Magazine

Wooden baby play gym with three minimalist hanging sensory toys

Why Spielbogen AnhΓ€nger Don't Need to Be a Vegas Light Show

My mother-in-law meant well when she handed me a massive cardboard box wrapped in pastel elephant paper. I ripped it open and stared at a neon plastic contraption that looked like a miniaturized carnival ride. It had six different blinking...

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A wooden baby play gym set up in a living room next to organic clothing.

What a Screaming Backyard Wild Bird Taught Me About Motherhood

It was 102 degrees in the shade, the kind of Texas summer afternoon where the air feels like hot soup and you sweat just blinking, and I was up to my elbows in diaper cream when the back screen door...

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A beige organic washable nursery cushion sitting next to a wooden rocking chair

The Honest Truth About Buying a Baby Pouf for Your Nursery

It’s 3:17 AM, and I'm physically stuck in a velvet floor cushion. My mother-in-law insisted this giant, overstuffed monstrosity was a nursery absolute necessity, and right now I'm trying to extract my left leg from its sinking depths without waking...

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Toddler wearing a comfortable pink organic cotton Kianao outfit

Dear Past Jess: That Baby Pink Bell Sleeve Turtle Neck Dress Is Bad

Dear Jess from October. It's me, Jess from April. You're currently standing in the Target parking lot with three kids sweating in the backseat, staring at your phone, about to hit 'buy' on that trendy boutique website. I need you...

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Vintage diaper fasteners next to an organic cotton baby bodysuit.

The vintage baby pin fantasy versus the pediatric triage reality

I spent three weeks of my third trimester trying to match my baby pink nails to the exact baby pink hex code I wanted for the nursery accent wall. I had this whole vision board happening. I was going to...

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A half-empty infant oil container tipped over next to organic cotton nappies and a wooden teething toy on a rug.

The Great Baby Oil Bottle Disaster: What I Actually Know Now

It's twenty past midnight, and I'm currently holding what feels exactly like a greased watermelon. Twin One (who used to be the calm one, though we’ve long abandoned that classification) has just executed a flawless, aggressive barrel roll on the...

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A simple non-wifi video baby monitor sitting on a wooden nightstand in the dark.

Reliable Baby Monitors with Camera Under $100 That Actually Work

It was two in the morning and I was staring at a buffering wheel on my phone screen while my router blinked an angry red in the hallway. My expensive, top-of-the-line smart camera was attempting a firmware update right as...

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Tired father holding two babies while looking at his smartphone in the dark

Why Late-Night Google Is the Enemy of Natural Baby Care

I'm sitting on the floor of the nursery at 3:14 AM, the harsh blue glow of my smartphone illuminating a stain on my jogging bottoms that I'm fiercely praying is just mashed sweet potato. I'm reading a parenting forum post...

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Portland dad playing acoustic guitar while 11-month-old baby chews on a wooden toy

Debugging My 11-Month-Old Baby's First Guitar Playing Setup

Yesterday at exactly 4:13 PM, my daughter attempted to eat the low E string off my Martin acoustic dreadnought. I was sitting on the rug in our living roomβ€”which I keep at a very precise, data-backed 68.5 degrees for best...

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