File this under: What Took Them So Long? A new web site is renting special occasion designer dresses a la Netflix, just in time for your holiday parties!

Rent the Runway is the genius idea of two Harvard Business School grads -- women, of course! RTR loans out the high-end duds for a four-day fling for as little as $50 (or up to $200, pricey by our standards but maybe you'll feel the thrill of wearing a $1,000-plus dress is worth it). The dress is shipped directly to your doorstep with a prepaid return envelope and the price includes dry cleaning (they do it -- one less errand for you).

Not sure about the size or style? Each gown comes with a "fit kit" that includes bra strap adjusters and double-sided tape, and an on-call stylist to help you decide. An extra size of the same dress is provided at no extra charge, or an additional $25 will get you a second style as a backup.

The one beef we have is that there's a waiting list for "membership," though when you sign up RTR promises to "get you in -- and into one of our dresses -- as soon as possible."

 

From the October issue of Parenting

"Software that programmed your toddler for potty training and eight hours of nighttime sleep." --Carlos Sermeno, Redondo Beach, CA

"A sound-proof barrier around the front seat of the car. It would block out arguing, yelling, and high-pitched screaming -- plus protect the driver from flying toys!" --Jessica Smiddy, Dallas

"The food replicator, which could instantly make any meal your family 'felt' like eating that night." --Kimberly Watson, Midlothian, VA

"A remote control to make everyone freeze, so I could eat without having to pick up my son's sippy cup and spoon a dozen times." -- Desiree Brougher, Hummelstown, PA

"A time machine. Then I could go back and replace the dead frog before my son discovered it, avoiding a two-hour crying fit." --Jaqlyn Bowers, Arlington, TX

"Doctor Octopus arms. Imagine how much we could get done!" --Mary Owens, Pasadena, MD  

What invention would make your life easier? 

Plus:

Top Ten Things You Just Can't Believe You Said

Top Ten Ways Motherhood Makes You a Celebrity

From the October issue of Parenting

1. "Well, I think it's cold, so you have to wear a coat."

2. "Yay! You made a poopy-poopy!"

3. "The dentist is your friend."

4. "Of course it's your body. But you still can't pierce that."

5. "We're big fans of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! in our house."

6. "Sweetie, you don't need to lick the cat to give her a bath. She licks herself."

7. "Now, how did you know I always wanted a macaroni sculpture of our family?"

8. "Fine. I'll pretend I don't know you until your friends leave. But you'd better be in front of the Cinnabon in five minutes or you're walking home!"

9. "Wow, you're right. That was a stingy goody bag."

10. "No, I love you more. Up to the sky a trillion zillion quadrillion and one times. So there."

Plus:
Parenting Top Ten: Ways Motherhood Makes You a Celebrity
Parenting Top Ten: Summer Head Scratchers
The Playdate Survival Guide for Moms

From the September issue of Parenting

1. Someone's always hounding you for your autograph. Even if it's just on a permission slip for the class trip to the recycling center.

2. You travel with an entourage. Okay, so two of them are fighting over a bag of Doritos and one of them has a crusty nose, but STILL.

3. You spend your days club-hopping. How else would your kids get to Brownies?

4. You're front and center at every awards show. Because your 10-year-old would never forgive you for being absent when he wins the school carnival karaoke contest.

5. You change clothes three times a day. And it's much more fun if you pretend it's because you're being stalked by the paparazzi, not a messy toddler.

6. You're on a spa diet. Your kids only leave broccoli on their plates for you.

7. You've flashed your boobs in public. Hey, it's not easy to juggle a hungry baby in one hand and unhook a nursing bra with the other!

8. People beg to sleep with you. Well, only because there's a monster under their bed.

9. You're covered in tattoos that your kid got in a birthday-party goody bag and plastered on you when you were too pooped to resist.

10. Hassled as you feel right now, in 20 years you'll miss all the chaos.

Talk about tough moms — 23-year-old sharpshooter Arianne Prevost of Satellite Beach, FL, pictured here with her daughter Baleigh, bagged an 11-foot alligator with a crossbow. Check out all of the pictures over on our sister site, Field & Stream.

How many of you moms are also hunters?