Magazine

A dignified floral adult dining scarf protecting a woman's blouse during a messy family dinner

How to Buy Good Bibs for Adults Without Sacrificing Dignity

We were twenty minutes into Thanksgiving dinner two years ago when it happened. My grandmother, who has always dressed like she’s about to have tea with the Queen, was trying to lift a spoonful of gravy. Her hand gave that...

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A very tired father attempting to fasten a baby onesie in the middle of the night.

The Utter Chaos of Trying to Dress a Very Small and Angry Newborn

Before the twins arrived, I was cornered at a family gathering and given three entirely contradictory pieces of advice regarding infant wardrobes. My mother-in-law insisted on knitted cardigans with actual, functional miniature buttons (a stylistic choice I'm still unpacking with...

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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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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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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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A messy family kitchen table with spilled coffee, toast, and baby feeding bowls.

The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide to the Adult Bib

I was wearing my husband Dave's faded Syracuse hoodieβ€”the one with the fraying cuffs that smells faintly of old garlic because he refuses to let me wash it on hotβ€”when the coffee went airborne. It was exactly 9:14 AM on...

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Confused dad holding up a tiny organic cotton bodysuit in a baby clothing store

The Absolute Biggest Myth About Finding a Good Baby Clothing Store

The greatest lie ever sold to expectant parents isn't that you'll eventually sleep again (though that's a massive, highly documented falsehood). It's the entire concept of the baby clothing store. Before the twins arrived, I had this hallucination of wandering...

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