7 important reasons that children need baby dolls — both girls AND boys
For years, we’ve written about the joy and beauty and specialness of baby dolls as gifts for our kids, from newborns to toddlers, even our school-aged kids. A doll can be a cherished best friend, a bedtime comfort, a travel companion, a tea party guest, and...
The soccer balls that let kids show off their skills and their style
It’s amazing how few companies are making sports equipment targeted to girls — unless it’s pink or purple or covered in glitter. So I loved discovering KAOS Soccer, a company that blends serious soccer credit with edgy modern design. Not that...
The coolest Funko Pop figures coming in 2019, including the one that made me cry
We have quite the growing collection of Funko Pop figurines, and last week at Toy Fair, there was one that actually made me tear up: A beautiful patina Stan Lee Funko Pop. Maybe because it feels less like a fun figurine and more like he’s being preserved forever...
14 non-candy Valentine ideas for kids with printables: Perfect for classroom parties or kids with enough candy in their lives
A couple years ago, we shared 10 wonderful non-candy Valentine’s Day treat ideas for the classroom, and this year, I’ve put together so many more. And they all come with free printables, whoo! We love giving out little treats with our kids’ printable...
The Barbie same-sex wedding set: Why it needs to happen | Thinking: Parent
Could Mattel be developing a Barbie same sex wedding set? Well, yeah. They could. And they might. And I am here for it. We’ve been writing for so long that in all things — especially for our kids — diversity matters. Inclusiveness matters....
This baby and toddler subscription is like a 3-year Montessori education | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Monti Kids Kids learn through play. And this is the season so many parents, grandparents, and caregivers have play on our minds. Enter Monti Kids, the only at-home Montessori learning toy subscription program that’s designed and...
Some of our favorite Secret Santa gift ideas for the whole family
One way I always bring all of my family together over the holidays is with a Secret Santa gifting tradition. Truth be told, it’s the most affordable (and let’s be honest, fun) way to exchange gifts with a large family over the holidays. I generally try to...
We found wonderfully diverse dollhouse dolls: Multicultural, multiracial, differently-abled and more.
If a dollhouse is on your kids’ holiday wish lists, don’t forget to include some dollhouse dolls so that they can get right to the business of playing (while you clean up wrapping paper). But unlike dollhouses which come in lots of different styles, from...
Small Business Saturday Deals: The shops we’d support even if they were full price
The #shopsmall movement is one we’ve been supporting even before there was an unofficial Small Business Saturday followed by a very official Small Business Saturday (now kindly supported by American Express). Lots of our favorite indie businesses, small shops,...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
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).
We still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.
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