More coolness from recent weeks…
How The National Park Service is letting families visit free!
I'm all about supporting our nation's National Park Service in any way we can, especially because of the myriad ways they support us right back. So I'm thrilled to share the brilliant initiative to get even more kids to our National Parks and Monuments around the...
8 awesome inspirational prints for little boys who could use some empowerment too.
As a mom-to-be, I've been looking for some inspirational prints for boys that I can hang on the nursery walls. After all, I've already started my campaign to create a compassionate son, starting with the essential feminist onesie, which was the first item I added to...
All you do is eat tacos on this diet. Cue angels singing.
If you're looking to drop some pounds in 2017, there are no shortage of diet plans out there, many of which we've tried ourselves. (Hello, Whole30). But when we saw this new diet in which all you do is eat tacos, well, you can bet it got our attention. The Taco...
Congrats to the 2017 Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King medal winners. They are truly award-worthy!
Today, there's excitement about the Oscar nominations, but yesterday was the Academy Awards for book lovers. The ALA made its big announcement of the books worthy of the annual Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King medal winners, as well as many other notable...
Protect yourself from the elements with this rad Star Wars lightsaber umbrella.
Members of the Rebel Alliance, big and small, rejoice! We've found the perfect weapon to protect you from the damp forests of Endor, the withering sun of Tatooine, or, you know, some light drizzle on your commute to school. We are so excited about these Star Wars...
From the OMG files: The portable changing table that hangs from the bathroom stall door.
Until there's a changing table in every restroom -- male and female -- one company has come up with an innovative solution in a portable baby changing table. And it's like nothing you've ever seen. The Baby Change-n-Go was designed by two moms with toddler twins, with...
Dinner time just got a whole lot easier
We know first hand how hard it is to juggle work and activities and homework, and then meals, well, that's just a whole lot of balls in the air. That's why we're so thankful for the helpful weekly dinner meal plans over on Cool Mom Eats. Every Friday, our fabulous...
Cute photo Valentines that make up for the fact you forgot to send holiday cards.
In the 10 years my husband, kids, and I have been a family, I've managed to send out holiday cards exactly three times. These are not good odds. Like, if I were a team in the Super Bowl, bookies would strongly advise against betting that I would even remember to show...
A trio of fantastic STEM-inspired picture books that celebrate curious children.
Often, some of the very best children's books are the ones inspired by a writer's own child (like Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny). These books tend to be favorites among kids and parents alike because they come from a place of authenticity. Which is why I think families...
Could this simple idea finally make potty training easier for parents?
I tried reward charts, treats, and downright begging when it came to potty training, and my daughter was having none of it. So when I heard about Pee-kaboo potty training stickers, created by a stay-at-home mother of two who lives in my own town (go New Jersey moms!)...
The heroes of these fantastic fairy tales? Real women. (Really.)
When it comes to imaginative stories and tales, my kids have always been somewhat confused by what's real and what's make-believe. This is especially true of anything Star Wars ("Did his hand really come off?"), Harry Potter ("Do house elves really exist?"), and fairy...
How children can write letters to the president: An American tradition
Children writing to our president and the First Family has always been a wonderful and important tradition. And with the inauguration of a new White House resident today, this is a great time to get kids thinking about their own hopes, their concerns, the issues that...
This supermarket shopping tip could save you a lot of money
We've featured lots of supermarket shopping tips here because who doesn't love to say a little money? But here's a tip for one our favorite grocery stores that you might not know about, and it just so happens to be at one of our favorite grocery stores, Trader Joe's....
A brilliant new maker box that combines digital and real-world play for kids. And wow, the possibilities.
To my nieces, screen time is like water. Without it, I think they'd go all limp and cockeyed. So I love discovering apps for them that encourage both tech literacy and imaginative play. The two come together together beautifully thanks to the brand new Get Qurious...
When That Girl becomes That Woman: Meeting Marlo Thomas
Last week, I was fortunate to attend a reception hosted by Marlo Thomas (!) and spend some time talking about life, womanhood, Free to Be You and Me, education, kids, femininity, being sexy at any age, and of course, her chic new throwback clothing line, That Woman by...
How a rag doll is helping to spread random acts of kindness around the world.
This past holiday season, my 9-year-old asked for a boy doll. "But not a boy baby doll," she said, "because they're exactly the same as the girl baby dolls when you take the clothes off. They are just girl dolls! Only in blue clothes! Though sometimes they don't have...
The STEM building sets that empower girls to engineer their futures.
A few years ago, my now 9-year-old daughter had an epiphany while wandering the toy aisles at a discount superstore. She eyed a pink toy vacuum cleaner with suspicion, then asked to go to the boys' aisle instead, because she wanted to be where the bulk of the...
Meet the cool dogs of Cool Mom Picks and the stories of what they’ve done for our families.
Update: This post was originally created on behalf of a brand that regretfully no longer aligns with our core values, and that we have removed from the content here. But we love the stories that our writers have shared, here and we hope you enjoy them too. If...
The first reusable tampon applicator: Would you? Could you?
Our Facebook fans pretty much went nuts discussing (okay, debating) our thorough, honest review of THINX Period Underwear this past year, and now the woman-run period innovation company is back with the upcoming launch RETA, the first reusable tampon applicator. Yep....
10 cool snow tubes to make your kid the raddest sledder on the slopes
It's time to protect that cookie sheet and get your kid a cool snow tube this winter! What I love about snow tubes for kids is that they're not heavy to lug around (although, maybe a bit bulky) and they don't crack after one run like the cheap plastic sleds I bought...
An excellent list of MLK books, videos and resources to help kids understand the reason for the holiday.
Over the years, we've put together so many fantastic ways to help honor the important, impactful work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., especially to help families be able to discuss how we might all carry on his legacy. We hope you'll check out these books, videos,...