What to see and do (and eat!) with teens in Boston…in the winter. Yes, the winter.
Winter in Boston with the family may sound…well, cold. It ‘s true that the sun sets earlier, and you have to bundle up when you go out, because, New England! Even so, Boston an excellent city for a getaway with teens any time, and that includes winter....
Insider tips for your Nickelodeon Resort Punta Cana vacation: How to get the most out of your trip
Last year, I was invited to visit the Nickelodeon all-inclusive Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana on a press junket. The truth is, I hesitated a bit. I tend to be a more intrepid traveler, though I do love the convenience of all-inclusive beach resorts for family...
Summer Discovery: A summer enrichment program for middle schoolers that’s tween approved
This post was written in partnership with Summer Discovery This past summer, my 12-year old son mentioned to me that he was finally ready for sleepaway camp, but knowing him, I wasn’t sure the traditional sleep-in-a-cabin type experience was right for him....
Ireland with kids: Great tips and secret spots from our 4-day adventure on the Wild Atlantic Way
This past summer, we spent four days of our British family vacation in Ireland. Because our trip was centered around a trip to London, we still wanted to experience all the green beauty and nature of Ireland that we could in a few days. So instead of heading to...
London with teens: 12 things to see and do with your older kids
This summer, I spent 4 glorious days in London with my teens (and tweens). I was so excited to share one of my favorite cities with my kids. But traveling as an adult to London is way different than bringing kids, which is why I did a ton of research and a whole lot...
15 things to pack for your next trip to Disney World that make the difference between enjoyment and survival.
My family recently returned from our fourth trip to Disney World (thanks to a very generous grandmother), and I’ve finally figured out those BTDT pro-tips for a successful Disney vacation. For me, it starts with packing the right items. And, knowing what to...
What to do in San Diego with Teens: Tips for a cool getaway
Teens can be picky, and I don’t have the easiest teenagers myself. So on a recent long weekend getaway in San Diego, I planned out our days carefully with them in mind and hooray, it worked! Planning is the key to a good family vacation with teens. Especially when you...
These expert tips could help save you money on your next vacation | Spawned Ep 163
With summer travel season in full swing, it’s the perfect time to hit the road, or, if you’re working ahead, get your holiday travel all planned and booked. There are definitely tricks that can help you save money, from booking your flights on specific...
Paris with teens: 8 of our favorite off-the-beaten-path attractions and activities
Our family of four with two teenagers recently returned from a five-day trip to Paris. While we did hit most of the major attractions — the Louvre, Notre Dame, Versailles, and of course the Eiffel Tower — we also found some fun, less touristy places to...
The National Parks Junior Ranger Program is a brilliant and easy way to get kids excited about your next family vacation
If you’re planning a family trip to one of our amazing national parks this summer, I want to recommend that you schedule some time to let your kids take part in the National Parks Junior Ranger program. This is a wonderful educational program that helps kids...
Tips for travel with tweens and teens: More fun, fewer eyerolls | Spawned ep 152
We are big advocates of travel with tweens and teens as you know. And now that we have older kids of our own — and have a new travel contributor focusing on teen travel — we thought we’d cover some great tips for parents who travel with older kids,...Father’s Day is Coming!
Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
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).
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Covid Support + Quarantine Help for Families
* Our complete Covid-19 and quarantine archives
* Expert tips for talking to your kids. Very reassuring!
* Helping teens who are struggling
* Quarantine birthday party ideas
* Fun ways to celebrate your graduate
* Board games to play over Zoom or Facetime
* Pantry-stocking tips from someone who's trained her whole life for this
* Meal planning tips during quarantine to stretch your budget and your time
* The best ways to clean and disinfect your phones and gadgets
* 10 books to help our kids + teens cope with anxiety
* Safety tips for ordering take-out and delivery
* 15 awesome podcasts to keep kids engaged
* Simple ways to connect with our own moms and grandmas when we're apart
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