For Aspiring Novelists: Tell Me a Story Notebooks from EarthHugs

OK, I know this "Tell Me a Story" mac & cheese notebook from EarthHugs has Pokemon creatures on it (what are Pokemon, anyway?), but read on before you start thinking Unboring Boys has gone over to the dark side of licensed characters.

There are three really cool things about this notebook I want to tell you about.

1) It's made with a recycled mac & cheese box and recycled paper, making it earth-friendly.

2) It's expressly designed for story writing: "Each ruled page is faced by a blank page for young writers to draw a picture that accompanies their journal entry or story." How clever is that?!

3) A mom of two started EarthHugs as a family business that her two kids, ages 6 & 8, could be involved in. Owner Wendi says, "I started it with my kids to help teach them about recycling/upcycling, and also to help teach them some of the fundamentals about business. They are thrilled helping me to assemble the books and also when we get a new heart or facebook fan!"

EarthHugs carries a fun collection of notebooks in different sizes, including a cute Trix Doodle Diary from a mini cereal box, for 3-5 bucks. If you have a struggling or reluctant writer, one of these might just be the motivation they need to start writing their literary masterpiece.

Unboring Rainwear Roundup

It's April and time for our annual roundup of the coolest rain gear for boys. Last year we were a little disappointed in the lack of selection. Sure there were raincoats designed to look like fireman coats galore, along with plenty of boring solid colors. But umbrellas, rain boots and raincoats should be bright and fun to bring a little sunshine to even the gloomiest of rainy days.

Well, this year, I'm happy to report that there are more cool prints and styles for boys to choose from, starting with this awesome tiger print set by Sammies by Samsonite ($47.95) I love the bright orange color & the little tiger handle. Sammies also carries adorable turtle and penguin prints. Shop around the Internet for the best price.

My favorite rain coat this year comes from The Children's Place and features an allover comic book, superhero print (on sale for $22.12; 18 months to 4T). For quality, you can't beat Hatley. Their new Sailing Dog print ($49.99; 2T-7) is SO adorable! As always with Hatley, rain boots and umbrellas are available to match.

Our pick for hippest rain boots this year are the Duck Boots ($58, sizes 1-13) from Stella McCartney for KidGap (looks like some sizes are already selling out), but we also love Trumpette's Johnny rain boots that look like high top sneakers (prices & sizes vary depending on where you buy).