I love throwing birthday parties for my kids. Love it. But I'm a bit of an over-achiever when it comes to loot bags, generally insisting that there should be something handmade -or at least really, really cool- inside. And that means I s…
Lately, my daughter is looking pretty sheepdoggy -- how is it that bangs grow five times as fast on an almost-4-year-old? -- and, occasionally, she will concede to wearing a hairband or ponytail so that she can actually see things before…
Of the many talents I wished I possessed, crocheting is at the top of the list, right along with singing in key and being able to sketch something other than stick figures. Since I don't expect to inherit any of those talents any time so…
Despite light-up toys, dolls that talk, and, um, iPads, at the end of the day, nothing holds a candle -- or backlit touchpad screen -- to a good kids' book . It's a lesson my 3.5 year-old daughter has already learned, and I'm sure your k…
I have a soft spot for good quality wooden toys . I like them so much I find myself decorating my daughter's room with them, and these handmade, wood puzzles from Just Hatched are no exception. They're much too pretty to keep in a drawer…
When I first became a mother of two, my own mom introduced me to the concept of collaborative board games. Think less "I did it!" and more "We did it!" In other words, less "I hate you, I'm never playing with you any more ever again!" an…
I thought I knew good chocolate. I rather pride myself on favoring the high cacao content and richer taste of the more expensive brands. But I had never even heard of raw chocolate when one of my readers was kind enough to ask if she cou…
My mom gets teary-eyed when talking about a pair of red Mary Jane shoes I had as a little girl and so I've always envisioned getting a similar pair for my daughter. And then I saw these red Mary Jane shoes with white hearts. Seriously. C…
I love it when a cool designer creates a less expensive line for the masses. I've swooned over the adorable styles and appealing price tags of the Stella McCartney for Gap Kids and Baby and Splendid Littles for Target lines; and now I ca…
This past week, I had a dandy time perusing the 600,000* aisles of the NY International Gift Show, scouting out what's cool in gifts and gear and design for our fair readers. I was also honored to be one of ten judges of the Best New Pro…
The harsh, dry winter weather has not been nice to my toddler son's skin. He has red, rough patches of skin on his face and his tiny lips are all chapped (sad face). I had been afraid to put any ointment on his lips until I discovered Er…
I like giving my kids something cute for Valentine's Day, but how many teddy bears with hearts can a child own? This Etch A Sketch t-shirt however, had me at I love you. The tee is perfect for Valentine's Day and all year round--I'm such…
Great art is beautiful, interesting, well-crafted, and has staying power. Surprise! That also describes these cool new temporary tattoos by one of CMP's favorite designers. Our old pals at Wee Gallery have found a fantastic new way to pe…
My go-to standard baby shower gift was, for a long time, either a baby bathtub, or infant footie sleepers. Useful, and admittedly a little uninspired. These days, I want to give something unusual, beautiful and creative: both moms and ba…
Four is a magical age. And for us, it includes a daily account of closet gremlins and nightmares that involve an epic battle between Scooby Doo and armored Transformer/My Little Pony hybrids. I love the imagination. The fear of bedtime, …
LEGO is, in my mind, the quintessential building toy of childhood. I played with it when I was little; both of my kids--their ages in double digits--still love to build with it . The problem, of course, is that no matter what LEGO storag…
These days, my girls would rather get into dress up clothing than play nearly anything else. I'm not complaining; I love all the creativity and imagination it inspires, when they piece together the mismatched accessories, tutus, hats and…
I can't stop giggling over these printable cupcake wrappers available from the Spaceships and Laser Beams Etsy shop. The description says it's so hard to find anything for Valentine's Day that appeals to little boys... and sure, I can se…
We just love it when one of our favorite little mom-run brands makes it big. Not only because that means that quality construction and design reap the rewards they deserve, but because even more people will get to discover a great new st…
I fell in love with the sturdy, stylish boys clothes from Red 21 Boys last fall, so when I heard they had launched a cruise wear line, it was perfect timing for our annual winter vacation, that this year, just so happens to be a cruise. …
Last year, we introduced a baby brand pronunciation guide for all those baby brands that you might not know how to say. Or really, those brands you only think you know how to say. Let's just say Robeez ? It doesn't rhyme with Brobee's. A…
Even though my youngest is still a baby, I can't tell you how many times I hear the other girls argue No I'm the big sister! And technically, they both are - however, my six-year-old is insistent that she's the biggest sister. I don't ev…
Every week at my daughter's violin lesson, my kids would head straight for the cardboard brick building blocks and play quietly for a solid 30 minutes. That was enough for me to send them as a Christmas gift idea to my mother-in-law, who…
"Eyes and ears are much respected, but the butt has been neglected." And so begins the masterful and hilarious The Butt Book , by Artie Bennett, illustrated by Mike Lester. Let's face it, few things are funnier to a little kid (and those…