The one trick to make sure your child’s face mask fits properly, to comply with the brand new CDC recommendations.
After 18 months (sigh) it’s now clear that we’re past the point of “any mask is better than nothing” for preventing Covid spread, especially with the Delta variant here. In fact, just this weekend, the CDC issued new, specific recommendation...
The worst parenting advice we got: 10 tips you definitely want to ignore as a new parent
Raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten terrible parenting advice! Wait, all of you who have kids? Ha, yes. Of course all of us have. It’s like a rite of passage for new parents. But the good thing is, with some perspective and guidance (thanks to BTDT...
Parents are broken. Here are 5 things a therapist says we can do right now to manage our stress.
Over the last 24 hours, this pandemic has caught up to me. I’d been doing pretty well, navigating cyber school with my kids last year along with work adjustments and managing my mental health through it all. But this back to school season has officially taken...
Where to find at-home rapid Covid tests, kid-sized KN95s, and other essentials you may need before fall
At-home rapid Covid tests isn’t the only thing we’ve been on the hunt for lately. With cold and flu and yes, yet another Covid-19 season upon us, I’ve been making a list of a few essentials so that my family isn’t scrambling if we do come down...
Here’s the one brilliant tip that got my reluctant teen reading more. And, the books that helped.
My kids devoured books when they were little. Now that they’re teens, the stars of YouTube and Discord seem to be a bigger draw than the classic characters of literature I wish they would spend their time with. (Of course, calling them “classic characters...
12 smart personalized label ideas for back to school, from a completely label-obsessed mom
With back to school coming up, I’m sharing some of my favorite personalized label ideas to help keep you organized, keep you sane, save you money (whoo!) and even keep the peace. Hey, parents of more than one kid! You know what I’m talking about. We have...
The best summer camp care package ideas for tweens and teens: A helpful list from a mom who’s been sending them for 8 years
We are completely celebrating the return to summer camp around here. And I am celebrating the joy of putting together summer camp care packages for my tweens and teens! After the year they have had, the chance to run around with friends, swim, be silly, stay up too...
I switched to reusable bamboo paper towels to help my kids’ climate change anxiety, and here’s how it went
I committed to switching to reusable bamboo paper towels recently, in part at the urging of my teens. The realities of climate change — and the constant important conversations about it in the media — is a very real stressor for my kids. Especially since COVID, when...
12 meaningful and creative adoption anniversary ideas shared by adoptive parents
My family recently celebrated the fourth anniversary of our daughter’s adoption. It’s always a special day for us, in which we try to honor her heritage; we pull out photo albums, eat at a Korean restaurant, and send updates to her adoption workers. But...
3 cool ways to turn memories into art for Mother’s Day
As moms ourselves, we can say that photos gifts for Mother’s Day are one of our favorite gift ideas, especially these days when so many of the pics of our kids (and with our kids) are sitting on our phones or hard drives. That’s why we’re so excited...
6 comprehensive bike safety tips for kids, from a serious biking family who knows
After such a long winter, it’s finally bike-riding season: Hooray! And, whoa are you all getting on those bikes! I’ve seen so many kids riding bikes in our neighborhood, that my son’s mountain bike team has doubled in size since last year. Bike shops...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds.
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The Best Birthday Gifts By Age
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