school lunch help Archives

The coolest lunch box accessories, water bottles, and other goodies to make school lunch more fun | Back to School Shopping Guide

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

Each year, in our annual back to school shopping guide, we always love tracking down those cool lunch box accessories, water bottles, bentos, and other fun goodies that help make opening that same old lunch box every day a little more special. Only last year… we...

Catherine McCord’s tips for making feeding kids more fun | Spawned ep 127

by Cool Mom Staff | Food + Recipes, Podcast

We’re always up for tips and tricks to help us make our time in the kitchen more fun, which is why we were so excited to chat with Catherine McCord, of the uber popular Weelicious, one of our all-time favorite food blogs. We’ve been friends for years now,...

Kids and nutrition: Tips from pediatric expert Dr. Tanya Altmann | Spawned ep 125

by Cool Mom Staff | Food + Recipes, Podcast

This week on Spawned, we’re talking kids and nutrition. Which, TBH, is one of those issues that nearly universally stresses out parents of all kinds, with kids of all ages. Fortunately, we’ve got an expert to help us out: Dr. Tanya Altmann, who you may...

Do Etee reusable food wraps really work? | Damn you, Facebook Ads

by Kate Etue | Kitchen + Dining

Am I the only mom who’s constantly running out of sandwich bags and plastic wrap? Probably not. By packing lunches and storing leftovers for 6 people in my family, I cannot keep them on hand. So when Liz suggested I purchase a set of Etee reusable food...

Great ideas for sweet after-school treats that go easy on the sugar. (Sorry cookies!)

by Stacie Billis | Food + Recipes

When my kids were younger, after-school snacks served largely as a reward for making it through the school day. Now that they are a bit older, what they eat after school and before their after-school activities provides necessary fuel to keep them going strong through...

5 super fun bento box ideas that are as easy to make as they are to eat.

by Stacie Billis | Food + Recipes, Tips + Tricks

We love a fun bento box as much as the next person, but has anyone else noticed that most playful school lunch ideas require a PhD in arts and crafts? So cute, but who has the time — or, um, ability? While we admittedly attempt more ambitious school lunches for...

Eliminating food dyes from your kids snacks? Start with these 3.

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

When it comes to treats and candy for our kids, we’ve always take a pretty common sense “everything in moderation” approach around here. Hey, we love candy! What’s a trip to the movie theater, a birthday party, or a special occasion lunchbox...

Easy recipes your family will love? This Instagram account can help!

by Cool Mom Staff | Food + Recipes

We know people love Instagram for pretty photos and funny memes, but now you can get delicious, easy recipes thanks to the Cool Mom Eats Instagram account. Our food editor and mom-of-2 Stacie Billis shares everything from last-minute dinner ideas to a tasty Super Bowl...

The cutest lunch box notes, whether your kids love Star Wars, Pokémon GO, or Dr. Seuss

by Caroline Siegrist | School Gear

Way back when my mom packed lunch for me, the brown paper bag always came adorned with a smiley face, a heart, or on days she was feeling really ambitious, a rough portrait of our dog, Maggie. And as a kid, it made such a difference, especially in the early days when...

It’s a lunch bag! It’s a place mat! It’s the answer to every germaphobe parent’s prayers.

by Liz Gumbinner | School Gear

While there are all kinds of kids lunch bags and boxes that I find are really durable and effective, I’ve long been a fan of the lunch bags from Built NY — in no small part because the size and styling means I can borrow them from my kids. And now...

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).

We still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.