More coolness from recent weeks…
A Valentine’s Day card design contest presented by Cool Mom Picks & Etsy
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it seemed appropriate to team up with one of our first and favorite loves, Etsy, for a super cool Valentine's Day color-your-own card design contest. We're looking for fun, original cards that kids themselves can color and...
Organic baby clothes that will make you, and your baby, feel incredibly comfortable
There are lots of reasons to buy organic. From cucumbers to clothes, I believe that the less processing and chemicals involved in my day to day life, the better. And, just as important as what things are made from is also how they're made. Which is one of the...
Survey says: You can have a Wiser Pregnancy
You show me the woman who didn't spend her pregnancy polling her friends as to their symptoms and decisions at similar points of gestation, and I'll show you a bridge I have for sale (cheap). But while having girlfriends and relatives to talk to is great, but...
Ultra comfort especially for the uncomfortable
If you have a kid who just puts clothes on like it's no big deal, you're a lot luckier than you probably realize. For those of us with a child with sensory issues, clothing is one of a million battles we fight every day. For most kids with tactile sensitivities, tags...
Update on cadmium in children’s jewelry: CSPC says, throw it ALL out
Just a few days ago, we told you about an Associated Press investigation of children's jewelry and metal toys manufactured in China that revealed high levels of the toxic metal cadmium in several mass produced kids' products. In response, both Claire's and Walmart...
Affordable dressy cruise wear? Reader Q&A
Q: My family is going on a cruise next month, and I am wondering if you have any suggestions for dressy clothes for the formal nights. I have three daughters, ages 10, 7, and 5, and I am looking for outfits that are classic and stylish...but won't break the bank....
Move over Snuggie.
The stories are true. It gets darn cold up here in Canada in the winter. The kind of cold that makes your kids stand inside, shivering as they look out the front door, let alone open it and walk out. So, if we ever want to go anywhere at all then we have to do...
March On, Dr. King
I want my kids to know that Martin Luther King Day represents more than a three-day weekend. But instead of watching more grown-up documentaries that can be a bit scary for little eyes, I'm thrilled to have a copy of Scholastic's new DVD, March On! The Day My Brother...
Here Be Monsters – And Birds And Robots And Squids – For Your Little Monster
You'd think that with all those businesses out there designing hip/cool/adorable/clever tees for kids, a mother would be able to find at least one sweet monster design that was exactly to her taste. I mean, robots are everywhere. So are space aliens and bug-like...
Got donations? Here’s how to help Haiti
We know that moms are, by definition, givers. But after something like Tuesday's devastating earthquake in Haiti, it can be hard to know how to best help. If you're wanting to donate to relief efforts but unsure of where your money will do the most good, we have some...
Scribble me an I Love You
If I had to contribute one bit of mom wisdom to the new parents of the world, it would be to always have a stack of kid-friendly cards at the ready. My favorites have been the ones with space for your own children to scribble a drawing or scratch out their names, and...
Bootie-ful
I remember feeling pretty annoyed with everyone telling me how difficult it was to have a winter baby - more blankets, big coats, being stuck in the house all day. The list goes on. But what they all failed to mention was the adorableness of winter baby wear, like...
Saddle up for old-fashioned fun
Is it possible to have a kids' show nowadays that doesn't involve robots, high technology, or characters that make you want to throw a shoe at the television before your eardrums rupture? Sometimes!John Bankhead--a father seeking entertainment "like we used to...
Custom home design from Jonathan Adler? Welll, sort of.
Far too much of my time this weekend was devoured as I messed around with the wonderful Design Your Own tool on Jonathan Adler. According to the description, it lets you "unleash your inner Adler" and go crazy with colors to create the modern totes, throw pillows or...
Cool Mom Picks loves Parents Magazine!
We were already huge fans of Parents Magazine (who isn't?), but now we have even more reason to love them--for including Cool Mom Picks on their list of Parents Power Moms. Wow.We're sooooo flattered to be a part of this fantastic list (if we do say so ourselves) of...
Breaking News: Toy Manufacturers Replace Toxic Lead with Toxic Cadmium
In 2007, a rash of recalls of mass-produced children's toys, clothes, and jewelry, many containing lead, most of which had been cheaply manufactured in China, inspired us to create our first-ever Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide. Since then, we've been pleased to note,...
Finger puppets of the rich and musically gifted
We're all singing Yellow Submarine in our sleep around here, thanks to Santa slipping Beatles Rock Band under the tree a few weeks ago. And really, there's nothing much cuter than a three year-old belting "Paperback wriiiiiiiter" at the top of his lungs, unless he...
Oh goodie!
Some of my kids' favorite tees come from San Francisco's Bunny and Bee. When we first discovered them a few years back, I fell in love with their modern but not obnoxiously hip t-shirt designs for boys and girls, from motorcycle-riding robots to retro-chic unicorns....
Big brands doing cool things – Disney pays it forward
I'm dusting off my tiara and heading to the Big Mouse's House this year for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Whoo! But the prerequisite for my family tagging along is that we all have to participate in their new Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program in order for us...
Around the world in 10 flashcards
I wouldn't say I'm the mom who wanted my babies to come out of the womb speaking four languages and then send them to a tri-lingual preschool to learn a few more. But I do think it's cool to see more and more children's items available with multilingual options in our...
KidSteals. No it’s not about stealing a kid.
Moms of babies that have grown up to be not quite babies anymore will be delighted to know that BabySteals, the popular daily sale site for baby gear, has introduced KidSteals. It's sort of like one of those members only sales sites - only without the membership thing...