This may be the most fun way to help kids improve their reading + writing skills
This is a sponsored message from Night Zookeeper Over the past couple of years, parents have really seen the value of educational apps and websites to help engage our kids in core subjects. If their excitement for reading and writing could use a little nudge, Night...
Answering parents top questions about the Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5-11 | Spawned Ep 260
While some of us (including Kristen and myself) are rejoicing about the approval of the Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5-11, we know that a lot of parents still have questions. As you should! This is our kids we’re talking about, and as parents, we research...
The top 10 hot holiday toys and games in 2021 to grab before they sell out | Holiday Gift Guide
Each year, there are zillions of lists out there of the hot holiday toys and games for the year. And each year, I kind of wonder how they came to that list. (Sorry, I’m picky!) So I thought that this year, I’d put together my own list to help you out. Here...
Handmade play food for kids: 10 of the most adorable shops on Etsy
Kids love playing with real food in the real kitchen, which usually makes…a real mess. To cut down on some of the flour-all-over-the-floor-itis that comes with kids’ cooking, I found some of the cutest play food makers on Etsy. Their creations are so...
Spectacular Sisters is the perfect gift for a favorite sister in your life
As one of three sisters, I was naturally excited to get my hands on Spectacular Sisters: Amazing Stories of Ssters from Around the World, by Aura Lewis. I’ve been having so much fun revisiting some of my favorite sister stories, while also learning about some...
VOTE: The puzzle
Now that more of us know that voting isn’t just something we talk about on Election Day, and certainly not just every four years, I think this new women VOTE puzzle is the most wonderful gift for a civic-minded friend. Officially titled “Women Will Decide” (catch that...
Barbie’s Inspiring Women collection of dolls make the best gifts. (And not just for girls)
I want to be cynical, because you know, Barbie, but something moves me about the new Barbie Inspiring Women set of collector’s dolls that I stumbled on last night as I browsed the Target site. To think that in my childhood, Barbie was…well, Barbie, and now...
Why it’s important to talk to your kids about religion (even if you’re not religious): 3 books to help guide your conversation
As a full-time religious studies professor for the past fifteen years, I’ve lost track of how many fellow parents have asked for recommendations when their kids started asking questions about religion. While evangelical Christians and other religious “insiders” tend...
12 awesome kids and baby Halloween costumes made with pajamas. Comfy, easy and cool.
For years, I’ve had tons of fun using plain pajama sets — like the ones you can find at Primary or Hanna Andersson — as the base for my kids’ Halloween costumes. With some head-to-toe monochromatic pajamas, all I’ve had to do is add some...
Chance Basketballs give every move on the court more style. But that’s not all they do.
Looking for a fabulous gift for an athletic kid this year? I’ve got you! Whether your teen can hit a three-point shot from half court, or your grade schooler is still trying to fling the ball high enough to touch the net, the next Lebron James or Sue Bird will...
Want to win $1000 cash? Or gift cards? One of our readers will this week and it might as well be you.
So here’s something amazing — a Cool Mom Picks reader, and only a Cool Mom Picks reader (or social media follower or email subscriber) is going to win $1000 by the end of the week. Right now you’re thinking…wha-aaa? So let’s back up a...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).
We still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.
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