Cool Mom Staff, Author at Cool Mom Picks

So about those gender reveal parties… and other things parents need to know about gender stereotypes | Spawned Ep 217

With gender reveal parties on our minds these days, we were so glad to chat with author Lisa Selin Davis about gender stereotypes and what parents need to do to start to changing them, all of which she talks about in her new book, Tomboy: The Surprising History and...

Math just got a whole lot easier (and less stressful) with Photomath | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech CMP-Style

This is a sponsored message for Photomath As so many parents put on their teacher or learning coach hats this fall to help their children, they have to be ready for whatever questions that might be thrown at them. That’s why they all need the free Photomath app...

What we can do to support our teens through a school year like no other. | Spawned ep 216

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

After reading author and psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour‘s NY Times article, The 2020 Back to School List for Teens’ Emotional Well-Being we just knew we had to talk to her about it. Her premise: kids need some emotional “supplies” that have...

What we get wrong about kids and tech: The interview that blew our minds | Spawned ep 214

by Cool Mom Staff | Books for Adults, Podcast

While we love all of our Spawned guests, there are some interviews that truly reshape our views on parenting. That’s just how we feel about this chat with global education expert Jordan Shapiro, author of the acclaimed international best-seller, The New...

This website makes reading and writing absolutely magical for kids — and the parents trying to help. | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech CMP-Style, Toys + Playthings

This is a sponsored message from Night Zookeeper As millions of parents prepare for a school year that won’t look like any other school year, this is a good time to line up the educational apps and websites to help engage your kids in core subjects. If their...

Here’s one way to stress less, especially with back to school

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech CMP-Style

Considering our own stress levels are pretty much through the roof right now, we know we’re probably not alone. Trying to juggle all the challenges we’re facing is no easy task, but even some of the smaller things, like just heading out the door, has...

Making the most of your time when time has no meaning | Spawned Ep 212

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast, Tips + Tricks

These days, it’s like we blink and it’s dinner time and we think, “what the heck happened to this day?” As we looked around our feeds to see what else parents are discussing — you know, beyond school, school and school — turns out...

Should you send your kids back to school? Find guidance from these 14 considerations parents are talking about | Spawned ep 211

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

This week on the Spawned Parenting podcast we knew there was only one topic we could possibly cover: Sending our kids back to school. It seems to be all any parent is talking about, online, offline, in community groups, and over Zoom cocktails. To cut to the chic:...

Scrambling for summer activities? These fun, affordable online coding camps for kids just got even more affordable.

by Cool Mom Staff | Entertainment + Media, Kids

This is a sponsored message from Coding with Kids With all the gaming kids are doing this summer, it’s pretty cool that there’s a way parents can help turn their love for say, Roblox or Minecraft, into an educational STEM opportunity — all at an...

Kids and birthdays in the age of Covid: The loss is real. | Spawned Ep 210

by Cool Mom Staff | Party Ideas, Podcast

One of our most popular posts of the past few months has been this list of social distancing birthday ideas for kids during COVID-19. And the more it’s been clear that Covid isn’t just a few-weeks-and-it’s-over-kind of thing, we’re now at the...

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds.

Trivia: It was called Cool Mom Sh*t for the first two days. (Yeah, we rethought that.)

We had no idea our site would grow to become a major lifestyle network, that we'd end up sharing our finds with the TODAY Show and Martha Stewart, that we'd be able to make a real difference for so many small businesses and women-run companies, or that we'd end up with an incredible community of the coolest readers on the planet. (If we do say so ourselves).

We did.

And we still love what we do every single day.

We're so glad you're here.