tweens + teens Archives | Cool Mom Picks

These hand-knit animal scarves require no food, no water, but lots of love.

While a real pet requires food, water, and responsibility, the phenomenal hand-knitted animals scarves from Dutch Etsy artist Nina Fuehrer require…well, just enough responsibility that they come home with your kids at the end of the day. At a recent Etsy holiday...

Ireland with kids: Great tips and secret spots from our 4-day adventure on the Wild Atlantic Way

by Kristen Chase | Family Travel

This past summer, we spent four days of our British family vacation in Ireland. Because our trip was centered around a trip to London, we still wanted to experience all the green beauty and nature of Ireland that we could in a few days. So instead of heading to...

London with teens: 12 things to see and do with your older kids

by Kristen Chase | Family Travel

This summer, I spent 4 glorious days in London with my teens (and tweens). I was so excited to share one of my favorite cities with my kids. But traveling as an adult to London is way different than bringing kids, which is why I did a ton of research and a whole lot...

We found the perfect athletic tank for girls, and two other fab new essentials from Yellowberry.

by Liz Gumbinner | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing, Kid Fashion

When you’ve got middle and high school aged girls who may be feeling awkward or uncomfortable in their changing bodies, getting into athletic clothes for gym or dance or after school activities that give them a little more confidence is a major major win. And...

Hot trend alert: 9 platform sneakers we love for fall!

by Liz Gumbinner | Fashion

While some trends we leave all to the kids, platform sneakers is one that I love and okay, so do my girls. It’s a way to get a little style into your comfortable footwear (or vice versa) and, if you’re not Kristen (ha), to get a little more height! If...

What to do in San Diego with Teens: Tips for a cool getaway

by Holly Rosen Fink | Family Travel, Tips + Tricks

Teens can be picky, and I don’t have the easiest teenagers myself. So on a recent long weekend getaway in San Diego, I planned out our days carefully with them in mind and hooray, it worked! Planning is the key to a good family vacation with teens. Especially when you...

25+ cool backpacks for teenagers in 2019 | Back to School Guide

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

Next up in our 2019 Back to School Shopping Guide, we’re sharing more than 2 dozen of our favorite cool backpack for teenagers in 2019. As kids head to middle school or high school, they need bigger, sturdier backpacks, better shoulder straps, laptop protection,...

27 very cool backpacks for grade school this year | Back to School Guide 2019

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

We’ve already shared our favorite backpacks for preschool and kindergarten, so next up in our 2019 Back to School Shopping Guide, we’re moving onto cool backpack for grade school! There are so many…honestly we had to stop ourselves from picking even...

Paris with teens: 8 of our favorite off-the-beaten-path attractions and activities

by Linda Kerr | Family Travel, Tips + Tricks

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...

The lawn sprinkler made entirely from predatory humanoid alien parts

by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings

The trend of crazy inflatable lawn sprinklers and cool pool floats shows little sign of slowing down. But if rainbow and unicorn sprinklers aren’t quite up your kid’s alley, I wouldn’t be surprised if a predatory, inter-dimension humanoid lawn...