Magazine

A tired mother sorting through practical organic baby gifts for boys on a nursery floor.

Surviving loud baby gifts for boys and what parents actually want

It was 2:14 in the morning on a Tuesday. I was standing in the dark hallway of our Chicago apartment, holding a baby who had finally stopped crying after forty-five minutes of unexplained misery. The silence was thick and fragile....

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A frustrated mom holding a stiff infant outfit covered in spit-up

Why high-end infant clothes usually aren't worth the headache

My oldest son, Wyatt, is the reason I've trust issues with zippers, snap crotches, and the entire children’s clothing industry. When he was about three months old, I got it in my head that we needed professional family photos out...

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Exhausted dad holding two baby sleepsuits looking hopelessly confused

The 3AM Zipper Panic and Finding the Perfect Baby Schlafanzug

It's 3:14 in the morning on a Tuesday in late November, and I'm sitting in total darkness on the floor of the nursery trying to match up what feels like forty-seven tiny metal poppers on a sleepsuit while Twin A...

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Dad trying to put a quarter-zip sweater on a squirming 11-month-old baby boy.

A Letter to Past Me About Surviving The Boys Sweater Phase

Dear Marcus from six months ago: You're currently standing in the baby apparel aisle holding a tiny, adorable, heavily patterned wool pullover. Put it down. Seriously, drop it right now before your wife sees it and you both convince yourselves...

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Messy stack of folded baby blankets and burp cloths on a nursery dresser

The Great Baby Blanket Confusion: What Are Receiving Blankets?

When I was pregnant with my oldest (bless his chaotic, fiercely independent heart), my mom told me I needed at least twenty flannel blankets because babies are fundamentally leaky creatures. Two days later, my mother-in-law handed me a stack of...

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Jess holding a safe silicone panda teether instead of a beaded necklace

Why I Tossed That Amber Teething Necklace Straight in the Trash

I was sitting in the nursery rocking chair at three in the morning with a baby who had completely saturated his third onesie of the night with pure drool. My oldest sonβ€”who's basically the walking, talking cautionary tale for every...

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A dad nervously watching his twin toddlers tangle themselves in a loose cot covering

The Messy Truth About Giving Your Twins a Toddler Blanket

My mother told me that if the girls weren't under a thick wool quilt by November, I was essentially committing child neglect. My aggressively modern NCT friend, on the other hand, strongly implied over flat whites that introducing any loose...

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Stressed mom drinking coffee looking at a pile of baby clothes

Was ziehe ich meinem baby an? A very tired mom's clothing guide

It was 3:17 AM, and I was standing in front of the hallway thermostat wearing Dave’s stained Ohio State college hoodie, holding a screaming seven-week-old Maya. The digital display said 71 degrees. I was sweating. Maya was sweating, mostly because...

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Mom folding a bamboo toddler sleep sack in a nursery

Why the Toddler Sleep Sack is the Only Way We Survive Bedtime

It was 2:13 AM on a random Tuesday when I heard the unmistakable, bone-chilling thump coming from the nursery down the hall. I dropped the Etsy shop packing tape I was holding, sprinted down the hardwood floor expecting the absolute...

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