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A Chemistry Kit with No Chemicals

Last night, The Daily What featured a children's chemistry set called Chemistry 60 which boasts "60 fun activities with no chemicals." Sadly enough, I was not surprised. You already know my thoughts on this matter. It's actually a pretty clever marketing technique when you think about it. Because most children's chemistry kits available to consumers today are quite similar to Chemistry 60 in that they do not contain any inoffensive, potentially dangerous materials (aside from small parts which may be considered choking hazards). By outwardly admitting — and boasting — its lack of actual chemicals, the manufacturer has gained substantial publicity of viral proportions. You can be sure that J and I will be purchasing for our kids chemistry sets that contain actual chemicals.  :-)...

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That’s How!

When I was a little kid I used to dream up crazy characters and scenarios being acted out inside the wonderments of the world. Tiny artists residing inside cameras. A chorus of fairies inside musical instructions. Actors behind the boob tube. Isn't a child's imagination so much greater than real life? I was reminded of my innocent years when I stumbled upon That's How!, a children's book by Christoph Niemann, an illustrator whose work has graced the covers of New Yorker, the Atlantic, and the New York Times Magazine. The book, which will be released May 10, 2011, explains how complicated objects of the world work in humorous and wonderfully imaginative ways. Not only are the illustrations cute and clear-cut, I love the idea behind the book itself...

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Pink is for Girls, Blue is for Boys?

Before having Claire I couldn't understand why some mothers — even the die-hard feminists who eschewed all traditional takes on gender roles — would dress their baby girls in pink, frilly clothes all the time. And as soon as Claire was born, I discovered why. It's because whenever she's not wearing pink she's often mistaken for being a boy. And I'm sure that this is the exact reason most parents dress their baby boys in predominantly blue wardrobes as well. I have personally never questioned these color associations with gender before. I always assumed that they are what society once deemed appropriate, and so I — along with billions of others — automatically grew up thinking this way. What's strange about this assumption is just...

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