Liz Gumbinner, Author at Cool Mom Picks

Illustoria is the perfect gift for your favorite thinking kid.

As the holidays get closer and our annual search for off-the-beaten path gifs for kids gets more intense, I’m so delighted to recommend a subscription to Illustoria. A magazine “for creative kids and their grownups,” it makes an amazing gift for kids...

11 top-rated veterans organizations offering everything from adaptive housing to service dogs to support exclusively for women

by Liz Gumbinner | Doing Good

I actually moaned when I saw an ad on TV this weekend that said something like, our veterans fought hard for our country, and now we’re fighting hard to bring you these great deals at our annual Veteran’s Day sale… I mean, are you kidding me? I love...

5 incredible deals on hot toys at Zulily right now. The holidays are coming!

by Liz Gumbinner | Holiday Picks, Toys + Playthings

If you’re looking to get a head start on holiday shopping — especially toys for all those kids on your list — you can score some truly fantastic deals right now thanks to our partner Zulily. And I can help! This parent-fave online retailer launches...

These 8 single-use products are going away in our lifetimes. Here are alternatives that make switching easy.

by Liz Gumbinner | Doing Good, Living

I love that increasingly, so many of us are trying to be more mindful with our product purchases, opting for eco-friendly reusable products instead of wasteful single-use alternatives. It doesn’t just make good earth sense, it makes good budget sense. Besides,...

Last-minute Halloween crafts, printables, pumpkin decorating, and party activities to keep the whole week fun.

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY, Holiday Picks

If it’s not clear by now, we loooove Halloween around here! And if you need some ideas for party activities on Halloween night, or fun printables and craft ideas to keep the kids out of the candy stash for a few more days, take a look at these terrific ideas...

Long belted shirtdresses: 5 favorites you’ll want to live in this fall and winter.

by Liz Gumbinner | Fashion

This past week, I made a rare impulse clothing purchase: a gorgeous, long belted shirt dress from Uli Herzner that I spotted at a Chelsea Market pop-up. I’ve admired her work ever since she made it to the S3 fashion show on Project Runway, and I’m so...

The affordable, life-saving, NO FREAKING SNAPS baby pajamas our readers swear by

by Liz Gumbinner | Baby

Last week, we shared the hilarious, if painfully relatable new mom complaint about snap-up baby pajamas, thanks to comedy writer (Jimmy Kimmel!), humorist (the New Yorker) and author of Nobody Will Tell You This But Me, Bess Kalb. Seriously, she’s one of my...

These hand-knit animal scarves require no food, no water, but lots of love.

by Liz Gumbinner | Fashion, Kid Fashion

While a real pet requires food, water, and responsibility, the phenomenal hand-knitted animals scarves from Dutch Etsy artist Nina Fuehrer require…well, just enough responsibility that they come home with your kids at the end of the day. At a recent Etsy holiday...

11 new cookbooks parents should pick up now, from Suzy Chase of Cookery by the book

by Liz Gumbinner | Food + Recipes, Podcast

Cookbooks aren’t just about recipes — they open us up to new perspectives, new cultures, new ways of thinking about food. They can be funny, quirky or heartfelt., and they can even make our lives richer — both at mealtime and beyond. Whether...

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).