More coolness from recent weeks…
One more way for kids to show their love for animals is to save them
I discovered the wonderful work of the Kenyan rescue charity, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, several years ago, when my parents fostered an orphaned baby elephant on behalf of my children. We continue to follow Kenze's progress to this day and we love the...
4:00 cookies offer low-sugar cookies made for adults. Because happy hour is for snacks too.
We’re cheering for the women at 4:00 Cookie who developed a line of low-sugar cookies, a.k.a. a healthier version of our favorite treat made just for between-meal snacking. Because let’s face it, 4PM. always seems to kick off the bewitching hours around here. Mine...
Cool baby shower invitations for parents not so into the traditional ones.
Cool baby shower invitations aren't always easy so come by, what with showers tending to overflow with oohing and aahing and sweetness pink and blue everything. Nothing wrong with that at all. But if your parenting style is a bit more wry, I've put together some of my...
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. We need these brilliant gadgets all over our house stat. 2. A really good reason to buy a new car. (Or if you're like us, wish you needed one). 3. If your kids...
A natural, foaming hand soap with all the watermelon scent, none of the pits.
I've been an avowed Mrs. Meyers fan ever since they let me run around in their laboratory, mixing up eco-conscious cleaning products and dabbing the basil fragrance behind my ears. My kids are fans now, too, as there's nothing they love as much as their own foaming...
Salt and pepper shakers that let you invite Kate Spade to your dinner table
I have always had a thing for salt and pepper shakers, with phases ranging from kitschy mid-century to delicate 20's-era, to modern and handmade. I'm not sure I actually need another set, but I sure have my eyes on these Kate Spade salt and pepper shakers which are...
Gorjana jewelry: Affordable, adorable, and ready for spring
I was so excited to be introduced to the affordable, very wearable Gorjana jewelry by a friend whose necklace I couldn't stop ogling. Of course the one she wore is no longer online (d'oh) but so much in the shop caught my eye, like this superstar necklace, for one. I...
Handmade wall art that’s so very very pretty.
I recently discovered the Australian shop Castle and Things and fell in love with their handmade wall art. The graphics and text-oriented artwork is so up my alley. Inspirational quote posters have been a trend lately, and personally, I love it. But these pieces I...
5 copycat shamrock shake recipes for St. Patrick’s Day. Or today, if you’re feeling lucky.
It's the time of year that many in certain frozen dessert circles call Shamrock Shake season. March and St. Patrick's Day mean the end of a year-long wait for devotees of the green shake. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan. Not because I don't like sweet, minty...
Honor International Women’s Day by sharing one simple story from ONE that makes a difference. Easy.
We celebrate the hard work and contributions of women every day here at Cool Mom Picks. For this year's International Women's Day today, we are standing with ONE to applaud the essential work of one group of women in Africa: farmers. You may not think of farmers being...
DIY Room Kits that you can DWYK (Do With Your Kids).
If your kids are anything like mine (and good luck with that), they want to change the theme of their room weekly. My son has gone from "make it all green" to "make it all Minecraft" to "MOTORCYCLES!" this week alone. It's times like these that we are grateful for...
Natural laundry detergent from Better Life that’s so amazing, we forgive the punny name.
Even though we are way past the baby stage at our house, we still do a lot of laundry. I cringe at what I'm doing to the environment (and possibly our clothes) when I forgo natural laundry detergent, let alone tossing in another load of chlorine-soaked swim towels....
…then comes aden + anais and Zutano swaddle blankets for babies. Obviously in the baby carriage
I've been a devotee of swaddle blankets for babies from day one, and five months in with Baby #3, we are still using our aden + anais muslin swaddle blanket for every daytime and nighttime snooze. And now that aden + anais has partnered with Zutano, another favorite...
Pantone Orchid: The hot spring 2014 color is all over kids’ fashion.
Since Pantone released their it colors for spring 2014, the stunning shade I've been most taken with is Pantone Orchid. This bold, not-quite-lavender purple is great for boys and girls, which is why we're seeing it all over the spring collections for kids' clothes...
6 non-toxic shampoos for babies and kids we can’t live without, in every price range.
When my first son was just a baby, the chemicals that I learned were in most baby shampoos and bath soaps scared me, honestly. Even when I looked through the non-toxic shampoos for babies at our grocery, I wasn't sure which ones I could trust. New moms have so much to...
8 easy donut recipes so absurdly delectable, you’ll be baking every week. (Time to make the you-know-what.)
I tend to avoid the easy donut recipes I come across, because it’s no secret to my friends that I’m a donut fiend. I'm afraid if I start baking, I'll end up on an all-donut diet! But then I discovered baked donuts. Normally a stickler for the yeasted variety, I tried...
Some of the best superhero party ideas on a budget
Whether you've got boys or girls, there are so many great superhero party ideas out there, especially considering it's one of those party themes that remains popular every year. The great news is, you don't need to spend a fortune to throw an awesome party for your...
Quirky cool note cards to send just for fun. Because mustaches are awesome.
How fantastic are these mustachioed cards from Doo Daa Studios? Each of the cool note cards features a face with a quirky personality and an interactive, reshapeable mustache, which our kids will love to play with. Looking to bring back the fun of sending cards in the...
Trymbl: Free beauty samples from a smart new online boutique
I am totally a fan of free beauty samples--isn't everyone? After all, my days are filled with more soccer games and ballet practices than they are with leisurely shopping excursions where I can try out the latest, greatest beauty products, making it hard to know...
Cool, colorful carry-on luggage – should you be able to tear yourself away from black.
I was never a colorful carry-on luggage gal; I've spent most of my life fairly satisfied with black, until recently when I was forced to check a bag--then watched at the carousel as about six people picked up my bag and put it back down before it got to me. Eep....
Stylish, fun wooden doctor’s kits for your own little medic
Based on the number of awesome-looking, well-made wooden doctor's kits we saw at Toy Fair, we expect that a lot of kids will have fun taking care of all their new patients. Here's a recap of some of the nicest doctor's kits for kids that we saw, all of which should be...