I have no problems with princesses and more traditional Halloween costumes for my daughter, but I admit I do have a bit of a bias toward strong girl Halloween costumes. So when my daughter told me she wants to dress up as a Greek goddess…
If you've ever had this tune stuck in your head, "We've got the whole wide world in our yard to explore...", you can thank Dan Yaccarino. He designed Pablo, Uniqua and the rest of the Backyardigans crew, and he's also the creator of the …
I spent a few solid months tightening up my buns thanks to Barre3 barre workouts a couple of years ago, so when I decided to hit the workout circuit again after a very long summer hiatus, I gave Pure Barre a try instead (thanks to a very…
Not everyone has kids that want scary Halloween decorations around the house. Like mine, for example. Hosting a trick-or-treat party is one of my kids' favorite traditions of the year, and they totally love Halloween, but they'd prefer w…
Who says first-time moms need all the stuff? Even BTDT second-time around moms who have saved a bunch of their favorite items, could still use some new gear and gifts for second babies that make their life much easier. Especially if ther…
When we're browsing the seemingly endless soap aisle at the grocery store, it's easy to forget that the basics for good hygiene can still present a big challenge in many parts of the world. A bar of soap can literally save lives, prevent…
Two years ago, when I learned about Parents magazine lifestyle editor Amanda Kingloff's cool, modern crafts book Project Kid , I flipped. For joy. These were crafts my kids could easily make , and I'd actually want to keep. (Sorry, glitt…
Since becoming pregnant with my first child, I'm trying to absorb all the advice, dos and don'ts of taking care of a baby before I have the baby. (Fortunately, working with all the moms at Cool Mom Picks is a huge help!) One of the thing…
Back in my school day, my mom let me walk alone to school, my friends' homes, and the pizzeria by the time I was 10 years old. (Uphill, both ways, and barefoot, no less.) Fast forward to me as a parent and I admit my own kids -- now ages…
We're all big fans of artful, creative pop-up books around here, but when I checked out a copy of Midnight Creatures: A Pop-up Shadow Search , it didn't cross my mind just how extraordinarily creative it would be -- and how much it would…
I love finding new fragrances, but I never want to smell like anyone else. For me, the pleasure in perfume is in leaning close to someone and picking up a faint whiff that's distinctly them -- and I hope the fragrances I wear have the sa…
Whichever social media site is your guilty pleasure du jour, we’re there, making sure you don’t miss our favorite posts on parenting, fashion, apps, recipes, deals and discounts , and random awesomeness from around the web. Plus our favo…
This year, with all five of my nieces dressing up as Star Wars characters, I couldn't think of a more perfect Halloween craft than creating Star Wars Halloween pumpkins together. So I've searched the web for them -- and all of you! -- an…
When you've got a little one, you probably know that means you have a whooooole lot of preschooler birthday party gifts to look for over the course of the year. One gift for each party for each kid in your child's preschool class? Yeouch…
I still remember celebrating when I was finally out of the baby and toddler no-sleep days, only to discover that I had a big kid with sleep anxiety. Once I realized the incentive of Star Wars Legos wasn't keeping him in his bed through t…
Full disclosure: I'm down with pumpkin spice. Lattes, candles, cookies, soap, cake, more cake. I love the smell, I usually enjoy the taste, and I am most definitely not judging you if you do too. When it comes to Pumpkin Spice Oreos and …
Is there anything worse than finding mouse droppings in your house? Oh, right. There is: Finding a palm-sized wolf spider in your kid's bed. Ask me how I know. Luckily, I've found a company that makes all-natural pest repellent , which m…
When Cool Mom Picks asked me to pick the three top lip colors for fall, I was excited. But I know that for a lot of women, the idea of following trends can be a little scary, especially when the trends veer outside of your comfort zone. …
With the cooler weather around the corner, we've got one terrific way to get ready for lots of indoor play: The fun new craft kits and art supplies from our most excellent sponsor, Handmade Charlotte Kids , now available at Michael's sto…
After 11 years of parenting, I'm a pretty big believer in not buying baby gear that doesn't grow with your child . That means floor mats dedicated exclusively to, say, tummy time isn't at the top of my priority list. (As cute as they may…
The election is just over a month away, and what better time to check your voter registration status than on National Voter Registration Day ? If you can't make any of their hundreds of events across the country today, you can easily hop…
As a first time mom-to-be, I am already thinking about creating a household where my child can be whatever they want to be. A doctor, lawyer, sandwich artistan, or even a Silicon Valley techno mastermind. And given that my husband's an I…
Keeping a house clean when you've got work and kids and pets and all of the things can be a pretty ominous task if you think of it all at once. However if you can break it down, and tackle a single chore or maybe even a couple of smaller…
Some kids are just not down with full-body Halloween costumes. If you've ever tried to wrestle a screaming baby into that adorable plush monkey onesie and ended up covered in bodily fluids, you know just what I mean. Luckily, these adora…
