Well kids, gather round and let me tell you about an animated short film about a desk lamp, that came out in 1986. Sound boring? No way. It was the first glimpse of what the future of CGI would look like, created by a (then) little-known…
When I was pregnant with my firstborn, I spent a lot of time thinking about the nursery color , but spent exactly no time actually painting the room since the VOC's in most room paints are considered a no-no for pregnant women. My asthma…
While we're busy here trying to support artists with our holiday picks , we love that the artists are trying to support others too . Case in point: The Ferrin Gallery Paper or Pottery not Plastic exhibition . This Berkshire-area gallery …
As if you needed any other reason than preservation of all sanity to avoid the lines at the malls today, we thought we'd remind you just a few of the reasons why we simply love shopping online . 1. Shopping in your slippers. Even the old…
One of the challenges to sending out holiday cards is that I either end up buying a bunch of Christmas, a bunch of Hanukkah and some horribly generic "Holiday" cards. Not only does it get expensive, but I end up with a bunch of leftovers…
I love Thanksgiving. Just love it. Despite the fact that the whole history behind it might be somewhat mythological. (Were the Native Americans really that underdressed in November? Hm.) Still, I adore what it's become, at least in our f…
We fell in love with Paloma's Nest last year when we first featured this Austin artist's ceramic Christmas ornaments in our holiday gift guide . (Speaking of which - our 2009 guide should be out next week. Whoo!) We were so blown away by…
I send flowers several times a year and I've found florist shops and online flower delivery services to be very hit or miss in terms of the quality and freshness. When most of the "fresh" flowers you order are shipped in from abroad, how…
This time of year, the entire world descends on my fair city, or seems to, judging from the midtown traffic and my inability to get anywhere near the fitting rooms at H+M at lunchtime. So I'd be remiss if I didn't point out a couple of r…
I have a pretty wooden advent calendar/box with little doors that my boys use to count down the days until Christmas but I always have trouble finding cute items to put inside. Any ideas? -Kristin The advent calendar is the first thing m…
In our family, Christmas stockings have always been a really important aspect of our family tradition. Even on years we skip the tree for whatever reason, those stockings just make the house feel festive and fun. So I really love seeking…
Especially this time a year, we love opportunities to get our kids, even the really little ones, into the idea of doing nice things for other people. So we were glad to discover that November 21st is officially National Family Volunteer …
Steer clear of the fruitcake and stinky pine candles, mamas! If it's cool holiday gifts you're looking for, then we've got you covered with our brand spankin' new 2009 Holiday Gift Guide . We've scoured the web to help you solve every ho…
I'm actually pretty practical when it comes to my girls' dressier shoes. I am willing to spend more than average, but I demand great design and excellent construction, and I don't want shoes that will either fall apart or feel out of sea…
Our kids have been separating paper from plastics since they were only yea high, but today on America Recycles Day , we're taking a look at the RecycleBank website for Tessa Hills' Recycling Tips for Kids to find easy ways to make big ch…
Sometimes we find our own best picks from our sponsors (what can we say? We click on our own ads to see what's cool!) and this week, I learned that One King's Lane , which has private sales on amazing home decor brands, is doing holiday …
Sure my son's friends get monogrammed Christmas stockings, but he can enjoy eating his latkes off one of these personalized Hanukkah plates , by Lima Bean Kids. These pink or blue melamine dishes feature a sweet menorah design with the n…
Remember when we told you about Project 7 water? Remember how we told you that they donate half of their profits to charities that do the important work of feeding the hungry and protecting the environment? You do? Then you probably reme…
I know I'm not alone in looking for more tasteful and restrained displays of holiday cheer after being assaulted by Christmas carols, gaudy lights and huge inflatable snowmen in stores the day after Halloween. Gorgeous simplicity doesn't…
Well weren't we just shocked when we clicked over to the Telegraph UK today to find out that their list of the 12 Best Websites for Families and Kids included Cool Mom Picks. Their feeling was that yes, we do have " cool stuff for parent…
I'm not much for toys with vchips and dolls that talk - in fact, they kind of scare me. But I will say I'm making an exception for the Teach Me Time clock for children which blends form and a lot of function. The first thing that drew me…
In only five or so years of spousal gift giving , I think I pretty much exhausted the personalized, sentimental guy gifts. So my interest was piqued when I saw the custom map cufflinks from Anne Holman . Using vintage world atlases, Anne…
Honestly, I think of felt and often I think "meh." But I've just seen the light, because the light, apparently, comes in the form of felt cushion wall hangings featuring bunnies and Matryoshka dolls that would brighten up any nursery in …
When I told my parents I was expecting, I didn't tell them I was expecting. I told them we'd done some interesting sightseeing, and did they want to see pictures? And then I gave them my ultrasound photos. If The Grandparents Handbook ha…