We started off obsessed with Sassy and then grew up into Jane. But when irreverent editor, Jane Pratt, put away her red pen and razor-sharp wit, we had to be content with magazines that taught us how to toe the femininity line.

XOJane is Pratt’s new web magazine “where women go when they are being selfish, and where their selfishness is applauded.” With great advice on how to Do this Don’t, much needed makeunders and terrific tips for us techy types, we know where to go when we’re feeling more clever than Cosmo.

Now that’s sassy stuff. —JN

www.xojane.com

Not everyone is a fan of games at a baby shower, but we need to keep the mom-to-be entertained while we drink all her champagne.

1. Match the celebrity and their baby. Print out lists of celebrities and their baby’s (ridiculous) names, ask the players to match each child with their parent. The one with the most correct matches wins. Do you know who Bear Blu, Moon Unit, and Princess Tiaamii’s parents are? The fun begins….

2. Decorate onesies while mom-to-be opens gifts. Unwrapping presents can take a long time, so provide a few sets of plain onesies and let the guests personalize an outfit for the baby. Non-toxic fabric paints and printed fabrics (for appliqués) make for some very memorable onesies.

3. Baby bingo. A great opportunity to hand out some fun little prizes, you could make your own bingo cards, or go the easy route and order these cute ones from Etsy. We love nail polishes or antique tea cups and saucers as prizes, and if many of the guests aren’t parents yet, baby making kits (sexy panties) are fun too.

—ASI

Bronté sisters, Coen brothers, Olsen Twins—there’s a slew of talented siblings out there. But our vote for funniest familial twosome goes to David and Amy Sedaris.

We’ve sung praises for the former, a humorist known for his self-deprecating short stories, but haven’t yet confessed our adoration of his sister, the kookier of the pair, so let’s do that now. The 49-year-old comedienne isn’t afraid to look strange, as evidenced in the television show she co-created, Strangers with Candy. She’s also published idiosyncratic instructional guides, and for her latest entitled Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People, she’s just launched a hilarious new YouTube channel.

Make “Amy Sedaris Makes Potato Ships” your laughternoon break and you’ll join her fan club too.

www.youtube.com/OfficialAmySedaris

We spend coin almost as fast as the Royal Canadian Mint makes it. Now if only our system for monitoring where it all goes was as well-organized as Mariah Carey’s shoe closet.

That’s where Mint comes in. The online program with bank-level security pulls in all your accounts and automatically tracks what your money is spent on. You can set budgets based on actual spending and see how you’re meeting your goals. There are also alerts to notify you about unusual charges or fees, and a mobile app so you can track while you’re trekking. Best part is, it’s free.

Is that a Louboutin line item we see?

www.mint.com/canada

Inside time means quality time with your child and your iPad. Herewith, Canada’s media moms share their favourite kids’ apps.

Baby GO! (toddler) Free
Fabulous because it reinforces the letters along with the child’s keystrokes, and the girl's voice is adorable to boot.
Katherine Holland, VitaminDaily.com contributor and blogger at www.katherineholland.ca

Talking Carl (pre-schooler) $0.99
Fun little monster that repeats everything you say in a silly voice. Sort of like a real child!
Erika Pantages, VitaminDaily.com guest editor and blogger at www.thisishowistroll.blogspot.com

Pocket Pond and Cake Doodle (baby to adult/kindergarten) Free/$0.99
This realistic, serene koi pond lets you swish the water and make the fish change direction with a satisfying sound. Hours of zen. Got a little Cake Boss on your hands? With Cake Doodle, they can tip and shake the iPad to add ingredients, then mix, bake, ice, decorate and “eat” their cake creations.
Sarah Bancroft, VitaminDaily.com Editor-in-chief

Pocketphonics (pre-schooler) $1.99
I love this app because it helps children recognize letters and their sounds through repetition. It also tweaks their fine motor skills by having them trace letters. It involves three of their senses and thus reinforces learning. Just keep the volume down low because the mechanical voice makes you crazy.
Laura Keogh, co-founder of www.sweetpotatochronicles.com

Horse's Collection and Audubon Owls (pre-schooler to elementary) $1.99/$0.99
Budding equestrians will love identifying the different breeds of horses in this addictive memory game while little naturalists will be all over Audobon Owls, which is like an interactive field guide with pictures, fun facts and video.
Susie Wall, Vancouver reporter, eTalk.

Total Baby (moms) $4.99
A lot of moms I know rave about Total Baby. It keeps track of everything baby related (feeds, poops, naps, doctor appointments) so you can keep your head above water when you're too exhausted to remember your name.
Athena Tsavliris, VitaminDaily.com Toronto editor

If you’re aiming to put yourself out there more this year (or just looking for another guilty pleasure), let us introduce you to your new nightlife gurus.

“SA” and “WT” are two anonymous Vancouver gals kissing and telling, with a few life lessons thrown in, on the blog Tales From A Bar Stool. Every week they recount their real run-ins with men, and provide take-away tips for both sexes looking to better their bar game, like “Give everything a second chance, but never a third.”

Even if you aren’t on the market, it’s a juicy read.

www.talesfromabarstool.com

Sitting at the bar.

Must you hit on me, try a

Haiku pick-up line. 

It’s our new favourite Tumblr. When the stress of the holiday season overwhelms you, click to it for a chuckle. Or let it inspire you to write one of your own to recite to the cute guy in the next cubicle you’ve been crushing on all year. Here, we’ll help:

Hi there, nice stapler.

I am out of Post-it notes.

Kiss me on the lips.

www.haikupickuplines.tumblr.com

If Vogue represents your aspirational style and Dwell your ultimate domestic bliss, then new digital publication http://lapetitemag.com may well spell out your fantasy family life.

With whimsical fashion spreads and gorgeous do-it-yourself kids projects like Sailor Hats and Butterfly Masks there is plenty for the dress-up drama queen.

Their "turn this room into an outfit" column is a double-whammy of style, while their kids hairstyling feature shows you how to create the perfect ballet bun.

Now if you could only figure out where she has hidden her brush, today.

http://lapetitemag.com

“Best of” lists for books are ubiquitous, but what of magazines?

Click into “The Best Magazine Articles Ever” post on Cool Tools, a site run by Wired magazine editor-at-large Kevin Kelly. Based on reader recommendations and voted on, the top 25 includes Esquire’s 1966 piece “Frank Sinatra Has A Cold” and the original Outside Magazine article Jon Krakauer based his book Into Thin Air on. Most link to complete transcripts, and there’s a lengthy archived list of all articles put forth that date as far back as 1816.

Bookmark it for those coffee breaks when you can’t commit to War and Peace.

www.kk.org/cooltools

Sure she’s daddy’s little girl, but it’s your closet that Little Miss Dress Up raids come playtime.

Spare the Loeffler Randall sandals, but spoil her inner Rachel Zoe, with Dace Paper Dolls. A collaboration with Philadelphia fashion illustrator Dallas Shaw, the doll and the fall 2010 Dace fashions to dress it with are a free download. The first look featuring a knit dress, ankle booties and a billowy jacket is now online, and more will follow in the next couple of months.

Suddenly saying “cut that out” sounds so obliging.

www.dace.ca