
The great holiday cookie gift guide: Something for every sweet tooth on your list.
We've recently become Cheryl's Cookies converts around here, after having received a generous gift basket delivery of their buttercream cookies. (Now that's a friend.) And now...they're our newest sponsor! Which makes us very happy. If, very hungry, because we've...

6 unexpected nativity sets your kids can actually play with
Let's face it: Some nativity sets are just begging to be played with. Their tiny animal figurines and family of little dolls is simply irresistible to little hands. And as anyone who's ever tried to convince a preschooler that these are not actually toys knows, not...

Bitsbox: The fantastic STEM gift idea that taught my 4 kids to code their own apps.
It's no secret that parents love finding tech gifts for kids that we can justify as being both fun and educational, but the true test isn't whether we think they're cool -- but rather, whether our own kids play with them. Over and over again. That's why we we're so...

Retail is for suckers! Save money shopping online with these expert tips and resources | Spawned Ep 60
After ten years of browsing retailers for a living, putting together shopping guides of all kinds (like Holiday Gift Guides, ahem) and getting to know the ins and outs of online shopping, we thought it would be helpful to devote an entire episode of Spawned to all of...

17 irreverent stocking stuffers for adults both naughty and nice
You can only put so much candy coal into an adult's stocking, so here are 17 fabulous but irreverent stocking stuffers for adults who've been mostly nice...but a little naughty. Or for those who just need a good laugh this holiday season. Or a little extra nope. CMP...

12 of the coolest menorahs for kids, from rainbows to dinosaurs to emoji.
While I think using an heirloom Hanukkah menorah that has been passed down from previous generations is a lovely idea, it's also nice to have a menorah just for kids, to help get them as excited about lighting the candles as they are about eight days of gifts. And...

Here’s how you can follow Cool Mom Picks, Cool Mom Tech, Cool Mom Eats. We promise we’ll make it worth your while.
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 favorite part: we love hearing from...

The best group card games to play with the whole family: Game night, bring it.
Now that Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror, it's really starting to feel like Christmas to me. And as much as I love the shopping and the hot cocoa and the decorations, my favorite part is the parties. Instead of sending the kids to the playroom to watch a movie...

Prime: The photography book of women who make us want to be better women.
Looking for a cool holiday gift this season? Well, we do have 350 cool gift ideas in this year's holiday gift guide, including a whole category of empowering gifts for girls who are going to grow up to run the world. And now here's one for those same empowered,...

The papercraft book that makes Christmas crafting so, so easy.
Houses up and down our street are starting to turn on their holiday lights, and it's beginning to look at lot like Christmas in our neighborhood. My craft-loving kids would like for us to DIY everything holiday around here -- cotton-ball snowmen, reindeer food,...