With everyone looking to shave a few dollars off their expenses a be a little greener too, swapping is becoming more and more popular. This is something we've always been big fans of and we get together with our friends regularly to trade clothes and other items. We do brunch and dish as we try on each other's clothes. At the end, someone takes all the left-overs to a Housing Works to donate.

Besides swapping clothes with your friends there are many local and national resources that can help you swap everything from your child's toys to your actual house or apartment. Here are the resources you need to cut the cord to your cards and trade what you've got for what you want. You'll be more than prepared for Buy Nothing Day on November 28th.

Are New York kids different than other children? Some people think they're more mature, more precocious, maybe more sophisticated. Who can say how and if New York kids are really different, but there's no question that when you grow up in NY, New York City becomes a part of who you are.

That's why I think the work of Tom Matt is the perfect way to celebrate the birth of a new New York baby. Tom Matt does wonderful original pastel cityscapes: Whether it's the romantic sultry streetscapes of Lower Manhattan or the burgeoning industrial views, Tom Matt sees NYC just the way I like to imagine it.

But what makes his work perfect for a baby gift is not just what he draws, but what he draws it on.

This past summer, I was talking about blogging with my friend and incredible writer, Liz. Liz writes a very funny blog about motherhood, called MOM-101. I don't really remember what we were talking about, but Liz said, "You know how when you're writing your posts you have someone in your head that you are writing to?" and I kind of nodded along because I didn't want to admit that I was not privy to this, obviously, important secret to great writing.

In fact, I don't usually have anyone in mind when I write a post and often I feel like I'm talking to myself, unless one of you nice people happens to email me and tell me I made a mistake in the post. (Thanks!)

But this post I wrote to Jodi. Why? Because on Friday I went to see Cirque Mechanics Birdhouse Factory, the new show at the New Victory Theater. And, feasting my eyes on the opening routine where a dozen performers danced and did acrobatics in sync across the stage amidst working gears and cogs, I couldn't help but think,