I am never going to be the mom who walks around Michael's picking all the supplies for origami finger puppet ornaments or hot glue gun 3-D stuffed animal baskets or whatever the heck other moms are making with their kids these days. I am…
I've never thought of the Blues as particularly cheerful until I heard Brooklyn's Randy Kaplan sing Good Morning Blues , the first song on Loquat Rooftop . Amidst the amazingly nimble-fingered guitar work, I heard him ask, Good morning b…
We love finding cool gifts and gear from small, up and coming designers, so we especially love when the humongo chains get smart and help turn them into big, up and coming designers. That's why we were excited to discover mom and pop fou…
According to all the magazines and certain recent ad campaigns of over-the-counter pain remedies, babies are the new hot accessory. Carry yours everywhere and you're sure to be in the in crowd this year. Or so we hear. So if you're sling…
Out of consideration for my post-baby figure, I rarely bake any more. It's just one of the sacrifices I make in the name of vanity. But at holiday time, my no-bake resolution goes out the window (and takes my willpower right along with i…
A few years ago, this handbag fanatic would have fallen over had someone told me I'd be hoarding diaper bags, but considering how amazing they've all gotten, you might understand my obsession. And since finding the Bohemian inspired Pinn…
Recently I wanted to make cookies for my girls but I was too tired to start from scratch. I grabbed a thing of that refrigerated cookie dough that I remember eating raw in my college days and figured it would be fine in a pinch. Oh man, …
I totally dare you to buy this New Year's Card by Robyn Miller Design, customize it with your own message, sign it with a beautiful heartfelt note -- and upload a photo of your crying, screaming, tantrum-throwing baby. Or maybe your kids…
We just wanted to give a huge thanks to Época , Brazil's popular weekly magazine, for naming Cool Mom Picks among their top 20 international blogs ! We are beyond honored to be in such esteemed company as the Huffington Post, Boing Boing…
Considering I can barely keep track of my cell phone, let alone a baby bottle cap, just guess how many bottle caps I've lost. Okay don't hurt yourself with all that math. Thank goodness for Baby Safe Caps , which simply fit onto your sta…
My husband used to go into my wriggly toddler son's room every night at least twice to cover him up. But thanks to the Merino Kids baby sleep sack , we're all getting way more sleep now. This super comfy striped sack is made using a 100%…
I still remember seeing a colorful print called Lea's Alphabets on this site even back before I was writing here. What made that alphabet artwork pop for me was Gregoire Ganter's amazing photographs of street signs and images from cities…
I think it's been at least five years since I used an actual telephone book. With a wi-fi broadband connection to the all-knowing Internet, those old books are now only useful to me as makeshift booster seats and yet they continue to sho…
It's always nice cracking open some children's books to get your kids into the spirit of the holidays, but not every parent is looking to do it through biblical tales or the Santa story. A cool alternative: Positive Spin Press offers thr…
The more I realize how totally impractical it is to wear anything remotely nice around my sticky-fingered kids, the more I'm started to appreciate the value of accessories that aren't all that valuable. UK shop Lupin Handmade , whose ama…
I can't stop staring at this bamboo mobile by Petit Collage, available at Branch Home , and I'm just looking at a picture. In real life, those laser-cut bamboo birds each have a different pattern cut into their middles, so as they twirl …
Since scarves are The Thing these days, I've been keeping a more focused eye on the NYC street vendors to see if any of their knockoffs are jumping out at me. Nope, not yet. Mostly, the same old fake Burberry and pashminas from 2000. So …
While I submit that no one in their right mind gives a kid a harmonica--even with a how-to book--I got the chance to poke around the Klutz site recently and there are definitely some cool new options from one of my favorite childhood mai…
Oh I just can't wait for all those obligatory stuffed animals that my baby will get over the holidays because really, what else do you give a newborn for Christmas? So here's a suggestion: An adorable duck rattle baby toy from Estella NY…
Every year, our families bug us about our holiday cards because we only send pictures of the kids. I guess my husband and I never figured that anyone would actually want to see our mugs too. Besides, it's pretty hard getting a candid fam…
Merino wool? Old hat. Soy cotton? So last week. The new hot luxury fabric of the day it would seem is hand-combed yak hair. Heavenly soft like cashmere , thick and yummy in every way. Sound appealing? Then check out Shokay (Tibetan for y…
These days you can spread " good will on earth " while being kind to it as well. But let's be honest, not all eco-friendly cards are created equal. The Winter Berry Holiday Cards we spotted from the new line of eco-friendly cards availab…
I love the idea of all-natural soaps, but often I don't actually love the actual all-natural soap. Sometimes they just seem... I don't know. Fussy. Slimy . And weird-smelling. So you have to believe me when I tell you that hand-made Zoo …
The winter sweaters are out, the tinsel is already in the store windows, and the annual Cool Mom Picks Holiday Gift Guide is live and, if we do say so, kicking. We've scoured the web to help you solve your every gift giving dilemma, from…
