Smart Cookie

I'm not a parent so I'll spare you from offering bad advice on how to properly cultivate your tender younglings. I will offer up this, simply that parents are saints. I never realized quite how saintly until I became an adult, but looking back, I honestly cannot figure out how you modern parents do it. When I was a kid, parents appeared to have it easy. The highlight of my week as a 'tween girl was roller skating on Saturday nights, blowing a whole roll of quarters on Ms. Pac Man, then couple skating with a zitty boy to some emotionally charged Wham! song beneath dimmed lights and a disco ball. I rocked my $25 pink Izod polo. I rode the bus. Mom only worked 18 hours a week max. Red Sox tickets were under $20. My parents had it made. Times have changed.

With the technology boom, kids toting $500 designer handbags, and the sheer chaos of juggling schedules around power luncheons and yoga, parents everywhere agree, kids are grown and gone quicker than you can say college money. Help has arrived. Cookie magazine may be just what you need to make the time count, to get a handle on things before, well, you crash and burn and end up on some talk show with your children screaming over how little you cared about them. Kidding. But still. Parents need all the help they can get, and for now, Cookie seems to be the place to get quick smart advice in a slick stylish format. The new bimonthly Cookie magazine showcases only the best for your family, from entertainment options to recipes for kids, kid-friendly travel destinations to products and ideas. I picked up the March/April issue a few days ago, and I must say, for a non-parent at least, I'm impressed (I'm curious as to what parents think of it, so feel free to comment below).

I really enjoyed the mother child fashion, decorating tips, terrific reviews on the latest books, videos, DVDs and games, and all the frank advice on parenting and the health related articles. The overall format is really appealing, and it doesn't read like a typical parenting mag, it's geared more towards urban-minded hipsters. I love the stunning photography, the huge glossy pages, the clean format, and to show what a total design geek I really am, I even love the various font types.

Here's a few highlights from the current issue that you may enjoy:

ISLAND HOP IN STOCKHOLM - Traveling with children to European cities? Have you gone mad? Nope. As hip as it is child-friendly, Stockholm is possibly the best-kept secret in family travel, and there are no mouse ears to be found. Page 62.

SNEAK IT IN: Fish - I hated fish when I was a child, somehow fishsticks didn't classify as fish to me. This article features three renowned chefs (also parents) who delight parents with recipes that will get kids hooked on fish, helping parents escape the evil fishstick rut. Page 66.

GREEN ACRES: Farming for Kids - What better way to indulge their fascination with animals and nature than to visit a real working farm? This article features lovely Shelburne Falls, Vermont and has a complete list of sustainable working farms in each of the 50 states that you can visit with your little farmers. Page 140.

and of course...my favorite:

TWO KIDS, ONE ROOM - Studio Red at Rockwell Group, an architectural-design firm in NYC, takes on the challenge of designing three easy space solutions for kids that share a bedroom, complete with 3D illustrations, shopping suggestions, organizational ideas, and good old-fashioned inspiration. Page 132

psst: Drop it like it's hot! There's even a resident Cookie sexpert with some kinky advice for parents only on Page 106. That's for after the kiddies are in bed...who's your daddy!

To peek inside Cookie, click here for a real page-turner. To learn more about Cookie, or to subscribe, visit them online.

- Holly Becker, Weekly Contributor for Design Talk

Visit Holly's blog, decor8, at http://decor8.blogspot.com/

Comments

[Luuvelyladdy]

I LOVE MY COOKIE MAGAZINE! As soon as I saw it...I knew I had to have it!...its a really great modern magazine...shows me not only what to cook...but spins it in a very unique way. I want my son to eat healthy and they give great tips on (gourmet) recipes. These foods look good enough for Mommie and Daddy to eat!!

The home decor is great! The articles are right up my alley...

I can’t say enough about this magazine...I love it! AND I CAN’T WAIT FOR MY SECOND ISSUE!! :)