I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a paranoid parent. But after reading The Paranoid Parents Guide , by clever Denver mom Christie Barnes, I realized how much time I waste worrying. And more importantly, worrying about the wrong things. Does th…
When I first saw pictures of the amazing, whimsical and unbelievably detailed fairy tale houses and furniture by Mike and Debbie Schramer I simply marveled. This brilliant husband and wife team use real flowers, branches, roots, and moss…
Talk about truth in advertising: The STEPONBOX is a storage box that also functions as a stool. That you can step on. And a ton more. Available in four Jetsons-esque color combinations, the STEPONBOX is crafted of Polypropylene and Therm…
When I look around my house I find strange groupings of stuff everywhere. A bin of outgrown Crocs. A shoebox packed with old family pictures. Some coffee table books that never quite made it to the coffee table. Little did I know that th…
Cute little fishies for your baby's room? So done. Instead, try this very hip, non-cutesy, and eco-conscious mobile that looks as sweet and restful hanging over a crib as it does dangling over a jacuzzi tub. Trust me, I know, because I s…
You guys are so great at finding great gift ideas , and so I come to you with this: I have my fourth niece/nephew to buy a gift for . . . Hoping you have some good ones up your sleeves! -Christina W. Congratulations again! I hope these i…
No, Noogie, Moosey and Alfalfa are not part of a lovable gang of 1950's ne'er-do-wells. They're a few names from the line of totally hip silhouette pillows by Aunt Bucky, now available at CMP favorite Happy Chickadee. And all they need n…
I guess I must have just assumed that Hallmark already offered customizable baby announcements because they're pretty much the greeting card pioneers. But apparently, that was not the case, since I just got word that their brand new line…
Betsy Brown Braun's You're Not the Boss of Me promises to brat-proof your 4- to 12-year old, and so my natural aversion to parenting manuals was overcome by curiosity as to whether such a thing was actually possible. I quickly fell deepl…
I'm a huge fan of hitting end of season sales to outfit my kids for the following year. The clothes are still cute one year later (imagine that!) and even better, I can usually score the more expensive designer brands that I've been cove…
As most of us frugal online shoppers know by now, you don't buy something without first checking to see if there's a coupon code and a way to get it cheaper. It's why we work really hard to secure exclusive codes for our readers here. We…
We're huge fans of Plan Toys around here, and for good reason. These sturdy, eco-friendly and battery-free wooden toys are built to last. And not surprisingly, they're usually priced as such--something I'm more than willing to pay so as …
There's a lot of adorable children's furniture out there, but the big problem is the cost. At least for the stuff I tend to like, which is vibrant and modern and doesn't have the word Shaker anywhere near it. Then I discovered the afford…
With the temperature finally reaching holy mama, it's hot out there --and that's the technical term--I love looking at artwork that makes it somehow feel cooler inside. The popsicle print from LA's Mint Buttercup is giving me goosebumps,…
If you're anything like me, you spent all this time picking out the nursery colors, obsessing over the crib sheets, and then completely forgetting to beautiful the very thing you look at 40 times a day--the diaper storage. I never really…
It was her very first ballet recital, and I wanted everyone we know to see her joyful smile as she hugged her first bouquet of roses. But that doesn't mean I'm going to just give away our new custom photo cards from Shutterfly. I might j…
I will always have a soft spot for Laurie Berkner, the first children's singer to transfix my oldest daughter on Nick Jr., and then, years later, charm my youngest son with Rocketship Run . For those of us with older kids, I'm sure we ca…
In a world where it's easier to find tees for baby girls that say future gold digger than anything more...positive, I've always admired the I will make a difference tees from Booda Brand. [great offer after the jump!] The organic tees an…
There's just no comparison to the feel of handmade ceramics, knowing that an artisan's hands shaped the clay and followed inspiration to decorate something just for you. Don't moms deserve little islands of peace and beauty in our hectic…
"Think big, shop small" is the call to action from a gorgeous site called Cosa Verde. have some of my favorite buzzwords from the get-go: Handmade goods , i ndependent artists , and sustainably made . It's like an aggregator of beautiful…
I'm always kind of envious of those other more-prepared-than-I-am moms. You know the ones: They have an extra sippy cup when one falls on the ground, they carry Band-Aids everywhere, and they're never without an extra snack or two. Ah, b…
If you've been living under a rock, you might not know that The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is premiering today. Now, I humbly admit that I've yet to get sucked into the Twilight series, however, that doesn't mean I don't get the obsession wi…
One of the greatest joys of travel is not having to cook, do dishes or feel the slightest bit insulted when one of my kids pushes something off their plate. Yes, I do love eating out, though I know all too well what can happen when I arr…
I have a thing for great alphabet posters, as you frequent Cool Mom Picks readers probably know by now. I suppose there's no greater joy to a writer than watching her child find a love for letters and words, and surrounding those babies …