Motherhood Mondays: The Great Toy Experiment

When pregnant, I barely read any books (they freaked me out!), but happily I've stumbled upon some parenting books for toddlers that seem to have wise and down-to-earth advice. Simplicity Parenting is one of those books. Here are four enlightening tips about toddlers and toys...
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Motherhood Mondays: The Great Toy Experiment

When pregnant, I barely read any books (they freaked me out!), but happily I've stumbled upon some parenting books for toddlers that seem to have wise and down-to-earth advice. Simplicity Parenting is one of those books. Here are four enlightening tips about toddlers and toys...
Read more »

Mother's Day: 4 gifts for new moms

Last week, I featured a Mother's Day gift guide with gift ideas for our own mothers. But I've gotten emails from husbands asking for gift ideas for their wives, since they want to honor the mothers of their own children. How sweet is that sentiment? So, here are four Mother's Day ideas for new mothers...
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Mother's Day: 4 gifts for new moms

Last week, I featured a Mother's Day gift guide with gift ideas for our own mothers. But I've gotten emails from husbands asking for gift ideas for their wives, since they want to honor the mothers of their own children. How sweet is that sentiment? So, here are four Mother's Day ideas for new mothers...
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About a Little Mole Who Wants to Know Who It Was that Pooped on its Head. (Seriously.)

The funniest thing we discovered in Amsterdam was definitely this classic children's book. The title? "About a Little Mole Who Wants to Know Who It Was that Pooped on its Head." Look inside...Read more »

About a Little Mole Who Wants to Know Who It Was that Pooped on its Head. (Seriously.)

The funniest thing we discovered in Amsterdam was definitely this classic children's book. The title? "About a Little Mole Who Wants to Know Who It Was that Pooped on its Head." Look inside...Read more »

Motherhood Mondays: Biking in Amsterdam

I'd love to share our Amsterdam photos later this week, but in the meantime, want to see some crazy photos of bikes in Amsterdam? Here goes...
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Motherhood Mondays: Biking in Amsterdam

I'd love to share our Amsterdam photos later this week, but in the meantime, want to see some crazy photos of bikes in Amsterdam? Here goes...
Read more »

Motherhood Mondays: Summer kids clothes

Crewcuts summer clothes are totally adorable. These little prints are giving me baby fever, and we ended up ordering this car tee for Toby's birthday. Take a look at the full collection here, if you'd like.

P.S. Don't you wish the clothes came in grown-up sizes? Especially that colorblock dress:)

(Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo; thanks to Crewcuts for being one of my April sponsors)

Motherhood Mondays: Summer kids clothes

Crewcuts summer clothes are totally adorable. These little prints are giving me baby fever, and we ended up ordering this car tee for Toby's birthday. Take a look at the full collection here, if you'd like.

P.S. Don't you wish the clothes came in grown-up sizes? Especially that colorblock dress:)

(Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo; thanks to Crewcuts for being one of my April sponsors)

Lemonade-stand season

A few years ago, for New York Magazine, I interviewed kids about having lemonade stands in New York City. They were so hilarious and crafty! Their tricks to increase sales included purposefully misspelling "lemonade" on their signs and telling people's fortunes. One brother-sister team made $240! Read the story here, if you'd like.
And these photos by photographer Joanna Ebenstein made me laugh. She passed two boys in Park Slope, Brooklyn, selling bacon panini, of all things! And at $3 a pop. Haha, only in NYC.

Lemonade-stand season

A few years ago, for New York Magazine, I interviewed kids about having lemonade stands in New York City. They were so hilarious and crafty! Their tricks to increase sales included purposefully misspelling "lemonade" on their signs and telling people's fortunes. One brother-sister team made $240! Read the story here, if you'd like.
And these photos by photographer Joanna Ebenstein made me laugh. She passed two boys in Park Slope, Brooklyn, selling bacon panini, of all things! And at $3 a pop. Haha, only in NYC.

15 Meal Ideas for Toddlers

Recently Microsoft Windows asked if I wanted to try out their new Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone (which just got a rave review from the New York Times). As someone who had a half-broken flip phone (seriously) until a few months ago, I'm still geeking out on how I can read blogs while sitting in the back of a taxi. The Nokia Lumia 900 is supposed to be the best phone for social media, so I really wanted to try it out. As you know, I very, very rarely do sponsored posts, but I thought this would be awesome. So, to try it out, I challenged the phone to help Toby and me put together this little food guide...

15 Meal Ideas for Toddlers
(Approved by 2-year-old Toby)

Every parent I know is obsessed with getting their picky toddler to eat, and sometimes I wish there were a big list somewhere that I could follow. Often you just need inspiration! Well, I decided to try to make that kind of list. Using the phone to search websites for menu ideas, and then using the rad Apict app (which turns your snapshots into Polaroids), we made 15 different meals...
From right to left, top to bottom:
Antipasti plate, with meat, cheese, crackers, olives and cranberries
Edamame with lemon juice (served with a sausage)
Meatballs and tomato slices (Trader Joe's has all-natural meatballs)
Hummus sandwich with avocado
Cottage cheese and orange slices
Beans, rice and avocado slices
Watermelon, feta and mint
Grilled cheese with jam
Fried egg with zucchini
Tuna salad with apples
The BEST soup ever that our babysitter makes: Sausage, orzo, brussel sprouts, corn, curry powder and milk. That's it! (Saute the veggies and orzo with olive oil and curry powder, then add some milk and water, and boil soup for a few minutes until the orzo is cooked.)
Lentils with carrots and goat cheese
Mashed potatoes with peas and pepper (you could add chicken or fish)
Whole-wheat pasta with tomatoes, feta and olives
Banana bites with peanut butter--and add dried cranberries to jazz it up!

What do you feed your little ones? I'd LOVE to hear your ideas and add them to the list!

Then we took this random little video of Toby hiccuping and chatting (which of course I texted to my mom:)

Brought to you by the new AT&T Nokia Lumia 900.
Tasks. Joys. Simply Faster.

15 Meal Ideas for Toddlers

Recently Microsoft Windows asked if I wanted to try out their new Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone (which just got a rave review from the New York Times). As someone who had a half-broken flip phone (seriously) until a few months ago, I'm still geeking out on how I can read blogs while sitting in the back of a taxi. The Nokia Lumia 900 is supposed to be the best phone for social media, so I really wanted to try it out. As you know, I very, very rarely do sponsored posts, but I thought this would be awesome. So, to try it out, I challenged the phone to help Toby and me put together this little food guide...

15 Meal Ideas for Toddlers
(Approved by 2-year-old Toby)

Every parent I know is obsessed with getting their picky toddler to eat, and sometimes I wish there were a big list somewhere that I could follow. Often you just need inspiration! Well, I decided to try to make that kind of list. Using the phone to search websites for menu ideas, and then using the rad Apict app (which turns your snapshots into Polaroids), we made 15 different meals...
From right to left, top to bottom:
Antipasti plate, with meat, cheese, crackers, olives and cranberries
Edamame with lemon juice (served with a sausage)
Meatballs and tomato slices (Trader Joe's has all-natural meatballs)
Hummus sandwich with avocado
Cottage cheese and orange slices
Beans, rice and avocado slices
Watermelon, feta and mint
Grilled cheese with jam
Fried egg with zucchini
Tuna salad with apples
The BEST soup ever that our babysitter makes: Sausage, orzo, brussel sprouts, corn, curry powder and milk. That's it! (Saute the veggies and orzo with olive oil and curry powder, then add some milk and water, and boil soup for a few minutes until the orzo is cooked.)
Lentils with carrots and goat cheese
Mashed potatoes with peas and pepper (you could add chicken or fish)
Whole-wheat pasta with tomatoes, feta and olives
Banana bites with peanut butter--and add dried cranberries to jazz it up!

What do you feed your little ones? I'd LOVE to hear your ideas and add them to the list!

Then we took this random little video of Toby hiccuping and chatting (which of course I texted to my mom:)

Brought to you by the new AT&T Nokia Lumia 900.
Tasks. Joys. Simply Faster.

Motherhood Mondays: Are you comfortable being naked in front of your kids? Were your parents?

Toby's almost two, and I haven't thought twice about walking around naked in front of him. While taking a shower, getting dressed, applying makeup in a bra, I'm often half-dressed in the morning while he plays with his toys. But recently Toby has been excitedly pointing out all our body parts (with both Alex and me). Learning about the human body is a healthy part of childhood; and I want Toby to be comfortable with naked bodies and proud of his own body, and I feel fine in front of him. But I'm curious...

Are you naked in front of your children, or do you cover up? How many years can you be naked before it becomes inappropriate? Forever, who cares? How long did your own parents walk around starkers? When I was in middle school, my friend's dad came downstairs in his tighty whiteys to get something out of the laundry; I was mortified! But I'm still happy to change clothes in front of my mom, like if we're in a store dressing room or at home.

P.S. Breastfeeding love, and do you kiss your babies on the mouth?

(Sweet photo by Eric Prince)

Motherhood Mondays: Are you comfortable being naked in front of your kids? Were your parents?

Toby's almost two, and I haven't thought twice about walking around naked in front of him. While taking a shower, getting dressed, applying makeup in a bra, I'm often half-dressed in the morning while he plays with his toys. But recently Toby has been excitedly pointing out all our body parts (with both Alex and me). Learning about the human body is a healthy part of childhood; and I want Toby to be comfortable with naked bodies and proud of his own body, and I feel fine in front of him. But I'm curious...

Are you naked in front of your children, or do you cover up? How many years can you be naked before it becomes inappropriate? Forever, who cares? How long did your own parents walk around starkers? When I was in middle school, my friend's dad came downstairs in his tighty whiteys to get something out of the laundry; I was mortified! But I'm still happy to change clothes in front of my mom, like if we're in a store dressing room or at home.

P.S. Breastfeeding love, and do you kiss your babies on the mouth?

(Sweet photo by Eric Prince)

Motherhood Mondays: Pregnancy Survival Guide

Are any of you pregnant right now, or hoping to be soon? Inspired by my friend Abbey's pregnancy guide, I figured I'd share a few things that I found helpful during my own pregnancy, and please share your tips, as well! Here goes...
Read more »

Motherhood Mondays: Pregnancy Survival Guide

Are any of you pregnant right now, or hoping to be soon? Inspired by my friend Abbey's pregnancy guide, I figured I'd share a few things that I found helpful during my own pregnancy, and please share your tips, as well! Here goes...
Read more »

Motherhood Mondays: Would you throw a gender reveal party?

Celine and Jin, above, told their midwife to write their baby's gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. Then their photographer friend Gabe came over to capture the moment that they discovered they were having...a girl! How adorable is that?!

Alex just wrote a New York Times article about the increasing popularity gender reveal parties, where expectant couples invite friends and family over to witness the moment of finding out the baby's gender. You could cut a cake to reveal either pink or blue cake inside, or you could open a wrapped present and pull out either pink or blue baby pajamas. Or here's another idea: Brooke's friend took her family to a baseball game and bought either blue or pink cotton candy!

Would you have a gender reveal party? Have you ever been to one? Do you secretly hope for either a boy or a girl? (I did!)

P.S. The day we discovered Toby's gender, and his teeny sonogram.

(Photos by Gabe for Celine)

Motherhood Mondays: Would you throw a gender reveal party?

Celine and Jin, above, told their midwife to write their baby's gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. Then their photographer friend Gabe came over to capture the moment that they discovered they were having...a girl! How adorable is that?!

Alex just wrote a New York Times article about the increasing popularity gender reveal parties, where expectant couples invite friends and family over to witness the moment of finding out the baby's gender. You could cut a cake to reveal either pink or blue cake inside, or you could open a wrapped present and pull out either pink or blue baby pajamas. Or here's another idea: Brooke's friend took her family to a baseball game and bought either blue or pink cotton candy!

Would you have a gender reveal party? Have you ever been to one? Do you secretly hope for either a boy or a girl? (I did!)

P.S. The day we discovered Toby's gender, and his teeny sonogram.

(Photos by Gabe for Celine)