I will admit it: I was not one to puree my own baby food. Ever. It always seemed like a fabulous idea and I envied those moms who did, but as a working mom it was just more effort than I had the energy for. Fortunately, there are great o…
Remember when there were 13 channels on the television and the youngest kid in the family was the designated remote control? Kids today will never know that pain. With 600 channels, Tivo, Hulu, and Google, there's always something on. Bu…
Sometimes it's the extra touches added to a baby gift that can make difference between a simple Thank you so much and an effusive Oh my goodness I absolutely love it! Take the sweet vintage-inspired wooden hangers at Zia + Tia. Sure, the…
When you discover a kids shop through the Wallpaper* Magazine Facebook Fan Page , it's a pretty good bet they're going to have taste up the wazoo. So when I clicked over to ella+elliot , yep. That's just what I found. This beautiful Toro…
Considering how much we drooled over the new Stella McCartney for Gap kids and baby collection, we were awaiting her new spring line with much anticipation. Well, it launched today and once again, we're smitten. The line itself sings of …
With a family of two girls and one boy, decorating a playroom with a gender neutral theme is a bit more complicated than it sounds. But thanks to the new limited edition travel poster series from design studio The Heads of State, I'm no …
Kristin van Ogtrop is the editor of Real Simple , which means that her life as a working mom is full of high-power glamour and nary a regret. Right. Okay, I'll confess I was worried that might be true, but it turns out that Kristin is so…
My nephew was hospitalized at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia when he was around two and I am forever grateful to the amazing staff who helped cure him -- and to all of the special facilities that help children. I guess that's wh…
I love books. Love them. And I love reading to my kids. But let's say they are going to spend the weekend at their grandparents' place. Or my husband and I decide a romantic getaway is in order (hey, it could happen). Then what would my …
When I was pregnant with my first child, I went a little crazy with the maternity clothes. And although my husband raised a skeptical eyebrow and tut-tutted about me buying items that I would -- he insisted -- never wear again after preg…
Sure, dining involves more crayons than caviar for my family these days. But it seems like every restaurant's high chairs are missing straps, are wobbly, are sized for a preschool linebacker, and/or spackled with nasty goo. Besides, my b…
Writing for Cool Mom Picks is pretty much my dream job, and I get to review some truly amazing stuff. I can shout at the top of my lungs about how much I like a product, but the real test is this: Did I go back and buy more? When it come…
If you've got a five-year-old daughter (or thereabouts) then you know the story well. Someone (*coughGrandmomcough*) buys her Polly Pockets and you end up spending most of your time searching for the ridiculously small shoes in your vacu…
All girls do not love ballerinas and all boys do not love cars. Totally get that. Even so, I do get that the vast majority of moms are looking for less traditionally feminine themes for their sons, and that the bunnies and lambs that loo…
When my kids were young, the challenge for me wasn't trying to get them to be more creative. They had access to all my art supplies and were constantly creating all kinds of art creations. My issue was where to store and display, say, a …
Any ideas where I can find allergen-free Easter candy? Nearly everything I see is processed in a plant with peanuts so I'm looking for egg-free and peanut-free goodies. -Mary As the mom of a daughter allergic to milk, I share your concer…
After stumbling upon the Design Your Own eggheads felt book from Beeper BeBe , I'm on the verge of nixing the whole Easter basket thing and going with Easter presents instead. because really, when you add up the price (and let's face it,…
We are always exceedingly grateful to all of our sponsors at Cool Mom Picks, big and small, because they are the ones who allow us to do what we do here. But there's one in particular that we want to give an extra-special shout-out to, b…
Here's why I hate most diaper bags: So many of them are made with the baby in mind, not the mama. They have ducks or sailboats on them, and they don't have any place for your own gear. But Ellington's Hannah tote , that's different. It i…
We instantly fell in love with artist Alyssa Coberly's adorable personalized onesies a few years back, and it seems like her work, sort of like babies, just keeps getting cuter and cuter - which is why we included her exclusive gift set …
I've heard that there are some mythical women out there who are gorgeous, relaxed, happy, full of energy, with beautiful hair and nails , clear skin, and passionate sex lives. Oh, and who never have gas or constipation issues. If you are…
The concepts of freedom from slavery, plagues, and a 40-year exodus through the desert, may be just a tad advanced for most little kids celebrating Passover next week . But the idea of pitching in and helping others in something I hope i…
Pregnant? You may not want to read this. Really. You might want to just step away from your computer. Because I'm about to write about pickles. And you know that as soon as you read about pickles, particularly these delectable artisan pi…
The world of custom cards and invitations has really exploded. I've written about tons of great companies on Cool Mom Picks alone, so it's really exciting when one still makes me go "Oooh!" Mango Ink cards are beautifully designed and pr…
