Paris with teens: 8 of our favorite off-the-beaten-path attractions and activities
Our family of four with two teenagers recently returned from a five-day trip to Paris. While we did hit most of the major attractions — the Louvre, Notre Dame, Versailles, and of course the Eiffel Tower — we also found some fun, less touristy places to...
Can holding a potato help prevent car sickness?
Earlier this year, I read somewhere that holding a russet potato can help prevent car sickness. I had no idea how or why, but I thought it was worth a shot. Because if you have kids who get car sick, you know that you will try anything. Like…anything. On a long...
Tidying up while keeping the kids safe: Expert tips and tricks that work | Spawned Ep 158
We all would love a tidy home that’s Marie Kondo approved, but let’s be honest, kids definitely complicate that endeavor. With all the stuff they accumulate, and then, keeping them safe on top of it all, well, it’s overwhelming to say the least....
5 expert tips to help give your laundry room a quick and easy makeover
For the amount of time we all spend in our laundry room, you’d think that we would take a little more time keeping them organized, especially since the whole goal of the room is to help us get things clean. But, if you’re like us, the laundry room is one...
How to answer all your daughter’s questions about menstruation and periods. (That goes for you too, dads!)
The stigma that still exists around periods and talking about the menstrual cycle is ridiculous — but getting better. No judgment, by the way. It’s ingrained in much of our culture not to talk about this stuff which (surprise!) makes it hard to talk about....
The National Parks Junior Ranger Program is a brilliant and easy way to get kids excited about your next family vacation
If you’re planning a family trip to one of our amazing national parks this summer, I want to recommend that you schedule some time to let your kids take part in the National Parks Junior Ranger program. This is a wonderful educational program that helps kids...
How to survive the last month of school. You’ve got this, parents | Spawned Ep 154
The countdown to summer has begun, and if your schedules are anything like ours, things get a whole lot crazier this last month (or couple of weeks, depending on where you live). On this episode of Spawned Parenting Podcast, we’re sharing our tried and true tips...
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...
Maternal mental health: What we can do to spread the word about this important issue | Spawned Ep 153
Did you know that one out of seven women will be affected by maternal mental health? That’s a staggering number and yet, women experience judgment and misdiagnosis of their maternal mental health disorder every single day. On the episode of the Spawned Parenting...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).
But we did.
And we still love what we do every single day.
We're so glad you're here.
New for 2019!
Join the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club
Our Podcast
Too hot to cook
Answers to Parents’ Top Tech Questions
Our sponsors are cool. Support them!
“My kid wants Snapchat. We would need to lie about his age. So are parents doing that?”
“I bought a popsicle mold last year and am determined to actually use it this summer. Any good recipes? “
Doing Good: We’re Supporting…
Work with us!
