A friend has been lamenting about her latest parenting frustration: what to dress her son in. Even though he’s only in second grade, he’s already developed an opinion about what’s hot–and what’s not (and apparently, Mom just isn’t in on the up and up). Just when you thought clothing was only a battle zone for mothers and daughters, we have entered neutral territory. And while there are plenty of stylish labels devoted to girls, there aren’t as many boy brands that moms and their sons can agree on. This past spring, The Talking Walnut reported on a boys’ graphic T trend that is hit across the board. Since then, we’ve noticed another new name joining the ranks of this fashion movement: iNTAKT caters to young [&hellip
The Accessorized Walnut Archive
When my now-preschooler was an infant, her pacifier was her best friend…and mine. It seemed like the only way to stop her frequent crying jags was with a translucent green pacifier that quickly soothed her spirit and helped dry her tears (even if it was only for a short time), as she suckled away, Maggie Simpson-style. Sometimes, my husband and I would hold our breaths when it inadvertently popped out of her mouth, and the sleeping babe failed to notice its absence, her little lips moving back and forth, no different than before. As she matured, but had not yet grown out of the pacifier stage, we feared those moments when she would realize exactly what had happened and cry her head off. Lucky for [&hellip
Today, as I looked out my daughter’s bedroom window, I noticed some yellow leaves at the top of a tree on our front yard. Before long, those colored leaves will multiply and then we’ll be seeing signs of Christmas in store windows. That can only mean that winter isn’t too far off, and that means I need to start tracking down those mittens and snow boots sooner rather than later. If you have a baby or toddler, you can appreciate the usefulness of a snowsuit during a blustery day of outdoor play. But what happens once you’re back inside, you’ve gotten your little one fully dressed yet again…and before you know it, he’s having a field day pulling off his socks over and over? Baby [&hellip
When you’re looking to buy something for a girlfriend and her little one, you inevitably wind up making more than one trip to the mall. Now that school has begun and we moms are more time-pressed than usual, we can appreciate a shopping destination that has it all. Enter Layla Grace, an online boutique that recognizes your discriminating taste for gifts that make lasting impressions. Stocked with everything from baby bedding to bubble bath, you’ll find no shortage of ideas for new arrivals, new moms in need of pampering and new homes that beg to be outfitted in style. In our quest for quality merchandise, we were particularly pleased by the Matteo line of linens for the nursery and the dining room (those linen napkins [&hellip
One crisp, fall morning at the bus stop is all it takes to have me start freaking out about the impending winter. Aside from the bone-chilling wind that whips down our street, a short walk from the Long Island Sound, my hands despise the cold weather more than I do. Doused with a recurring bout of seasonal eczema, I slather on more hand lotion from December-March than a masseuse. But enough about me…I can’t help but wonder what the mom up at the bus stop at the top of the hill will do. She’s got a newborn in tow every morning her third grader boards the bus, so she may just have to put that stroller away once the cold hits. Either that, or invest [&hellip
My 3-year-old has a small scratch across the bridge of her nose–but that’s nothing. When she was a baby, she would scratch herself repeatedly and there was nothing I could do to stop her. While I consider myself a relatively self-sufficient mom, trimming my kids’ fingernails is one parenting task I’ve always managed to delegate. If you’ve got a budding scratcher on your hands (pun intended), there’s no need to resort to the socks-on-hands trick of olden days. Guavamitts are a fashionable way to minimize the chance of letting your little one’s sense of exploration go too far. Perfectly sized for little hands, these bamboo/organic cotton mittens will help keep your little one stylish and safe, sensibly. Available in a variety of prints, including gender-neutral, [&hellip
Cats and kids are somewhat alike. Although from two entirely different species, each loves to nibble and gaze on multiple meals throughout the day. Our resident kitty is known to visit her food bowl no less than 4-5 times a day, much like my 2 kiddies who relish small snacks from morning til dessert. We’re not surprised then that Hello Kitty continues to be all the rage among girls big and small, and for this school year, she’s a big hit when it comes to lunchtime. The Hello Kitty 2-Tier Bento Container will have fussy eaters purring with contentment, since it keeps different foods separate in their own space (you know how particular girls can be about their stuff). They fit together easily and are [&hellip
In my active fantasy life, I am heading to the Hamptons for a long weekend at the beach. I am thinking about what veggies I’ll be picking up at the farmer’s market to grill later on and whether it will be hot enough to justify wearing white until Monday. Contrary to what you might think, I’m not 100-percent selfish in my daily reveries…or at least, not this one. I realize I don’t own a beachhouse in the toniest part of Long Island, nor do I have any plans anytime soon to sacrifice my kids’ college funds for some local real estate. But, if I ever do get invited out east, I have a great hostess gift in mind to show my friend that I am [&hellip
I nearly knocked over a display of back-to-school stuff at the grocery store the other day. I couldn’t believe that pails and shovels were quickly being usurped by notebooks, crayons and pencils…oh my! With Labor Day nearly six weeks away, September is actually sooner than you might think (sorry to be a spoilsport!). Because we’ve always got an eye turned to the latest kid product trends, we took a look at what’s big in writing for the coming season. Does your kid have dry erase markers on her school supply list again, the same ones she’s forever needing to replace because someone forgets to put the caps back on and they dry out? Well, the smart folks at Crayola have come up with a solution [&hellip
Have you ever had a day like this? My family and I were briskly walking the streets of midtown Manhattan when, out of nowhere, the rain came pelting down. The forecast had called for “a chance of showers,” but this was a full-blown soaker. Not only did I forego raincoats for my daughters in favor of sweet cardigans to go along with their summer finery (OK, so they were simple sundresses, but you can feel my pain), but we only had one umbrella between the four of us. While my 7-year-old and I ducked under the umbrella, my husband braved the rain with my 3-year-old strolling along. The only one who didn’t appear to be miserable was the little one, as she closed out the [&hellip