Cool Mom Staff, Author at Cool Mom Picks

A cool Father’s Day gift idea that celebrates the dad in your life, all year long.

We love the idea of gifts that keep on giving, long after the celebration is over, which is why we’re so fond of photo gifts for Father’s Day. Sure, it’s not golf t-shirt or pair of cufflinks (no offense to either, of course), but we think...

So… about that whole mental load thing. A chat with Fair Play author Eve Rodsky | Spawned Episode 240

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

If you’re like, “oh hey, how did Kristen and Liz get a photo of me?” you need this. The issue of division of labor and mental load are not new problems in relationships, but the pandemic has certainly exacerbated them. There’s been no shortage...

Why parents need a little escape right now (and a little something to help with that)

by Cool Mom Staff | Entertainment + Media

Even though we’re starting to dip our toe in a bit of normalcy these days – with kids in school and the world opening up a bit more – the idea of getting a little respite from the daily grind still sounds magical. We’ve all done our best to...

7 outstanding high school or college graduate gift books: On stepping into the arena, dreaming with eyes wide open, and professional troublemaking (in the best possible way)

by Cool Mom Staff | Books for Adults, Books for Kids, Thinking : Parent

When my daughter graduated from high school five years ago, the headmaster gifted each graduating senior a book with a personal message inside. Her class received Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. The following year, my niece’s...

5 messages about your relationship that high school graduates need to know, before they leave home

by Cool Mom Staff | Art + Decor

With my almost 17-year old graduating from high school this summer (WHAT?), I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the things she needs to know before she leaves. Suddenly, I’ve got an urgency to make sure she remembers how to boil an egg or hang...

Taking the stress out of the college application process | Spawned Ep 237

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

It’s kind of crazy to think we started this site writing about cool swaddles and baby carriers, and now we’re thinking about…college applications. (Insert sobbing emoji x 100000.) And yes, it’s stressful. So we turned to one of the most...

Loads of last-minute Mother’s Day gifts she’ll love. There’s still time!

by Cool Mom Staff | Mother's Day Gifts

If you haven’t secured the perfect Mother’s Day gift yet, rest easy. Okay, not that easy, because it’s literally just a few days away. But if you hustle, we can still help you out with these awesome last-minute gifts that don’t feel improvised...

3 cool ways to turn memories into art for Mother’s Day

by Cool Mom Staff | Tips + Tricks

As moms ourselves, we can say that photos gifts for Mother’s Day are one of our favorite gift ideas, especially these days when so many of the pics of our kids (and with our kids) are sitting on our phones or hard drives. That’s why we’re so excited...

Empowering tweens and teens with books, with author Helena Dahlgren | Spawned Episode 235

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

By now, you know that we’re pretty big book fans here at Cool Mom Picks, so we always jump at the chance to talk about them, and to their authors. This time, we’re so thrilled to chat with an author of books for older kids like ours, and ones that have...

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 still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.