More coolness from recent weeks…

Stainless steel as precious metal

Stainless steel as precious metal

If I had a few hundred nickels leftover right now, I'd probably be grabbing myself a little post-holiday pick-me-up, something like the cool handbags made out of hand-etched stainless steel from Pennsylvania designer, Wendy Stevens. And actually it's a good thing I...

Mamas of redheads, clear a space on your bookshelf

Mamas of redheads, clear a space on your bookshelf

I grew up with a redheaded mother and sister, so I was already accustomed to the bizarre reactions of the general public to a redheaded child by the time my own coppertop daughter came along in 2004. Not so much for author Nicole Giladi, who was stunned by her boy, as...

Shameless self-promotional plug to follow

Shameless self-promotional plug to follow

Today is the last day to vote for Cool Mom Picks as your favorite kids design blog in the Homies, the contest from Apartment Therapy's Ohdeedoh. If nothing else, head over anyway and find five other inspiring resources for cool stuff for kids. We're honored to be...

Candy and Boogers, a great combo for the kids.

Candy and Boogers, a great combo for the kids.

There are days when I just want to listen to something a bit more aggressive than the usual children's music fare.  But, I learned a valuable lesson the day I jumped out of the minivan while the kids sat inside listening to Fatboy Slim's F-bomb-laden In Heaven:...

Olivia the Pig has got nothing on Olivia the Ox

Olivia the Pig has got nothing on Olivia the Ox

As you're looking for an inexpensive one-size-fits-all baby gift for all those friends of yours having kids this year, consider The Year of the Ox, the fourth children's book in the wonderful Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series by Oliver Chin. Since my husband was...

Health food masquerading as delicious snacks

Health food masquerading as delicious snacks

Let's be clear, here--I'm a from-scratch baker. I like to bake, and I like to know exactly what's in the foods I'm feeding my kids. So when I first came across the baking mixes from Matisse & Jack's, I thought maybe they'd be good... for people who rely on box...

You’ve gotta keep them excavated

You’ve gotta keep them excavated

When my second born, a boy, joined our brood, I entered the  fascinating world of Things That Move. I point out the backhoes on our drive to school, and we clamor to the window on Mondays to watch the garbage truck come by our house. You should hear the squeals...

It’s a Wee Web after all

It’s a Wee Web after all

Those of us who spend a lot of time online tend to be early adopters.  Even if we don't think we're particularly tech savvy, our friends and neighbors give us a good reality check when they ask, "What's a blog?"  No wonder they never read ours.  Don't...

Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up

Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up

Now that my youngest is mobile-- and, thanks to the open-plan design of our house, cannot easily be confined with baby gates-- I've had to buckle down and get serious about keeping the floor clean. A few stray Cheerios can bolster his immune system, but anything more...

Yo! Crochet, Crochet

Yo! Crochet, Crochet

The Yo! Gabba Gabba infatuation has reached a fevered pitch in my household, as my 19 month-old can now say "DJ Lance Rock" better than she can say Grandma. Which is no slight to Grandma. In fact, Grandma was cool enough to devote the better part of the winter break...

Gorgeous 2009 calendars: Just add paper

Gorgeous 2009 calendars: Just add paper

There are three basic New Year's resolutions the way I see it: 1. Get in shape 2. Get organized 3. Save money.  I decidedly cannot help you with the first one and have the brownie crumbs on my chest to prove it. But for the rest, allow me to point you towards...

It’s an honor just to be nominated

It’s an honor just to be nominated

We're so excited to find that Cool Mom Picks has been named one of the finalists in The Homies, ohdeedoh's contest for the best children's design blog! Wow. Particularly considering the five other nominees who really...wow. They're all amazing. We'd be just tickled if...

Shalom. Salaam. Pax. Pace. Peace. Or for geeks, &#x262E

Shalom. Salaam. Pax. Pace. Peace. Or for geeks, &#x262E

Whatever you think of the peace symbol--inspiring, cheesy, ubiquitous--you have to admit the history is pretty incredible. Or if you're not sure that it's pretty incredible, check out Peace: The Biography of a Symbol, peace activist Ken Kolsbun's brand new tome which...