The best Black Friday Deals of 2021: From the big stores to small shops and indie makers
Each year we share the best Black Friday deals online to help you manage your time, your budget, and get back to family faster. This year is no different, as we share the best Black Friday deals 2021 from big stores and brands along with the small businesses we love....
This may be the most fun way to help kids improve their reading + writing skills
This is a sponsored message from Night Zookeeper Over the past couple of years, parents have really seen the value of educational apps and websites to help engage our kids in core subjects. If their excitement for reading and writing could use a little nudge, Night...
If you have stinky teens, pets, car seats, or other things you can’t just toss in the wash, here’s help | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from FunkAway You may not be familiar with FunkAway but when you learn what it does, you’ll be singing its praises. Funkaway is an extreme odor eliminator, beloved by users across the US, from parents to actual Ninja Warriors. Unlike...
Answering parents top questions about the Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5-11 | Spawned Ep 260
While some of us (including Kristen and myself) are rejoicing about the approval of the Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5-11, we know that a lot of parents still have questions. As you should! This is our kids we’re talking about, and as parents, we research...
Here’s a wow: This browser extension gets you free purchase protection for the things you buy online
This is a sponsored message for Mulberry ‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, and that also means holiday savings. At least if you’re savvy. That’s where Mulberry comes in. Download the free Mulberry browser extension from Chrome, and for 12 entire...
Celebrating Diwali in a country that hardly knows it exists
Diwali. Being the light we share. Guest contributor: Nirasha Kumar Growing up as a minority in South Africa, living under an Apartheid regime, I was forced to live only with people who looked like me, That meant that for me, the spirit of Diwali was merely going along...
Jenny Lawson on depression, anxiety and why we have to talk about it | Spawned Episode 255
We can’t believe after all these episodes of Spawned, we’ve never had the chance to chat with Jenny Lawson. A.K.A. The Bloggess. A.K.A. the best-selling author. A.K.A. new indie bookshop owner. A.K.A. the woman who first left a comment on Liz’s blog...
Why it’s important to talk to your kids about religion (even if you’re not religious): 3 books to help guide your conversation
As a full-time religious studies professor for the past fifteen years, I’ve lost track of how many fellow parents have asked for recommendations when their kids started asking questions about religion. While evangelical Christians and other religious “insiders” tend...
How to be a compassionate parent of LGBTQ kids | Spawned Episode 254
If you have questions about parenting LGBTQ+ kids, wow do we have the answers, thanks to the absolutely delightful Kristin Russo, author of This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids. If you know her — or her terrific book, or popular podcast about Buffy the Vampire...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
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 still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.
50 screen-free summer activities for kids
Summer camp care package ideas
Support for Ukraine
Our Podcast. (It’s won awards and everything!)
The Best Gifts for Kids by Age
Best Baby Gifts of the Year
Tech Tips for Parents
