Kate Etue, Author at Cool Mom Picks

5 wonderful new books about spring for kids! YES, it’s finally here!

It’s spring! Or as this homeschool mom thinks of it, spring book season! So many of us are relieved to have made it through the brutal pandemic winter, and reap the rewards of longer days, warmer weather, outdoor grilling, maybe some backyard camping, and of...

Here are the 2021 Caldecott, Newbery and all the ALA book award winners. Time to update your reading list!

by Kate Etue | Books for Kids

Readers, get excited! The 2021 ALA youth media awards have been announced, and it’s time to update our reading lists! In case you’re not fully in the book-nerd world like me, that means our 2021 Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King awards and more have...

A free lesson plan about Amanda Gorman’s inauguration poem will make for some great dinner table conversation tonight.

by Kate Etue | Thinking : Parent

My kids and I were glued to the TV last Wednesday, watching history take place on Inauguration Day. We were sobered by the national guard presence, excited about the achievements of our new VP Kamala Harris, and just so totally and completely relieved to see President...

The best children’s books of 2020: All the award winners to read with your kids in 2021.

by Kate Etue | Books for Kids

I don’t think our annual roundup of the best children’s books of 2020 could come at a better time. As we’re heading into a winter of quarantining in 2021, my goal is to turn off the TV more and open up more books. This is my sixth year compiling all...

Gen Xers! We found 7 fun 80s movie-themed board games that are totally excellent

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

At my house, we always start the new year with new board games found under our tree, and this year, it’s included some really fun board games inspired by 80s movies. As we face the fact that there’s a whole lot of winter to go (and stay-at-home orders and...

Our picks for the best 2021 planners for every type of parent. Which one are you?

by Kate Etue | Storage + Organization

Each year, we put together the best planners for parents, and 2021 is no different. But after the year that was 2020, I have to admit I’ve hesitated longer than usual to take the plunge. What are we planning anyway? Will our calendars start to fill again? Do we...

New Year’s Eve at home with the kids: These 13 festive (and easy!) ideas can make the night memorable.

by Kate Etue | Party Ideas, Tips + Tricks

New Year’s Eve at home with the kids isn’t a new idea for this year. In general, New Year’s Eve parties for parents are more about trying our very best to stay up till midnight (though 10 PM is more like it) and drinking sparkling cider with our kids...

The top 10 most popular Cool Mom Picks posts of 2020

by Kate Etue | Editors Best of the Year

Every year, we love to share our 10 most popular Cool Mom Picks posts. No surprise, there are lots of posts about Covid-19 here — and we were glad we could help our readers out during such challenging times. But there are some surprises here too. If you’re...

The best subscription gifts for kids this year: 40+ ideas for every age, and every interest

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks, Kids, 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...

Funny 2020 ornaments that celebrate a weird year, from Dr. Fauci to Savage, toilet paper to Schitt’s Creek.

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks

While we often share our favorite funny Christmas ornaments, we just had to share our favorite 2020 ornaments, specifically. I mean this country can’t agree on much lately (sigh) but I think we can all agree, that it’s been one crazy year. In the alleged...

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.