice chip which shouts commands like FIND THE LETTER T! ...

Saturday 22 March

It's Cute and the Kids Like It and It Gives You 45 Minutes to Yourself. Sold.

They claim to be a "new concept in kid's entertainment," but in saying as much, I think Giddio has sold themselves short. ...

Tuesday 18 March

Reading For All

Nairobi's Knapsack features a nice little selection of stuff for kids with an multicultural bent. There's a sweet array of toys and dolls beyond what you'll find in the local Tarzhay, although what really anchors the shop is the virtual bookshelf. ...

Friday 14 March

Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad (Bad, Bad) Baby Names. And We Don't Mean "Krystynne."

There's a little book of Bad Baby Names out there that would be a great addition to any baby shower gift. In amongst the snapshots of cute kids you'll find the most outrageous names found in actual census  data.

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Sunday 02 March

Of Cupcakes, Lactose, and World Domination

I discovered a cupcake cookbook that produced the most delicious little cakes of goodness that were also safe for my girl. The cupcakes are moist, fluffy, indulgent. . . and vegan. ...

Friday 29 February

"Just One More Book," Definitely Preferable to "Just One More Cookie"

My three-year-old daughter (the little angel) has entirely too many dumb books, which is killing me softly, because why waste time on dumb books ever in your life? ...

Tuesday 26 February

Children's Books the Way They Used to Be. Literally.

I'm so excited to have discovered (at Toy Fair, of all places) the wonderfully named Seattle-based Laughing Elephant Books. ...

Friday 15 February

Tell Me More Stories

Amy Friedman’s wonderful multicultural Tell Me a Story compilation was easily one of our favorite CDs of 2006. So of course we’re thrilled that she’s at last released a follow-up with Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic. ...

Sunday 03 February

The Journey to Adoption Just Got More Beautiful

While adoptive parents can certainly document their child's first steps, first foods, and first booger-flnging incident like any other, the baby book pages about prepartum cravings can be a little awkward in their emptiness. ...

Thursday 31 January

Bloomin' Cute

It’s not coincidental that Bloom: A Little Book About Finding Love, comes out just in time for February's Hallmark holiday. And yet Dutch-born author/illustrator Maria Van Lieshout’s sweet little tome on loving the one you're with will delight kids the rest of the year as well ...

Saturday 19 January

Obama? Hillary? Duck?

I admit that my eyes have been glued to the Presidential debates and caucuses, much to the chagrin of my Noggin-addicted three-year-old. So instead of fighting about when she gets to watch the Backyardigans next, I'm going to get her fired up about a better show: The 2008 Elections. ...

Friday 18 January

Not Your Ordinary Mortal Alphabet Book

I've been calling my daughter Wonderbaby for, like, forever. She's always seemed the type of child - even when she was only days old - who might just take off at any moment and leap tall buildings in a single bound. ...

Saturday 12 January

Definitely Beats a Big Sibling T-Shirt

As surprised as I was by my third pregnancy, my older daughter was downright shocked. She may have actually gotten used to the idea more quickly than I did, thanks in part to Making Me: The Pregnancy Activity Book for My Big Brother or Sister. ...

Thursday 10 January

Our Kind of Princess

With a princess-obsessed three year-old, I'm always on the lookout for pretty much any book that has absolutely nothing to do with them. And yes, I know it's cruel to cut her off entirely from the little crowned ladies just... ...

Friday 04 January

Humpty Dunce

I know I'm not the only new mom who spent sweet quiet moments alone with my newborn singing the Happy Days theme song. What can I say, I could never quite recall an appropriate tune when I needed to. ...

Thursday 03 January

Gift Baskets Without That One Sucky Item In Them

The problem with most gift baskets is you don't always like everything inside. Red Wagon Presents, on the other hand, puts together fun, themed book baskets that are great from top to bottom. ...

Wednesday 26 December

Editors' Picks of 2007: Reads & Tunes

Kristen: Thanks to Taro Gomi's Scribbles book, I've gotten many an uninterrupted shower and bathroom break. That's almost priceless. Liz: Joanne Dugan's 123-NYC counting book goes all the way up to 20 for a change.

 

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Friday 21 December

Stroking the Kid's Ego With the Printed Word

In African folklore the aardvark is much admired for its diligence. This is a completely appropriate characteristic for the Aardvark Adventure Stories namesake, ...

Thursday 13 December

Contrary to Popular Belief, Moms Do Have a Few Brain Cells Left

After months spent in OB offices browsing parenting magazines that ran the gamut from mindless fun to downright annoying, I had no idea that there was something out there for moms that was actually (gasp) literary. ...

Wednesday 21 November

Pop[up] Art

Whoever (or maybe that's just my mother-in-law) said you need batteries and talking toys to get kids interested in learning has obviously never seen How Many. ...

Tuesday 20 November

Possibly the Only Holiday Travel Without Delays

When I popped the Travel Time Stories CD in and a sweet woman's voice called my daughter by name and proceeded to tell her a story, just for her, well, it was like magic. Magic spun by fairies while dancing on rainbows with shiny golden unicorns. ...

Friday 16 November

The Breast Advice

In my experience, the average book about breastfeeding is about as interesting-slash-entertaining as your 6th grade health text. While it may contain valuable information, how much of it can you absorb when you're nodding off from third trimester narcolepsy anyway? ...

Friday 09 November

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.

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Monday 29 October

Yo Ho Ho, The Reading's Life For Me

My son has decided he wants to be a pirate. For Halloween. And for a living. This is in large part because recently he's become the star of a personalized book called Here There Be Pirates from Flatten Me. ...

Sunday 07 October

Scribble Me This

If I have to draw one more cat or tree or apple on demand for my daughter, I think I might just lose it. Let's just say I'm best equipped for being the guesser at Pictionary. But thanks to Taro Gomi's amazing Scribbles: A Really Giant Coloring and Drawing Book, I've been totally off the hook.

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Saturday 06 October

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. ...

Friday 21 September

For Babies With a Taste For Reading

While others may look at the gnawed corners of our board books and question my kids' fiber intake, I prefer to view it as...evidence of their affection for the printed word. But sadly, some of our books have been adored beyond repair ...

Wednesday 12 September

Say My Name, Say My Name

As a certifiable word nerd, I’m not a fan of children’s books that seem to be written by marketers and not authors. While I like a good gimmick as much as the next parent, I also want a book that’s worth reading once you get beyond the “look what a cool idea!” stage.

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Sunday 09 September

Pavarotti Lives On

The passing of opera great Luciano Pavarotti this week has taken a wee bit of sunshine out of the world. In his honor, we found the Barefoot Book of Stories From the Opera by Shahrukh Husain, at one of our favorite publisher's sites. ...

Tuesday 04 September

"Mommy, What's That Dog Doing to That Other Dog?"

I'm a sucker for the hilarious questions kids ask--who isn't?-- particularly if I'm not the one who has to answer them all. Which is why I haven't put down the absolutely engaging new book, Father Knows Less, Or "Why Can't I Cook My Sister?": One Dad's Quest To Answer His Son's Most Baffling Questions. ...

Wednesday 15 August

"Who Effed Up The Toys???"

I can't take credit for the headline - it's was written by my friend Karen as the subject of an email she sent yesterday, alerting us all to yet another toy recall. I'm ready to just dump anything in the toy chest that wasn't made by hand out from virgin pine by monks. ...

Tuesday 14 August

Get In Mah Belly!

Like many dutiful first time mothers, I took pictures of my growing belly (and unfortunately, thighs and butt) every month until I had my daughter. But what exactly are you supposed to do with those photos? And don't say "screen saver." ...

Wednesday 01 August

When Owen Wilson Talks, I Listen

The idea of "going green" sounds fantastic in theory, but trading up to a Prius and installing solar panels on my house is not in my near future. But thanks to The Green Book, I've learned that saving the planet is easier than I thought. ...

Friday 20 July

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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Tuesday 17 July

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? ...

Sunday 08 July

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. ...

Tuesday 03 July

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. ...

Sunday 17 June

Take. Back. The Tie.

I'm not sure what it is about the tie that makes us grab them in desperation for Father's Day gifts. Me included. But this year, I urge you to return it--it's not too late!--and instead check out the plethora of appropriate hipster dad gifts at McSweeney's Store, the online shop of Dave Egger's hilarious literary journal. ...

Wednesday 13 June

Can You Count the Potholes, Sweetie?

I have not been a mom all that long and already I'm tired of the same old images in counting and alphabet books. 10 apples, 9 bananas, 8 ducks...how about 1 snoring mommy? So I love the fresh take on counting in photographer Joanne Dugan's 123 NYC: A Counting Book of New York City.

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Saturday 09 June

Take a Hike, Tinkerbell

I'm always looking for books for my daughter featuring strong female protagonists. They don't have to be fist-in-the-air feminist characters, but they don't have to be princesses dreaming of marrying princes, either. ...

Thursday 24 May

Book Snob Heaven

My family and I are serious book lovers. Okay, we're full-on snobs. I admit it. We only have eyes for the worthwhile page-turners and even my toddler has learned to resist the call of the flashy but content-lite pages in the bargain bins and head straight for the award winners. That's my girl! ...

Sunday 20 May

Who Has Time to Scrapbook?

Don't ask me why exactly I still have the ribbons off the generic going-home gift the hospital gave us, but I do. I save and document everything, which is all well and good when you've got a first year baby journal to fill up, but after that you're pretty much to your own devices. Can you say "shoeboxes?" ...

Thursday 17 May

Can't We Just Name Her Jane and Call it a Day?

When I cracked open a review copy of The Complete Book of Baby Names by Leslie Bolton in search for a name for my yet unnamed fetus, I was expecting the same old same old. ...

Wednesday 09 May

Bag Ladies

With my daughter's third birthday rapidly approaching, I'm already in party planning mode. While she's got definite opinions about her cake and party theme, the party favor bags are my territory. ...

Sunday 06 May

A Pregnancy Book, Hold the Scary Stuff

After I peed on the stick and saw those two pink lines, I did what a lot of newly-pregnant women do: I took 157 books off the bookstore shelves, sat myself down and tried to find just one one that echoed my feelings and thoughts about pregnancy. But most just made me want to run screaming--right to the café, to eat my weight in chocolate. ...

Saturday 28 April

How Do You Say ‘Awesome’ in Italian?

As a lover of all things multi-cultural, I am on the hunt for quality baby gear that is both inclusive and multilingual. I mean, I get the charm of diapers embroidered with ‘Oui Oui!’ but I’ve been looking for something a little more…classic. ...

Saturday 21 April

The Highlight of Their Month

My daughter is a freak for magazines -- heck, she'll even spend hours with the Pottery Barn Kids catalog. So, when I found out about Highlight's new 2-5 yearpublication, High-Five, I knew it would be a big hit. ...

Saturday 14 April

Sanity Amidst the Minivans

We all love swapping war stories with another mom friend: You share your potty training adventures, she describes her toddler's attempts to escape from the crib. By conversation's end you're laughing, crying, and grateful for the venting tha ...

Friday 30 March

Peeing In Peace, If There Is There Such a Thing

I have developed a wee bit of cynicism about the recent spate of irreverent momoirs and advice books out there for parents. The vast majority have terrific titles...and that's pretty much where you'll want to stop reading. So I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I heard about Peeing in Peace: Tales and Tips for Type A Moms. ...

Sunday 25 March

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." ...

Friday 23 March

Yoga Moms Do It With Zen

With the massive morning sickness-turned awful reflux that I’ve experienced for the last 6 months, I have gone from yoga enthusiast to...well let's just say a deep forward bend brings with it more than limber muscles (like my breakfast, for instance).  Needless to say, I’ve been dying to get back to my practice as soon as my baby is born.  ...

Wednesday 21 March

Maternity Clothes Guaranteed to Fit

Nothing can prepare a first-time pregnant friend for the ordeal that is maternity shopping. Except for maybe you. That is, if you have it in you to dash her expectations that she'll look adooooorable in those chic low-rise jeans for the entire nine months. ...

Saturday 17 March

Mommy Needs a Daquiri

I'm all for books that teach my kids more than just their animals. I mean, cripes, if we have to take the time to read it to them 500 times, it might as well teach them other things too, right? Like how to make their own breakfast, mow the lawn, or even better, make me a cocktail. ...

Friday 09 February

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! ...

Wednesday 03 January

Ooh-La-L'Alphabet

Although I'm a straight-up English speaker (with a little French thrown in on those really bad days -- ahem), I've always thought it would be wonderful for my daughter to learn another language. Most folks say that starting early is the best way to go but the idea of toddler language classes has always seemed just a bit...much for me. ...

Thursday 21 December

Wait, So Not All Poems Rhyme?

Once in a while, I sit down to review something for CMP and have trouble with it. Not for lack of words, but because my daughter has somehow gotten her hands on the item and refuses to give it back. 

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Monday 18 December

For Moms, By Moms. But Not the Crazy Ones.

New moms will agree that new mom advice is easy to come by. For example, there's your mother-in-law and her stories about brandy in the baby bottle, or your childless cousin who's quick to tell you about the evils of television watching. What's hard to come by, however, is good advice. ...

Wednesday 06 December

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. ...

Saturday 18 November

Oh The Things That You Will Cook

It'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. ...

Monday 06 November

There's More to Life Than Rock N Roll

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. ...

Sunday 05 November

The Experts' Guide to Calm The Heck Down Already

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. ...

Saturday 28 October

Beyond Cheerios and American Cheese

I'm a huge fan of ethnic foods, however any attempts to get my 2-year-old to try curry or sushi has failed miserably. Well, I may just have found a solution that requires neither cooking, nor the hurling of unusual foods in the nice, quiet restaurant. ...

Thursday 26 October

A Pregnancy Book That Won't Cause Night Sweats

The combination of hormones and excitement forced me to buy umpteen pregnancy books that caused me anxiety for most of my pregnancy. Other than the few times I referenced them for help with weird uterus pangs and a description of "the mucus plug," the stack of them were better as a nursing stool than source of comfort. ...

Friday 29 September

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? ...

Sunday 27 August

It's All About Me

From among the audacious number of gifts my daughter received this holiday, I was happy (and proud) that her favorite was a book. Of course it was a special book - one personalized with her name on all the pages. Who could blame her? ...

Saturday 12 August

Say Dada(ism)

There's a fine line between pretentious and hip. Pretentious (and also sort of stupid) would be filling your toddler's library with museum coffee table books. But introducing him to the board book, The Art of Shapes: For Children and Adults, well that's something we can get behind. ...

Saturday 05 August

If Mommy Doesn't Know, Ask Yagyu

I have a feeling my daughter is going to be one of those kids. You know, the ones who ask incessant questions like "Why do we have five fingers? or "What are ankle bones for?" or "Why does Daddy have one eyebrow?" And the good mom that I am, I will look it up on Google. Or more likely, just fake it. ...

Thursday 03 August

Seeing Read

When a recent trip left me pondering The Complete Works of Shakespeare versus How to Fix The Kitchen Sink as potential beach reads, I realized I had a problem. The shelves in my home library are overflowing with nonfiction and kids' books, but the fictional reading selections are positively uninspiring.    

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Tuesday 11 July

The Gift That Gifts Back

When I was a kid, every gift-giving holiday came with a request from my mother to make her something. After a few years of amateur photo collages and tedious poetry I was plum out of ideas. ...

Tuesday 04 July

Independence From Pink

As anyone familiar with New York knows, tonight the FDR drive will be lined with junior firework watchers wearing--what else--black. It's not that they don't love America in the big city; it's just that red white and blue screams Wayward Tourist Lost on the Way to Madame Tussaud's. ...

Thursday 22 June

"Back in My Day, We Walked To School. Uphill. Both Ways."

In my experience, there are two kinds of grandparents. Those who start every conversation with, "did I tell you the one about ________?" And before you even get to answer, they're regaling you with every minute detail (again) about The Time I Met Carl from the Army or The Time I Went to The Store and It Was Closed. ...

Sunday 18 June

Make it a Double

With all the great frank and funny mom books out there, it's about time someone came up with an equally entertaining daddy alternative. So we were tickled when we found out that Robert Wilder, well-known writer, columnist, and dad of two, had done just that. ...

Thursday 15 June

Beyond Goodnight Moon

If you've ever stood slack-jawed in the children's section of Borders, entirely overwhelmed by the selection, you're not alone. Board book or hardcover? Pat the Bunny or Hop on Pop? It's maddening. But a book on books--that's the last book I would have thought I needed to insure my child's taste for the written word.
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Monday 12 June

Real Simple Goes Family

We're not sure if there's a better mani-pedi read than Real Simple. Admit it, you're dying to rip out half the pages when the pedicurist turns her head, stuff them in your bag and sneak them home with you. Or maybe you actually have? ...

Saturday 10 June

No One Else Will Tell You About Cauliflower Butt

Toss your copy of that alarmist pregnancy book, stat. If you really want to know what to expect during pregnancy pick up Stacy Quarty’s Frankly Pregnant: A Candid, Week-by-Week Guide to the Unexpected Joys, Raging Hormones, and Common Experiences of Pregnancy.
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Wednesday 07 June

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Forget the cloth diapers meticulously arranged in the shape of a three-tier cake and get your sister or girlfriend something she’ll really want to use. Like the book, Why Babies Do That: Baffling Baby Behavior Explained by Jennifer Margulis. ...

Saturday 27 May

Traveling with More Leg Room

Looking for a fun and cheap way to show your kids the sights of Europe without leaving your living room? Check out these reprinted vintage books by children's author and amazing illustrator Miroslav Sasek, now available through Shop Composition.Have afternoon... ...

Thursday 11 May

What? You Mean There's More to Life Than Xbox?

Surely every parent agrees that whatever it is that gets our kids into reading, we're all for it. (Okay, maybe not the SI swimsuit issue. But pretty much anything else.) Which is why we just love Books to Check Out for Kids, a journal from the always cool Imagineering Company. ...

Wednesday 03 May

A Perfect Read, For the Most Part

PerfectmadnessI just finished reading Judith Warner's Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety. Considering I haven't read a book since I became a mother, that in itself should tell you a lot. ...

Friday 14 April

Mama Mags, Eat Your Heart Out

Tvbutton_11If you haven't figured it out yet, we here at Cool Mom Picks like underground, lesser-known, but just as fabulous cool stuff. Nothing against the mainstream parenting paraphernalia, but there's something about reading a plainly printed, hand folded zine that makes us giddy. It doesn't hurt that they feature top-notch work from writers slash parents.

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Thursday 13 April

From Briefcase to Diaper Bag

Total180

As if the shock of having a newborn wasn't enough, I think I might have    had a harder time adjusting to the change in job from sassy professional gal to stay-at-home-mom. While I was surrounded by a gaggle of career mothers, few could share in my loss of what once was my very precious work.

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Tuesday 11 April

Cute as Kit

Kitbooks_1After reading Winnie the Pooh and Tvbutton_7 Curious George two times a day for how many weeks, I think we are all ready for a change. So I ordered a set of Kit Allen's children's books. ...

Sunday 02 April

Batters Up

BaseballJust because I'm not a partaker in America's Favorite Pastime doesn't mean I don't think it shouldn't be celebrated. So, this year, I've decided to mix up a special "Homerun Martini" and pull out one of my favorite movies - "A League of Their Own."

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Tuesday 21 March

No, G is Not for Guiliani

Abc_book_cover New York City can teach a child any number of things. Like how to distinguish a Bangladeshi cab driver accent from a Pakistani one. Or how to learn to share toys with Uma's daughter in the sandbox of the Bleecker Street playground. Now, NYC is also teaching children their ABCs. ...

Monday 20 March

"If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy"

MamazineI think many of the mainstream parenting-type magazines make fine reads... for my daughter while I'm on the toilet. What toddler doesn't love to flip through pages of baby pictures and toy ads? But when I'm looking for something to challenge my slowly deteriorating mom brain, I head right over to mamazine.com. ...

Monday 20 March

Because Your Mama Brain Ain't Gonna Cut It

TraceyclarkRecently, I attempted to relate highlights of my pregnancy and birth to a newly pregnant friend. It seems all I could remember, other than my labor and delivery, was my penchant for ranch dressing, my huge sausage-like toes, and the 70-lb weight gain. ...

Saturday 11 March

What a Bitch

Bitchbook_2 Around the time our second son was born, I came across an amazing book, The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage, a collection of essays edited by Cathi Hanauer. ...

Friday 24 February

I Love Me Some Marrit

I'm reading Inconsolable: How I Threw My Mental Health Out With the Diapers by Marrit Ingman and you must too. She is my new hero. Her writing is rollicking and riotous and searingly honest, even as she describes her postpartum depression during the first year of her child's life. ...