More coolness from recent weeks…
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,...
Finally: an affordable convertible high chair that looks like it should cost way more.
New parents know -- or soon learn -- how ideal it is to find baby gear that grows with your baby, especially when you're on a budget. Which is why we're thrilled to discover the beautifully made, modern new Tuo Convertible High Chair from our friends at Skip*Hop....
The hilarious adult coloring book for moms who need more HA than OM.
Full disclosure: I recently bought myself one of those fancy adult coloring books. I lined up my new colored pencils with their perfectly sharpened tips, total ROYGBIV rainbow. I colored for about 5 minutes and threw the dang thing in a drawer. Sorry not sorry, but...
5 wonderful MLK Day crafts to help inspire important conversations with kids
My kids, like so many, have this Monday off of school to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and I always find that craft activities are a good way to engage kids around any important day. So I've tracked together some really fun craft ideas for MLK Day...
OMG! American Apparel is closing. Here’s how to comfort yourself with 40% off.
Bad news, cool kids: American Apparel is closing their factories and basically being cannibalized and moving to Canada. So much for "designed, cut, and sewn in Los Angeles." Yes, the company has their share of controversies, but they always did make solid basics we...
5 wildly cool STEM bath toys to inspire future scientists. (Even if they can’t spell scientist yet.)
If your kids are getting older and casting off rubber duckies for something a bit more stimulating when it comes to bath toys, we've tracked down some very cool science-based bath toys with an educational spin that might do the trick. Even though little plastic...
10 outstanding children’s books about activism in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
As we approach MLK Day, we're thinking it's the perfect time to get our kids learning about activism and about how one man, through his peaceful and steadfast fight for equal rights for all, made lasting changes and a huge impact on generations. Inspired by his words...
We can’t believe what these 3 amazing kid inventors have created.
We're firm believers that kids can change the world. In fact, there are kids doing it right now. So we're sharing three kid inventors we're absolutely thrilled to know about because their work is so mind-blowingly amazing, it gives us remarkable hope for the future....
F*ck yeah, Meryl Streep! | Spawned Podcast Episode 64
While yes, 8 zillion other outrageous things have happened since Sunday night's Meryl Streep speech that brought down the Golden Globes (and a certain volatile twitter account), we still think it bears discussing. So today on the latest Spawned podcast episode, we're...
This cool Keith Haring wooden stencil set will inspire your kid to draw like…well, Keith Haring.
If your kids are anything like mine, there's a good chance they may not recognize the name Keith Haring in the same way they might, say, Stan Lee or Matt Groening. After all, Haring was making his most major marks in the art world way back in the '80s. You know, a...
The Ultimate Birthday Party Gift Guide is back, newly updated for 2017!
One of our favorite guides we've ever put together has been our Ultimate Birthday Party Gift Guide, featuring the coolest gifts for kids of all ages, from those sweet first birthdays right through to picky tweens and big kids. And seeing as how it's the start of a new...
Unicorns, lions, and Yoda? Adorable animal winter hats for babies
If you're a parent of a new baby, you'll soon find that many experienced moms and grandmothers on the street will stop and tell you: You have to put a hat on your baby during cold winter weather! Some will even suggest you dress your babies this way in spring and...
7 books to help you feel fabulous right now (because shame is so 2016)
Yep, I'm one of those suckers who dives head-first into the self-help section every January. Not only because I actually have a few days of leisure to read as long as I wish, but also because the cold, dreary weather makes me want to hit my reset button and make a...