Shinzi Katoh bento boxes get me more excited to pack my kids’ lunches. And that’s saying something.

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

I know every week lately, one of us shows up here saying OMG I found the cutest lunchbox EVER, but I think I may have just topped them all with the Shinzi Katoh Japanese bento boxes for kids.Spotted at the adorable e-boutique My Sweet Muffin, each bento box features...

The hottest preschool backpacks for back to school

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

Still looking for the perfect backpack for your preschooler? You’re in luck. Because recently, CMP editor Liz Gumbinner taped a segment for BetterTV on some of the cutest backpacks for younger kids headed to preschool and kindergarten. Our picks, and all of them...

CMP Does Etsy: Not your everyday pencil cases (But maybe they should be)

by Leah | School Gear

We’re so excited to bring you the first of our new weekly Etsy round-ups. Tune in every Wednesday for more delicious handmade goodness. Everyone knows that when you go back to school, it is IMPERATIVE to have the coolest stuff. (Although I believe I had Holly...

Pencil cases for the bookish

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

I was clicking around etsy this past weekend and discovered this adorable handmade girls’ pencil case that I love for so many reasons. The illustration is beyond precious of course, but the I Heart Books slogan is really the kicker. It comes courtesy of...

Packing school lunches gets more fun. And more eco-friendly.

by Susan | School Gear

I pack school lunches for my kids every day. I don’t mind actually making the lunches; it’s the packaging that gets me, all those little plastic bags bound for the trash, stored in a garish character tie-in lunchbox. That part is depressing.CMP has brought...

Backpacks and lunch boxes and monograms oh my.

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

So okay, we’ve been fawning over Dante Beatrix way too much lately. First it was their fabulous eco-backpacks made out of 100% recycled bottles which now come in little kid sizes. Then it was their adorable wheelie bags for kids. Next up it was their super cute...

Eco-friendly lunches are in the bag

by Betsy | School Gear

I don’t even want to think about how many plastic sandwich bags I go through a month. Every day my son takes at least two or three in his lunch bag, and I’ve felt it’s either use a disposable sandwich bag or buy the much more expensive pre-packaged...

Recession shopping tip: Last season it was new, this season it’s a sale

by Mir | School Gear

If you’ve been known to lust after designer backpacks and dream of sending your kid back to school in impeccable style, but can’t quite bring yourself to face the designer price tag, I have some great news. Now’s a great time to buy those gorgeous...

The reinvention of the lunchbox

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

Who knew, back when we were kids that there would be a lunchbox alternative besides those little metal numbers with the latch, the wobbly handle, and, if you were me, an illustration of the Partridge Family on the front. The contemporary new Oots Lunchbox is a really...

The original eco friendly lunch box gets an update with Laptop Lunches 2.0

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

Can I mention that I’m sort of freaking out about this whole packing a lunch in an actual lunch box thing, which is completely silly because it’s just a lunch for goodness sake. So, I’m relying on my daughter’s new Laptop Lunch box and bag to...

The waste-free lunch kit with something for everyone

by Mir | School Gear

The day I realized how many plastic baggies I was using in my kids’ lunches each week was the day I began trying every sort of reusable container and wrap out there. Nowadays the kids take a cobbled-together assortment of reusables in their lunch bags, but the...

Cute preschooler backpacks? – Reader Q&A

by Cool Mom Team | School Gear

Help! I am about to send my 3-year-old off to preschool this year and I am looking for a cute backpack in her size, minus the TV characters. Any suggestions? – JessicaYour preparedness is inspiring, Jessica. I just checked the calendar and my soon-to-be...