These tunes about backyard animals are catchy without being grating, educational without being boring. Characters range from the sweet, such as a red bird and lightning bug, to the slimy, such as a toad, snail and slug. My 3-year-old loves every song. The title track is her favorite. “Slimy neighbors slinking by the front door […]

Caspar Babypants sounds familiar because you’ve heard the singer before. Only then as the lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America. Chris Ballew has put out his third album of catchy, upbeat children’s tunes. They’re reminiscent of the simplicity of his rock ‘n’ roll songs (think “Peaches”). In addition to originals […]

A recent New York Times article claimed that pictures books have declined in popularity in recent years. That’s a shame, because vibrant, fun and sophisticated picture books with modern stories to tell are being released in a steady stream and are worthy of attention. A recent example is Moon Rabbit by Natalie Russell. The simple, […]

Jessica Soler and her three kids love animals. And it shows. At their Tudor-style home in Decatur, there are dogs Bear and Bijou, a mouse named Jerry, two frogs and fish in the koi pond. The family loves Decatur because of its friendly neighbors, as well as being able to walk anywhere they want to […]

I refused to believe there was anyone who didn’t know about Ria’s, and so I wasn’t even going to mention it. Lo and behold, I found someone who hadn’t tasted the incredible shallot vinaigrette over a totally kid-friendly brunch at Ria’s. There are no gimmicks here: no kids’ menu, not even sure if there are […]

One of my favorite DIY projects is cooking with my daughter. Although Whole Foods and others offer tasty (and usually pricey), healthier treats for kids, I have found a number of recipes and tips that have enabled me to offer my daughter sweets she enjoys and that I feel good about giving her. The following […]