• Monthly Archive:: September 2010

    Question: what do you miss more now that your baby is all grown up? Those chubby legs or that precious new baby scent? Personally, I’m torn between the two…but I must say that a freshly scrubbed kid is fast becoming my own form of aromatherapy. Just as much as I love burying my nose into laundry that’s been hung outside to dry, inhaling the scent of my little girls straight from the bath is pure heaven. Maybe that’s why the new line of kids’ bath products from Kiss My Face has got me all in a lather. The packaging is eye-catching, featuring endangered specious that have adapted playful personalities like Walter the Whale and Chi Chi the Chimpanzee (we are partial to Walter in honor [&hellip

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    When it’s time to buy a baby gift, you wrestle with the idea of selecting the perfect present without having to spend oodles of time shopping for it. We moms know all too well just how precious our free moments can be. Maybe that’s why it took a mom to create a children’s clothing and gift site that lets you make just the right choice with minimal effort and a whole lot of style. Rabbit Moon is a brand-new e-tailer that caters to the discriminating shopper and the gift-giver who wants everything just so, right down to the gift wrap. Aside from the nicely sized selection of stylish kids for girls and boys from newborn through age 4 and a section with selections for $30 [&hellip

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    These days, I’ll do nearly anything–short of standing on my head–to have my 2-year-old sit for a meal for more than 15 minutes. Sometimes, I think that it’s the plate and cutlery itself, rather than the food, that keeps her in her seat. (Hey, it was a smiley-faced fork and spoon that did it for my 6-year-old.) The eye-catching kids’ dinner plates in the French Bull everyday tray collection are as cute as they are practical. The divided sections each feature a motif specific to the general theme: an elephant spraying himself in the Animals one and colorful kids playing with toys in Playtime. If your child takes a liking to these plates, you’ll want to take them with you–and you can, thanks to a [&hellip

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    I’m a stickler for anything that gets people to pick up their pens (or pencils) and write, so that’s why I’m excited about a contest targeted at aspiring children’s book authors. To help commemorate National Literacy Month, MeeGenius!, a new reading app for iPhone/iPad users, is inviting authors everywhere to submit their unpublished children’s stories for review from now until 5 p.m. EST on October 31, 2010. Entries will be judged by three celebrated novelists–Laura Dave, Jane Green and Allison Winn Scotch–along with MeeGenius execs. Ten finalists will be chosen in November and will have their stories posted on MeeGenius.com. Four runners up will receive an e-book publishing contract and iPod Touch. The grand prize winner will earn an e-book publishing contract, along with an [&hellip

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    When my 2-year-old joins her first independent play group later this week, she’ll have her first experience drinking out of a paper cup at snacktime. That means no sippy, no straw and no top. Maybe I’ve fallen behind in my parenting by not having moved her up to “the next developmental stage,” but she seems happy with her covered drink, so if it ain’t broke… That’s why we decided to give the BabyBjorn Cup a try. It’s essentially a pint-sized tumbler encased in a plastic bottom. What really stands out is the ergonomic design that lets my daughter’s little fingers grasp it easily. Because she loves to experiment with knocking things over–hey, what toddler doesn’t?–I like that it has a wide base and rubber stripping [&hellip

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    First week back to school and we’re already looking for a short-cuts. Because I’m a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom, I try to make dinner for my finicky family at least 5 nights a week–sometimes 6 if I’m really ambitious. I’ll admit I’m a creature of habit who often cooks the same tried-and-true meals over and over (hey, when you’ve got a 2-year-old who’ll only eat a piece of bread some days, your sense of adventure takes a backseat to practicality). But every so often, I break out of my routine and try something fun. This week, in honor of the U.S. Open 2010, we sat down a dinner of Racchette pasta and meatballs. The tennis racquet  pastas are a whimsical shape you won’t find in every supermarket [&hellip

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    Does it feel like you’ll never sleep again? If you’re a new parent, you know that feeling all too well, unfortunately. Forget money; sleep deprivation is the root of all evil. You’re short tempered, can hardly remember how to brush your teeth (that is, if you get around to brushing your teeth) and oh, did we mention you snap easily? Fear no more…help is on the way. Smooth Parenting, an NYC-based sleep consultancy, is offering a FREE teleclass to help your baby–and you–get some shuteye. Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 16 at 7:30 pm EST and find out the 7 strategies for helping your little one sleep/nap without having to cry it out. To register, click on the Smooth Parenting link. In a Nutshell: [&hellip

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    When my now-teenage niece was a baby, my sister had a baby monitor that picked up  more gossip from her neighbor’s house than baby cries. After her second daughter was born, that monitor was replaced with a more updated model that detected every movement and sigh from her little one. My, how far we’ve come! Today’s baby monitors have built-in webcams and can work up to  hundreds of feet away from the nursery. If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line model with all the bells and whistles you can dream up, then check out Mobicam Digital. It works with up to 3 cameras and boasts powerful nighttime vision–almost as good as your cat’s–for up to 30 feet. For the extra vigilant parent, there’s wide angle viewing, [&hellip

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    Sometimes, I’m amazed at just how perceptive my cat is. The minute the last child is put to bed for the night and the doors are closed, she appears by my side for some undivided attention. Pretty savvy. And she’s not the only feline who’s as sharp as her claws. Everyone’s favorite Dr. Seuss character is coming to PBS Kids with a brand new series that premieres this Labor Day, September 6. Set your DVR to watch “The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!,” an animated TV show (with Martin Short as the voice of The Cat) that is bound to intrigue preschoolers about all things science. From explaining why owls sleep at night, to how bees make honey, this program will [&hellip

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    It’s that time of year yet again. Time to trade in the crocs for crayons, the bathing suit for the backpack…you get the picture. If your kid is less than thrilled about the thought of returning to school (all that homework and getting up early…what’s not to like?), it helps to add a little fun to her daily routine. Here’s just a sampling of new gear that is almost too cool for school: Juicy Couture heads to the classroom with a bunch of new accessories. We’ve got our eye on the Juicy Couture wireless keyboard in signature pink. Typing a term paper is less ho hum when the keys are in script!…Need a place to keep track of who’s going to ballet lessons when and [&hellip

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