More coolness from recent weeks…
My newest jewelry obsession: Amber Poitier
Browsing the Atlantic Antic yesterday, the beloved annual Brooklyn street fair, I stumbled across some amazing leather jewelry and accessories amidst the beer gardens and belly dancers and homemade spanakopitas. I was drawn. in by Amber Poitier's sculptural 3-D...
Ireland with kids: Great tips and secret spots from our 4-day adventure on the Wild Atlantic Way
This past summer, we spent four days of our British family vacation in Ireland. Because our trip was centered around a trip to London, we still wanted to experience all the green beauty and nature of Ireland that we could in a few days. So instead of heading to...
How to play Crokinole: The best game you’ve never played
After someone I follow on Instagram mentioned that her family had a blast playing the game Crokinole, I decided to Google it, having never heard of it myself. What kind of board game buff am I? Not a good one, apparently. Well, as I've learned over the last couple of...
Introducing Cool Mom Fit, a different kind of fitness community
A few weeks ago, I decided I really needed to start working out again. As a 40-something-year old mom of four kids, I know how important fitness is to my health and wellness. But, I'm also a busy working 40-something-year old mom of four kids, and most of the fitness...
Mattel launches the first gender-neutral dolls for kids and everything about this is beautiful.
When I read the news last night that Mattel is launching Creatable World, the first gender neutral doll and accessories to put kids in charge of their own play experience I teared up. In part because of the tag line, "All Welcome." In part because I know how...
London with teens: 12 things to see and do with your older kids
This summer, I spent 4 glorious days in London with my teens (and tweens). I was so excited to share one of my favorite cities with my kids. But traveling as an adult to London is way different than bringing kids, which is why I did a ton of research and a whole lot...
Presenting our ultimate baby shower gift guide, newly updated for 2019-20!
You have asked (and asked and asked!) and finally...we are so happy to present our all new, totally fresh, Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Guide! If we do say so ourselves, we think you'll find it to be one of the most carefully curated, wonderful list of baby shower gift...
Can we please stop freaking out about kids and social media? : How to raise responsible digital kids | Spawned Ep 170
After seeing so many discussions in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook community filled with parents who seem panicked -- or at least very concerned -- about kids and texting and social media, we thought it would be helpful to devote this week's episode to that very...
5 wonderful new books for kids celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. You’ll love reading along too!
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 – October 15 each year, and our favorite way to honor the occasion is by sharing some of our very favorite children’s books honoring Hispanic heritage. So this year. I've picked five brand new books that celebrate this...
Decluttering solutions: Hang these 8 things to free up floor space!
As a small-space apartment dweller, I'm always thinking about ways to declutter. Not that I always achieve it, but I try! A lot of the trick, as I've learned, is about getting stuff off the floor that we just assume goes...on the floor. So we all know about hooks for...
You are a f*cking awesome mom with author Leslie Bruce
Here's an obvious statement: motherhood is hard. It's so hard, in fact, that it can often feel like you're not doing a great job. It's actually why I started my blog Motherhood Uncensored, and why author Leslie Bruce wrote her newest book, You Are a F*cking Awesome...
Brain Pickings introduces Art Pickings, featuring the most incredible artwork for children’s rooms and beyond.
Those of you who are also fans of Maria Popova's Brain Pickings may know that it's one of our own favorite sites too. We include their list of favorite children's books on our own annual lists of the best children's books lists of the year. (How's that for meta). For...
Ever wish that Sleeping Beauty did more than sleep? Check out this new twist on an old fairy tale.
Remember that part in Sleeping Beauty, where the evil fairy puts a sleeping curse on the princess via paper cut, and the kingdom is threatened to become completely devoid of all books as her parents try to make sure she'll never get a paper cut again. No? Well, it's...
Atomic Habits: Cool Mom Picks Book Club Selection #9
I'm super excited to share the next Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club selection that many awesome people in my life have raved about. And sure, it's not technically a parenting book, but who cares? If we're making positive changes in our lives (and learning how to...
Coding with Kids: The live, online classes that get kids of all ages excited about coding | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Coding With Kids If you're trying to balance fun and educational after school activities for your kids this year, Coding With Kids has you covered with both at once. Because, coding! For five years, Coding for Kids has taught children...
Amy Ignatow’s The Cutest Thing Ever is totes adorbs.
Once in a while, a new picture book come along that we want for our early readers right away. And sometimes one comes along that we kind of want for ourselves too. And for all the toddlers in our lives. And for our cool tweens too. Well, that's what's so wonderful...
15 things to pack for your next trip to Disney World that make the difference between enjoyment and survival.
My family recently returned from our fourth trip to Disney World (thanks to a very generous grandmother), and I've finally figured out those BTDT pro-tips for a successful Disney vacation. For me, it starts with packing the right items. And, knowing what to leave at...
The science behind Johnson’s product fragrances: Everything you’ve wanted to know | Sponsored Message
Before we agreed to partner with Johnson's on this series, we did our own research about their growth and evolution in terms of ingredients, practice, and transparency. As parents ourselves, we are incredibly conscientious about the brands we work with and we felt...
We found the perfect athletic tank for girls, and two other fab new essentials from Yellowberry.
When you've got middle and high school aged girls who may be feeling awkward or uncomfortable in their changing bodies, getting into athletic clothes for gym or dance or after school activities that give them a little more confidence is a major major win. And just...
1 in 4 kids have an undetected vision problem. Here’s how to save on their eye care now. | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from VSP Individual Vision Plans A lot of family members offer practical gifts that help support our kids in big ways, like school tuition, summer camp, after school activities, and college savings plan donations. And here's one more that...
Hot trend alert: 9 platform sneakers we love for fall!
While some trends we leave all to the kids, platform sneakers is one that I love and okay, so do my girls. It's a way to get a little style into your comfortable footwear (or vice versa) and, if you're not Kristen (ha), to get a little more height! If you're like me,...