• Monthly Archive:: October 2013

    I confess: I kinda like doing laundry. I find the chore of sorting colors and whites rather soothing and the sounds of a tumbling dryer, a familiar comfort. Because I wind up folding clothes during our nightly DVR catch-up, this mindless task comes full circle as my day wraps up. I wish all household tasks didn’t require me to expend that much energy (for instance, I loath loading/emptying the dishwasher)…as long as the batch of clothes I’m folding doesn’t reveal any mismatched socks. No matter how much my family tries to keep those pairs together, a lone sock somehow ends up without his mate, and that’s just no fun. Where does that illusive sock go, I sometimes wonder? Could he have taken on another persona, [&hellip

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    No matter how many times we clean it, our family room still ends up looking like a storm blew through it. “What’s the point in cleaning up if it just gets messy again?,” purports my precocious 9-year-old. Despite her “logic,” I’d still like our home to resemble a somewhat civilized place. If you subscribe to the philosophy of  ‘a place for everything, and everything in its place,’ but are looking for something a little more stylish than those acrylic bins from the dollar store, we’ve found just the source for you. Pehr Designs offers Petit Pehr upscale nursery and play room furnishings that fit into your home decor seamlessly and without pretense. The storage bins are roomy enough to stash a menagerie of stuffed animals, [&hellip

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    In our house, the kitchen is on the…shall we say…intimate side. While there’s ample room for our table that sits four, the cooking space is really meant for one person at a time. If one of my kids come to “visit” me when I’m at the stove, and the other tries to open the fridge, I can feel my shoulders tightening. And don’t get me started on prepping a big meal during the holidays; it’s not uncommon to see me shooing guests into the more spacious dining room. While I don’t see a major kitchen renovation anytime in the near future, it doesn’t mean my family doesn’t get a home-cooked meal most nights. Maybe my determination dates back to my younger days when I pined [&hellip

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    TGIF. Have you picked your pumpkins yet and been on a requisite hayride? Our house is outfitted in its Halloween finest, our costumes are all figured out and all that’s left to do is buy the candy (trust me, if I’d bought it any sooner, it’d be all gone by now). As you put the finishing touches on your own Halloween, be sure to find a spare moment for yourself and indulge something warm and toasty. If you’re a tea drinker (as we are), brew up a nice hot cup, put your feet up and inhale that wonderful aroma. If you happen to be in NYC, you might want to check out Starbucks Teavana Tea Bar on the Upper East Side. Opening its doors for [&hellip

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    As much we love to spotlight those big-ticket items on the top of every wish list, we also like to pay fair tribute to the smaller guys: those companies that fuel kids’ imaginations and give us yet another reason to wish we were little again. Urban Canvas is one of our latest favorites. They make eco-friendly toys fashioned out of recycled and reusable cardboard, including trains, buildings and even bugs. We love their Build 52 Playing Cards, a full deck of blank (save for standard numbers and letters) cards that kids can design and customize to their hearts’ content…and then use to assemble their own house of cards (thanks to their interconnecting edges). Not only is this toy a cool craft, but it lets kids [&hellip

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    It only takes a couple of Christmas catalogs to fill our mailbox, and boom! We’re already thinking of holiday gift ideas. And with Hanukkah right on top of Thanksgiving this year, kids will be drawing up their wish lists faster than we can clear the dinner table! My 9-year-old is begging for her own iPod, but the jury is still out on whether Santa will deliver. One toy we’ve got our eyes (and ears) on this year is PopStars!, a super-cool playset line from Playmobil. If you’re already familiar with this company’s tremendous assortment of themed castles, pirate ships, farms and other adventure-packed settings, you’re no stranger to the tremendous play value…not to mention the multitude of miniscule accessories they come with! But don’t worry [&hellip

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    When I was a kid, Halloween rivaled Christmas as my all-time favorite holiday. The very idea that you could ring a doorbell and be given endless amounts of Snickers and Milky Ways just for wearing a fun get-up? It seemed too good to be true. Until, of course, we trekked over to Holly Tree Lane, a street that seemed to have a large barking dog behind every door. (I can’t tell you how many times I turned around to keep my eye on my dad’s lit cigar at the end of neighbor’s driveways, a beacon of safety, after waiting what seemed like forever to receive a chocolate bar or handful of pennies.) Sure, I can look back at those Halloweens past and chuckle at my [&hellip

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    You’ve seen one pacifier, you’ve seen ‘em all…right? Not anymore. If you’re looking for the most unusual baby gift of all, and one that commands its hefty price tag, we’ve found just the present for your beloved babe. Inspired by the Royal Baby, Kalfin Jewellery has just released its custom Black Diamond Pacifier for a whopping $50,000 (for the cost alone, that should secure your spot as favorite aunt…for life). Available in 14-carat white or yellow gold, as well as sterling silver, this pacifier can be custom-designed in a number of additional color options. Needless to say, this is not your everyday binky, and we wouldn’t recommend popping it in the dishwasher. But if you’re looking to make a statement for the special baby in [&hellip

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    Diaper duty doesn’t have to be a drag…unless, of course, you happen to be Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas. This fuel drag racer and father-to-be is reportedly a big fan of the Baby Sherpa Real Tree Camo Diaper Backpack, which is being praised not only for its sporty style, but its features and functionality that let you get your hands on what you need, when you need it. And anyone who’s a new parent can attest to the importance of that! But you don’t have to be a drag racer to appreciate the Real Tree Camo Diaper Backpack‘s universal appeal. Because this backpack goes beyond basic diaper bag fare, you’ll be able to take advantage of its many extras. We love the built-in, soft-sided cooler [&hellip

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    Is your kid clamoring for pierced ears? Are weekly manicures for your tween out of your budget this time of year? Then have we got the solution for you. Poppy Drops is a hip and happenin’ company that makes temporary tattoos for little nails and ears. It’s ideal for kids who can’t commit to a style–and for moms who won’t let their daughters get that double piercing in the first place! Poppy Drops Tattoo Nail Art is easy to apply: just cut a square around the image you wish to apply, remove the protective covering and place face-down on your nail. Using a wet cloth, moisten the paper backing and then let dry for about 30 seconds. Sounds a little involved, but after doing a [&hellip

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