Month: April 2009

Kids’ playhouses that make your backyard the most coveted real estate on the block

Kids’ playhouses that make your backyard the most coveted real estate on the block

Posted by | Apr 3, 2009 | |

This city mom has a dream, and it includes a second bathroom, a third bedroom, and some actual outdoor space that isn’t owned by the city parks department. If I were to magically come across this dream townhouse (which also should, by the way, be precisely between 5th and 7th Avenues, 11th to 13th streets, and cost $4 a month) I would also equip its yard with the perfect custom kids’ playhouse. I think I may have found this very thing from Kids Crooked House. These offbeat mini abodes are made by two cool Maine dads with a love...

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Easter Baskets. Hold the Baskets.

Easter Baskets. Hold the Baskets.

Posted by | Apr 3, 2009 | |

Growing up, our Easter baskets were these monstrosities that my mom lovingly decorated with ribbons and bows, only to have them shoved back into a box for next year. Well, for my kids, I’ve decided to go a little more subtle with these handmade bags from Ecco Italy. Handcrafted using festive Spring fabrics, these small reversible bags are the perfect size for little kids next Sunday. Your kids can easily tote it around to search for eggs, and then when Easter is over, you can use them to hold those teeny toy pieces or other little items in desperate...

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The Cool Mom Picks gourmet Easter basket roundup

The Cool Mom Picks gourmet Easter basket roundup

Posted by | Apr 2, 2009 | |

It’s easy enough to fill up our kids’ Easter baskets on one stop to the drug store, but for the more sophisticated palates on your Easter guest list, step it up with delicious, artisan chocolate that will make them forget the foil-wrapped stuff faster than you can say “hide the scale.” New Orlean’s Sucre Caramel Egg Basket includes three ridiculously yummy caramel chocolate eggs made from all-natural, identifiable ingredients like dark chocolate for the shell and chocolate puffed rice and real caramel on the inside. Magic. CMP’s past fave, Philly’s John & Kira, have done it again with this...

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Easter eggs, hold the sugar high

Easter eggs, hold the sugar high

Posted by | Apr 2, 2009 | |

Nothing like a holiday to make me feel like the harried mom buying last-minute decorations that probably aren’t even worth saving for next year. That’s just bad for my wallet and bad for the earth. So this Easter, I’m ahead of the game, thanks to the adorable Star House Wooden Easter Egg Set. This chunky handmade set of three eggs are painted with lovely non-toxic watercolors (welcome change from the usual neon) and then finished with beeswax and jojoba oil. They’re the perfect tabletop Easter decoration, or better, Easter basket addition. And the last time I checked, wood has...

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Felt like Easter

Felt like Easter

Posted by | Apr 2, 2009 | |

Much as I love to color eggs with my kids, there are only so many hard-boiled eggs one family can eat.  And while the plastic eggs aren’t perishable, they aren’t particularly attractive or earth-friendly either. These felted Easter eggs from astashtoys are a great alternative.  Made by hand with colorful Merino wool, these eco-friendly eggs look great nestled in baskets or in a ceramic bowl as an Easter dinner table centerpiece. Or heck, hide them on the lawn. Then once they’re found, bring them inside and put them away for next year. Unlike the laid-from-a-hen variety, these eggs are...

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The incredible, edible, obedient egg

The incredible, edible, obedient egg

Posted by | Apr 2, 2009 | |

Raising two voracious but sometimes picky readers, I’ve learned that there are a few factors that go into a guaranteed successful kids’ board book: Simple concepts, not too many words on each page, and ideally, anything a kid can touch/move/smell/poke/feel or otherwise interact with. Well hooray for Barney Saltzberg (yes, that Barney Saltzberg) who nailed them all with his lovely new interactive board book, Good Egg. Toddlers will have a blast declaring “Good egg!” each time that they lift a flap or pull a tab to make the hero egg of the story sit, roll over, and even speak....

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Eh, moms get enough freakouts all year long. Let’s skip the April Fools joke this year and go right to the giveaway.

Eh, moms get enough freakouts all year long. Let’s skip the April Fools joke this year and go right to the giveaway.

Posted by | Apr 1, 2009 | |

If you happen to get the Medela Mom Mavens newsletter which came out yesterday, you might just have noticed that your humble Cool Mom Picks editors are featured. We’re so honored! We’re offering up a few As to some good Qs about blogging, how we pick our picks, and why sleep isn’t generally in the cards around these parts. It’s particularly cool for us because, well, we all are Medela Moms, if not actual mavens. Seriously, have you nursing moms even tried the Medela Freestyle handsfree pump? Try it. Trust us, you and your two free hands will like...

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(Interjection)! Schoolhouse Rock Is back to rock the earth

(Interjection)! Schoolhouse Rock Is back to rock the earth

Posted by | Apr 1, 2009 | |

When my kids heard Schoolhouse Rock was coming out with a new DVD, Schoolhouse Rock! Earth, they were as excited as I was, seeing that they’ve heard the original songs since they were old enough to say Unpack Your Adjectives. I can’t think of a better reason for members of the beloved ABC morning series of my childhood to reunite than to spread the message about conservation, recycling and environmental awareness. In true Schoolhouse Rock fashion, this DVD relies on catchy songs and fun-to-watch cartoons to educate the young and (not so) old, all with, thankfully, the exact same...

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Take a visit to the local library

Take a visit to the local library

Posted by | Apr 1, 2009 | |

With so many Etsy artists creating gorgeous handmade jewelry, I’ve been stocking up on accessories right from the comfort of my own couch. Sort of like having a jewelry trunk show right in your living room, except without the longwinded presentations. One of our new favorite etsians is New-York-based jeweler Lauren Haupt, who uses a variety of dainty elements like vintage charms, wood, and metal combined with oxidized silver to create simply beautiful necklaces. I’ve got my eye on the “Delight in Color” necklace (pictured), that features two vintage Swarovski crystal charms hanging from an oxidized silver chain. What a perfect way...

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