Why parents need a little escape right now (and a little something to help with that)
Even though we’re starting to dip our toe in a bit of normalcy these days – with kids in school and the world opening up a bit more – the idea of getting a little respite from the daily grind still sounds magical. We’ve all done our best to...
Jellies shoes are back! Here are 7 favorite styles for kids, teens, and those of us who may actually remember the 80s
I couldn’t be more excited that jellies shoes are back, because these were my absolute favorite 80s fashion trend as a kid. Well, friendship bracelets were totally rad too. And I did love my tie dye everything. Let’s just say I’m thrilled that some...
5 messages about your relationship that high school graduates need to know, before they leave home
With my almost 17-year old graduating from high school this summer (WHAT?), I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the things she needs to know before she leaves. Suddenly, I’ve got an urgency to make sure she remembers how to boil an egg or hang...
Connecting with your teens and tweens: A simple, free way you’ll both enjoy!
A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with my friend, who also happens to be a therapist, about how hard it’s been to find ways to connect with my tweens and teens. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, because if you’re like me, you’ve seen...
Taking the stress out of the college application process | Spawned Ep 237
It’s kind of crazy to think we started this site writing about cool swaddles and baby carriers, and now we’re thinking about…college applications. (Insert sobbing emoji x 100000.) And yes, it’s stressful. So we turned to one of the most...
12 inspirational books for graduation gifts, beyond Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
While there are so many graduation gift ideas that we could give to this year’s accomplished graduates, from preschool to high school, we love the idea of giving sweet, inspirational books for graduation gifts. Especially when they deliver messages about empowerment,...
Save 40% on these cool Star Wars clothes that kids will wear long after May the Fourth.
Being Star Wars Day and all, I was so excited to discover that one of our favorite small-label children’s clothing brands, Nununu, launched a Star Wars clothing collection for kids. I was even more excited to see that it’s all 40% off for a limited time!...
Judith Warner on “that article” about adolescents getting through the pandemic | Spawned Ep 234
Last week, my entire social network (online and off) buzzed loudly about author Judith Warner’s New York Times article about adolescents and the pandemic, Stop Calling It a Lost Year. Parents had very strong opinions! Especially those who didn’t actually...
6 comprehensive bike safety tips for kids, from a serious biking family who knows
After such a long winter, it’s finally bike-riding season: Hooray! And, whoa are you all getting on those bikes! I’ve seen so many kids riding bikes in our neighborhood, that my son’s mountain bike team has doubled in size since last year. Bike shops...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.
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The Best Gifts for Kids by Age
Best Baby Gifts of the Year
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