Liz Gumbinner | 4/157 | Cool Mom Picks

Free printables for kindergarten: Sight word help, 12 ways | Back to School Guide

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, DIY

Finding all of these free sight word printables for kindergarten instantly brings me back to those sweet early days of school, sniff. Now that I have a middle schoolers and a brand new high schooler (OMG) I remember how scary it could be to send your kid off to...

Hot trend alert: 9 platform sneakers we love for fall!

by Liz Gumbinner | Fashion

While some trends we leave all to the kids, platform sneakers is one that I love and okay, so do my girls. It’s a way to get a little style into your comfortable footwear (or vice versa) and, if you’re not Kristen (ha), to get a little more height! If...

How to get your hands on the new Barbie x Star Wars dolls before they cost a schmillion Galactic Credits

by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings

The limited edition, totally collectible, geektastic collaboration between Barbie x Star Wars is coming soon, so start saving those Creds. Shipping exclusively from Amazon around November 18, you’ll find 3 Barbie figures, including Barbie R2-D2, Barbie Leia, and...

How much does the tooth fairy pay in your state? Here’s a surprising breakdown.

by Liz Gumbinner | Random Coolness

There’s one question universally asked by basically all parents once your kid gets old enough: How much does the tooth fairy pay these days anyway? So I’m fascinated by this chart that breaks down the average price per tooth paid by the tooth fairy in each...

No More Mean Girls: Cool Mom Picks Book Club Selection #8

by Liz Gumbinner | Book Club, Books for Adults

I’m particularly thrilled to reveal the next selection in the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club, because it’s been a book that’s been on my own must-read list too. For selection 8, I’ve chosen No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong,...

Who can be called a single mom? | Rachel Sklar, Spawned ep. 168

by Liz Gumbinner | Podcast

I think our listeners will find this is a slightly different kind of Spawned episode than usual. It’s a lot more personal for me than most of our interviews. It was a little tough in some ways. And above all, it was inspired by a listener. A few episodes, ago I...

There are so many great reading lists for kids: This one from the Florida DOE is not one of them.

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids, Thinking : Parent

Yesterday, one of my favorite contemporary authors, Angie Thomas, sent out a tweet that’s stuck with me all night and into this morning. It was a response to the Florida DOE Commissioner, Edward Corcoran, who launched a recommended reading list of...

This inspirational heroine poster supports classrooms in more way than one.

by Liz Gumbinner | Art + Decor, Doing Good

We all fell in love with artist Karen Hallion’s “She Series” empowered heroines poster last year, which featured some of our favorite fictional badass ladies (plus Eliza Hamilton). This week, she announced a brand new limited-edition poster in the...

Remembering Toni Morrison: Here’s her complete list of novels. Pick one up today.

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Adults, Thinking : Parent

The passing of Toni Morrison today at the age of 88 is a serious gut punch to me. I think a lot of writers — and readers — are feeling it in a very personal way. I was first introduced to the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize-winning author by my English Lit...

Naruto run to grab these Storm Area 51 meme shirts: The best designs, for all your conspiratorial fashion needs

by Liz Gumbinner | Fashion, For the Menfolk, Kid Fashion

If you have a teen, surely you know of their great hopes and dreams to storm Area 51 this coming September. The meme has taken hold, and I’m afraid I’m going to wake up one morning with a note from my kids saying, Gone to see them aliens. Took some money....