Taking my kids to a paint-your-own-pottery place is not in my job description. The drive there, the eternity spent as my children pick out the "perfect" piece to paint, my toddler--oh my toddler-- in that room of breakables... and then I…
Do you really need an excuse to read a great book to your kid ? Probably not, but here's a fabulous one, anyway: On October 2nd, in association with Jumpstart's Read for the Record program, the children's classic favorite Corduroy will b…
Oh what my daughter wouldn't give to be able to pack up her beloved dollhouse and take it with her. So imagine what she did when she saw the set of Nested Country Cottages from Olie Bollen . These two brightly colored paper board boxes o…
Ever since coming across something called an "eco doll" that was made of pvc and served up in plastic packaging, I've been pretty skeptical of the eco label on toys. Sometimes it fits and sometimes...well, at least the intent is good. Bu…
For the most part, I don't spontaneously exclaim awwwww and get all teary when I get a new baby toy for review, but that's totally what happened when I peeled open the sweet little canvas bag to reveal the plush baby doll from Bumblebird…
Like tons of practical moms like me, my favorite gift to give or to get is a book. And if you want to get fancy about it, check out Bookworm Baskets , where the great book is just the beginning of a fantastic gift. It starts with a fabul…
I'm not so inclined to follow the trends when it comes to clothing my son, unless that trend happens to be self-washing clothes that withstand blueberry stains. But if the trend is cute and practical, say cardigans for fall, then I'm all…
I have been on the hunt for the perfect children's jeans jacket ever since my baby outgrew the one handed down from her sister. And by outgrew I mean I continued to stuff her into it until it simply became cruel and unusual punishment. G…
At a recent book festival in metro Atlanta, I had the pleasure of discovering Miss Rhonda's Readers , a local company that creates phonetically-correct books for little bookworms . What's interesting about them, other than the fact that …
The first day of kindergarten is tough enough, but imagine little Yoon's horror when a bunch of kids try to get her to stand in line with the boys because of her short hair. So starts the tale of Something for School , by Hyun Young Lee,…
I know there's not really a shortage of big bro/sis shirts or birthday number shirts out there, so it shouldn't be hard to track down at least one that I love. But alas, I'm picky. So when given the option of creating my very own thanks …
One of the best outcomes of the toy recalls of 07 is the transparency we're now finding from so many retailers--where and how their products are made, what they're made with, and how confident you can be when your 9 month spends the bett…
Sadly, shopping with my daughter is already filled with bargaining (if not actual bargains), and she isn't even a surly tween yet. So I've got Style for Grace to thank for a remarkably relaxed and enjoyable mother-daughter shopping exper…
I grew up wearing a pair of bright, patent leather red mary janes over white tights and darn if I don't still carry a torch for shiny shoes for girls. You too? Well Umi Shoes has plenty in the shiny but practical department this fall for…
Update : This site no longer exists. RIP Kid's Busy Box. I thought that 4 hours of preschool every day would satiate my daughter's immense hunger for crafts, but alas, she still comes home from school running directly for the glue and co…
Labor Day is behind us and Fall is unofficially here meaning, among other things, that it's time to tuck those cute bare baby toes back into some socks. It's something I might be mourning more, were there not so many way freaking cute so…
If you want to know a little secret, we covet the amazing designer kid's clothes that we often feature here at Cool Mom Picks just as much as you do. Our pockets aren't as deep as we wish they were either. So that's why we're loving thes…
Designer Angeline Tsao's background is actually in fashion design which helps to explain her excellent taste. It also explains why, while poking around her shop cake + milk paperie and drooling over her handmade invitations and cards, I …
Seeing as how much I (and my kids) love See Kai Run , it was only natural that we'd jump on the chance to check out Smaller , their totally new line for the 18-month and younger set. And surprise! I love them too. It's not hard to be smi…
How absolutely clever to create a line of luxury baby clothes that, instead of an alligator or polo player across the breast, feature an ankh, the Egyptian hieroglyphic meaning life and symbolizing health, happiness, and magical protecti…
Not all parents are fortunate enough to have style-obsessed children like I do. Already they shun those mainstream clothing outlets in favor of browsing boutiques with me, while pooh-poohing classmates we encounter in lesser, less expens…
Now if I told you that Sir Hayes , the kids' label emblematic of urban Brooklyn chic, was making a onesie inspired by "Carlton," what would you think that means? Because when I got wind of it, right away a single image popped into my hea…
I'm all for outfitting my baby boy in some fine threads on special occasions. But dressing a wee one in the same style sported by a forty-something man (sweater vests, anyone?) isn't special--at least not the way you'd intended. Try a ti…
I'm always on the lookout for ways to teach my four-year-old about conservation other than asking her to turn off the lights 400 times a day (followed by my long boring speech about saving the earth). Thankfully, Eeboo has created these …