More coolness from recent weeks…
Moms At Work
If you haven't yet bookmarked Mommy Track'd, The working mother's guide to managed chaos, you haaaave to do it. Besides fantastic columns from great writers and a slew of resources for working moms, I always like poking around their shop to see what's new. Amidst the...
Hey Kid, Paint Your Own Toys.
With all toy recalls, everyone has been joking about making their own toys. But considering I can barely make a complete dinner, I don't know that I can be trusted to handcraft a cool toy worthy of my picky 3-year-old.But we can most certainly paint our own...
Mom-Approved Mistletoe
I'm all for celebrating the holidays with a bit of seasonal wear, but I haven't quite figured out why, in order for something to be considered festive, it has to be drenched in snowmen and candy canes. Baby Legs' stylish new seasonal collection is calling to...
Next Stop, Oprah’s Book Club
I have yet to nail down the perfect way to effectively collect and display my daughter's massive amounts of artwork. But then I found Little Author, an awesome mom and dad-run business that will take your kid's artwork and turn it into a real live book.The process...
![In the News[boy]](https://coolmompicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/newsboy-339x250.jpg)
In the News[boy]
I am now calling my son "The kid with the largest head on this planet" -- said with love, of course. The search has been on to find a hat for him that's cute, warm, and won't cut off all blood flow to his brain.Well thanks to Faith's Hats at Portland-based...
The Little Engine That Refused to Contain Lead Paint
In light of this year's recall of the Ubiquitous Licensed Cartoon Character Train Set Which Shall Remain Nameless, we've gotten an insane number of inquiries from cautious parents looking for other options. Oh, if only there were something made from wood, in the USA,...
When is a Box Not a Box? When It’s a Mansion
Like all parents, I've learned that indeed it's true, kids are often happier playing with the package a gift comes in than the gift itself. Of course it doesn't stop us from giving them more than cardboard boxes. Until now.The cardboard playhouse is maybe my...
Bring Home a Kitten for the Holidays
I am a little melancholy as I embark upon my first holiday season in close to two decades without my beloved, nasty, shedding, crazy, man-eating cat. But if the trade-off means that I can justify bringing home these Little Dear Fatkitties from artist Aimee Ray,...
Baby Gifts That Give Back
If you hear the words "fair trade" thrown around but never really knew what it was, let us 'splain: It basically means that you're buying from people who take care of their artisans and workers by paying more than minimum wage, providing benefits, and...
On the Outside Chance That No, You Don’t Feel Like Feeding Your Baby in the Bathroom
Heading into the home stretch with baby #3, I've been starting to think about all of those upcoming feedings. Nope, not the ones that will jolt me out of bed every hour on the hour, but the ones that take place during the day. In public. With other people around....
Coats on the Wings of Angels
I confess I'm totally guilty of tossing the kids' coats over chairs, the stroller handle, the exersaucer (the floor) - pretty much everywhere but in the coat closet. Excellent example I'm setting, I know. Maybe I'd be more apt to hang the outerwear if I didn't have to...
I Go to Extremes
If you rummaged through my son's drawers you'd find absolutely no sports themed wear. I'm just not a fan of overpriced licensed jerseys that help fund overpaid athletes.But I am loving Milkshaxs, a Vancouver clothing company that caters to the sports fanatics of the...
Kiss These CDs, They’re Irish
Enough with the four thousand versions of "Lullaby, and Goodnight" already. For something out of the ordinary but with the same lulling qualties, I'm loving Putumayo's new compilation, Celtic Dreamland. The tracks fall on the opposite side of the energy...
Yo. My Blocks are Cooler Than Yours.
So blocks are blocks, right? They're wooden, you build with them, you knock them down. Blocks. Yeah, well, not the Graffiti Blocks from Rockin' Blocks. No alternababy or rock n' roll love child's toy collection is complete without a set. They're handmade in Brooklyn,...
Baby’s First Way Cool Christmas Clothes
I have never understood what people need with a "Baby's First Christmas" onesie spelled out in red and green bling anyway. Do you think that without it, the parents will look back at photos of their five month old surrounded by gift wrap and say, "Hm, I...
Hey, Snowflakes Really Are One-of-a-Kind
I've always been more of an artisan-made, crafty ornament type. I know, you're not surprised, but shiny balls that come in the 30-pack from CVS are not really my style. I'd rather have fewer ornaments, each one special and beautiful. So when I came across the lovely...
Evidently You Can Run as Fast as You Can and Catch the Gingerbread Man
Plenty of families have their own interesting Christmas traditions. At my mom's house, it was to bake gingerbread men to hang on the Christmas ficus, then bite their limbs off while they dangled from the tree. So wasn't I delighted to find what trendsetters we all...
Giving Thanks to the Trees, Too
Team Cool Mom Picks has always been a bit rah rah about books as gifts. Besides the obvious benefits, they're not quickly outgrown and they're pretty much guaranteed not to be on any recall lists any time soon. (Unless you're one of those weirdos trying to ban Harry...
Better Living Through No Chemicals
After my daughter’s first bath irritated her skin from head to toe, I have been on the lookout for great baby bath products that are made from ingredients I feel I can trust. And pronounce. You know, more honey and oatmeal, less DMDM Hydantoin. Am I glad to have...
![Pop[up] Art](https://coolmompicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/c8af808a8da00984cdd45110L-400x250.jpg)
Pop[up] Art
Whoever (or maybe that's just my mother-in-law) said you need batteries and talking toys to get kids interested in learning has obviously never seen How Many, Ron Van der Meer's new pop-up art book that will have any kid over five enraptured. Van der Meer, a...
I Hear the Tooth Fairy Pays Double With These Pillows
One of CMP's all time favorite artists, Michelle Caplan is now wowing us with her brand new tooth fairy pillows. The coolest part? They don't look like tooth fairy pillows. (Or at least that's cool to me.)She's essentially taken some of her brilliant mixed media...