A professional organizer’s top back-to-school organizational tips for the real world | Spawned Ep 119
While we’re enjoying a little time off for summer, we’re updating some of our greatest hits Spawned episodes you might have missed — starting with “organizer for the real world” (as we call her), Laurie Palau of Simply B Organized. She...
NBC’s Making It contestant Robert Mahar reveals one brilliant thing parents should do to bring out creativity in their kids
Imagine how thrilled we were to learn that our old friend and popular cool mom pick Robert Mahar was a contestant on the popular new NBC DIY craft show Making It. Yes, there might have been squealing involved. We’ve known him since we started our site 12 years...
How to deal with mean girls: Expert tips for building resilience + strength in our daughters
If you have a daughter, it’s inevitable at some point that she will encounter the heartache of mean girls. It may be when she hits middle school (oh God, middle school) — or it may be as early as kindergarten. And when it happens, it will hurt you as much...
Angela Santomero’s tips for raising smart, inspired, and engaged kids in a screen-filled world | Spawned ep 116
Whatever age your kids may be, we know that managing screen time and finding the benefits (and boundaries) is a huge issue with parents. Like, a non-stop concern. So we’re thrilled to chat with Angela Santomero, the successful creator of educational programs...
Can couples work together without killing each other? Try these tips, tricks, and a lot of humor | Spawned ep 115
Have you ever looked at those always happy husband-wife work teams and think, how the bleep do they do it? Well, now we know! This week on Spawned, we have an absolutely hilarious, engaging, mildly explicit (sorry, little ones) and truly informative conversation with...
Sleepaway camp: The pros, the cons, and the tears (mostly ours)| Spawned Episode 114
With summer pretty much here, that means Liz and I are about to say good-bye to a few of our kids as they head off to summer camp, some close by, and one well, to Japan! We get asked all the time about sleepaway camp, from wanting to know how to decide when a kid is...
Mothers of Reinvention: Talking work and career after motherhood with Mallory Kasdan | Spawned Episode 113
As two women who reinvented ourselves to start Cool Mom Picks, we love hearing stories of other women doing the same, particularly the challenges and obstacles they had to overcome to achieve success. So much can be learned from sharing those experiences. That’s...
Mom, I’m bored! Clever ways to keep kids busy all summer long | Spawned Episode 112
You know it’s coming. The dreaded “Mom, I’m bored!” which is why we’re getting a jump on our kids (for once). We’re sharing tons of clever, easy ideas to help keep the kids busy this summer. From scavenger hunts to family book...
How to make money and save money with the best online consignment shops | Spawned Ep 111
Earlier this year we wrote up a comprehensive post comparing six top consignment and resale shops online. And with the change of seasons, we’re ready to get our summer wardrobes without spending a fortune. And hey, we even want to purge some of what’s...
How to turn your passion into a career: Tips from Heather Cabot of Geek Girl Rising | Spawned 110
Do you have a dream, a hobby, a passion, or a problem you want to solve and you think it could be a viable business? Do you want to know where to start and where the opportunities are? Or maybe you just want to hear about entrepreneurial women who are shaking up the...
Mother’s Day is not for dog moms | Spawned Ep 109
After getting a Mother’s Day pitch for dog moms, we’re trying to figure out why everyone is trying to claim Mother’s Day from moms. Can’t we just have one day that’s our own? On this fun episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz,...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds.
Trivia: It was called Cool Mom Sh*t for the first two days. (Yeah, we rethought that.)
We had no idea our site would grow to become a major lifestyle network, that we'd end up sharing our finds with the TODAY Show and Martha Stewart, that we'd be able to make a real difference for so many small businesses and women-run companies, or that we'd end up with an incredible community of the coolest readers on the planet. (If we do say so ourselves).
But we did.
And we still love what we do every single day.
We're so glad you're here.
New for 2019!
Join the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club
The Yes Brain, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson : August 13
How to Break Up with Your Phone, by Christine Price
The New Childhood, by Jordan Shapiro
How to Be a Happier Parent by KJ Dell'Antonia
Raising Empowered Daughters by Mike Adamick
Radical Kindness by Angela Santomero
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