Tips + Tricks Archives | Page 2 of 29

6 comprehensive bike safety tips for kids, from a serious biking family who knows

by Christina Refford | Tips + Tricks, Toys + Playthings

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...

5 clever and safer ways to blow out birthday candles during Covid-19

by Christina Refford | Party Ideas, Tips + Tricks

I saw a recent Twitter thread that asked about all the things we may never go back to since COVID-19: Eating from a buffet. Trying on makeup samples. Shaking hands. And one that comes up time and again is that time-honored tradition of blowing out the candles on a...

How to decorate with tea lights: creating ambience, not a shrine

by Liz Gumbinner | Art + Decor, Kitchen + Dining, Tips + Tricks

We’ve hit spring. So yay! But, that also means we’ve all been inside for a long time now. A year of quarantine has taught me this, at least: it’s time to update my home decor. A new rug or dining set may not be in my budget, but do you know what is?...

How to encourage your kids’ interests and passions: 5 expert tips

by Cool Mom Staff | Kids, Tips + Tricks

We keep looking for the silver lining in the past Year That Was Like No Other, and as we talk to other parents, one thing comes up over and over: “my kid discovered they really love _____.” Whether it’s manga or chemistry, dystopian fiction or...

6 cool ways to support indie bookstores right now. They need it…and we need them.

by Caroline Siegrist | Doing Good, Entertainment + Media, Tips + Tricks

I’d like to put in a plug for supporting indie bookstores right now, even if it takes a little extra effort. I’m seeing a lot of people trying to get through this looooong February (what’s that even about?) by recommitting to reading. I mean hey,...

Stay Home, Stay Fabulous: Skip the spa and do these 6 things right now.

by Ibidunni Ojikutu | Style + Beauty, Tips + Tricks

If you’re like me, you’re currently on your whatever month (because who is counting at this point) of The Great Confinement. It’s not over yet! So I’m sharing my ways to stay fabulous…while staying home and staying safe. If you read between the lines,...

Do I need to start double masking? The safest mask options and when to wear them.

by Kristen Chase | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing, Tips + Tricks

Over the last week, I’ve read a number of articles recommending that we start double masking to increase the level of coverage we’re getting. Even Dr. Fauci says that it’s just “common sense.” And let’s just say, when Fauci talks, I...

BURN IT ALL: My New Year’s tradition helps me manifest good things for next year. (And get rid of a little petty. Okay, a lot.)

by Ibidunni Ojikutu | Thinking : Parent, Tips + Tricks

When Ibi shared her New Year’s Eve tradition with me, I was like…this is genius. How have I never done this? I need to do this! Whatever I can do to be out with the old and focusing on better things in the year to come sounds good to me. I’m sure...

12 acts of kindness you can do with your kids over the holiday break, to make the season about more than presents.

by Christina Refford | Doing Good, Tips + Tricks

Acts of kindness have never felt more important than they do this year. And since kinds are naturally inclined toward kindness, we wanted to give this post a bump this year. Because when Christmas is over, Santa is back at the North Pole, the toys are all unwrapped,...

New Year’s Eve at home with the kids: These 13 festive (and easy!) ideas can make the night memorable.

by Kate Etue | Party Ideas, Tips + Tricks

New Year’s Eve at home with the kids isn’t a new idea for this year. In general, New Year’s Eve parties for parents are more about trying our very best to stay up till midnight (though 10 PM is more like it) and drinking sparkling cider with our kids...

What to send loved ones spending Thanksgiving alone, so you feel just a little more together.

by Lisa Barnes | Holiday Picks, Tips + Tricks

Yesterday, my daughter who is attending graduate school for social work in Denver, called to tell me that she thinks it is best for her to cancel her planned trip home for Thanksgiving thanks to the new COVID warnings and restrictions in Oregon where I live. My first...

Target’s early Black Friday sale, week 2: We pared it down to the good stuff!

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks, Tips + Tricks

Target rolled out their Black Friday deals way early this month, and we’ve been scouring the deals here. If you missed our post on last week’s Black Friday deals, don’t worry! Several of them are still marked down this week, like the Beats Studio 3...

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, 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).

We still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.