More coolness from recent weeks…
bgreen or b squared
I guess you could say that I'm the token eco-skeptic among the Cool Mom Picks writers. Before you start throwing rotten tomatoes at me, consider what this means: If it's green and crunchy and I rave about it, then it really is spectacular.That's certainly the...
The perfect way to shake things up this Valentine’s Day.
Growing up, no Valentine's Day was complete without a bagful of Be Mine and Hug Me heart candies. Sure they were cute, but let's be honest: they tasted like chewable antacids. Conversation Heart Rattles from Yellow Label Kids are a much more tasteful way of showing...
The way to this mama’s heart is through her stomach
Besides unconditional love, the only thing that I want for Valentine's Day is something chocolate and decadent. Like, say, these heart-shaped brownies from Kitchen Witch. I've already gushed about Casey's ready-to-bake line of cookies, brownies and scones, but she...
Here’s a review about a Neil Sedaka album. Uh huh. That’s right.
After reading the headline to this review, you may be wondering, When did Cool Mom Picks become Cool Grandmom Picks? I hear you. When I first heard that Neil Sedaka had put out a new CD of reworked hits for kids, I thought, There is no way this is going to be my kind...
Flower hair clips that don’t look swiped from a Carmen Miranda memorabila auction
I'm not crazy about barrettes with so much going on that it's like the hair clip enters the room before your kid does. You can keep your big crazy "corker" bows and humongo fake gardenias with rhinestone centers. Just leave me the simple little flower barrettes I just...
The best little $10 shower gift that’s not a stuffed animal
Enough with those baby name books filled with what seem to be a lot of arbitrary meanings. I'm sorry, Madison does not mean "Son of Maud" - it means "I fell in love with Daryl Hannah in Splash when I was a kid too." So as far as baby name books go, I'm totally digging...
Enter the Ninja
Sometimes you just see something and there's absolutely no reason for you to buy it except for the fact that it's so freaking cute you just can't pass it up. (Good thing I don't find Coach bags so freaking cute, right?)The handmade leather key chains from...
Bespoken? Word.
Every woman needs to one one perfect, crisp button-up shirt. And by perfect I mean it fits at the shoulders, the collar isn't better suited to the Ringling Bros. wardrobe department, and your chest isn't busting the buttons every time you inhale deeply.Rebecca &...
Happy Niu Year!
Today is the official start of the Year of the Ox (Niu in Chinese), and if you're into Chinese Zodiac, you'll know that good things are predicted to come. Especially if you've got your own little Ox on the way. We love the idea of celebrating a new arrival with the...
Spreading the gluten-free love
Those of us with food allergies in the family know the scary importance of reading food labels. So does Jackie, a New England graphic artist turned mom of a son with celiac disease. She turned her years of obsessive label reading into a company called Vanilla Spoons...
The sack lunch, updated
Insulated lunch totes are bulky (and often of dubious origin; some vinyl ones contain lead). Paper lunch bags often rip (and aren't all that eco-friendly). What's a gotta-be-cool tween to do? Reach for 3 R's lunch sac perhaps? Made of washable fair-trade cotton, with...
Girls just want to draw fun
My daughters draw the cutest things: Stick-figure women in triangle dresses, bulgy-eyed cats and larger-than-life flowers. Nothing could improve on what they dream up which is why I love artist Carla Sonheim's new coloring book simply called, girls. Instead of trying...
Going green with baby – Don’t panic! You can do it.
When we first discovered Itsabelly (wayyy back before all the newspapers, magazines and tv news programs I might add), they were a mere baby concierge service, helping panicked expecting parents to get their lives in order before the new arrival. But what we really...
Baby, it’s cold outside
For a guy who sets the thermostat at a level approaching "sauna," it baffles me that my husband loves to take the jogging stroller on errands even when the temperature sinks below forty. While he dresses himself properly in layers, he tends to toss a blanket over the...
BIBS To Go – Genius! Genius!
We've all been there: You stop for an unexpected bite to eat with your babe, and find your only bib stuffed at the bottom of the diaper bag, crusted with food from a forgotten feeding last week. Enter BIBS To Go, a large tear-off pad of colorful, waterproof,...
Hare brush! Get it?
That old wives' tale about heartburn being a sign that your baby will be born with a head full of hair didn't work out so well for me. I had twenty-seven months of fiery heartburn and three bald babies. But for luckier mamas who've got something besides peach fuzz to...
I’m a little bit country
We first found Dame Star Baby back in 2007 (check out our gushing gusher of a review here) and fell instantly in love with their amazing Martin Guitar tee with an appliqué made of an intricately handstitched collage of fabrics. Well a quick poke around their shop...
Cool kids music – There’s now enough to fill its own video site
Did I ever tell you that my oldest daughter is a music video star? Yep, it's true. Check out the Bedhead video from the Jimmies, and at about 1:40 you'll see her rocking out with a spiky red mohawk and huge smile. You'll find this and more at Jitterbug.tv, a new site...
A baby changing pad that stays clean? Well, pretty much. Yeah.
While I don't have a lot of patience for unnecessary baby "essentials" if there's one little doodad I'm a big fan of it's the changing pad. I stash one in the car, one at grandma's, one in a diaper bag, one under the stroller, and even one on the actual changing pad...
Flying the friendly presidential skies
Okay, we'll stop soon with all the Obama keepsakes. But we'd be remiss if we didn't share with you this very cool President Obama Air Force One wooden toy plane that we just discovered at Wooden Toddler Toys. It's US-made, of course, from safe natural hardwood from...
Chic diaper bags priced so you can afford the diapers too
Who was the evil mastermind that convinced moms they needed to schlep around gigantic, ugly quilted diaper bags in order to carry baby essentials? Personally I like bags like this Everyday Bag from Christy Studio, which is stylish enough to swap out the diapers for a...