More coolness from recent weeks…
5 tech picks you won’t want to miss this week
Apps, maps, sweet deals and free downloads--they're among our favorite tech picks from the last week, just in case you missed them. 1. The ultimate app for busy, not-so-organized parents! Isn't that all of us? 2. Here's a version of Apple Maps that's actually helpful....
5 easy St. Patrick’s Day craft ideas that don’t require the luck of the Irish to do
My idea of a St. Patrick's Day craft is squirting green food coloring into anything edible and calling it a day. I love looking at all the amazing multi-layered rainbow treats and hand-felted shamrock garlands on Pinterest, personally, I prefer crafts for those of us...
Eco-excellent wooden eyewear (and each purchase plants a tree!)
If you're pining for cool shades, here's a collection that might bamboozle you. Because they're made of woods like pine and bamboo. Whether you're on the hunt for cool frames or love collecting unusual, attention-grabbing sunglasses, I'm digging how Anni Shades...
Stylish maternity wear for working mamas who want to work it
If I were pregnant right about now (and I am so not--just to be clear) I would be all over the new spring maternity line at Hatch Collection. They make the kind of splurgy, sophisticated pieces for working mamas who need to invest in a few great items they can live in...
InPieces puts LEGOs in the most unlikely places. (No, not under your feet.)
If you're a LEGO fan, a fine art photography fan, a kid, or just a cool adult (which, of course you are) you're going to flip over this exhibit. Nathan Sawaya, an inspiring LEGO sculptor, has put his talents together with those of photographer Dean West to...
Pump up the jammies
With spring on the horizon, everywhere I turn I see cotton-tailed bunnies, woolly lambs, and fluffy chicks. Not a bad thing, but you know what's even cuter than spring critters? Kids in soft, snug cotton jammies, all squishy bums and chubby bellies. Adorable! So when...
Like, totally tubular! A new, lower sugar on-the-go kids yogurt.
We here at Cool Mom Picks have been fans of Chobani Champions, the brand's line of Greek yogurts made especially for kids, since day one, when they launched with four tasty flavors packed in perfectly kid-sized cups. Thanks to their new line, we now have one more...
Fly! Fly to sleep, baby!
I admit, I can't resist those special little baby layette items that force you to take, oh, 647 photos or so of your baby in rapid succession on your smartphone. How totally adorable is this pilot baby sleep set? (No need to answer. I know!) The 100% soft cotton sleep...
Decorating a child’s room with totally free vintage posters
When I first decorated my baby girl's room years ago, I designed it around a giant, kitschy vintage poster that I had owned for years. It was a surprising, fun focal point--and it sure made it easier to narrow down the six zillion options for crib sheets. So I nearly...
Keeping your baby healthy in a hopefully healthier world
Wayyyy back in 2006 when I first discovered the non-profit Children's Environmental Health Coalition blog, now better known as Healthy Child, Healthy World, well as a brand new mom it was like the sky opening, the clouds parting and rainbows dancing around. How...
The most beautiful baby sleep sacks: almost as nice as beautiful baby sleep
Until I had a baby, I didn't understand the purpose of a sleep sack. But as a new mama, oh, my eyes were opened. I sought out the perfect cozy nighttime sack that would ensure my little girl had a safe, warm, sleep-filled night...so I would too. And I sure wish...
Party on and on with this reusable birthday banner
Does anyone get as grumpy as I do about spending money on birthday party decorations that you use once before they become landfill? Well thanks to this new, affordable reusable banner from CMP favorite Butch and Harold, I'm feeling much happier. We've seen a lot...
A strong girl fairy tale when you need an alternative to Cinderella
We've always loved going on a "literary journey" from the comfort of our couch by reading stories from other countries. Next stop? Tehran's traditional story about a girl and a mean stepmother, though it's definitely not the story you've heard before. The Girl With a...
3 cute label ideas make kitchen organization fun — really!
Why, yes, I've accidentally used salt when I meant to use sugar. Why do you ask? I'll wait for you to politely spit out that cookie. In case your kitchen is as cluttered as mine--totally my kids' fault, you know--here are three different labeling systems that can help...
The best new movies for kids? The NY International Children’s Film Festival lets you find them all in one place.
Watching The Academy Awards always gets me excited to watch more movies, but maybe not the best movies for kids. In fact I'm sure that 99% of them are way too much for little ones (and, often, me) to handle. But for you lucky New Yorkers--or those of you planning a...
Tickled pink: a wordless and wonderful picture book
Although I'm a passionate lover of words, I'm in love with this gorgeously illustrated picture book for kids that tells an entire story about friendship, acceptance, and beauty. . . without a single word. Flora and the Flamingo is pure delight for the young (and...
The coolest dollhouse for kids isn’t a dollhouse at all
With a house full of girls, you can bet that I've seen and owned my fair share of dollhouse toys, all of which have been some of my kids' favorite gifts from us. Or uh, Santa Claus. But for as many version of the traditional dollhouse toy that I've seen, none can...
Duck, duck…fruit! Healthy all-natural snacks for little ones
It's finally here, the time when your sweet, drooly, dribbly little baby is ready to get down with some solids. You go to the supermarket and marvel at the huge selection of options, scratching your head as you read the ingredients, known and unknown. When it...
Finally, a rear-facing car seat that won’t squish your toddler’s legs
Thanks to the American Academy of Pediatrics's well-intentioned rule that babies under the age of two should remain in rear-facing car seats, there's plenty of cranky, uncomfortable toddlers out there, whining in backseats across the land. Luckily I came across a very...
From Brooklyn, with love
I am an advocate for shopping online. As a mom, I rarely have time to visit the mall or shop at my favorite local stores. So it's always a treat for me to come across new sites with an effortless style that's as fun to browse as it is to actually shop. Brooklyn Makers...
Move over, takeout. We’re ordering up the new Steamy Kitchen cookbook.
If your family loves takeout, then your posse is going to love Steamy Kitchen's Healthy Asian Favorites: 100 Recipes That Are Fast, Fresh, and Simple Enough for Tonight's Supper, the new cookbook by one of our favorite food bloggers and cookbook authors, Jaden Hair....