With my oldest heading off to college this fall, I've been thinking about all the things kids should know before leaving home. And it's a lot. In fact I've found myself in a sort of panic mode wondering whether she knows some basics to h…
When we think back to school season, we're also thinking about those time-saving hacks we dust off to ease out of the summer groove and ready for our September (or August!) routines. While our Annual Back to School Guide mostly features …
When we look for cool backpacks for teens , it's not enough for them to just be, you know, cool . As kids head to middle school or high school— especially after a whole year at home more or less (sigh) — they need bigger, sturdier backpa…
Last year, a colleague with an "in" in the designer shoe world tipped me off that puffy textured sandals, woven textures and braided straps were going to be hot for spring/summer. I blink and whoa -- sure enough, they've been flooding th…
It was time for us to bring back some solid tips for staying in a hotel with toddlers, babies or even older kids. Because this week, we all started seeing this "TikTok hotel hacks" article going around and sheesh! It seems the article wa…
While I'd love to buy a ton of things at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale , I try to be smart about it. That means besides one or two things I've had my eye on, I stick with items that I already love and need refreshing. Especially when th…
One of my favorite things about taking my son to swim lessons is seeing all the fun swim googles for kids that have become so popular over the last few years. Eyelashes goggles! Rhinestone goggles! Shark's teeth goggles ! Sequined goggle…
When I send care packages to my boys at summer camp, I generally include snacks and silly toys for them to goof around with. And in Liz's post packed with the best ideas for summer camp care packages , she talks a lot about sending fun b…
Call us the handwriting brigade. Seriously. From day one, even with the advent of technology and the slow decline of handwriting instruction (let alone cursive, gah!) in schools, we've always made it our mission to encourage kids not to …
Our team at Cool Mom Picks jokes that we have a lot of children among us, but the truth is, we have quite a few divorces and separations among us too. That means we've had a lot of experience trying to achieve healthy co-parenting, havin…
Homemade Father's Day cards are so perfect, whether they're from kids old enough to manage their own craft supplies, or you know, "from the baby." In fact we all feel like a homemade card should be part of any Father's Day gift you're gi…
We've reached the end of the school year (hooray!), but before our kids run out of those school doors for summer, let's encourage them to write a short-but-sweet teacher thank you note. After all, a personal note from their students is t…
We're already seeing a lot of searches on our site for ways to celebrate the graduates in our lives, whether that is by throwing a party with special, graduation-themed food , or by using one of the many newer graduation ideas that we st…
We're big fans of those simple joys, like knowing you have spare batteries, a working pen, or a fresh new water filter replacement right when you need it. But unlike batteries, which you can just grab pretty much anywhere, it can be a ha…
It's spring! Or as this homeschool mom thinks of it, spring book season! So many of us are relieved to have made it through this winter and reap the rewards of longer days, warmer weather, outdoor grilling , maybe some backyard camping ,…
Our Seder includes a new tradition, the reading of the Hamilton Haggadah. But to keep the little ones happy, we happily share this: an awesome set of free printable Passover 10 plague finger puppets at Tori Avey's blog. Oh, like you alre…
For more than a decade now, so many of our writers have searched the web to compile the most creative Easter egg decorating ideas , from simple to wow, from traditional to modern, from designs for toddlers to designs for teens -- and eve…
I've entered the parenting stage that involves a lot more talking about the important issues in my kids' lives -- and in the world around them. Which is why we're sharing these tips for hard talks to have with your kids. There's somethin…
In our three-part Life Skills Series, we've shared tips to help you raise critical thinkers and to raise problem-solvers . Now, I'm excited to share ideas around collaborating and working together. Because what the world needs now (besid…
In the first post of our Life Skills Series, we shared tips to help you raise critical thinkers . And next up, we're talking about how to teach your kids problem-solving skills . As adults, we know how important they are in our everyday …
If one thing has become abundantly clear over the past few years, our kids are growing up seeing all kinds of problems we face in the world, and they're increasingly asking us what they can do, or how they can be part of the solution. Th…
Raise your hand if you've ever gotten terrible parenting advice! Wait, all of you who have kids? Ha, yes. Of course all of us have. It's like a rite of passage for new parents. But the good thing is, with some perspective and guidance, y…
We love finding cool, creative Easter basket ideas for kids that are still affordable. I mean, yes, there are always jellybeans and Peeps , but maybe consider some of these cool Easter basket ideas under $20 as ideas that can be a little…
If you're one of those parents who can answer any question without saying let's go check the internet! like I do, then more power to you. As for me, I was researching the story of the real St. Patrick's Day to help explain it to my kids,…
