by Christina Refford | DIY
After our local Border’s bookstore closed, I became a bit “woe is me” about the future of books. I’m one of those people who just can’t imagine sitting down my kids for a bedtime story with my iPad in my lap. So, I’m rejoicing over...
by Cool Mom Team | Doing Good
I have a big, big heart for teachers and all they do. Not just because my own mother is one, but because I can directly point to moments that educators shaped my life in profound ways. Like Linda Taylor who helped me fall in love with history in fifth grade. Dee...
by Eva Glettner | Uncategorized
I take a lot of pictures of my kids. Some of them end up in the digital abyss crying to be turned into scrapbooks and canvases on my wall. But then there are plenty that I look at and think hm. That should have turned out better. Now, there’s a way to make sure...
by Cool Mom Team | Uncategorized
Today is a tough day for a lot of us, especially those of us in the New York and DC areas who lived through the horror of 9/11 ten years ago. But we do love how it’s been turned into something positive as a National Day of Service. We thought it was a good time...
by Lexi Petronis | Party Ideas
My mom was amazing with personal notes–she always produced the loveliest card, written just-so, perfectly on-time, for every occasion. Her mastery of the art form skipped a generation. But the good news is that means my kids have a fair shot at...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
As a homeschool mom, I’ve got plenty of creative ways to teach numbers and counting to my littler ones. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t more creative options out there, like this one from artist and mom CarrieSue Gustafson who I recently...
by Cool Mom Team | Family Travel
On a recent trip to Prague, I fell in love with the town’s infamous toy shops. Somehow, I managed to squeeze into my bag a set of 6″ marionettes for my kids, along with a small puppet theater. Who would know it would turn out to be the best-loved guilt...
by Cool Mom Team | Entertainment + Media
No sooner did Team Umizoomi launch on Nick Jr. last year that my preschooler fell in love. Madly and deeply. Let’s say she occasionally insists on being called Geo, her favorite color has gone from purple to blue, and best of all, she’s excited about math....
by Eva Glettner | Books for Kids
It is rare to find a book that all three of my boys can enjoy together. With such varied interests, I long for something captivating (and non-electronic) that has the ability to sustain their attention long enough for me to take a shower. DK Publishing has answered my...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
My handbag is sort of a Mom’s Swiss Army Knife. Need a Band-Aid? Got it. Hungry? I’ve got some mints in here somewhere. But when we get stuck waiting somewhere and the kids are threatening to mutiny out of sheer boredom, it turns out that drawing on the...