Pumpkin carving has always been one of my favorite October activities, and it never quite feels like Halloween until I've fully immersed my hands in pumpkin innards.  That said, having…

Had I not already purchased two capes for M's kitty-cat-bunny-superhero Halloween costume, I would have been…

I, for one, couldn't be happier that the fashion industry has deemed the wearing of lounge and athletic clothing au courant.  Apparently, my…

Valentine's Day is right around the corner so if you're in need of a gift for a loved one (or yourself) look no further.  Here are a few lovely items perfect for a significant other, a friend, or your favorite child…

If you're looking for a play table and chairs that are A) low enough to be used by a toddler but still sized for growth, B) non-toxic/eco-friendly and C) aesthetically pleasing, good luck.  You're going to need it.  Throw in D) affordably priced and…

As a former Girl Scout I like to always be prepared, which is why I plan to order a few of these Instant Comfort Pocket Boxes from Kims Little Monsters.  Sometimes you just need a…

Between the cooler evening temperatures as of late and the buffalo plaid blankets given out to chilly guests where I was dining out last night, I can't seem to get camping off my mind.  Nothing says fall quite like…

If I ever have an extra $1100 to spend on a dollhouse, you better believe this is the one I will be buying.  Liliane Limpens' Dolls Villa (and Dolls Villa Light, pictured here) is a sustainably built, mobile…

In the realm of nursery decor themes, picking one rich with sleepy symbolism is probably not a bad idea.  Fluffy, white clouds are nothing if not soft pillows on which to drift off to sleep - they're even said to…

Seasonless it may be, but in my opinion nothing perks up a fall wardrobe - no matter the age of its owner - better than a dose of animal print… 

As if Hazel Village dolls weren't cute enough already, now they can be dressed to the nines in bold, whimsical, adorably pint-sized versions of kid favorites from organic clothing brand Winter Water Factory…

I told myself I wasn't going to make a big to-do out of M's first birthday celebration, but then Wes Anderson created a cinematic masterpiece bursting with pastels and pastries, the brilliant Grand Budapest Hotel, and that promise went out the window.  The party's theme was based on Mendl's Patisserie…

Trying to find a booster chair for our toddler to transition into was tricky for us, since the design of our dining chairs couldn't accommodate many of them.  Enter Kaboost: a booster seat that...

Oh, Ikea.  How I love-hate thee.  Your meatballs might be delicious in a previously-frozen, chemically-altered kind of way, but your particleboard and allen wrenches deplete my soul.  I'm currently feeling the love again thanks to…

currently m's playroom contains a bookcase and a few baskets of toys.  not that she's complaining, but i thought it might be time to spruce things up a bit… at least for my benefit.  here are my current obsessions in the realm of playroom decor…

Our house has been free of all toxic cleaning products ever since The Environmental Protection Agency released information that the air in our homes is 3 to 7 times more chemically polluted than outdoor air, pollution included.  The average home contains…

I serendipitously came across WaterWipes while waiting for a prescription.  When I saw that the only two ingredients were 99.9% purified water and a drop of grapefruit seed extract, plus that they carried the…

I'm baa-ack.  Sorry for the self-induced one year hiatus… apparently having two kids is a lot of work (thanks, everyone, for the suggestion that having your kids two years apart is a good idea).  But now that school is back in session I suppose I should start doing my homework and pass along all of the…

You may have been wondering where I've been for the last couple of months.  Or, if you were as busy and tired as I was during the holidays, then you probably didn't notice my lack of blog posts or think twice about it.  

No, my disappearance isn't the result of…

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I can't say enough great things about Sweetsation Therapy.  The company offers a large variety of natural and organic face and body care products for the entire family, and every one of them is completely safe for expectant mothers and babies…

A play mat and play gym are definitely baby gear necessities: plush mats make hard floors cozy and activity gyms foster hand-eye coordination.  These stylish options…

When it comes to dressing up for Halloween, why should humans get to have all the fun?  Let your kiddo's Hazel Village and Blabla Kids plush friends join in on the action…

My recent discovery of Kalon Studios has made me seriously wish for a nursery re-do.  As much as I love M's soft-hued and vintage-esque nursery, I am completely obsessed with the Kalon Studios Caravan Crib with its modern design and…

To bee or not to bee?  That, is the question.  The answer, unfortunately, is "not".  I really wanted to like the HoneyBee Child SwingEase.  What a great concept: a swing adapter that…

If you're looking for the best baby products to cleanse, moisturize, brush, suck, or trim, here are my top picks for the medicine cabinet…

I'm not sure how it happened.  Just yesterday we were bringing M home from the hospital, hearing her first coos, watching her crawl for the first time.  And now, we are sending her off to preschool.  It's definitely hard to let go, to hand the reins over to another caregiver…

If you've tried any of the non-slip bath mats marketed for bath time with baby, you know what a joke they are with their abundance of suction-less suction cups.

There are no diapers on this list - those should be a given for a diaper bag.  No toys, teethers, snacks, or change of clothes either, though all of those have a home in my bag.  Some of the items below might not be "essentials" necessarily, but they are all items that have worked wonders for me. 

It seems fitting that I should write this post on the same day I stop nursing.  After 13 months it really is bittersweet... I'm going to miss that bond M and I shared, but I'm also really going to enjoy drinking whenever I feel like it.  Nursing can be rough, especially at the beginning, but here are the products that can make it go a little bit more smoothly.        

While I have nothing against traditionally patriotic red, white, and blue outfits for the Fourth of July, there is something so fresh and modern about stars and stripes in a more subdued and unexpected color palette.  Here, the items I'm jonesing for this Independence Day…    

My 15 year old self explicitly remembers being promised by Seventeen and Cosmopolitan that blemishes were strictly a symptom of puberty, and that she would have beautiful, clear skin in her 20s.  Why then, in my thirties, am I still fighting the occasional hormonal breakouts?  I definitely don't have time for this, what with all the worrying I have to do about wrinkles…

Well, I think it's time to finally face what I have been trying to deny for weeks: summer is really, truly here.  The days of going for a neighborhood stroll at 3pm are long gone, replaced by what feels like a 24 hour need for air conditioning and sunscreen…

There's nothing like the arrival of Spring that makes me want to put away the darker shades and reach for a coral or tangerine lip color.  The color instantly brightens…

Yet another brilliant page-turner from Mrs. Moriarty… this woman couldn't write a bad book if she tried.  Big Little Lies begins with a bang: someone is dead, but who?  And how could this have happened at…

Hello, my name is Alicia, and I am an addict.  No, it's not drugs, or alcohol.  It's not even shopping.  My addiction is to a ten year old television series: Veronica Mars.  You may have noticed…

Celeste Ng's debut novel, Everything I Never Told You, is everything I ever wanted in a debut novel: a mysterious, gripping story, well-developed characters, and beautiful writing.  Set in 1970s small-town Ohio…

Right after swimsuits and sunscreen, the most important item on my beach vacation packing list has to be my Kindle.  There's really nothing better than lying under a beach umbrella with a book and an icy beverage in hand.  Being the avid reader that I am…