I have a thing for tea towels, but most of the ones I see fall squarely into the Country Living school of design. What, cityfolk don't dry their dishes too? So I was happy to be introduced to San Francisco studio Studiopatro, which makes…
My kids are more than eager to help in the kitchen, but there's only so much they can do with a big dull butter knife and a spoon as long as their arm. Fortunately, since discovering these cool kid-size kitchen utensils, our nightly dinn…
Recently, my daughter asked why a friend's two year-old brother couldn't "act like a cow" without saying moo. I explained that animal sounds are the first way that children start to understand how to define animals. And that's why every …
I love the idea of buying a keepsake blanket for a baby, but in my experience, they're usually more beautiful than they are useful. However that's not the case when it comes to these mom-designed blankets that are as gorgeous as they are…
Considering my oldest daughter just turned seven (7!) last week, I've spent the better half of the last few days singing Happy Birthday. So it seemed only fitting that I'd have barely any voice left when I filmed myself doing the same fo…
When my kids first discovered Angry Birds, I admit that it didn't take me long to join the legions of lovers . There is something about the smug little faces and the clueless looking swine that gets me every time. But there is this littl…
Does anyone else feel like buying sunscreen takes a PhD and two hours internet research? I do. And then I'm too tired to swim. That's why we're happy to share some family-tested sunscreens that we've thoroughly tested-- and we checked th…
When my kids were younger, I used to leave the Closed Captioning up on the television so they could get familiar with the words coming out of the mouths of their favorite cartoon characters. Taking this idea one step further and more eff…
I always love those artist and free thinking types who commit to something like wearing a different dress every day for a year, or cooking a different vegetable every day. And now there's one more--UK mom and artist Lisa Stevens who's cr…
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We were beyond thrilled to discover that Cool Mom Picks has been chosen as Babble.com's #1 shopping site ! Thank you, Babble! To be honored alongside 50 cool sites that we admire and love ourselves, like Inhabitat , Stroller Traffic , an…
We're always sad to see a small shop we love, like Cat in an Apron, close its doors. But there's a silver lining. At least if you'd like to get 50% off their remaining inventory of beautifully tailored clothing , gifts and accessories. C…
So many times I wish that my favorite kids designers were designer for us adults too. And now--hello! Thank you, kit +lili! I'm loving their line for adults, including beautiful dresses , flowy peasant tops in bold modern patterns, and c…
Do you have any suggestions for fun, quiet and small toys for a looooong flight/travel day for a 2yo and a 4yo, both boys? Would love to hear your suggestions! Thanks! -Brave mama, Melissa. Crayons and blank paper, activity books, and co…
As soon as I heard Charlie Hope's first CD, and then her lovely collection of lullabies, I was struck by how absolutely clear, real and pretty her voice is--especially in contrast with all the robotic autotune vocals this mama of a pop-m…
Like so many moms, I'm obsessed with those feather-soft muslin swaddle blankets from the beloved aden + anais line. I use the beautifully printed blankies for everything from hiding my nursing newborn to protecting him from the sun and, …
I didn't have kids yet when I lived in New York, but if I did--or should we ever happen to move back (could happen!)--I'd need some help getting it all together. A toddler bed to fit in a Manhattan apartment? Recommendations for a fabulo…
Dressing our little dudes up is no easy task. While it may be fairly easy to go preppy and sport the oxford shirt and khaki pants route, sometimes social events beckon for more rock and roll than country club. A new kids label from a Pro…
The hipsters have spoken! From Williamsburg to Silverlake, the official motif of the 2011 hipster movement is... the mustache. Specifically, the curly handlebar moustache. If I'm not seeing it on the faces of the kinds of guys who have t…
I'm dying to make a reference to the fanny pack as being the butt of all tourist jokes -- oh wait, I think I just did. But let's be fair, there is something to be said to a hands-free way of carrying a little cash and your keys when you'…
This weekend, I had the pleasure of taking my kids and some friends to one of the greatest circuses I'd ever been to. The one thing that made it different than any other--the performers were all kids. Before you roll your eyes and imagin…
I don't know about you, but these days, my inbox is totally overwhelmed with messages from good-deal sites . Don't get me wrong, they're all awesome deals--I'm glad I signed up for all of them, and wish I could nab every bargain. But for…
The chevron just might be the new hot motif of the season. I'm seeing it everywhere these days, from the new line of bedding at West Elm, to tea towels on Etsy, to the gorgeous little girls' dresses I just discovered from Ode Kids. This …
Leave it to a mom to know exactly what other moms want - a baby book. But not a time-consuming baby book. And maybe it's not really a baby book at all, because that just opens up all sorts of expectations about what goes inside and just …
