Kate Etue | Cool Mom Picks

7 of the best free printable 2020 calendars to suit any taste. And yes, we said free!

by Kate Etue | DIY, Storage + Organization

2020 is already underway., and normally we’d have shared our annual list of our favorite printable calendars with you for the year. But with some of our kids back in school late this year, combined with and some of the recent stories on the news, we may be a...

The best children’s books of 2019 to read in 2020: All the lists in one convenient place.

by Kate Etue | Books for Kids

It’s time to make your 2020 reading list! This is our fifth year to round up all the year’s best-of lists of children’s books, all in one convenient place for you, so you can have quick access to dozens of ideas when you’re at the bookstore or...

8 thoughtful tips if you’re hosting kids with special needs for the holidays

by Kate Etue | Thinking : Parent, Tips + Tricks

Nothing gets me emotional quite like the Folger’s coffee holiday commercial, with the sentimental mother-son reunion at 5:30 AM over a cup of coffee. (I’m not joking, I cry every time.) But that’s not quite most people’s reality when we travel...

The best subscription gifts for kids this year: There’s one for every age, and every interest

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks, Toys + Playthings

It’s final countdown to the holidays, which means last-minute gift ideas, which means subscription gifts for kids, which are always some of our favorites to give — last minute or not! Wwe know from experience that our kids love to receive boxes in the...

9 creative, healing, self-care gift ideas that go beyond bath salts and chocolates

by Kate Etue | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing, Holiday Picks

Kristen and Liz have talked a lot about self-care and how important it is for parents on their Spawned parenting podcast. I know it’s a big issue for me, and for lots of us. Parenting culture seems to push and push us to do more and more, until...

Make a gratitude garland: a simple craft to help our kids be more thankful (and thoughtful) this holiday season

by Kate Etue | DIY

Being thankful and expressing gratitude always shifts our own mindset in a positive direction, especially over the holidays, so my family came up with a new tradition we’re excited about: a gratitude garland! I was inspired by my neighbor’s beautiful paper...

A special needs mom shares 4 great toys for kids with cognitive disabilities.

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

With the holidays coming up, grandparents and friends are naturally asking for ideas for gifts for the kids, but when you are shopping for toys for kids with cognitive disabilities, it can make the gifting a little more challenging. For my daughter, play time is also...

17 wonderful (and affordable!) personalized holiday gifts you can still get in time for Christmas.

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks

Personalized gifts have always been some of our favorites, but finding affordable personalized holiday gifts — well, we really love a challenge. So we’ve found more than a dozen for you all, to help you select something extra-thoughtful for anyone on your...

Nike nurses’ shoes honor everyday heroes working in medicine and healthcare.

by Kate Etue | Doing Good, Fashion

Sometimes the best way to appreciate the work someone does is simply to recognize it. Which is why all of us were so thrilled to come across the new Nike Zoom Pulse. People are calling them “Nike nurses’ shoes,” because it’s their first shoe...

This monthly earring club for kids will also come to your house and pierce their ears. Whoa.

by Kate Etue | Kid Fashion

I am so excited about the concept behind Rowan, an ear-piercing service and monthly earring club subscription for kids. Because it’s not just really fun, but truly useful. I’m a huge fan of subscription boxes in general to help build my kids’...