The papercraft book that makes Christmas crafting so, so easy.

by Kate Etue | Books for Kids, DIY

Houses up and down our street are starting to turn on their holiday lights, and it’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas in our neighborhood. My craft-loving kids would like for us to DIY everything holiday around here — cotton-ball snowmen, reindeer...

10 fun ideas for holiday traditions you can start with your family right now

by Cool Mom Team | Tips + Tricks

One of our most favorite parts of the holidays (no, not presents, though we like those too) are the family traditions we celebrate year after year. There’s just something so special about looking forward to our annual holiday rituals, whether they started...

14 festive and fun advent calendars to count down to Christmas.

by Georgette Gilmore | DIY

I, like Buddy from Elf, loooove Christmas. Christmas is my favorite. So once November gets here, I start planning my holiday decorations, meals, and festivities. And one of my favorite ways to kick-off the season is with advent calendars. For my family, nothing...

How to make a DIY Thankful Turkey with your kids in 4 (very) easy steps.

by Kate Etue | DIY

Our favorite crafts around here are simple ones that don’t require an MFA, and it’s a big bonus when we don’t even have to head to the craft store for supplies. And if these crafts help us have conversations about the world around us, allow our...

Celebrate Everything by Darcy Miller: The party planning guidebook so inspiring it will make you celebrate…oh heck. Tuesdays.

by Kate Etue | Party Ideas, Books for Adults, DIY

The holidays are fast approaching, which means it’s party season! I’m thinking all about Halloween this week, but before you know it we’ll be planning New Year’s parties. Not to mention the, oh… 1,285 family birthdays that my family seems...

A fabulous resource for cool Halloween printables, from coloring pages to banners to party games

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY

It’s officially that time when my kids beg to decorate our door for Halloween and here come our friends from Caravan Shoppe to the rescue! Mom and graphic artist Alma Loveland — make of the Ollieblocks we can’t get enough of — has just come out...

16 seriously creative no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas for all of the fun, none of the pumpkin guts!

by Caroline Siegrist | DIY, Party Ideas

Welcome to the no-stress portion of our Halloween coverage, as we track down some of the coolest, most creative no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas that are perfect for kids. After all, for me, Halloween’s swarming bats, cackling witches, and stumbling zombies...

29 cool Star Wars pumpkin ideas we’ve found for Halloween: The internet has taught us well.

by Caroline Siegrist | DIY

This year, with all five of my nieces dressing up as Star Wars characters, I couldn’t think of a more perfect Halloween craft than creating Star Wars Halloween pumpkins together. So I’ve searched the web for them — and all of you! — and rounded...

11 easy Valentine’s Day crafts for preschoolers and younger kids, most with supplies you already have at home.

by Kate Etue | DIY

While I’m not sure I’m ready for my house to look like it exploded in hearts, Valentine’s Day is coming sooner than you think. And since my kids’ own language of love is craft projects, I’ve been looking for some easy Valentine’s...

Fun holiday party ideas that we put to use at our our own Cool Mom Picks shindigs this season.

by Cool Mom Team | Food + Recipes, Tips + Tricks

We had the best time over the past month, partnering with Amazon Free Time to throw a couple of fun press and blogger holiday cocktail parties in Philly and Atlanta. Our aim was to give parents a little more me time (Get it? Free Time for me time?) in...