
Stress and Parenting: A Confession
Hi, I'm Kristen and I'm stressed out. Why is it hard to admit that? As if I'm somehow not as competent or together as I'm supposed to be, whatever that means. Yes, I'm a single mom with four kids and my own business, so you might say, well duh, but I think it's...

The 22 best kids’ toys of the year (and other playful gifts) : Editors’ Best of 2015
When you think back to the best toys of the year (and other playful gifts for kids) you probably think about tech, tablets, and things that require cords and batteries. And yet there's so much more, from wonderful board games, to handmade dolls, to decidedly unplugged...

The best children’s books of 2015 : Editors’ Best of 2015
What a treat it is to put together our list of the best children's books of 2015. Not that it's easy; we've collectively read hundreds of great kids' books this year -- from cute, sweet board books, to excellent picture books for early readers, to heart wrenching YA...

The coolest accessory brands and shops that we fell in love with this year: Editors’ Best of 2015
You might say we've got a little thing for accessories. And you might say that's a huge understatement. Which is why we have the best time all year poking around the internet, cruising the trade shows, and poking our heads into local jewelers, artists' studios and...

The coolest baby gifts and gear of the year: Editors’ Best of 2015
We're so excited to wrap up our year by featuring our very top picks in all sorts of categories, starting with our very favorite cool baby gifts and gears that were new or new to us in 2015. This is a tough category to be sure, so we went through our archives, talked...

Merry Christmas from Cool Mom Picks!
Here's hoping you get everything you hope for this Christmas, whether it's in a box under the tree, tucked into a stocking and hung from the mantle, or something that can't ever be gift-wrapped at all. Warm holiday wishes from everyone at Cool Mom Picks, Liz, Kristen,...

Dozens of last-minute gift ideas for Christmas, hold the $49 overnight shipping charges
Are you still looking for a few awesome last-minute gift ideas for Christmas? We know you're out there, and we're here to help. So if you're like us, and you're still finishing up your Christmas shopping, do not panic. Heck, do not panic if you're just getting...

Last-Minute holiday shipping deadlines: Because yep, we’re still shopping, too.
It's just four days until Christmas and even the procrastinators are sweating. Yes, we are talking about our ourselves. Since we don't think we are alone in the holiday hustle, we've been scouring the web to find out the shipping deadlines of some of our favorite...

16 of the prettiest modern 2016 planners, to help start the new year with a little positivity.
Is it really almost 2016? And time to look for a brand new 2016 planner? Whoa. Every year it's like the change in the calendar year blindsides us, as if it doesn't happen every single year at this time. When will we learn? This year if you're committed to getting more...

Sesame Street + Tattly = Best stocking stuffer ever. For the kids, too.
I have a longstanding love affair with Sesame Street, so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that our friends at Tattly recently teamed up with the Sesame Workshop to create a Sesame Street character set of temporary tattoos. Yes, I understand that they're...