Blog Posts by Babble.com

6 reasons why my cell phone makes me a better parentHave I told you lately that I love you, iPhone? Have I told you there's no one gadget above you? (Sorry, BlackBerry. While you were my first love, things change. Namely, the iPhone is just that much better.)

I love and adore my iPhone. Almost more than my limbs. It's kind of like a limb, actually. Not only do I not leave home without it, I don't even leave it lying around my home. It comes with my everywhere.


Related: Moms react to Time's "Are You Mom Enough?" cover


Despite this piece in Time magazine that claims cell phone are bad for parenting, my cell phone has, without a doubt, 100 percent made me a better parent. Here's why:

I leave home without worrying about work1. I leave home without worrying about work
When I started working from home in early 2009, I didn't have a smartphone. So my daughter and I never left the house. I couldn't. I was working (as opposed to "working").

Once I got a smartphone six months later? It was a whole new world. No more did I fret about what I was missing, because I kept in touch via my

10 DIY gifts for your gradGraduation season is officially in full swing- and in addition to hearing "Time of your life" and "Closing Time" way more than necessary, that also means that graduation gift season is in full swing! Graduation is the perfect time to get sentimental and creative with your gift. Whether your grad is celebrating a high school or college commencement, it's bound to be a sentimental time and the start a huge period of change in their lives. That's why it's the perfect time for a personalized, homemade gift that they can take with them wherever they go. Check out 10 homemade graduation gifts:









You Did it! Graduation Cards1. You Did It! Graduation Cards
Fill a collection of handmade mini cards with reasons you are so proud of your graduate on the back, or attach them to graduation gifts. These would also make adorable place cards if you're hosting a sit-down dinner for your graduate.
Get the tutorial









Related: 5 things every college senior needs to hear






Vintage Book Travel Organizer2. Vintage Book Travel Organizer
If travel plans are coming up

Looking for a way to spice up last year's sundress or those ratty (but beloved) denim shorts you've had since high school? Look no further than Forever 21's gorgeous, fun, and most importantly CHEAP collection of summer accessories. They've got everything from shoes to scarves to makeup! There's so much that it's tough to narrow it down, but here are 8 of our favorite summer accessories from Forever 21:



Criss Cross Platform Wedges 1. Criss Cross Platform Wedges, $29.80
Nothing screams summer like a pair of sky-high wedges. Throw in some red patent leather, a little cork and a Mary Jane strap and you've got summer's sexiest shoes. Want. Need. Now.
Buy these shoes
















Related: 16 ways to wear leopard print this summer




Border Polka Dot Scarf2. Border Polka Dot Scarf, $8.80
Have you heard? Polka dots are IN this summer and we couldn't be more excited! And something about the thick border and alternating polka dots on this scarf make it unique and extra-stylish.
Buy this scarf


















Gladiator Wedge Sandals3. Gladiator Wedge Sandals, $24.80
Baby wedges are the best.

Study: Drinking Coffee Starves Off DeathThis is seriously the best news I've read all month. A study just reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that coffee drinkers have a lower overall risk of death than non-drinkers. And I'm not talking about one measly cup of coffee a day, either.

The study, which was conducted by the National Cancer Institute and used data from the National Institutes of Health, found that after adjusting for the fact that coffee drinkers are more likely to smoke, there was a significant inverse correlation between coffee drinking and mortality. Translation: drinking coffee staves off death.

The study found that people who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had a 10 percent lower risk of dying. In fact, for both men and women, people who drink four or five cups of coffee a day had the lowest overall risk of death. For men, that sixth cup bumped their risk back up a bit, probably because six cups of coffee a day isn't very good for your blood pressure.

This study also explains why

7 Ideas for Hosting a Country PicnicIf the warm spring weather doesn't make you want to host an outdoor party, this will! Take a gander at these gorgeous country picnic party essentials. Whether for a beautiful country wedding, or a small Sunday afternoon with family, don't neglect these irresistible details.













Picnic Invitations1. Send Picnic-themed Invitations
These adorable invitations are happy -- and inviting! If they don't make you feel like getting cozy on a picnic blanket, I don't know what will!
Find out more








Hay Bale Seating2. Replace Chairs with Hay Bales
Add to the country ambience by substituting hay bales for chairs. The combination of the hay and the gorgeous, understated table setting is picnic perfection. I recommend topping them with quilts, however, to avoid a night of itchy discomfort.
Find out more








Glass Bottle Vases3. Use Glass Bottles as Vases
This detail isn't unique to picnics, but it does seem a perfect fit. The idea of opening a cupboard, selecting an object, and creatively beautifying it is "country" at its heart. Perfect for centerpieces or

The country of France has so many amazing culinary treasures it is hard to know where to start. Do we talk about the wine? The baguettes? The incredible macaroons? I can hardly answer that question, but I can tell you this: start easy. French food may seem complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Really, a delicious meal in France might be a slice of quiche, a green salad, and a citron presse. There is nothing complicated about that! If you've always enjoyed French food but are unsure of the best way to get started making it at home let me help you. Here are 10 easy and delicious interpretations of french food that are completely family-friendly and are a great way to take a culinary road trip through France right in your home kitchen. Check out 7 essential recipes:


Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon1. Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
This dish is a French go-to that gets better with time. If you're busy, make it in the slow-cooker to save time.

Make Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon:

Ruff Rockers: 7 Awesome Album Covers Featuring DogsNow when you think about rock 'n roll cover art you probably think of hot babes, fast cars, leather, and guitars -- but some artists don't go for such conventional and clichéd imagery. These musicians are so confident in their coolness that they proudly feature a pup on their cover instead. And, really, who doesn't love a dog?

We're talking Pugs, St. Bernards, and Beagles, engaging in jumping, kissing, and, of course, looking adorable.









Captain and Tennill1. Captain and Tennille
Captain & Tennill featured their beloved Bulldogs
-- Broderick & Elizabeth -- on the cover of their album, "Love Will Keep Us Together." They even wrote a song about one of the dogs called, "Broddy Bounce."
Find out more about this album











Barbara Streisand2. Barbara Streisand
Streisand? She's a dog person. For her album "Songbird," she posed with her beloved poodle Sadie who was, "a gift from the cast of her Broadway musical hit Funny Girl back in the 1960′s."
Find out more about this album












Sublime3. Sublime
Sublime's Bradley Nowell (the deceased

What do you do when two parents have conflicting belief sets?My son's mom and I have two very different belief sets. She's a devout church-going Christian. I'm a spiritual agnostic. She finds peace in a pew. I find peace on a mountaintop.

Up to this point, it hasn't been too big a deal when it comes to co-parenting our son. I let her take him to church, and she lets me take him hiking. We have a mutual agreement that we will both always be passionate about our personal beliefs but never tell him what he must believe. It will always be his choice, we've decided.

And now that he's getting older (he just turned five), he's starting to ask questions. This means that for the first time, he's going to have to start processing our distinctive beliefs and start deciding for himself what he wants to believe.

On Sunday, I picked him up like I always do, and I asked him what he did that day like I always do. "I went to church," he said.

"Oh, did you like it?"

"Yeah," he responded, and then added, "Daddy, why don't you like church?"

I wasn't quite