When we lived in a big city, my kids loved to watch teens skateboarding to school. There was this effortless coolness to gliding along, flipping the board, tossing it over a shoulder, and hopping on a bus. If you think your kids might be…
There's something so special about sharing our very favorite childhood books with our kids. When we see our kids falling in love with Anne of Green Gables , or imaging themselves racing through Narnia to defeat the White Witch, there's a…
I've already let my secret out: I'm not one for elaborate birthday parties. In fact, we keep birthday parties simple and on a budget around our house. That said, I love to celebrate the birthday kid and make them feel really special on t…
My kids believe they are the World's Greatest Fans of Dylan's Candy Bar. Which is hilarious, considering that every single one of the zillions of kids who visit their shops each year also believe that they are the World's Greatest Fans o…
If you've done any back-to-school shopping lately, you may have noticed, like we have, that llamas are taking over the world. Quietly. And with deceptive cuteness because let me tell you, llamas mean business. The takeover may be inevita…
We've been binging on the Olympics at our house, and it has us seeing gold, silver, and bronze. (Go Team USA!) Now, our love for the medals is spilling over into our closets too, because a little metallic accent is always a good thing. A…
Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind. ― Henry James You stocked up on school supplies, bought your kid a cool new lunch box and backpack , and purchased …
True fact: This book is so cool that I had to go steal it back from my fifth grade daughter to review it. It's called Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World , and it's geared toward celebrating the contributions wom…
Since sunscreen applications, checking swim diapers, and dragging a bag full of snacks, toys, and towels to the pool all falls on the grown-up in charge, we're up for anything to make it easier. We've found that the new swimsuits from Fa…
One of my preschooler's very favorite books of last year was Beastly Babies by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. An animal lover at heart, he couldn't get enough of its playful illustrations . So when we saw that Brendan W…
You've probably heard of Lululemon , but did you know that they have a special line for girls? Yep, the company ( formerly ivivia, now under the Lululemon brand name ) offers cool activewear for girls , including a new Lululemon backpack…
Leave it to my own cool mom to provide us with a most excellent Cool Grandmom Pick as we make the most of the final sweltering weeks of summer -- Frogglez Goggles . My kids refuse to go in the pool without goggles, and these are the firs…
I am definitely a fan of no-tie sneakers. I mean, even though my 9-year old son knows how to lace up his sneakers perfectly fine, he much prefers being able to slip his shoes on in the morning right before he runs out the door. And I'm a…
With four kids who can ride their bikes to school on pavement and sidewalks, but also love to do a little off-roading as well, it's been a little challenging trying to figure out what kind of bike to get them. Until I discovered Cleary B…
We're all for making those crazy school mornings as un-crazy as possible, which is why we're big fans of having our kids pack their own lunches the night before. Yes, even our little ones! It can be done, promise. Not only does having ki…
So once you've gotten the hand sanitizer, the tissue boxes, and everything else on that classroom shopping list , it's time to have a little fun with some colorful school supplies! We always recommend getting a little goodie or two for t…
We've seen tons of amazing portrait artists we've absolutely loved (and hired) over the years, but the collaboration between photographer Anna Angenend and illustrator Amy Snyder may just be my favorite yet. These artists create custom p…
I'm like a lot of parents, in that I know my kids should be wearing sun protection for their eyes, but I'm not inclined to drop a lot on kids' sunglasses. Then I started thinking, if I'm spending $15–20 on safe kids' sunscreen that gives…
Our neighbors have a trampoline in their backyard, and I'm pretty sure it's been there for the last 30 years. It has no net. No cover for the springs. It's kind of a parent's worst nightmare, but the kids beg to get on it every day. And …
We love a good birthday party around here. In fact, we've loved sharing our ideas for Minecraft , Star Wars , Minion , Finding Dory , and even storybook birthday parties for your kids. But some of the ideas we've seen on Pinterest (or ou…
While we admit we don't always love packing lunches every morning, we do love picking out cool new lunch boxes for our kids each year in time for back to school. And so, our Cool Mom Picks 2016 Back to School Guide continues with tons of…
With all the buzz about the brand new Harry Potter and the Cursed Book and JK Rowling's recent birthday this past weekend, our kids are starting to catch Harry Potter fever all over again. And whether or not they're ready to imagine him …
With the Summer Games set to begin on August 5, we are getting ourselves ready to do some Olympic-sized television viewing as we cheer on the amazing athletes from around the world. So if you're celebrating what is sure to be a spectacul…
We're continuing our 2016 Back to School Guide with our picks for cool backpacks for teens and bigger kids this year. This is the age kids get pretty picky about what they're wearing every day, because it really is a reflection of them. …