10 super easy, totally free ways to help support your favorite independent publishers + keep that content free for you!
It’s hard out there for an independent publisher. But here we are, like we have been for the past 13 (whoa!) years, putting out out stories, offering tips, and uncovering cool finds that we really hope our readers enjoy — all while making sure it remains...
Comparing 4 prom dress rental sites to save you time, money, and dressing room meltdowns
We all know that buying a prom dress can be an exhausting and expensive process, but after learning about these prom dress rental sites, I’m convinced it really doesn’t have to be. These rental sites all let you browse online, select a dress to borrow for...
Is raising unplugged kids a terrible idea? Spawned Ep 146
Let’s face it, parents: screens are here to stay. So why are we still so ambivalent about them? Maybe being unplugged isn’t actually the best way to help our kids thrive in this digital world. On this week’s Spawned podcast, we’re chatting with...
15 great kinds of videos to watch with your kids besides toy unboxing
Video is the new TV for this generation of kids, if you hadn’t quite noticed. (Ha.) When we say to our kids, “let’s watch a show!’ their inclination is to turn their favorite video app or video platform on their little screens, and click play....
How do you know if you owe nanny taxes? This company can help, big time | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from GTM Tax time is stressful enough for families, let alone trying to figure out the deal with nanny taxes you might owe for your regular childcare. In a nutshell: if you pay your nanny or caregiver more than $2100 each year —...
How to talk to your children about mass shootings, bombings, and other tragedies in the news: Helpful resources
Another day, another mass shooting. And I’m not being flip. Today it’s the unfathomably awful Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shootings. In the recent past, it’s been Las Vegas, Orlando, Parkland, Sandy Hook, Nice, London, Boston,...
The one thing all kids should be learning in school that they’re not.
We talk so much about the need for STEM education. Kids need computer skills, engineering skills, science of all kinds. We mourn the disappearance of cursive from the curriculum. We discuss which books our kids should be reading, and whether new math is genius —...
The parental leave pledge that’s long overdue: How to help make it happen
We all write so much about work-life-parenting balance… and what a tough balance it is. If it even exists. So I was thrilled to find out about the Pledge Parental Leave initiative that’s coming to an employer near you. Well, hopefully. Pledge Parental...
Shopping at Etsy now helps saves the environment in a big way.
We’ve been huge supporters of the incredible makers over at Etsy for years. In fact, they started right around when we did, which was a great overlap with our mission to support indie makers, and particularly, women-run companies. Our readers know we’ve...
Activism 101: How to get involved with issues you care about when you don’t see yourself as the activist type | Spawned 140
We talk a lot about being the change you want to see in the world, but how do you do that? How do you get started? What if you’re like us, crazy-busy parents who are already juggling a lot of stuff? What if the word “activist” doesn’t seem to...
The #CaptainMarvelChallenge: Can you help send girls to see a badass female superhero on the big screen?
I am so excited about the upcoming Captain Marvel release. Like, crazy excited. Believe it or not, it’s the first woman-lead superhero film from Marvel. (Yep, Wonder Woman was from DC Comics, fun as it was, my non-geeky friends.) Not only that, but Brie...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.
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