covid-19-and-quarantine Archives

For just $15, you can send little boxes of joy to the people you’re missing

by Christina Refford | Cards + Stationery

As we enter the hundredth or so month of this COVID-19 craziness, I have been thinking so much about all the far-away friends and family I’m missing this summer: The nieces and nephews I cannot hug. The great aunt I won’t see down the Jersey Shore. The...

A tee that celebrates nurses and supports a great cause? We’re not crying… (yes we are)

by Caroline Siegrist | Doing Good, Fashion, Kid Fashion

I’ve lost count of all the times that healthcare workers have brought me to tears with their bravery and selflessness over the last few months. So I was thrilled to find this Everyday Hero t-shirt collection celebrating nurses, from the wonderful indie label...

Should you send your kids back to school? Find guidance from these 14 considerations parents are talking about | Spawned ep 211

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

This week on the Spawned Parenting podcast we knew there was only one topic we could possibly cover: Sending our kids back to school. It seems to be all any parent is talking about, online, offline, in community groups, and over Zoom cocktails. To cut to the chic:...

10 arguments to help you convince your friends and neighbors to wear a damn mask in public already.

by Liz Gumbinner | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing, Thinking : Parent, Tips + Tricks

I just read that nearly 30% of Americans sometimes, rarely, or never wear a mask in public and it makes me want to bang my head on something. Nothing too hard though, because our hospitals have been through enough and don’t need the likes of a self-inflicted...

Kids and birthdays in the age of Covid: The loss is real. | Spawned Ep 210

by Cool Mom Staff | Party Ideas, Podcast

One of our most popular posts of the past few months has been this list of social distancing birthday ideas for kids during COVID-19. And the more it’s been clear that Covid isn’t just a few-weeks-and-it’s-over-kind of thing, we’re now at the...

This brilliant mask self-portrait art project is one every teacher needs to assign before school starts.

by Kate Etue | DIY

This back to school season will be different from any we’ve seen, because no one knows what the heck fall will look like regarding COVID. Let alone next week. What we do know however, is that kids will be (and should be!) wearing masks in public, whether...

Check out these 4 fun games that my older and younger kids like playing together.

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

For my kids, their siblings have been their only playmates for months. And hey! Now that we’re heading into yet another weekend during Covid, that means finding a few more family activities. Our default is to sit around the table and play card games or board...

HandlePop: Because we don’t want to touch those supermarket cart handles much either.

by Caroline Siegrist | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing

Update: Unfortunately this Kickstarter was cancelled in mid-July. We’ll be out shortly with some great alternatives! Anyone else feel like they’re playing high-stakes poker every time they grab a shopping cart by the handle? I know I can wipe the handle...

4 cool mask accessories to make wearing a face mask a little more comfortable

by Caroline Siegrist | Fashion, Health, Fitness + Wellbeing

If your ears ache like crazy right now, you’re doing something right, mask-wise. But good news! With these accessories, you can make wearing a face mask a whole lot more comfortable, and for glasses wearers, a whole lot less foggy. Plus, if your state is like...

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).