I've fought the princessification of my girls valiantly, as a mama who wants her girls to admire heroes who don't wait around for some dumb prince to find their happiness. As you may guess, it didn't work; they love princess everything, …
When it comes to raising children without completely losing your mind Elizabeth Lyons wrote the book, literally. It's called You Cannot Be Serious and 32 Other Rules That Sustain A (Mostly) Balanced Mom . [great giveaway after the jump!]…
After falling in love with Canadian mom Kate Inglis' writing at her personal blog Sweet Salty , it was no surprise to me that she'd write a book. But what I didn't expect was that it would be the fantastically scrumptious morsel of kid f…
Having lived through the hippie styles of the 70's, the new-wave neon of the 80's, and the regrettable grunge fashions of the 90's, I have enough embarrassing family family photos to fill a book. A very cringe-worthy, hilarious book. Whi…
I'm not a dad, I'm not expecting, and I usually find pregnancy humor about as funny as postpartum hemorrhoids. But I'm happy to admit that Dad's Pregnant, Too ! by advice columnist and author Harlan Cohen was a pleasant surprise. Why? He…
My husband's favorite childhood memory may involve cracking open his brand new Atari game system and having a marathon Pong session, so it's no surprise that he grew up to be a tad tech-obsessed. Which is why I got him a copy of Geek Dad…
Sandra Boynton's newest character in her newest book is the sweetest, funniest, cutest critter ever: My kid. And not because his sister drew him in with my missing Sharpie. I just love Are You A Cow? , a customizable (yes, customizable) …
Do you suppose our parents agonized so much over what kind of parents they were as we do, today? Probably not. And yet, I hate to cast aspersions on folks genuinely seeking guidance on the right way to raise little people into fabulous a…
I run with a tough crowd of Type Nerds, the kind who can spend an hour discussing the joys of Helvetica, the horrors of Comic Sans, and play an iPhone game called "Cheese or Font" (yes, this really is a game). But even for those of us wh…
My relationship with Molly Ringwald spans several decades (oh God, that's scary). From the minute she stepped into detention in The Breakfast Club to the birthday cake-eating moment on the dining room table with the cutest boy ever in Si…
It's National Teacher Appreciation Week, meaning free pedicures and lattes should be raining down on all those lovely people who take care of our kids' precious minds throughout the school year. So, don't hold back: Tell a teacher how mu…
We love checking out what's new and hot at one of our fave boutiques, Psychobaby, and this spring is no exception. They've packed their virtual shelves full of warm weather duds that will make your little hipster stand out at the playgro…
The short, tongue-in-cheek "prayers" you'll find in Tracy Mayor's Mommy Prayers are perfect for believers and non-believers alike. Because no matter our faith, we can all agree that yes, we've all recited some version of the Before the M…
You can't throw a rock without hitting a Twilight t-shirt, but now you can finally use 100% cotton to demonstrate your devotion to the greats of the literary world. Salinger. Hemingway. Rand. Bradbury. We're talking total street cred wit…
I admit that when I first saw Lynn Hirshfield's new book, Girls Gone Green , I mistakenly assumed it was a collection of tween and teen celebrities sharing how they use eco-conscious nail polish or consume locally grown avocados in their…
After a few weeks of a ridiculous lack of sleep, I decided it was time to do something about it. And do something I did--with much success--thanks to Bedtiming: The Parent's Guide to Getting Your child to Sleep at Just the Right Age , an…
Why are we talking about teens? Because every single one of your tiny bundles of joy are going to grow up to be one, and you might as well know what you're getting into. Trust me, you're going to want to know this stuff. In 35 Things You…
We're huge Olivia fans 'round these parts - the book is a well-worn favorite at bedtime, and the Olivia TV series is a special treat. So I was so happy to see a new book hit the shelves recently starring our favorite difficult swine - Ol…
I used to love reading parenting guides . My oldest child was an overachiever from the start, and the guides served as affirmation that she was a prodigy and I was a model parent. Then my middle child - my obstinate, tantrum-throwing, sp…
Games on the iPhone are nice, having books on hand make you feel a little less guilty about trying to keep the kid occupied on mile-long supermarket checkout lines. Now you can always have books on hand without carting around pounds of h…
I don't do much overseas traveling. Okay, none, really. And I can't even blame my kids, since I barely did it before they were born, either. A passionate desire for a reduced carbon footprint or sheer laziness? I'll let you decide. But, …
I can't stop reading Kirtsy Takes a Bow: A Celebration of Women's Online Favorites . And rereading it. And going back to make sure there's nothing I missed. The thing is, it's not just me. An art director friend shirked work for an hour …
The holidays aren't so sweet for those people who have to pass up all the trays of Christmas cookies because of a food allergy or vegan lifestyle. So, when I heard that Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero were following up their …
I've let my own wine knowledge atrophy since falling in love with someone who makes a point to say that actually, he prefers Northern Rhone wines. (Seriously.) So I was excited when I first got wind of Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl's new tome,…