I've done a lot of babywearing in my day. A lot. And though my "baby" is a hand-holding toddler now, my daughter still remembers her little brother's carrier days and wears her own doll babies with pride. While it's no secret we at CMP l…
Growing up, I used to love spotting my name on keychains, toothbrushes, shoelaces, and whatever else happened to be hanging on those spinning racks by store cash registers. Kids today--well, my weirdly named kids, at least--don't always …
Puzzles really need to pop to stand out amongst the competition these days. When you give a puzzle, it can sometimes go unnoticed in a sea of blinking lights or licensed Harry Potter allure. I am absolutely in love with this handmade Bir…
What do you get when you combine an influx of holiday toys with a New Years resolution to declutter? A great reason to explore new toy storage solutions, that's what. Whether you're into DIY, Etsy shopping, or heirloom-quality furniture,…
Monkeys are fun, no doubt about it. I will even go out on a limb (see what I just did?) and say that watching monkeys leap from branch to branch is one of my favorite stops at the zoo. Which is why the kid inside me--along with my actual…
It only takes about 3/4" of snow to get my kids begging to go to the sledding hill in town. They used to bang a big plastic sled up and down the hills, arguing over whose turn it is to lug the awkward thing back to the top, but this wint…
Let's talk storage solutions, shall we? Or rather, my lack thereof. Bills and random paperwork end up mishmashed into the Play-Doh tub (which, of course, contains no actual Play-Doh). There's not one item of winter clothing in the winter…
One of the neat things about sending the kids off to preschool is seeing all the fun developmental toys they get to play with. It's also one of the mildly guilt-inducing things. Like, uh...was I supposed to be giving them all these fun d…
I caved. After years of avoiding the store and hiding the catalog, I finally gave in and bought two American Girl Dolls for my daughters for Christmas. But in doing so, I swore that I'd support Etsy artists and crafters by buying as much…
We love nothing more than finding toys for kids that are handmade, or at least, don't require an on and off switch and 300 batteries. Instead, our favorite toys of 2012 are all powered by the imaginations and little hands of kids. Liz LE…
In my part of the country, it is definitely more hot-cocoa time than ice-cream weather. But not according to my kids who know that any day is perfect for ice cream. Which is why this sweet-smelling six-pack of cones would be a welcome ad…
The siren song of electronics has a huge pull on my tweens this holiday, so if I'm going to ask Santa to bring them something that doesn't begin with an "i" it'd better be something pretty cool. I found something pretty cool. No... reall…
When you consider that most nativity sets include a couple of sheep, some people, an angel, and a stable, is it any wonder that most kids can't wait to get their hands on them? But after my three were finished playing with the set I had …
What little girl doesn't love tea parties? Well, I sure did. Some of my fondest childhood memories are making my grandfather sit down for nice cup of my make-believe tea. He was always the best sport about it, which meant the world to me…
We're so happy to wish a happy 40th anniversary to Free to Be...You and Me, that groundbreaking collection of songs and spoken word pieces that introduced me to the concepts of equality and tolerance at such a young age. For instance, ta…
We're not saying you need to leggo your LEGO (like your kids would ever let that happen). We're huge LEGO fans ! But this holiday season, we just want you to know about some really cool alternative building systems out there that'll get …
The only thing more exciting than a present under the tree is a big box on the front porch with a kid's name on it. Whether you're looking for cool kids' crafts and activities to keep your kids busy at home well past December, or a reall…
If you are shopping for a vehicle-obsessed child who can't wait to get more Things That Go, you're in luck. This holiday, some of our favorite small companies are offering such cool, eco-friendly toys that fly, choo-choo, and zip--with a…
I love flash toy sales before the holidays. If you're on the ball, you can score really top-quality brands at a portion of their regular prices. (You already know that, if you've been following us through the Cyber Monday madness this we…
Silent night? Yeah, only if your holiday toy choices don't include batteries, drum sticks, or bells. We've found a beautiful selection of handmade, heirloom quality toys that can help your child create a peaceful, quiet winter wonderland…
I admit I swooned just a little when I saw this beautiful play food toy at longtime CMP favorite, Cattiwampus. Then I saw that they were on sale, too, with an extra discount for Black Friday --and a little extra discount just for our rea…
This is the time of year that my kids become obsessed with games, puzzles and any activity that can keep their attention without them having to be outside in our freezing cold weather. Usually for Christmas I stock up on a little new inv…
With winter upon us and a chill in the air, warm, snuggly blankets, soft pillows and cuddly toys are officially a hot commodity in our house--the cuter, the better. Betcha you and yours will be smitten with this adorable, sunny-bright nu…
Here's a sweet phone for your little one that doesn't require a contract, an upgrade, or even a fancy power cord. And it even rings! You know, like phones used to do? The ring ring! phone available from our pals at ROMP is the apex of he…