More coolness from recent weeks…
Board game boredom no more
My kids are always coming up with some crazy games from our board game graveyard, and anything else they can find in my craft cabinet. So I figure, why not let them put their creativity into action by letting them invent their own board game? Rainy days, or around...
Kids’ books that take the road less traveled
It's a Pinkalicious world, but I am not a Pinkalicious girl, and neither is my kid. We're more into the Cowboy & Octopus thing. Of course there's nothing wrong with loving the books prominently displayed at big box stores, because, honestly, there's a good reason...
Candy-colored baby clothes, totally sugar-free
I love finding baby clothes that provide an antidote to the whole babies wear black thing. I mean look, if you can't wear turquoise, pink and tangerine when you're two, when can you? (Okay, maybe when you're 70 and retiring in Palm Beach.)I've always loved Zutano for...
We heart real artists
We love seeing the amazing work of independent artisans recognized on big sites--except when they don't actually give credit to the artist. That seems to be the case with jewelry artist Stevie Koerner of tru.che, whose beautiful United/World of Love line has inspired...
Old Navy offers a Gay Pride tee and we love them for it
We've always been proud to support all types of families at Cool Mom Picks--the ones with one mommy, the ones with two mommies, the ones with no mommies at all. So we're thrilled to see that Old Navy is doing the same, by making a stand in favor of love and tolerance...
Swankify your spring wardrobe for 40% less.
If you like swanky designer clothes but not the swanky designer clothes prices, one of my favorite ever boutiques is having a 40% off sale right now that's definitely worth a few clicks. New Yorkers can pop into Scoop in person (I love the one in the Meatpacking...
Kids’ helmets – Hold the licensed characters
With my kids racing around our hilly neighborhood on the Mini Kick scooters we bought for their birthdays, helmets are a mandatory part of their attire. But it's tough finding helmets that fit little heads well-- and aren't covered in characters from the TV. The...
Bring home more than bug bites from camp
The first time I packed my kids up for a week of summer camp, I couldn't get believe all the stuff they needed, even for day camp. And everything, everything, needed a name attached to it, something I unfortunately left to the last minute the first year. This...
Getting kids to write thank you notes–actually, not too hard.
I've been a fan of the fun color-your-own cards from Greenstarstudio since back when I discovered her cool holiday designs. So I'm happy to see some of the new cards at the shop, that can be good for slightly older kids too. The color your own cards featuring...
Snug like a bug in a Snug
My little ones were much happier in an upright position but usually before they were able to actually do it safely on their own. So when I heard Euro parent fave (and ours) Mamas and Papas had launched an infant positioner seat, me, my back, and my baby were more...
You will not want to kiss these boo-boos
Is there anything as sweet as comforting your kid after a scrape with a smooch, a kind word, and... bandages with pictures of bloody eyeballs, dismembered fingers, and centipedes crawling out of skin? CMP covered the original Scabs Bandages a few years ago,...
A touch of vintage for your newest addition
I am a longtime fan of the look of vintage prints and posters in a baby or child's room. But for those of us who don't have myriad hours to go trolling eBay or our local flea markets, Swedish artist Ingela P Arrhenius is creating beautiful posters with a mid-century...
A bodyguard for your stroller?
Any mom in a big city knows how hard it can be to navigate in-and-out shopping with a stroller. The stores and restaurants are small and crowded and the unsecured stroller parking zones don't provide a who lot of assurance. What's a mama on the go to do? Meet your...
Cool Mom Picks loves the iVillage’s show, The Conversation Thread
There's no shortage of talk shows by moms for moms out there, many of which we're huge fans of ourselves. But we have to admit when it's one starring our own Editor-in-Chief Liz Gumbinner, we think it's a number one hit. Okay, so maybe we're a little biased....
It’s not a necklace, it’s a Necklush
As we move out of scarf season (at last!) I love the stylish blending of scarf and necklace from Necklush, which seems at once futuristic and retro. Kind of like a gypsy space pirate. Although I'm not sure space pirates have accessories like these. These seamless...
The perfect kids’ nail polish for prima-donnas and eco-mommas alike
I've painted more nails in the last two years than in my entire previous life, most of them tiny and slightly nibbled. I used to try to weasel my way out of playing Preschool Esthetician with rants on bad chemicals, but now she's got me. We've found utterly safe nail...
5 tech picks you won’t want to miss this week
We love how tech isn't just for speaker-geek guys any more. It's smarter, it's inspired by nature, and it solves some of a mama's most basic problems in a chic way. If you haven't been visiting Cool Mom Tech lately, here are some of this week's coolest,...
Building blocks and a cool little business
It's not often you feel you really get to help nurture the seed of an idea as it develops into an independent business. We've mentioned how much we love Kickstarter as the place to help fund creative projects, and now there's a new one that you philanthropic moms just...
A clock that’s not digital? Shocking!
I find myself missing clocks these days. You know, clocks? Actual things with two hands that don't glow in the dark from your DVR box or flash 12:00 after the electricity goes out? So when I saw this wooden clock, I felt this little pang of must have it. The...
Organic baby products – for when only the purest butt spray will do
Why am I a fan of organic baby products? To put it sweetly, sometimes our daintiest parts get the angriest. I really care about the kinds of products that go in those dainty places. Now there's a new line of super-pure skin softeners from Australia that we think...
Vintage paper dolls turned beautiful children’s clothing
Recently I attended a Brooklyn mommy event and discovered one local indie kids clothing designer whose pieces were being oohed and ahhed over by eager parents. I suppose the innocent 1930s, '40s and '50s paper doll-inspired clothes were such a refreshingly far cry...