More coolness from recent weeks…
SAVE ELMO!
Here's the bad news: In the next few days, Congress will vote on a bill that could completely eliminate all federal funding for public broadcasting. That's not an exaggeration.Here's the good news: There's still time to save Elmo.The government spends only $1.35 per...
A kids’ party that gives books back. (Plus: cookies!)
Despite light-up toys, dolls that talk, and, um, iPads, at the end of the day, nothing holds a candle -- or backlit touchpad screen -- to a good kids' book. It's a lesson my 3.5 year-old daughter has already learned, and I'm sure your kids are totally on board with...
The ugliest chocolates you’ll ever love
I have Joe Cocker in my head right now. He's singing You Are So Beautiful to Me, and I'm getting all choked up when his voice cracks at that one point at the end. He also happens to be singing the song to the unbelievably amazing treats from Ugly Truffles (at least in...
Threadless and Baggu are a tote bag perfect match
Does this rainbow umbrella design look familiar? It probably does--it's just one of the designs you'll find over at Threadless, which recently teamed up with Cool Mom Picks favorite Baggu to produce a whole series of recycled cotton canvas totes (Baggu's "duck bag")...
Consider It Done. No, really.
On any given day, I might have to drop off a neighbor's kid at his piano teacher's house although he doesn't know her last name or the name of the street on which she lives, clip a finch's toenails, and negotiate with an international credit agency for an...
Bah lovebug.
Let's face it, at some point in time, everybody ends up staring at the last flower petal, thinking, He loves me not? FINE. I've been there. In fact, I spent an entire Valentine's Day in college wearing all black as my anti-Valentine statement after a harsh break-up....
Sweet Valentines for the classroom that even a dentist will love
My kids are no strangers to candy, though I have to admit that the amount of sweet stuff they collect at Valentine's Day is over the top. I may not be able to stem the tide of lollies, pixie stix and chocolate hearts that come their way, but I've found a...
Zarbees – Natural cough syrup for children that alleviates natural worrying of parents
This may not be a popular stance, but I curse the day that a bunch of dodos couldn't figure out how to properly medicate their children, leading to a ban of all those fabulous multi-symptom cold medicines and over-the-counter cough syrups for kids. I keep swearing I'm...
My valentine is one sexy bastard
My husband is definitely one to give the spicier Valentine's Day gifts, and you won't see me complaining. Unless he happens to buy the wrong size negligee, in which case I just try to act flattered that he thought I was an extra-small. This year, I'm thinking about to...
Organizational tips from Sarah Welch of Pretty Neat and Get Buttoned Up
I consider myself to be a pretty organized person, save for the junk drawer and my backpack graveyard of a hall closet (shhhhh). But since adding another kiddo into our mix, I can use all the organizational help I can get. That's why I was anxious to get a copy of...
Heartfelt Valentines musings, totally erasable
I love the idea of leaving sweet little notes for my son and husband on a daily basis. You know, like: You're perfect; I love you; and Put your dirty socks in the hamper. Which is why this Chalkboard Heart from Wall Candy Arts is the perfect accessory for my daily...
Go ahead. Make my cookies.
We were delighted with the Martha Stewart makes Cookies app when it was introduced this past fall for the iPad, and now there's one more reason to like all this four-color, interactive deliciousness--more yummy cookie recipes and a new lower price. At least for a...
Collaborative board games means everyone wins
When I first became a mother of two, my own mom introduced me to the concept of collaborative board games. Think less "I did it!" and more "We did it!" In other words, less "I hate you, I'm never playing with you any more ever again!" and more...well, yeah. You get...
Fine & Raw ruins me for regular chocolate
I thought I knew good chocolate. I rather pride myself on favoring the high cacao content and richer taste of the more expensive brands. But I had never even heard of raw chocolate when one of my readers was kind enough to ask if she could send me a "little something"...
BOB Strollers – rolling out the Revolution SE for 2011
There's a running store on my block with a BOB stroller displayed in the window. Every time I pass it, I marvel at the lean, mean, baby-transporting machine. So when I had the opportunity to give their new 2011 Revolution SE a road test, I was both excited--and a...
A Super Bowl requires super cupcakes
It's Super Bowl Sunday(tm), that day of pigs-in-a-blanket, three-million dollar commercials featuring talking animals, and of course, Puppy Bowl. Also there's a football game. Or so we hear. Without any Green Bay or Pittsburgh mamas among us, we're going to remain...
Be still my beating heart… shoes with hearts.
My mom gets teary-eyed when talking about a pair of red Mary Jane shoes I had as a little girl and so I've always envisioned getting a similar pair for my daughter. And then I saw these red Mary Jane shoes with white hearts. Seriously. Can it get any cuter? See Kai...
You can heart punch all over my page, any day.
We're perpetual fans of Martha Stewart's craft supplies and if you're a DIY-er, it's a good investment for Valentine's Cards and crafts this month. Their new heart punch aptly called Heart Punch All Over the Page lets you achieve the impossible--an absolutely perfect...
Hooray, it’s Hooray by Cynthia Rowley’s spring collection
I love it when a cool designer creates a less expensive line for the masses. I've swooned over the adorable styles and appealing price tags of the Stella McCartney for Gap Kids and Baby and Splendid Littles for Target lines; and now I can add Hooray by Cynthia Rowley...
Need a reason to celebrate? It’s World Nutella Day!
It's only February 5, and my New Year's resolution to eat healthier is about to be severely tested: It's World Nutella Day! To celebrate, I've pulled together a few super easy recipes that sound perfect for today, or really any day in which a jar of that creamy...
The Disney Dream Cruise – is it actually dreamy?
When my kids begged us to take them to Disney World, our first thought was the park of course. And last year when I ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon in early spring and was then invited to experience Disneyland, we did just that. But as we're not really a...