We’re grateful for this Thanksgiving tablecloth that lets kids doodle during the meal
With big holiday dinners back on the menu this year, I was thrilled to discover this cool color-your-own Thanksgiving activity tablecloth at Tiny Expressions. It’s full of activities for kids — like word searches, tic-tac-toe, and ample coloring...
Making peace with A Very Pandemic Holiday ™ | Spawned Ep 221
Liz has cancelled Thanksgiving. Kristen is staying in her bubble. We’ve worried, we’ve cried, we’ve reconciled with it, and then sometimes we’re not quite so reconciled. We’re being honest about what we’re missing and what sucks and...
What to send loved ones spending Thanksgiving alone, so you feel just a little more together.
Yesterday, my daughter who is attending graduate school for social work in Denver, called to tell me that she thinks it is best for her to cancel her planned trip home for Thanksgiving thanks to the new COVID warnings and restrictions in Oregon where I live. My first...
8 easy gratitude activities for kids this Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving looking so different this year, we’re really trying to focus on gratitude and gratitude activities, so that we’re spending more time feeling, well, thankful, instead of resentful. With my own Thanksgiving family plans cancelled —...
Holiday craziness and stress: Let’s sloooooow things down a little, please? | Spawned ep 174
If you feel like the holiday season came sooner this year — along with the holiday ads, the holiday sales, the Mariah Carey videos, and the holiday pressure, it’s not in your head. There are lots of reasons we’re feeling it more this year, and social...
5 fun Thanksgiving crafts for kids that double as your Thanksgiving table decor
Having some themed Thanksgiving crafts on hand is a great way to entertain your younger holiday guests over what can be a long day, but I’m never quite sure what to do with all the finished projects after the kids are done with them. So, this year I’ve...
Build positivity with these 5 printable gratitude journal pages for kids
When I started keeping a gratitude journal with my daughter last year, I was struck by her comment one night at bedtime: “Doing this makes me so happy.” All the research I’ve seen seems to support her reaction; keeping lists of the things...
Free Thanksgiving coloring pages to help children express gratitude
While there’s no shortage of websites out there that offer free Thanksgiving coloring pages for children surrounded by lots of blinking ads and downloadable PDFs of dubious quality, we have an alternative: A selection of nicely designed, artful Thanksgiving...
A collection of culturally and historically accurate Thanksgiving coloring pages for children
This year, I’ve been on a mission to track down more culturally and historically accurate Thanksgiving coloring pages for my own kids and for our readers. Because most of us know by now that, however uncomfortable it may be, the story of Thanksgiving that so...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.
50 screen-free summer activities for kids
Summer camp care package ideas
Support for Ukraine
Our Podcast. (It’s won awards and everything!)
The Best Gifts for Kids by Age
Best Baby Gifts of the Year
Tech Tips for Parents
