school supplies Archives | Cool Mom Picks

15 of the coolest backpacks for preschool and kindergarten this year | Back to School Guide 2021

by Kate Etue | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

For some of our kids, the wait for this school year has been two-years long. They are seriously geeking out over school supplies, starting with the quest for the perfect backpack. For those kids who are headed to preschool or kindergarten for the first time this year,...

Setting up a study space at home for distance learning or homeschool: How to make it one your kid will actually use

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, Kids' Furniture, School Gear, Storage + Organization, Tips + Tricks

Right now, so many parents are trying to figure out how to set up a study space at home for the kids because hey! 2020! Whether your kids are going to be doing distance learning with their school, or homeschooling — maybe for the first time — I can only...

Crayola introduces Colors of the World crayons with 24 gorgeous skin tones in every box.

by Christina Refford | DIY, Doing Good, Toys + Playthings

There’s so much in the news right now, you might have missed that today is International Diversity Day. (Not that every day shouldn’t be International Diversity Day but that’s another story.) Which makes this the perfect day for Crayola to announce...

The best 2019-20 school year planners for every type of parent | Back to School Guide 2019

by Kate Etue | Back to School Shopping, School Gear, Storage + Organization

If you’re going to plan for back to school, it makes sense to look for the best 2019-20 school year planner to help you…plan. So next up in our 2019 Back to School Shopping Guide, we’ve put together our favorites, no matter what kind of planning you...

11 favorite school supply organization hacks and tips | Back to School Guide 2019

by Kate Etue | Back to School Shopping, School Gear, Storage + Organization, Tips + Tricks

While we’re talking fun school supplies, we have to discuss a few smart school supply organization hacks, tips and tricks Because while we love sharing the coolest backpacks of 2019 and other gear throughout our Back to School Shopping Guide, what do we do with...

TL Duryea’s striking Sheroes Portrait Project, now wearable, drinkable and portable

by Liz Gumbinner | Art + Decor

I first discovered artist TL Duryea’s daily portrait project at the beginning of the year. It was through her portrait of Judge Rosemary Aquilina who presided over the Larry Nassar – US Gymnastics hearings. I was just floored at how beautifully she...

9 cool personalized school supplies to help make the school year a little more fun | Back to School 2018

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

As we start to get settled into our back-to-school routines — and that includes realizing what gear is missing from last year, what we’ve forgotten to pick up, and what our kids have already lost (gah!) it’s the perfect time to welcome back our...

5 great printable academic calendars to get you organized for the new school year

by Kate Etue | DIY, Storage + Organization

I’ve done some browsing to find some of the best printable academic calendars, or as you may call them, school year calendars. You know — the ones that start in August or September, when the school year does, and go on through next summer. Because...

Why Pharrell Williams would like it if you bought one of our favorite kids’ backpack brands

by Liz Gumbinner | Kid Fashion, School Gear

We’re big fans of Parkland Bags, the label making the affordable, great-looking, eco-friendly backpacks that you might have noticed all over our back-to-school shopping guide this year. They’re all made from recycled water bottles, which already puts them...

The coolest back to school supplies and fun accessories under $10 to make September more fun | Back to School 2018

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

Once you’ve bought those requisite black marble composition books and No. 2 pencils, it’s time to fun things up! We find that just a few affordable but still cool back-to-school supplies can get kids so much more excited about getting back to the...

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.