I consider myself to be a pretty organized person, save for the junk drawer and my backpack graveyard of a hall closet (shhhhh). But since adding another kiddo into our mix, I can use all the organizational help I can get. That's why I w…
I'm not the Most Neurotic Mom in the World, but some days I feel I'd make it to First Runner Up, ready to step in, should she be unable to fulfill her duties. I work hard to give my children a healthy, positive, eco-friendly environment …
I only had one pregnancy that required winter clothes and boy, was that a challenge. Pants never seemed to fit me and sweaters always made me hot , so I found myself wearing the same few outfits over and over again. Too bad I didn't have…
There are some women out there who seem to overachieve the pants off of the rest of us. Environmentalist, author, producer and mother of two Laurie David is one of those ladies. Her latest project is The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Conn…
Having small children underfoot can make even the simplest task complicated and/or maddening. But did you ever think that having a gorilla around could help bring much-needed balance and tranquility to your life? Okay. Fair enough. Me ne…
I'm going to go ahead and admit it right here: I'm in my early thirties, and I love books written for teens. I know I'm not alone because the YA genre, or Young Adult, is awesomely popular right now. So I'm thrilled to have found a websi…
I don't know about your family, but around here, there is no faster path to a terrible day than not everyone getting adequate shut-eye the night before. And if just one of us is cranky, everyone ends up cranky. Bad news. Of course, a gre…
If there was such a thing as Martha Anonymous, TV Host Lisa Quinn's introduction would go something like this, Hi, My name's Lisa and it's been 5 years since my last cranberry wreath ." Sick of trying to live up to the standards of being…
I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a paranoid parent. But after reading The Paranoid Parents Guide , by clever Denver mom Christie Barnes, I realized how much time I waste worrying. And more importantly, worrying about the wrong things. Does th…
Betsy Brown Braun's You're Not the Boss of Me promises to brat-proof your 4- to 12-year old, and so my natural aversion to parenting manuals was overcome by curiosity as to whether such a thing was actually possible. I quickly fell deepl…
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!]…
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…
Stumped for Father's Day? Maybe it's because I'm married to a photographer (though I don't think so), but I'm thinking that if Dear Dad from Chronicle Books doesn't bring a little tear to his eye, he might not actually be human. The volu…
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…
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…
Well, Earth Day is almost here and how am I going to celebrate our lovely planet? By shopping, of course. I kid. Sort of. Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World , the wonderful new book by environment…
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…
Don't tell anybody, but I just threw away an entire head of organic cauliflower. Why? Because I bought it on sale and then forgot to cook it. And then it grew spots. I am apparently the perfect candidate for Aviva Goldfarb's new book SOS…
Kristin van Ogtrop is the editor of Real Simple , which means that her life as a working mom is full of high-power glamour and nary a regret. Right. Okay, I'll confess I was worried that might be true, but it turns out that Kristin is so…
When my kids were young, the challenge for me wasn't trying to get them to be more creative. They had access to all my art supplies and were constantly creating all kinds of art creations. My issue was where to store and display, say, a …
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…