Around the House - Cool Mom Picks

How to get your hands on iconic photos + paintings to support equity for Black artists. We can’t pick a favorite!

by Liz Gumbinner | Art + Decor, Doing Good

By now, I think our readers are aware that that creating more equity and representation for Black Americans across every industry is one of the most impactful ways to dismantle racist systems. So as a fan of original rock portraits — and of organizations that...

Setting up a study space at home for distance learning or homeschool: How to make it one your kid will actually use

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, Kids' Furniture, School Gear, Storage + Organization, Tips + Tricks

Right now, so many parents are trying to figure out how to set up a study space at home for the kids because hey! 2020! Whether your kids are going to be doing distance learning with their school, or homeschooling — maybe for the first time — I can only...

These 5 awesome Etsy houseplant shops are perfect pandemic pick-me-ups

by Caroline Siegrist | Art + Decor

We’ve all picked up new hobbies during quarantine, and mine has been buying and potting houseplants on Etsy. I lead an exciting life, what can I say. But while I’m at home so much of the time, surrounding myself with these little reminders of growth and...

What we get wrong about kids and tech: The interview that blew our minds | Spawned ep 214

by Cool Mom Staff | Books for Adults, Podcast

While we love all of our Spawned guests, there are some interviews that truly reshape our views on parenting. That’s just how we feel about this chat with global education expert Jordan Shapiro, author of the acclaimed international best-seller, The New...

For just $15, you can send little boxes of joy to the people you’re missing

by Christina Refford | Cards + Stationery

As we enter the hundredth or so month of this COVID-19 craziness, I have been thinking so much about all the far-away friends and family I’m missing this summer: The nieces and nephews I cannot hug. The great aunt I won’t see down the Jersey Shore. The...

4 funny novels for summer giving us the comic relief we desperately need right now

by Kate Etue | Books for Adults

I don’t know about you, but I’m either needing to project my primal scream into Iceland or get a really good, belly-aching laugh in with a funny new summer novel. We’re in the final stretch of summer at my house before school starts (whatever that...

Transparent face masks: They’re coming, and we’re ready!

by Liz Gumbinner | Living, Tech CMP-Style

I’m so thrilled to see all the transparent faces masks that are starting to come out, especially considering the incredible technology some of them are delivering. For background, I am one of those WEAR YOUR MASK, PEOPLE! people, passionately and without...

The GenX midlife crisis: It’s real, you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault. | Spawned Ep 207

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Adults, Podcast

This week on Spawned, I have a fantastic, encouraging conversation with Ada Calhoun, prolific author and writer, who’s always got her finger on the pulse of culture. Her latest book, Why We Can’t Sleep: Women’s New Midlife Crisis (from Amazon,...

7 awesome Father’s Day gifts that support indie bookstores | Father’s Day Gifts 2020

by Caroline Siegrist | Books for Adults, Father's Day Gifts, For the Menfolk

Next up in our Father’s Day Gift Guide Pandemic Edition ™ , we’re sharing Father’s Day gifts that support indie bookstores. Because investing in our local brick-and-mortar bookshops now, means they’ll still be around when it’s safe to...

The perfect graduation card for the Class of 2020

by Liz Gumbinner | Cards + Stationery

Whether you need a graduation card to honor a high school senior, a college student, or maybe even a middle schooler, things are…a little different in 2020. While Christina has shared some amazing ways to honor your 2020 graduate during Covid-19, there’s...

We’ve got 5 eco-friendly paper towel alternatives to help you make the switch at the perfect time.

by Caroline Siegrist | Kitchen + Dining, Tips + Tricks

I’ve been meaning to wean our family off paper towels for years, and this quarantine is finally giving the push that I need. Thanks, empty paper towel shelves at Kroger! So I’ve been chatting with eco-conscious friends and colleagues about favorite paper...

This browser extension helps you save money at thousands of online shops while you do…nothing.

by Cool Mom Staff | Living

This is a sponsored message from WikiBuy Wikibuy compensates us when you get the Wikibuy extension using the links provided These days, we’re all shopping online, and we’re all looking for great prices on anything we buy. That’s why Wikibuy is such...

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 did.

And we still love what we do every single day.

We're so glad you're here.