I have two new mommy magazines currently sitting on my desk. My husband put them there, perhaps as a subtle hint that if I�m going to be writing so many words, perhaps I should at least attempt to get paid for some of them. I can�t really argue with the sentiment, although I�m not sure I�m looking for that kind of public. Or maybe I�m just afraid of rejection.

In any case, there are these two magazines, both of which I�d read about in the NY Times in the last month or so � Cookie and Violet. Both purport to be magazines for families, rather than mommies. Cookie�s tagline is �All the Best for Your Family� while Violet�s reads �Modern Family Living.� Neither, however, fully escapes the woman�s magazine format. Of the two, Cookie is the most dogmatic adherent to the genre � I guess, given that it is a Cond� Nast product, that should not be surprising. There are fashion spreads, recipes, horoscopes and a million pages of advertising. True, the fashion spreads tend to be more kid focused � if you are the kind of kid who wears Dolce & Gabbana, that is. And there is a slightly creepy mother-son fashion spread that includes a few too many pictures of them hanging out in bed together for my taste. And for the record, when I take AJ to the movies, I�m not likely to do so in stiletto heels and lace stockings. This appears to be a magazine for egotistical mothers, for mothers who think of their children as another fashion accessory.

Violet is somewhat different. It draws much more on the zine than on the glossy mag. If Cookie is a cross between Cosmo and Parent, Violet is the love child of Child and Ready-Made, with a touch of Interview thrown in. Its large format, heavy paper and gorgeous photography make this publication a stand-out. And though it, too, features fashion spreads and recipes and horoscopes, each features a tongue-in-cheek twist. Cookie�s horoscopes, for example, include two readings per sign � one for parent, one for child. Violet�s horoscopes, however, are written as gentle parenting advice to the parent of a child born under that sign. �If you have a Gemini child,� the page advises, �this is an opportunity to look at some of what happened during the pregnancy and how this may relate to whatever your son or daughter is working out today.� The horoscopes are indicative of an approach that seems to prize the individuality of each family member and encourage communication between them. And any magazine that includes an article entitled, �The Socialism of Disney,� is going to get my repeat business, even without the exquisite photo essays. As for the recipes, Cookie presents an array of recipes created by well-known chefs to disguise spinach sufficiently that a child might unknowingly eat it. While it is hard to argue with both the virtue of vegetable propaganda and the need for professional help when trying to get one�s toddlers to eat their vegetables, the idea was predictable and the recipes not too exciting. This is especially true when compared to Violet�s recipe for �Yeti Candies� � amoeba-like abominable snowmen covered in coconut with ennui-filled faces piped on in icing. The instructions are clearly child-friendly and meant to encourage personal creativity. They include comments like �Make as many as you�d like,� and �Play with different poses to give each snowman its own personality.� While I know in my heart of hearts I should probably try one of the spinach recipes, I can almost guarantee that AJ and I will be making snowmen in the very near future, as soon as I can scare up some coconut.

If Cookie is a mag for mommies who wish their children were grownups, Violet is a mag for those for whom one of the benefits of having children is occasionally acting like one. I don�t have to reiterate that I find the second approach more attractive, at least within reason, and I don�t think Violet goes too far. A couple of other notable features of Violet � the section divider art in the issue I have (Vol. II Issue IV) is a series of block prints made by children and it�s lovely. Also, there is a pull-out coloring book in the back that is kid-friendly but sardonic enough to please grown-ups too.

Now if only I could find my crayons.

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