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...
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 —...
3 great printable sleep logs. Because we’ll try anything, you know?
Recently, we’ve seen more and more doctors recommending sleep logs and sleep journals for those of us who regularly wake during the night, or have trouble falling asleep in the first place. It makes sense. Especially for parents. One of our problems, which KJ...
7 really smart decluttering habits to start now, so you don’t have to KonMari your house later
After reading Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I immediately started purging my closets and folding my clothes differently. I’ve also binged on her new Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and am currently in the process of piling...
5 New Year’s resolutions for new moms…that new moms can actually keep. Maybe. Hopefully.
The December before my son was born, I wrote a long list of New Year’s resolutions that included finishing my novel, getting my house organized, and learning Spanish in my free time Hilarious, right? Needless to say I don’t habla español or have a...
Home with the kids New Year’s Eve? These 12 festive (and easy!) ideas can make the night memorable.
These days, New Year’s Eve parties are more about me trying my very best to stay up till midnight (though 10 PM is more like it) and drinking sparkling cider with our kids as we watch the ball drop on TV. And, honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way....
12 acts of kindness you can do with your kids over the holiday break, to make the season about more than presents.
On the first day after Christmas, Santa will be back at the North Pole, the toys will all be unwrapped, and you’ll have at least a week to entertain your sweet, energetic children while they are home from school. If there’s ever a time to let the kids...
5 tips to help you take better holiday photos of your kids
We know the holidays are full of photo opps, and lots of parents taking advantage of them. We also know that kids can be notoriously difficult to photograph, especially when there are presents and cookies to distract them from being their adorable selves on camera....
50 cool but still practical stocking stuffers, for people who just can’t with the plastic crap.
The truth is, I’ve looked at a lot of lists of practical stocking stuffers around the web and… I never like them much. Because no, chocolate bars are not “practical” gifts, as much as I like getting them. And no, deodorant is not a cool gift,...
5 things parents need to know about administering over-the-counter medicine to kids | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message on behalf of KnowYourOTCs.org With cold and flu season officially here, parents are doing their best to help their kids when they’re not feeling well, which often means giving them over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to help relieve...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.
Easter gifts, treats, activities + more
NEW: Answers to Parents’ Top Tech Questions
Our sponsors are cool. Support them.
Work with us!
“Is Fortnight safe for my kids?”
“Help! I have to feed my kids again!”
Doing Good: We’re Supporting…
