I'm all about outdoor entertaining in the summertime -- especially this year -- except the one thing that hasn't gone away are the mosquitos. Nothing kills a mood quite like your guests all slapping at themselves while trying to talk one…
The best kids' bike helmet in the world won't do any good if your kid doesn't want to put it on, which is why yes, it matters if they think they have a "cool" bike helmet. We're here to help! I've spent hours searching the inventory from…
My 15-year-old son recently came home after a camp planning meeting with his friends and announced that they have decided to tie-dye their camp shirts this year. I kind of love this idea, so I wanted to look up some tie-dye pattern tutor…
When I saw this printable diverse summer reading list challenge for kids over at the Oaxacaborn homeschool group on Facebook, I immediately had to share it. Schools here in Nashville have already dismissed for summer break —I know the re…
May 31, 1921, marks one of the darkest days in America's history. And yet the Tulsa Race Massacre isn't an event I ever learned in school -- and unfortunately most kids today don't either. The Burning of Black Wall Street can be a hard d…
My family recently celebrated the fourth anniversary of our daughter's adoption . It's always a special day for us, in which we try to honor her heritage; we pull out photo albums, eat at a Korean restaurant, and send updates to her adop…
I couldn't be more excited that jellies shoes are back , because these were my absolute favorite 80s fashion trend as a kid. Well, friendship bracelets were totally rad too. And I did love my tie-dye everything . Let's just say I'm thril…
Honestly, we have never done a dedicated guide to home office gifts for moms, even if we have incorporated home office gifts for her throughout our other Mother's Day gift guides , and especially on Cool Mom Tech . But these days, with m…
For years, we've gotten plenty of pitches from publishers for countless children's books about holidays. And by holidays I mean, generally Christmas. But that's starting to change, and we're so thrilled to see more representation of all …
When it comes to creating empathy and developing a commitment to justice and respect in my children, I tend to turn toward good children's books . While we've recognized AAPI Heritage Month through children's books in the past, the recen…
If you know anything about me and my family, you might have guessed that we'd be marking our calendars for the launch of My Little Golden Book About Dolly Parton , which will be added to the Little Golden Book library this coming Septemb…
If you had'n't noticed, houseplants are having a real moment right now. I'm cracking up over friends who are naming their plants and calling themselves "plant parents." It's a serious obsession and considering the year we've had, I get t…
We have all been just devastated by the increase in hate crimes against the AAPI community . Even if you've avoided the horrific videos, from Atlanta to San Francisco to NYC, surely by now you've seen the #StopAsianHate social media post…
It's a clear, gorgeous 65-degree day here today, and it's the perfect opportunity for me to send my 10-year-old to the back porch with a copy of The Extraordinary Book that Eats Itself -- along with permission to do any of the fun eco-fr…
You know we often turn to books when we want to help our children through their struggles and feelings, and this month feels like the right time to share some excellent children's books on grief and loss. When I think back over the last …
Ready for a new shampoo that not only keeps your hair gorgeous but cuts back on all that bottle waste? Thanks to Liz's recommendation that I try out Green Ablutions Moroccan Argan Oil bar shampoo to see how it works, I think I've finally…
Readers, get excited! The 2021 ALA youth media awards have been announced, and it's time to update our reading lists! In case you're not fully in the book-nerd world like me, that means our 2021 Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King awa…
My kids and I were glued to the TV last Wednesday, watching history take place on Inauguration Day. We were sobered by the national guard presence, excited about the achievements of our new VP Kamala Harris , and just so totally and comp…
I don't think our annual roundup of the best children's books of 2020 could come at a better time. As we're heading into a winter of quarantining in 2021, my goal is to turn off the TV more and open up more books. This is my sixth year c…
At my house, we always start the new year with new board games found under our tree, and this year, it's included some really fun board games inspired by 80s movies. As we face the fact that there's a whole lot of winter to go (and stay-…
Each year, we put together the best planners for parents, and 2021 is no different. But after the year that was 2020, I have to admit I've hesitated longer than usual to take the plunge. What are we planning anyway? Will our calendars st…
Every year, we love to share our 10 most popular Cool Mom Picks posts. No surprise, there are lots of posts about Covid-19 here -- and we were glad we could help our readers out during such challenging times. But there are some surprises…
All year long, we adore sending subscription gifts for kids , which are always some of our favorites to give -- and also, happen to make perfect last minute gifts for birthdays, holidays, or other celebrations. Our kids love to receive b…
While we often share our favorite funny Christmas ornaments, we just had to share our favorite 2020 ornaments, specifically. I mean this country can't agree on much lately (sigh) but I think we can all agree, that it's been one crazy yea…
