Kate Etue | Cool Mom Picks

Adoptive parents: These are the forms you need to ensure your adopted child’s US immigration status is safe.

As an adoptive parent, the recent ICE raids have left me more than a little uneasy. Across almost all the adoption boards I’m on, in any social media channel, I’m seeing parents ask what documents they need to ensure their child’s adoption status is...

The new bag collection from JuJuBe x Harry Potter is magical

by Kate Etue | Baby, Handbags, Kid Fashion, School Gear

If you’d rather be heading back to Hogwarts than your actual school this fall, then you’ll want to see these magical new bags, totes diaper bags, and accessories from JuJuBe + Harry Potter. We’re excited to be one of the first to give you a look at...

7 time-saving hacks that are back-to-school lifesavers for parents | Back to School Guide 2019

by Kate Etue | Back to School Shopping, DIY, School Gear, Tips + Tricks

You know, our 2019 Back to School Guide may feature the coolest new gear, but it’s also got lots of helpful tips for you, parents! Like the best school year planners to keep you organized. And today, time-saving hacks that we all could use. After all, back to...

Back-to-school trend alert! 5 tie-dye sneakers we love for kids.

by Kate Etue | Back to School Shopping, Kid Fashion

I feel like I’ve seen a lot of the same-old sneaker trends recently — florals and metallics are back. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. But this year, when we all started to see lots of tie-dye sneakers for our older kids, we got kind of...

Worldgirls Dolls are here to help girls embrace their inner power. Yes!

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

If you’re like me, you might be struggling to find a meaningful, inspiring doll choice for your kids on the shelves of the toy aisle in your closest big box store. But when I heard about the new collection of Worldgirls dolls, I got excited. This is the kind of...

7 great Kindergarten printables for an awesome first year at school, most of them free | Back to School Guide 2019

by Kate Etue | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

Heading to Kindergarten for the first time is a huge milestone, and we’ve found some great printables that help make things more fun, more organized, and even more safe for our kids. Hope they help you parents out. And maybe save you a few bucks to spend on that...

5 smart and easy tips for your first backyard campout with the kids.

by Kate Etue | Tips + Tricks

We’ve still got a lot of summer left for camping out with the kids! If you love the idea, but you’re not sure you’re ready to head out into the wilderness with the family just yet, a backyard campout is a great place to start. If it goes wrong...

We tried making Amazon returns at Kohl’s (yes, Kohl’s) and here’s how it works.

by Kate Etue | Helpful Services, Tips + Tricks

Returning items purchased from Amazon has never been all that hard, so when I heard you can now make Amazon returns at Kohl’s I was kind of thinking, Why? But then I realized, getting to the post office or repackaging a return if you don’t have supplies on...

What to say to a grieving parent, and what to never say: Tips from moms who have been there.

by Kate Etue | Doing Good, Tips + Tricks

Did you know July is National Bereaved Parents Month? Truly, it’s an awful kind of a thing to have to recognize, but I’m so glad for it. For parents who have gone through this horrible tragedy, a dedicated time that more people can recognize their pain and...

The best 2019-20 school year planners for every type of parent | Back to School Guide 2019

by Kate Etue | Back to School Shopping, School Gear, Storage + Organization

If you’re going to plan for back to school, it makes sense to look for the best 2019-20 school year planner to help you…plan. So next up in our 2019 Back to School Shopping Guide, we’ve put together our favorites, no matter what kind of planning you...

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, easier, more organized, 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).

But we did.

And we still love what we do every single day.

We're so glad you're here.