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…
We've amassed quite the collection of Christmas-themed picture books, but I'm always on the lookout for cool new titles to replace some of the ones we were given when the kids were little (I'm looking at you, Strawberry Shortcake's Berry…
I'm looking for simple, solid color winter tights in 3T that won't break the bank. -Kristina As the weather has officially turned here in Atlanta, I've also been on the lookout for winter tights for both my girls, Kristina. I dug around …
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…
Last year, we recommended the Gift Lit book of the month series as a cool children's gift , and it still is. But it makes smart last-minute gift for a fully grown adult too. You can just tell the thoughtful book choices in each series ha…
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…
My four year-old daughter recently informed me that jeans were "stupid." Which, okay. Not the term I would use, but I get her point that she'd rather be wearing a dress, even to kick a soccer ball in the park. I know for a fact mom, desi…
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'…
I've already shared my love for SwapMamas here, the great location for moms to meet up and swap their gently used items. But for the holidays, they're adding a dash of Etsy and going positively medieval: You can check out the Handmade Ma…
I still remain firmly in the camp that believes that My First Christmas onesies are a total waste of your hard-earned cash. And I'm not being a Scrooge, I swear - I just prefer to get a little more longevity out of my kids' clothing than…
I don't do much overseas traveling. Okay, none, really. And I can't even blame my kids, since I barely did it before they were born, either. A passionate desire for a reduced carbon footprint or sheer laziness? I'll let you decide. But, …
I know friends who have a holiday tradition of giving the kids a new pair of pajamas every Christmas Eve. It makes for fantastic photo ops on Christmas morning -- but then I visit in the spring and those poor kids are still walking aroun…
I am beyond grateful for all the pretty boxes and gift bags out there because I am 1. Totally spazzy with wrapping paper (seriously, it's sad) and 2. Totally impatient with long gift wrap lines at department stores. Let's also add 3. Tot…
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…
For years we've been professing our love for Psychobaby, mostly because they make our job of finding edgier baby gifts ridiculously easy. And since they're always updating their inventory with new, fabulous items, we decided to update ou…
We're big fans of handmade hair clips, which make fun stocking stuffers and an inexpensive way to get in the holiday spirit. Whether you're looking to coordinate with your daughter's holiday best or just make a simple pair of jeans and r…
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…