The most stylish summer totes under $50 right now, for the beach and beyond
Along with cool sunnies, a good beach read and sunscreen with a high SPF, the perfect summer tote is an important summer essential. It needs to be big enough to hold everything you (and your kids) will need for a day out, be durable enough to handle some sand and sea,...
Scaring your friends: The best part of summer!
If you thought Michael Phelps racing a great white was the summer’s biggest shark-in-a-pool news, that’s because you haven’t seen this hot water accessory yet. Yes. It’s a wearable shark fin. We know our own aquaphiles will get themselves into...
The sweet kids beach poncho that multitasks in a big way
The thrill of watching a joyful toddler play in the ocean is almost enough to outweigh the pain-in-the-neck routine of swim diapers and sunscreen and sand and coverups. Not to mention the wagon full of towels, toys and other gear. But I just checked out a press sample...
Should you really avoid SPF over 50? We’ve got facts, and we’ve got answers.
Growing up as a fair-skinned, redheaded kid, I’m no stranger to the intricacies of SPF labels. Or sunburns. Like lots of us, I always believed that the higher the SPF, the better the sun protection I’d get, but that’s not necessarily the case. In...
2017 EWG best safe sunscreens for kids and babies: Which is the most affordable?
Every year, I take a look at the Environmental Working Group’s report on the best safe sunscreens for kids and babies. This list measures popular brands against the EWG’s standards, including everything from worrisome ingredients to false marketing claims....
5 cool one-piece bathing suits for girls with all the benefits of a two-piece
It’s finally getting to pool and beach season (yippee!), which means time to shop for bathing suits for kids. Like many parents, we like that one-piece bathing suits keep our littlest ones covered up…although we also appreciate that a two-piece swimsuit...
Frogglez are the kids’ swim goggles you’ve been looking for forever
Leave it to my own cool mom to provide us with a most excellent Cool Grandmom Pick as we make the most of the final sweltering weeks of summer — Frogglez Goggles. My kids refuse to go in the pool without goggles, and these are the first ones I’ve ever...
FinFun: Mermaid tails for swimming that take summer fun to new heights. Or, depths.
The coolest thing you’ll encounter in the water this summer may be my daughter, who has transformed herself from a normal 13-year-old into a full-fledged mermaid. And, whoa, if you have a child who would love to swim like one of these creature of the sea,...
Finally, a beach towel that leaves the sand at the beach. Whoo!
My idea of a perfect day? Relaxing at the beach with a fun read while the kids play in the waves and never argue. Not even once. Okay, maybe that’s not so realistic, but what might make me almost as happy is a beach towel that sand won’t stick to. So, as...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.)
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