More coolness from recent weeks…
Better You Than Me, Sister
Even having gone through two mostly uneventful pregnancies (I know, don't hate on me), I'm happy now to be back in my regular jeans and regular shoes with not one ounce of lower back pain--and no forthcoming labor and delivery.And so, being the kind thoughtful friend...
Personal Cards (Even When They’re Not Personalized)
If there's anything that made me more weepy than is customary during those first few days after having my son, it was all the kind notes of congratulations sent to me. I'd like to reciprocate, except getting out the house with two kids to find the perfect baby card...
I Feel Pretty. Even at 35 Weeks.
I've reached that point in my pregnancy where I feel like that old cliché, the beached whale. Worse - I feel like I'm insulting whales with the analogy. It's time to treat myself to something fabulous to help me feel pretty through the home stretch.The very new...
The Three Little Kittens Would Never Lose These
Even though snow isn't exactly headed to my side of Atlanta any time soon, that doesn't mean my kids don't need mittens. Chilly little fingers need protection with or without the white stuff.I'm envisioning my son in a pair of these mittens* by Liz Jones Handmade....
The Best PR That Wool Could Ask For
American parents tend to have this hang-up with wool. Maybe generations of itchy grandma sweaters have made us skittish about the fabric but the truth is wool, especially for babies, can be amazing if used properly. So when we were given a first look at the new...
Contrary to Popular Belief, Moms Do Have a Few Brain Cells Left
After months spent in OB offices browsing parenting magazines that ran the gamut from mindless fun to downright annoying, I had no idea that there was something out there for moms that was actually (gasp) literary. While I love a good holiday cookie recipe or rainy...
Über-Hoodie
With December weather fluctuating between mildly cold to oddly warm, layering pieces are a mom's best friend. On my own wish list for my daughter: A Random Nicole hoodie, just one of many fantastic finds at mom and pop-run boutique for junior fashionistas,...
Awkward Family Dinners No More
You're more likely to find my family all yapping over each other a mile a minute during holiday dinners than staring awkwardly at our soup bowls. But other families? Not so lucky. Here are a couple of solutions to get things rolling. Table Topics is the maker of...
Ponytail Moms, Be Not Ashamed
As an avid ponytail wearer, I'm always left with a conundrum when it comes to winter hats. Do I just suck it up and deal with hat head? Not according to Girl32, a company founded by two women with a love of fashion and a knack for clever design. Their beanie cap with...
Giving New Definition to The Soft Shape Sorter
You don't have to be a parent too long before you realize that kids instinctively like sticking things in other things. Without delving into the old electrical outlet chestnut, let's just say there's truth in the stereotypes. So I'm totally smitten with Brooklyn...
From the Cradle to The Cradle ™
There are more "mom" websites and social networking sites popping up than we can shake a BPA-free baby bottle at. And who can blame them? We are collectively awesome, thus everyone wants us to grace them with our virtual presence. One of the more promising...
32 Degrees Out? How Did That Happen?
I am definitely not the together mom that has the warm stroller blanket out and ready to go for the first cold-weather day. And so here it is, December, and I'm still looking for a great sleeping bag kind of a thing to work with all the different strollers that we've...
Giveaway: $250 Gift Certificate from the Silly Wagon
Boy, did you pick a great month to start subscribing to the free, and yet oh so valuable CMP monthly newsletter.(Since, you know, you were totally about to do just that.) At the end of December, we're going to draw one new subscriber to win a $250 gift...
Clean up those toys, young lady
If you live in a little-ish place like I do, toy space is a commodity. Of course that doesn't stop the trucks and books and dolls and crayons from accumulating (God bless the grandparents) so we always look for furniture that serves more than one purpose. My newest...
Moving On From Macaroni Necklaces
My older daughter and I have finally reached the point where we can do crafts together that involve more than just dry pasta and pipe cleaners. There's only two problems: 1) I'm lacking the creative-mom gene. 2) I'm not enthused about projects that turn into clutter....
Art You Can Walk On
I have been in love with Lisa Masterson's artwork for so long I could hang it on my walls, my ceiling, lean it against my furniture, and rub it all over my body. But walking on it? Something I hadn't considered.But Lisa considered it. Because now her great shop...
Ordering french fries isn’t actually speaking French
Bilingual educational tools are all the rage in the US these days and The Cool Mom Picks editors have certainly come across our share of DVDs, CDs, books and other tools to get kids speaking everything from Spanish to...well, not Sanskrit. Yet. One of the cooler...
A Very Merry Binky To You
Neither of my kids took a binky, which was frustrating until now that I see friends trying to coax their toddlers' pacifiers out of their mouths to give to Santa or The Binky Elf. (Who knew?) I also might have been the last to learn that binky clips are...
The Perfect Gift for All Your Flaky Friends
Before kids, I used to custom select the perfect little whatever for every gal on my Christmas list. After kids? So not happening. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stick them all with impersonal gift cards and call it a day either. Idea: The luxe body butters from...
Genius Baby Clothes. Really.
We parents often have no problem sticking our kids in clothes that proclaim cutie or sweetie-pie or (gak) future model. But when it comes to proclaiming their obvious genetically-determined intellectual superiority, for some reason we stop short.No longer. The...
Put Yo Baby on Yo Hip
I can't tell you how much the pouch sling saved my life during the first five months of my son's life-- especially when I wanted to nurse in public. But carrying him in it now at ten months is a bit of a struggle. Plus, I always feel like he's going to fall right out....