More coolness from recent weeks…
Just in time, the children’s Christmas dress I’ve been looking for
I've just learned at the very last minute that my daughters need a dressy dress for the holidays. So I've been checking frantically to see if one of my favorite labels, Ses Petites Mains has anything new and fabulous, and wouldn't you know it - today they actually...
Holiday chocolates designed by your kid
Every year it becomes a challenge as to how to make my daughter's artistic talent into an awesome holiday gift. This holiday season's winner is the design your own chocolates from Rogue Confections which I had the chance to taste test at the One of a Kind Show in...
Hearthsong is a sanity saver
We at Cool Mom Picks may be great at finding stuff, but that doesn't mean we're so great at remembering to actually buy it ourselves in a timely manner. With an uncompleted shopping list that includes a newborn, a few toddlers, some kids and a couple of tweens,...
Trusting your teen? There’s an app for that!
It seems impossible to me that I'll one day have a teen or two whom I'll allow to roam the world somewhat freely, but the truth is that teenagerhood will be entering my house very, very soon. Hold me.Vanessa Van Petten has been helping parents communicate with their...
Eco-friendly holiday cards give you the best of both worlds
Every year we send special holiday cards to our close friends and family, so I'm always on the look out for cool, unique alternatives to the traditional Hallmark cards - like these festive letterpress and wood cards from Night Owl Paper Goods.We're already...
For a child’s first bike, skip the training wheels, and go right to Tyke Rider
I've long been a fan of the wooden, pedal-less early rider bikes which get kids more confident and more able to ride a real bicycle than anything I ever had back in the Stone Age. But the prices? Holy heck. And by heck, you know - I don't mean heck. Well praise the...
A Kindie Christmas provides a much needed Christmas carol break
I've reached that time of the season when I hit the wall when it comes to Christmas carols, and yet I'm not ready to totally go cold turkey. Let's just say I need a little holiday music palate cleansing, and The Hipwaders' new A Kindie Christmas CD is just the...
Swapping + Handmade = Happy Holiday Barter
I've already shared my love for SwapMamas here, the great location for moms to meet up and swap their gently used items. But for the holidays, they're adding a dash of Etsy and going positively medieval: You can check out the Handmade Mamas group there to swap around...
Go crazy for solid perfume
I'm always on the lookout for great holiday gifts for my babysitters and sisters-in-law and girlfriends; just some small, fun treat to remind them how much they mean to me. This year, I'm in love with CrazyLibellule's Crazy Sticks -- solid perfume in quirky scents for...
Memorable Christmas gift for Daddy-to-be? Reader Q&A
My husband and I are having our first born, a girl, next year. I want to get him something Daddy related for Christmas this year that is sentimental but not cheesy. . . Any ideas? -E Congratulations! We love this question and there are so many great ways to celebrate...
Holiday ornaments that aren’t just for the tree
Every year I try to find a creative way to decorate my holiday gift packages with something other than the typical curly ribbon and shiny bow. This year, I'm going with small ornaments, and I love this cute felt Reindeer ornament from Lowell & Son.These...
A Christmas gift for babies too young to beg to eat the chocolate santa before breakfast
I still remain firmly in the camp that believes that My First Christmas onesies are a total waste of your hard-earned cash. And I'm not being a Scrooge, I swear - I just prefer to get a little more longevity out of my kids' clothing than uh, one day. But for just...
Just ducky
The ordinary rubber duck received a needed makeover a few years back, when BUD luxury rubber ducks started invading bathtubs. Funky and fun, they didn't just look cool, these Australian born duckies ditched the phthalates long before anyone knew what that even meant....
Let it snow organic chocolate and peanut butter
I haven't yet tasted the Organic Dark Chocolate Snowmen from Sjaak's, but I'm really hoping they are as good as I hear they are because they look like such a fun last minute holiday gift. Especially for a vegan on your list. But I'd imagine any kid, or kid at heart,...
Scrapbook masterpieces, no skills required
Look, we've discussed my SIS (Scrapbook Impairment Syndrome) in the past. I'm okay with it. There are tools available for me to do pretty things with my pictures in other ways.But if I want a genuine photos-affixed-to-beautiful-backgrounds, scrapbook binder full of...
A trip around the world this Christmas for $19.99? Sign me up.
I don't do much overseas traveling. Okay, none, really. And I can't even blame my kids, since I barely did it before they were born, either. A passionate desire for a reduced carbon footprint or sheer laziness? I'll let you decide. But, I have to admit, my...
The kids’ pajamas to wake up to Christmas morning – and every morning after that.
I know friends who have a holiday tradition of giving the kids a new pair of pajamas every Christmas Eve. It makes for fantastic photo ops on Christmas morning -- but then I visit in the spring and those poor kids are still walking around in candy cane stripes with...
A clean start to the new year
We have a tradition of visiting friends and family on January 1 - now that we have kids. And we're not quite so hungover that day. For a New Year's gift, I love the idea of grabbing one of the natural, small batch handmade Soaptopia gift boxes, especially when they...
Maternity Spanx! At last, at last!
I can say, in all honestly, that there have been times when I would not have gone out out in public had I not been wearing my Spanx. That has everything to do with the way Spanx just makes everything feel so supported, both in the lift-and-smooth kind of way and in...
Shop for Anissa, today!
A few days ago we told you about our friend and fellow blogger, Anissa Mayhew, who suffered a severe stroke in late November. We are so pleased that today is Shop For Anissa Day in which more than 60 businesses have agreed to donate a portion of today's sales to the...
Lovely gift boxes that take the ugh out of gift wrapping.
I am beyond grateful for all the pretty boxes and gift bags out there because I am 1. Totally spazzy with wrapping paper (seriously, it's sad) and 2. Totally impatient with long gift wrap lines at department stores. Let's also add 3. Totally annoyed with the $5 gift...