8 lovely children’s books to help teach our kids more about Islam
Like many parents, I’ve been reeling ever the New Zealand mosque shooting last week, which was just followed by yet another horrific racist attack only yesterday: a fire deliberately set at a mosque in Northern California. So as a non-Muslim myself, I’ve...
Home with the kids New Year’s Eve? These 12 festive (and easy!) ideas can make the night memorable.
These days, New Year’s Eve parties are more about me trying my very best to stay up till midnight (though 10 PM is more like it) and drinking sparkling cider with our kids as we watch the ball drop on TV. And, honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way....
12 acts of kindness you can do with your kids over the holiday break, to make the season about more than presents.
On the first day after Christmas, Santa will be back at the North Pole, the toys will all be unwrapped, and you’ll have at least a week to entertain your sweet, energetic children while they are home from school. If there’s ever a time to let the kids...
The best list of last-minute holiday gift ideas that let you skip the $$$ shipping
I totally get the last-minute holiday gift problem. Believe me! I mean, we may have started amassing ideas for our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide in, like…February, but hey, we’re busy moms. And we’re busy shopping for you sometimes at the expense of our...
Creative holiday gift wrap and printable gift tags: A roundup of our favorite ideas
If you’re like me, you’re already kind of dreading the annual, late night “OMG we have to wrap every one of these gifts after the kids get in bed” conversation on the 24th. Or, if you’re like half the people in my Instagram feed,...
Last-minute holiday shipping deadlines for all the big stores this season
We’re scrambling to track down the last-minute holiday shipping deadlines too right now! After all, most of us busy parents are doing more and more of our shopping for the holidays online — usually late at night, after the kids are in bed, right? I’m...
50 cool but still practical stocking stuffers, for people who just can’t with the plastic crap.
The truth is, I’ve looked at a lot of lists of practical stocking stuffers around the web and… I never like them much. Because no, chocolate bars are not “practical” gifts, as much as I like getting them. And no, deodorant is not a cool gift,...
How to make the most of the holiday (and not lose your mind) | Spawned Ep 135
We know that the holidays can be a busy, stressful time for lots of families, which is why we thought it might be helpful to discuss ways we try to make the most out of the holidays (and not lose our minds) with our own families on our latest Spawned podcast. In this...
3 terrific books for children who celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah
We’ve covered so many holiday books for kids over the years, and one thing we’ve realizes is missing: a good selection of books for children who celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. While my teens may be jealous of friends who celebrate both of the big...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.)
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).
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No More Mean Girls, by Katie Hurley
The Yes Brain, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
How to Break Up with Your Phone, by Christine Price
The New Childhood, by Jordan Shapiro
How to Be a Happier Parent by KJ Dell'Antonia
Raising Empowered Daughters by Mike Adamick
Radical Kindness by Angela Santomero
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