More coolness from recent weeks…
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood
It sort of pains me that my kids will probably not grow up to the zipping of the sweater and the tossing of the shoes that made Mr. Rogers so endearing. But thanks to reruns, CD compilations, and toys, like these awesome wooden blocks from Holgate Toys, Mr. Rogers'...
Big brands doing cool things – Munchkin introduces glass bottles
Thankfully, BPA free plastic baby bottles are now easy to find, but if you've decided to go the extra careful route and use glass bottles for your baby, you might find the search a little trickier.Well now you can hop over to your local Target or click over to Amazon...
Cute girls’ clothes that play tough
My preschooler is currently on a dress kick and I cannot tell you how many times I have to argue with her about wearing dresses to the playground. It's not that she can't move around in a skirted bottom, but since she tends to be a little rough and tumble, her regular...
Iron on patches just went from hobo to hip
Maybe my children have exceptionally pointy knees (entirely possible), but I'm forever pulling holey jeans out of the laundry and setting them aside for mending. But then I remember that 1) I have no time, 2) I don't sew. Oops.Thank goodness for the adorable iron-on...
The Micralite Toro: Try it, love it, maybe win it.
I may be done having babies, but that doesn't mean I am done coveting the cool gear the new ones get, like the Micralite Toro Stroller. As the name implies, this fairly new little technological marvel is super-light, weighing in at just 19 pounds, but can still take...
Big Brands Doing Cool Things: Haagen-Dazs five
It is nearly impossible these days to grab a simple ice cream cone that doesn't contain a whole lab's worth of multi-syllabic ingredients. So when I got wind of Haagen-Dazs five, just in time for the beginning of Ice Cream Season '09, I was absolutely ecstatic. Five...
Francophiles rejoice, for Nicholas is here. And he speaks English too.
Every kid needs a Nicholas in his life. That is, the endearing French storybook by René Gosciny (of Asterix and Obelix fame) with charming illustrations by the beloved New Yorker cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé. The series was an instant hit from its first publication...
I scream, you scream
It may be a while before the babies I know can slurp down a triple scoop, but that wouldn't stop me from parading them around town in this adorable Ice Cream Cheerleading Stunt onesie. Designed by Ava-Marie Guerrero and available at the always wonderful Threadless, I...
Cool art everyone can afford. That is, if you can afford free.
Cool Mom Picks internet crush (we would totally braid each other's hair at summer camp) Indie Fixx has done it again with indie coolness for the masses; this time, founder Jen Wallace has set her sights on affordable art for all.In fact, affordable isn't quite right....
Rick Springfield comes out with a lullaby album, and thousands of moms fall in love with him all over again
My love affair with Rick started when I was just young girl and I heard Jessie's Girl come blasting on the radio. Twenty something years later, it's still my favorite song of all time. (And there is a video of me singing it at a karaoke bar somewhere in New York City...
Anything but utilitarian
The name is something of a misnomer, because everything at designer Susan Fisher's utility:home is a bright, shiny reminder that even the ordinary can look extraordinary.Their greeting cards are fabulous, of course -- the patterns pop, and even the brightly-colored...
Frenchy Baby Organics – Hold me back from the cuteness
It's tough finding organic play clothes with a bit of a modern twist. But the folks at Frenchy Baby Organics do just that with their ridiculously cute 100% organic children's basics. While the website could use a little work, in person the clothes are absolutely...
Rick rack is back
Even with the adjustable waistband pants, my skinny-minnie still needs some help to prevent the little plumber's bottom, and Holly Stewart of Jane Edward makes belts that do just that. I admit that the sight of rick rack reminds me of the little pinafore dresses of my...
Mighty B: My kind of hero
I don't watch a heck of a lot of kid TV, but I've been making an exception for the new DVD release of We Got the Bee which features a bunch of episodes from Nickelodeon's series, The Mighty B!Haven't seen it yet? Let's just say the heroine of this show, Bessie...
Oh my oh my oh dinosaurs
Kids love dinosaurs and are fascinated with the idea of monstrous animals that roamed the earth and ate each other for breakfast. It's only natural that they start asking more questions than sometimes we know how to answer-- how the dinosaurs got here, what came...
Shower the people you love with love – and baby gifts
After many weeks in the making, we're so excited to launch the Cool Mom Picks Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Guide!You'll find a full 100 of our editors' favorite baby gifts to give in 2009, from the cutest organic onesies to affordable personalized baby blankets, to...
More of Me Maternity – The must-have maternity dress for 2009
When I was pregnant, I was always amazed about how little I felt like myself. Yes, having babies is a beautiful, glorious thing, but darn if I didn't feel like a beached whale stuffed in some boring tenty t-shirt. Oh how I longed to feel like former sexy(er) self. I'm...
Emphatical Piratical: Kids music that strikes pirate gold
Pirates may be lawless, mean and smelly, but I'm having a blast listening to the buccaneering rock of Portland, Oregon's Captain Bogg & Salty on their new CD, Emphatical Piratical. And fortunately, instead of telling my kids to rob and pillage, they've taught them...
Thank your lucky stars
With my mother-in-law the faithful member of her local Irish Club who makes Irish Potatoes from scratch every year, you can bet we're pretty big on the Saint Patrick's Day celebration. But while I might slug the green beer and and chow down on corn beef and cabbage, I...
Just when you thought there was nothing new in the world of baby wash cloths
Since falling in love with muslin swaddling blankets, I've donated most of my daughter's other blankets to my kids' play bin. So when Jessica Burros of the shop Bambino Land told me she was designing muslin wash cloths, I scrambled to get my hands on them -- and they...
Cloud shelf, silver lining included
What do I see when I look at this cloud? I see a floor free from clutter. The metal Cloud Shelf is the perfect place to stash toys, books and even my son's prized Spongebob baseball hat. It's deep enough to actually put stuff on at 6 inches, the lip keeps books from...