More coolness from recent weeks…
7 creative salsa recipes to celebrate National Tortilla Chip Day. (Yes there is such a thing and we’re ready to fiesta.)
February 24th is National Tortilla Chip Day and to celebrate one of the most beloved snack foods of all time—popularized by Rebecca Webb Carranza, a fellow cool mom—we’re rounding up the best salsa recipes to serve alongside your favorite tortilla chips, today or any...
5 of our favorite tech picks you don’t want to miss this week
In case you missed them, here are 5 of our most popular posts from Cool Mom Tech this past week. 1. Safety technology goes high fashion. You won't believe what these bracelets can do. 2. Here's how to borrow a Kindle book for free. You know, the ones you...
1, 2, 3, 4 I declare a foot war
Getting my kids to wear socks indoors takes some serious convincing on my part. They love being being barefoot regardless of how cold the floor is. But the new animal rival Vs. Socks for kids from Hooray Hoopla have finally given them reason to keep their socks on. We...
We would never lie about how adorable these pushpins are
These might be the coolest pushpins we've ever seen--no lie. And they're handcrafted with the same care Gepetto used bringing Pinocchio to life. The good news is that instead of running around, causing mischief with a cricket and smoking cigars, these Real Boy Pins...
The Darby Smart Mystery Box – An offer to DIY for
Last year we introduced you to Darby Smart, a super clever service that finds the best DIY craft projects on Pinterest and blogs, and puts them together in easy kits with the help of the original creators, so you have everything you need to make them yourself. No need...
Honoring Black History Month with inspiring quotes from Maya Angelou
The history of Black Americans is filled with stories of inspiration and strength, so in honor of Black History Month, I was so happy to find artwork inspired by one of my favorite poets, Maya Angelou. Each piece features quotes that have been turned into artwork and...
A bespoke, totally un-awkward gift for the teen girl who has everything
When I was a teen, there was no such thing as an iTunes gift card. No, we had to walk both ways to Turtles and work our fingers to the bone making mix tapes. It's just as hard today to find a gift for a teen girl that says "I understand you and am not tragically...
Baby trend alert: Gray and white as a chic, gender neutral baby palette
More and more, we're seeing a move away from yellow for "surprise" babies, and toward beautiful heather grays and rich charcoals. Paired with white, it's a little less severe than black and can be and incredibly stylish on either a boy or a girl. Plus, you can pair...
Sochi comes to life for kids with gold, silver, and bronze Maxi Micro Kickboard scooter
Though it's clear that the Olympic athletes we've been watching at the Sochi Winter Games all want gold, all three of Micro Kickboard's new medal-hued scooters would be winners with my kids, regardless of what color they choose. All dressed up for the podium in gold,...
GlamGlow Mud: Like an expensive spa treatment, without the whole going to a spa part.
My mom started taking me to get facials when I was in middle school. Every month or so, we'd go to the spa at the gym where we had a membership, I think in an effort to avoid having to take me to a dermatologist. It worked, and I got hooked on that feeling of really,...
Chomp Stix chopsticks for kids. Don’t be surprised if your children take a sudden interest in sushi.
It's been a while since we found a cool pair of kids' chopsticks to feature around here, so I'm excited to have discovered Chomp Stix. Especially considering I have children who ask to eat our local sushi restaurant--despite eating like two things on the menu--simply...
Smart toys for girls that defy the pink aisle. In other words, no princesses, ballerinas or “fashionistas,” whatever career that is.
This week at Toy Fair, I must say a progressive mama like me had a much harder time than expected scoping out smart toys for girls that defy the pink aisle. In other words, the girl dolls and figures were wearing something beyond princess garb or sparkly pink lace...
Goldbely: Your favorite regional eats from around the country delivered to your door. No plane tickets required.
Ever dreamt about dropping everything to eat your way across the USA, or is that just me? For my fellow food explorers, we’ve got just the site for you. Goldbely is a new online marketplace that makes the most legendary regional foods available to anyone across the...
Spring trend alert: 7 ombre dip dye clothes for kids’ wardrobes
I've had my eye on a few hot kids' trends for spring, but the one that caught my eye immediately was ombre dip dye clothes. Maybe it's because my kids' clothes are already sort of that way anyway thanks to a bunch of juice spills. (Ha.) I love the way the gradated...
The best train table for kids with plenty of storage? Reader Q & A
There are so many train tables out there! Can you help let me know what's the best choices? Storage is an important factor for me. Looking more like a low coffee table than a cartoon-colored train table, I love Pottery Barn Kids' Caroline Activity Table for one...
13 advanced Rainbow Loom patterns for the truly obsessed: How to make them, and where to buy them.
I bought a Rainbow Loom kit for my daughter on a whim and never even thought about looking into advanced Rainbow Loom patterns that she might do. In fact, I figured she'd get bored with it after making a few basic single-chain bracelet patterns for herself and her...
PlayableART: Just as it sounds
At the NY Toy Fair this week, one of the finds I'm most excited about so far is a toy that I can't say is entirely for kids. The gorgeously German-designed collection from playableART is designed to help get minds going and help you find your inner artist, whether...
Instacart: Grocery shopping right from your couch with a very awesome twist.
Taking four kids to the grocery store is like a full-on workout. But really, taking even one cranky toddler shopping can be no easy task. Especially in this weather. So when Instacart offered Cool Mom Picks an exclusive first look to try out their brand new Philly...
Trend alert: 7 modern ways to wear pearls
When I caught that pearls are in this season as a hot jewelry trend, I much wrote them off at first because I'm really not a pearls kind of a gal. But I am a bit of a trend watcher after all, and I discovered, after a bit of searching, that these are not your...
President’s Day Activity: Try building the White House
In honor of Presidents Day, and this day off from school (let's be honest), I like the idea of devoting a little time to building a replica of the White House with LEGO bricks. The White House Lego Set from their Architecture Series will let your kids create a mini...
The red balloon
I adore simple graphic art for kids' rooms that isn't necessarily too babyish--I've witnessed firsthand how fast children's tastes can change. And the graphical Big Red Balloon Print spotted at Brika is a great find. Designed by Becky Hui Chan of Honey & Bloom,...