More coolness from recent weeks…
Unicorns pooping rainbows: The perfect accessory.
Flipping through some of the new projects on Kickstarter, the one that grabbed me right away was this hysterical concept for a unicorn pooping rainbows plush doll and scarf. Because unicorns poop rainbows, of course. I mean, duh. What's more, the plush doll turns into...
12 easy Oscars party ideas to make watching the awards even more fun
This post has been updated for 2019 Even if the only movies you've seen this year are the animated kind (no judgment, parents!), it's always fun to have an excuse to get together with friends and ogle all the Hollywood glamour over a glass of bubbly. If nothing...
Super fun, mismatched socks for kids that also teach a good lesson. (Yes, really.)
My kids come downstairs with mismatched socks all the time, but I learned to let it go long ago. Who needs to match, when wearing stripes and polka dots together is so much more fun? (Also, it makes putting away the laundry way, way easier.) Recently we found an...
How beautiful swaddle blankets are helping babies in need of more than just sleep
What's even better than snuggling your baby in the soft, stylish swaddle blankets we love from Buttermilk Babies? Knowing that your purchase is going to help low-income kids get the things they need to feel well-cared for. That makes me feel all the warm fuzzies...
Babyation: A smart, stylish breast pump. Nope, pigs aren’t flying.
My breast pump definitely got the job done, but it was certainly not stylish. Or smart. Try awkward and uncomfortable. But the husband and wife team behind Babyation are aiming to change that. Their new breast pump might be exactly what nursing moms have been hoping...
A whale reading chair that really rocks
Sometimes it's the little things. The totally unnecessary but love-it-want-it-now little things. Like this adorable whale reading chair from Sprout. It's a sweet and modern rocking chair for toddlers to climb in, sit and chill, read a book, or just hang out...
Cool Mom Picks turns 10! With 10 amazing giveaways to celebrate.
Back in 2006 when I approached Liz with this silly idea for a website called... wait for it... Cool Mom Shit, we both wanted to support mom-run businesses and the community of small makers and artisans that were making cool stuff for kids. (Probably a good idea that...
The best advice for new parents: 29 essential, honest, supportive tips from some of the smartest parents we know
There's no shortage of people who claim to have the best advice for new parents. The hospital janitor. The cashier at Target. Your mother-in-law. Someone else's mother-in-law who you've never even met. Caring for a newborn is already overwhelming, but when you add in...
Andy Warhol Converse. What else needs to be said?
When saw the new Andy Warhol Converse collection, well, mic drop. Or whatever Andy would have said twenty years ago. Which is likely nothing at all; he'd just sit and stare at them and smile. After all, if any pop artist could totally get being the commercialism of...
Target Pillowfort launches today, with adorable and affordable kids’ decor that parents will love too.
The exciting new Target Pillowfort collection of kids' decor launches today at last, and has come along at just the right time. There's something about being cooped up inside all winter that makes me want to redecorate. Every room. I'm getting bored with the same old...
Rockin’ Baby goes from slings to a cool kids’ line that gives back in a big way
Our editor Liz, who once touted herself as "sling-incompetent," fell in love with Rockin’ Baby slings years ago both for their style and their charitable do-gooding that supports mothers in need. I count myself among their fans too. So we both couldn't be any more...
Tokidoki and Clek collaborate for some out-of-this-world car seats
Sprinkle-donut spaceships. Cactus planets. Floating unicorns. Ninja aliens. All together. Seriously? Yep. Thanks to the brand new Tokidoki-Clek car seats and boosters, created in partnership once again between the safe, swanky car seat company Clek and the LA artists...
The ultimate awesome gift: Your own custom box of Crayola crayons.
I still remember how special it would feel to get a brand new box of 64 Crayola crayons just for myself -- and that was before Crayola My Way, a super cool new way to create a box of totally custom Crayola crayons. Not only can you personalize the outside of the box...
Color-your-own placemats turn any table into the coolest restaurant ever
I've always been a big advocate of keeping my kids' games and videos put away at the dinner table. Especially in restaurants, which is why I have a special place in my heart for those that provide crayons to kids -- in particular the smaller, more wiggly ones. So I...
Naturally Perfect Dolls: A standout at this year’s Toy Fair
There's something special about getting a doll that looks "just like you." It's one of the many reasons Cool Mom Picks loves companies like Corolle who make baby dolls of color as well as boy dolls for our sons to love. Of course it's partly why American Girl Dolls...
Oh boy, Oh! Toys: The cool kids’ gifts you just can’t find anywhere else
Since Cool Mom Picks started a decade ago, we've made it our mission to find small, independent stores that sell unique, eco-friendly, hard-to-find toys for your kids so that all you have to do is scroll and shop. My newest favorite, Oh! Toys, goes to great lengths...
Custom art globes pieces kick our wanderlust up a notch
This time of year I start to get a little stuck. The excitement of Valentine's Day is gone, light is still limited, the weather is frigid. It's like I just want to imagine myself someplace -- anyplace -- else. So I started browsing Etsy for globes and found some...
Flowers that live on, long past Valentine’s Day
While I'm not big on fake flowers (sorry fake flower fans!) I am big on real flowers, especially when they're used in a way as gorgeous as the modern, made-to-order resin floral jewelry spotted at Modern Flower Child on Etsy. Each piece from this Oregon artist is...
Now that’s the power of love!
Whether you're a fan of Valentine's Day or not, what can we say -- we'll always take the chance to put a little more love out there. Or you know, just to get a Huey Lewis earworm in our readers heads for the rest of the day. Whether you're celebrating with the kids,...
What’s it really like to be a solo parent (and what other parents can learn from them)
If you've ever wondered what it was like to be a solo parent (or a single married parent, as they're sometimes called), you're in luck! Both Kristen and our special guest co-host Courtney Greisman have been there, and share their honest experiences about...
Where to find 20 of the best romantic movies streaming for Valentine’s Day
We get it: Valentine's Day with kids means you may not be headed out to some big concert, to the opera, to Paris (hey, we can dream, right?) or even to a local joint for dinner. So if your plan, by preference or by necessity, is to spend Valentine's night in bed with...