I've had a thing for sock monkeys ever since my mother-in-law gave me the one she'd made for my husband when he was a baby . They're some kind of magical combination of goofy, cheerful cuddliness and retro-chic all in one. I always figur…
I know you totally made little woven potholders when you were a kid. Or maybe you didn't. But I did. And loved it. so I loved discovering that Blueberry Forest Toys sells inexpensive potholder looms that look remarkably similar to the on…
With three kids who keep having birthdays, I feel like I'm forever on the lookout for cool, affordable party favors that won't end up immediately in the trash which is why when I saw the assortment of Lil Scribblers' chunky crayons by Ph…
I confessed my serious addiction to Japanese cute when I told you about Momiji dolls, so please cut me some slack if I seem a little gushy when talking about Loloko Shop . This little Northern California shop does cute right with little …
We're all singing Yellow Submarine in our sleep around here, thanks to Santa slipping Beatles Rock Band under the tree a few weeks ago. And really, there's nothing much cuter than a three year-old belting "Paperback wriiiiiiiter" at the …
Cool Mom Picks readers know I have a serious soft spot for handmade dolls, which goes way back to the days that my mom taught me how to stuff an old stocking with batting and stitch the face to make a nose. But the incredible handmade do…
Look, I'm going to be honest: When I read that Family Matters is the family game for ages 8+ that helps your family get to know each other better, I steeled myself for my daughter rolling her eyes and my son sliding underneath the table,…
Unless a plush animal is on a kid's holiday or birthday wish list, I tend to steer clear from giving them because as a mom, I know how maddening it can be adding another stuffed bear to the already full toy bin. But when I saw the Kindre…
Every December, I take stock of the state of our coloring, drawing and painting supplies and weed out the lost-caps, tiny crayon bits and crusty paints so they can be replaced. It's a great tradition that both keeps us organized, and pre…
Somewhere in between bargain hunting and gift wrapping I make sure that I stop to think about how blessed I am in so many ways. After all, isn't that what this season is supposed to be about? Fashionology , a fun, interactive, design-you…
I learned long ago that the best way for my son to learn about "boring" things was to find creative ways to teach him . Although I personally am fascinated by Modern Art, he could probably not be able to withstand an extended visit to th…
I want to be the mom who sits on the floor and plays board games for hours with her kids, but I usually start losing interest right around the same time my son tries to see how far he can hurl the dice. So we've tracked down some fantast…
Seeing the kids make a beeline for their stockings is a favorite moment on Christmas morning. But, even though this is their first taste of Santa for the day, "he" can't afford to spend a small fortune on their stockings. So I thought I'…
We at Cool Mom Picks may be great at finding stuff, but that doesn't mean we're so great at remembering to actually buy it ourselves in a timely manner. With an uncompleted shopping list that includes a newborn, a few toddlers, some kids…
I've long been a fan of the wooden, pedal-less early rider bikes which get kids more confident and more able to ride a real bicycle than anything I ever had back in the Stone Age. But the prices? Holy heck. And by heck, you know - I don'…
As the nieces and nephews and various children in my life get a little older, I'm increasingly more into finding crafty gifts that not only entertain them for a little while, but let them show off their handiwork when they're done. Here …
When the makers of the popular Wave skateboard asked me to send their much buzzed-about new Whiplash Scooter for a test drive, I was like uh...not on your life. But I have a 12 year-old nephew named Brodie who I knew could give me the sc…
We've seen quite a few "party in a box" type services. A few are good, but most of them seem like you're paying for someone else to go down to Target and grab a bunch of matching paper plates and streamers. I feel like if you're going to…
I'd like to make this holiday the Year Of Fewer Batteries, which could be a bitter pill to swallow for my little robot-aholic who hopes to add a few droids, bots or even a ridiculous robotic hamster to his collection. He's in luck, thoug…
Playing dreidel is a staple of celebrating Hanukkah , and I have to say our games have been known to get very competitive. Hey, there are M&M's at stake! But Staccabees take dreidel playing to a new height. Literally. This dreidel game s…
When we made the move to suburbia, one of the first purchases we made was a wagon. But like most people, we were limited to what we could find at our local chain store, which was definitely about functionality and not at all about sleek …
Automoblox have taken over more than a few toy chests in the last few years, and it's not surprising - these modular, creativity-inspiring toys cars and trucks inspire imaginations, while still delivering the joy of vrooming a car around…
I'm a little unbalanced when it comes to "Japanese cute" (kawaii!) like Momiji Friendship Dolls , the uber-trendy little resin dolls from London's Artforum, which are a modern and more affordable spin on the traditional Japanese wooden K…
I've become a strong advocate of paper dolls since realizing that my girls can spend hours entertaining themselves with them. The only issue? That whole paper thing. Let's just say freak decapitations are are not an uncommon occurrence. …