More coolness from recent weeks…
Our favorite gift subscriptions for kids, from toddlers to teens
There's still time to give a special child a special gift that keeps giving each month with one of these awesome subscription boxes. We've recently rounded up our picks for the 10 best subscription gifts for adults, but kiddos get their own choices too! With hours of...
Hunger Games chocolates by Vosges: I volunteer as tribute!
Are you hungry, Hunger Games fans? Don't be prim--just dig right into this gorgeous box of gourmet truffles from Vosges, inspired by the Capitol of Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games world. Opulence, trinkets, and accoutrements wait within. But no screaming jabberjays....
18 little holiday joys with your kids–mostly free. As most little joys are.
As much as we love shopping and big surprises and our seasonal visit to the Nutcracker at BAM and shopping some more, I'm well aware that some of the greatest treats of the season are the little things. So I hope you'll like this list that I put together as a...
10 of our favorite subscription gift boxes. Because it’s never too late to give gifts in the future.
Last year, we brought you 10 of the best subscription gift boxes we could find. And this year, we're adding on to the list because there are so many new exciting entries. (Geez, remember when it was just Birchbox? Although we do still love them.) So put down that...
Printable Nutcracker paper dolls bring the magic to a coffee table near you.
Forget overpriced seating and an emergency potty break right before the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. Thanks to these gorgeous printable Nutcracker paper dolls from CMP favorite Sarah Jane, now you can enjoy the magic of one of our favorite holiday traditions any...
Great experience gifts for kids, because memories make for awesome presents.
When we're asked for ideas for a great gift for the kid who has everything--or even those who don't--the first thing that comes to mind for me are experience gifts . They don't have to be expensive at all, or they can be super splurgey. An experience gift can be an...
One toy in, one toy out: Used toy donations to help kids in need this holiday season
Especially with so many services that help facilitate toy donations, there is nothing more sad to me than seeing a perfectly good plastic toy sitting by the curb on garbage day. And yet, if you're like me, you're not quite sure who to call about the sand table...
6 chic, affordable accessories for New Year’s Eve. Plus, a way you could score them for free.
Featured Partner With all the holiday shopping I'm doing for everyone else, it's been hard not to snatch up a few things for myself too. But then I remembered my New Year's Eve plans, and oh look! Another excuse! Still, I may want a glitzy sequin bag for New Year's...
How to make Game of Thrones snowflakes. Because winter is coming.
We do not snow? Think again. Those Star Wars snowflakes from last year were out of this world, but now that we've discovered Game of Thrones snowflakes., we realize that we knew nothing, Jon Snow. Thanks to these free patterns, anyone can create beautiful snowflakes...
Gorgeous modern holiday table settings for some festive inspiration. And uh, hold the Waterford.
When I've spent hours working on the perfect Christmas meal, a great holiday table setting is important to me. Serving it on plastic Santa Claus plates with paper napkins is not really my thing, since I want to show my friends and family how much love went into the...
15 of the funniest christmas cards. Zero fruitcake jokes.
As much as I love loving, sweet, from-the-heart holiday greetings, there are those family members of mine I can always count on to send the funniest Christmas cards. Here, 15 cards that made me laugh out loud. No guarantees we have the same sense of humor — but I do...
The building blocks of our nation. Way more fun than that sounds.
I remember one of the first times I was interviewed by a media outlet, and they surprised me with an off-topic question: What's the best safe toy for a child? I paused, then stammered, "Uh...blocks." Not my finest moment. But the truth is, I do love giving blocks to...
The Doctor Who TARDIS play tent: because every kid needs a time machine in the living room.
If you're still looking for that one gift under the tree that will make kids scream "OH EM GEE!" (or is that just our kids these days?) this Doctor Who TARDIS Play Tent might do the trick. While it's not a classic kids' tent shaped like a teepee, we're pretty sure it...
A DIY Christmas tree dollhouse, also known as “how to put those Amazon boxes to good use”
If your house is anything like mine, you've got two energetic kids trapped inside by nasty weather and a huge stack of shipping boxes waiting for the recycling truck. Put them all to good use with this DIY project that creates an adorable Christmas tree dollhouse out...
Best gifts for 8-year-old boys: ideas that will get a big “wow.” Reader Q & A
What are the best gifts for an 8-year-old boy? I'm looking for a big gift, in the $50-$100 range. —CMP reader, via Twitter Oh, you mean the kind of gift that makes a child pause while unwrapping, shout out with glee, and rush over to give you a big hug? Well, small...
5 Tech Picks You Won’t Want to Miss
Here are 5 five of our favorite posts on Cool Mom Tech this week, just in case you missed them. 1. If you have not yet seen this hilarious parody video, it's so worth the couple of minutes. Promise. 2. Check out our review of the top 3 e-book subscription...
4 of the best of the latest kids’ music album releases: Recess Monkey, Charlie Hope, Mister G, and Lucky Diaz
If Santa is bringing a new MP3 player or you'd love to wrap up a few new cool kids' music CDs to give your little listeners, here are four cool new releases, by some of our very-favorite kindie artists: Recess Monkey, Charlie Hope, Mister G, and Latin Grammy-award...
Create Your Own Monster for Christmas
When my kids saw the Create Your Own Monster Kit, they couldn't wait to open the lid to unleash more than a dozen creatures into our living room. Fortunately, these colorful, snarling, lurching creatures don't leave a mess and are actually pretty good houseguests....
10 of the best Christmas cookies from around the world
Modern city gal though I think myself, I have a total weakness for traditional Christmas cookie swaps. There's something so cool about seeing the Christmas cookies from around the world that come from sometimes generations-old recipes from a melting pot of friends....
Crafty gift kits for the creative people on your holiday list
Have a budding Martha Stewart on your holiday shopping list? Go ahead and check them off — these sweet little craft kits from Purl Soho (the folks behind The Purl Bee) are just perfect. Knitting, embroidery, and other craft projects are all packed in perfect kits...
It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas: natural, affordable holiday edition soaps that make cleaning less of a chore
One of the little things I do over the holidays is swap out the grapefruit dish soap or lavender hand pump for something a little more festive. It's a simple way to make everything feel more holiday-ish the second we walk in the door. It used to be that only the...