Fourth of July Archives | Cool Mom Picks

3 new books for kids that make you proud to be American

With July 4th coming, up, this is a time my family often discusses what it means to be American, how we can make the country better, safer, and more equitable for other Americans, and what we can do to help live up to our nation’s promise of liberty and justice...

When your America stands for kindness, compassion, justice, inclusion and love.

by Liz Gumbinner | Fashion, Kid Fashion

If you’re shopping for some flag-adorned July 4 wear for the kids, and the standard stars-and-stripes stuff in the big stores isn’t jumping off the shelf at you, here’s a totally different way to go, and I love it:: The América la Estupenda American...

What Does it Mean to Be American? This picture book says it better than any TV pundit or long-winded article.

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids

Kids are smart. And observant. Even our littlest children know that right now, there’s a lot of talk about what it means to be American, who’s a “real” American, and what kinds of values America stand for. And it’s complicated, but that...

10 alternative ways to celebrate the 4th of July, if you’re not feeling like waving a flag this year.

by Kate Etue | Doing Good, Tips + Tricks

This year, a lot of readers and Facebook fans and even some of our own team have mentioned that they feel different about July 4th this year. You too? You’re not alone. In 2018, Gallup released a poll stating that fewer people feel proud to be an American this...

10 festive (but easy!) 4th of July crafts and activities for kids of all ages

by Kate Etue | DIY

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, because you can easily make it a slow, relaxing, easy day with family and friends. No presents to exchange and no huge meal to cook. Just time together — and the magic of fireworks through my kids’ eyes. That...

Progressive 4th of July tees that you (and your kids) will love wearing long past Independence Day.

by Caroline Siegrist | Fashion, Kid Fashion

Let’s talk progressive 4th of July tees. We feature cool flag tees and clothing of all kinds every summer, but this year in particular, there are a whole lot of people looking to celebrate the best of what this country can be and should be. “Freedom for...

Great fireworks photo tips to help make those shots Instagram-worthy

by Liz Gumbinner | Tips + Tricks

If you’re heading out to catch some fireworks on July 4, or any time this summer, check out Cool Mom Tech where we’ve got 10 photo tips for shooting fireworks, to keep you from coming home with a bunch of blurry blips in your camera roll. Whether...

What does being American mean to you? We love these artists’ answers.

by Liz Gumbinner | Thinking : Parent

In honor of the Fourth of July (happy 241, America!) I’m grateful to our friends at Tattly Tattoos who put together this lovely photographic series, in which they asked all different makers, creators, and entrepreneurs to describe what it means to them to be...

21 fun ideas for 4th of July activities for families to make your Independence Day a blast

by Georgette Gilmore | Party Ideas

On Tuesday, July 4th, we celebrate America’s birthday. And ain’t no party like a 4th of July party because a 4th of July party don’t stop! That is, if you make sure to have plenty of food, festive cocktails, and plenty of fun. Don’t worry,...

12 fun, creative 4th of July crafts for older kids who have outgrown fingerpainting.

by Lexi Petronis | DIY

We’ve seen so many 4th of July crafts over the years, and admittedly, my own bag of craft tricks for the kids can use some freshening up. So I’ve scoured the web and tracked down some really creative (and relatively easy) 4th of July crafts for kids who...

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).