Magazine

A folded organic cotton baby blanket resting on a nursery rocking chair.

Why I Finally Stopped Buying Personalized Blankets For My Kids

I was dragging a heavy plastic storage bin down the pull-down attic stairs last Tuesday, sweat dripping down the back of my neck in this brutal Texas heat, when the lid completely snapped off. Out spilled a massive, dusty mountain...

Read more

Close up of an organic cotton crochet blanket for newborn babies

The 3 AM Yarn Incident: Finding a Safe Crochet Blanket for Newborn

I was holding a tiny LED flashlight in my teeth at 2:14 AM, trying to extract a single microscopic thread of fuzzy blue yarn from my two-week-old daughter's left index finger. My wife, Sarah, was standing by with cuticle scissors...

Read more

A toddler wearing a soft organic cotton henley romper on a rug

The miniature adult wardrobe myth and how to actually dress him

We were twenty minutes into my cousin's wedding ceremony when the tiny linen suspenders finally gave way. My son was wearing what the internet told me was mandatory for formal family events, which was essentially a miniature three-piece suit that...

Read more

Tired dad trying to figure out how to put a baby onesie on his infant

Dear Past Marcus: A Debugging Guide to Dressing Your Infant

Dear Marcus of exactly six months ago: I can see you right now. You're standing over the changing table at 3:17 AM in our freezing Portland apartment, sweating profusely while holding a squirming, screaming five-month-old, trying to figure out how...

Read more

Folded pile of organic cotton baby clothing on a changing table

Dear past me: Burn the denim and other late night revelations

You're currently staring at a mustard-colored stain that has breached the diaper perimeter and is rapidly advancing toward his armpits. It's 3:14 AM. You're trying to unfasten a tiny, rigid denim overall set with six microscopic metal buttons while your...

Read more

A toddler girl in a ribbed organic cotton bodysuit looking messy but comfortable

The truth about girls clothing from a tired pediatric nurse

My mother told me I needed to dress my daughter in pure silk to protect her aura from negative energy. The veteran charge nurse on my pediatric floor said to put her in whatever was cheapest at the discount store...

Read more

Toddler sitting on a rug wearing soft organic cotton bottoms

The ugly truth about girls pants and those morning meltdowns

It's 7:14 AM on a Tuesday. I'm sitting on the nursery rug, sweating through my t-shirt, trying to force a stiff, sequined denim leg onto a thrashing two-year-old. She's screaming like I'm taking a bone saw to her shin. I...

Read more

Toddler boy wearing retro organic cotton shorts at a playground

Why toddler boy winter legwear is a psychological battleground

My mother-in-law cornered me in the kitchen last Thanksgiving to announce that if I didn't cover my son's knees, the winter draft would settle into his joints and cause permanent arthritis. Thirty minutes later at the park, a fellow mom...

Read more

Mom looking tired holding a well-worn safe organic cotton baby toy

Why Your Baby's Favorite Stuffed Animal Matters (And Terrifies Me)

It was 2:14 AM on a Tuesday, and my husband was out in the driveway in his boxer shorts, aggressively sweeping a flashlight under the seats of our minivan. I was inside, ripping apart the couch cushions and interrogating our...

Read more