Little kid backpacks without the bells and whistles

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

I’ve learned that as my kids get older, they will have plenty of time to use their decked out backpacks with the 400 pockets and zippers. And I’ll have lots of chances to clean them out. But for my little preschooler, I’m digging the new simple...

Because no one ever compliments you on that cute Ziploc.

by Delilah S. Dawson | School Gear

My job as a parent has always been playing defense, which is why I’m the one who slathers the family in SPF 50, sorts the recycling, and saves fifty cents on black beans with a coupon. My favorite strategy these days is reusing bags, and my favorite reusable...

These will make your lunch

by Barbara | School Gear

Packing kid lunches is one of my least favorite things; rummaging for useable plastic food containers and matching them to lids that have migrated between several shelves (yes, plural. In my house, it’s an Issue) is a misery. And I’m about to start...

Little Packrats – Now for your big, er, packrats

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

We’ve long adored the cute, unique little kid backpacks from Little Packrats (now PVC-free, by the way!), but now that some of our little kids are turning into big kids, we’re glad that they’ve added some new bags just for them. The new bigger bags...

Some like it hot, some like it cold

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

We’re lunch packers around my house, but when there’s no microwave to heat up anything, it makes it challenging to pack the hot lunch my daughter would beg for. Too bad we didn’t have new Crocodile Creek insulated food jars, now at mom-run boutique...

Random acts of stainless steel bottle beauty from Earthlust

by Delilah S. Dawson | Baby, School Gear

Sure, my husband is happy with his solid blue, no-name water bottle. But he also eats the exact same ham sandwich every day and owns an endless army of white socks. Me, I want my environmentally conscious, BPA-free water bottle to be as colorful and artistic as the...

The British lunch bag invasion

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

I can’t believe I’m already looking at back to school items for my kids, but that I am. So I checked in to see if last year’s CMP find, Dabbawalla Bags, was doing anything new for 2010. And that they are. Good stuff too! I adore this Union Jack lunch...

Children’s backpacks aren’t just for back to school

by Cool Mom Team | Baby, School Gear

We’re huge fans of the Dante Beatrix backpacks for almost too many reasons to mention–the eco-friendly materials, the perfect toddler sizing, the adorable designs. How’s that for a start?Now the company is simply named Beatrix NY. And to celebrate...

Snack, wash, dry, repeat

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

I’ll never be the eco-mama who reuses plastic wrap or gives up the soft toilet paper for the stuff that feels like newspaper. Mostly I look for small changes I can live with, and one of those has been cutting down on my reliance on disposable plastic snack bags....

Crumpler does kids’ backpacks and cool moms everywhere go Yay!

by Mir | School Gear

You probably already know Crumpler for their sturdy, stylish bags for adults. Or at least you should. But now they’ve gone and shrunk two of their favorites down to kid-size and it’s definitely worth a look.The Baby Pea preschool backpack is for the...

Yubo – The BPA free lunchbox that practically packs itself

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

Now’s the time in the school year that moms are figuring out whether that cool lunchbox you bought for your kid actually does the trick, or whether it was more cute than functional. Luckily, I fared pretty well (thanks Cool Mom Picks – heh), but if you...

Lunch totes so cool you’ll keep them for your very own

by Susan | School Gear

There are all sorts of good reasons to pack a lunch instead of grabbing one on the go. The downside, of course, is the packaging; paper bags are wasteful but most reusable lunch bags are, well, ugly. Or designed for third graders. Or both.Spring Los Angeles has the...