More coolness from recent weeks…
Top rainy day activities for kids (or when the temp hits 110 in the shade)
When the thunderclouds roll in, digging up rainy day kids' activities to keep the brood entertained indoors isn't so easy. Especially when all they can think about are beaches, bikes and bothering each other. So we thought it was high time to revisit some of Cool Mom...
Light switch plates – the most neglected part of your child’s room decor
My friend tells me she's looking for some robot-themed stuff for her baby boy's room and I start poking around Etsy for her. Next thing you know, I'm drooling over these robot light switch plates from Robot Candy. One is cooler than the next, from the classic 50s...
Protecting kids from sunburn, petrochemicals, and shoddy package design
We've gotten our fair share of baby lotions and bath products from Little Twig as gifts and I must say, they're often the ones I reach for first. I love the adorable packaging, but even more so I love the pthalate-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free products inside which...
Take a Ride on The Sippy Cups’ Time Machine
They grow up so fast, I've said a million times, and while they're still little I want to introduce them to the coolest indie-vibe kids' music I can. Like CMP fave The Sippy Cups' new CD The Time Machine. Mixing bits of "stop and smell the roses" wisdom with...
Baby quilts approved by those of us who know baby quilts
I'm from small-town Iowa, so when my daughter was born, the Quilting Ladies (as they are known) whipped up something custom, no problem. I didn't even have to ask. But fear not, Quilting Lady-less mamas, for Etsy has delivered once again.Baby Jayne's quilted blankets...
A is for Alexander Girard – Alphabet blocks for you mid-century design freaks
My heart is going thumpity-thump on seeing the new Alexander Girard alphabet blocks by House Industries. Yes okay, so the set is 100 bucks at maXimo design but the truth is, if I add up all the disposable plastic toys we've received for the kids, I could have owned...
Rolling with Dante Beatrix
We're already huge fans of the kids' backpacks from Dante Beatrix as we already revealed (again) this week, so it's not surprising that they've got some new items we're adding to the must-have-it-NOW-NOW-NOW list. First of all, their new wheelie bags for kids are an...
Squiggle it, just a little bit
Now that I've put my foot down on the whole no-DVD-in-the-car thing (the same way Liz had mentioned earlier this week), I better have something to keep my three occupied on long road trips. So along with all the great kids' music we play, I keep some...
Children’s aprons as pretty as the clothes underneath
As of late, my daughter the artist has been causing me quite a headache with her adamant desire to wear dresses even while engaging in messy crafts.You'd think a smock would do the trick but in her mind, all that does is cover up her beautiful dress. Oh the...
Cool Mom Picks loves Psychobaby!
If we just so happened to win the lottery, one of the first places we'd hit on a spending spree would probably be Psychobaby, a Chicago-based boutique that sports some of the hippest clothes, shoes, and gifts for the alternative set. We found them way back when we...
You’ve got to keep it decorated
If I had my way, birthday decorations would be limited to a couple of mylar balloons. It's not that I don't appreciate a good birthday celebration. It's just that when you pile on the streamers and the birthday signs and the confetti (oh how I loathe the confetti),...
It’s a tie
While I appreciate the joys of velcro as much as the next mom, I'm worried that if I don't start introducing actual shoe laces to my 4 year-old soon she'll be learning to tie her sneakers in college. (Right about when she starts eating protein and sleeping all night...
Creative playroom design inspiration? Reader Q&A
Wondering if you could point me toward a cool, creative book about playroom design or a website/book that showcases creative kid spaces in general? Can't find anything beyond the usual pink teddy bears... -Courtney You're a mom after our own hearts, Courtney -We...
Baby Star, not just for newborns anymore
I'm always kind of bummed when I fall in love with a line of baby blankets or clothes and realize there's nothing left for me from that label once my kids turn toddlers. So it's nice that Portland's Baby Star has been taking their crowd-pleasing modern prints and...
Lullaby music gets a nice 21st century update
Now that it's still light at bedtime, my kids are bouncing off the walls when I try to tuck them under their covers at night. I need help, and I'll take it in the form of Sunflow's latest CD, the lullaby collection Under the Stars. It's totally different than what I...
Viva la French nursery decor
It doesn't take much to get me pining for Paris, but Bastille Day turns that urge into a full-on achey craving. So wouldn't you know I'd have to go and stumble upon this beautiful French alphabet poster from Bibitty just when the airfare (and all that incredible...
Everything old is new again. And then framed.
"Say, is that a 1950's original Davy Crockett costume beautifully framed on your wall?" "Why yes, yes it is." Petrie Point Designs has taken recycling to a whole new level with their Petrie Pint vintage collection. Susan Petrie-Badertscher takes one-of-a-kind...
Good Baby. Good mommy. Good diaper cream. Everyone wins.
When my first daughter was born, I figured all diaper creams were pretty much created equal. I bought whatever sounded familiar, never once scanning the label for stuff like synthetic fragrances, methylparabens, or sodium borate--let alone BHA which is on the...
Table Topics cards: Road trip essentials
I am one of those moms who avidly resisted a DVD in the car until I finally broke down before a 10-hour car trip with two under three. Even so, I am a strong believer in looking out the window, playing word games, and singing along to music, with the DVD as a very...
Tons of our favorite designers in one store, oh rapture!
If I were walking down the street in Chicago and came across Lollie, owned by sisters Mimi and Alyssa Fron, it would be impossible not to go in. Unfortunately 1000 miles stand between me and this adorable boutique which carries practically a who's who of Cool Mom...
The Hipwaders Prove Size Doesn’t Matter
At only 16 minutes long, The Hipwaders EP, Goodie Bag may be short but it's still the perfect little morsel of music for a quick drive across town, or to get us moving during a speed-cleanup session before company arrives. This Bay Area threesome have a toe-tapping,...