More coolness from recent weeks…
We love the story behind these cool political women icon stickers
After the past week we've had, spotting these illustrated political women icon stickers on a friend's Facebook feed kind of made my day. Let me just say, this is a tiny grassroots effort by artist Gabriela Indivero -- it's not an Etsy shop or a fancy website. But I...
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A new jewelry line empowering women with just three words.
If you're familiar with Cool Mom Picks, you know that we started this site to help discover cool new businesses and products, support women entrepreneurs, and share their amazing stories. That's why I'm so thrilled to tell you about someone I'm so pleased to be...
Amazing op-eds and articles from women to help us process our feelings about women’s trauma, Dr. Blasey Ford, and the Kavanaugh hearings.
What a week. That's all you have to say right now to nearly any woman in your life, and she will know exactly what you're talking about. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's credible, difficult testimony in the Kavanaugh hearing (i.e. not a trial) this past Thursday was...
The fun Halloween costume kits kids can DIY themselves — while getting a lesson in STEM
This year, if your kid wants to be a unicorn with a glowing horn or a chomping dinosaur or even a fairy with motorized wings for Halloween, you can say with all confidence, "Sure, kiddo! And you can even make it yourself." (If only we could say that about all our...
6 natural remedies to help keep families healthy during the germy school year
Now that we've found new school clothes and back-to-school gear for all our kids (well, mostly), parents are now moving onto worry #2 -- how to avoid back-to-school sickness. My family has already been through hand-foot-and-mouth disease and a wicked stomach virus,...
Halloween costumes are glorifying sexual predators, and it’s disgusting.
Oh hey! In today's New Thing To Be Rightfully Outraged Over we're going to go with Halloween costumes that glorify sexual assault. Yeah, you read that right. Thanks to Mark Graham on Twitter, I was alerted to a GYN costume -- which is cool. We love OB/GYNs! I wouldn't...
How much screen time is too much? Tech health expert Dr. Mike Brooks | Spawned ep 126
When work is online, communication is online, entertainment is online and it's all 24/7...it can be hard to get offline. We get it! So we're happy to share so much helpful info from from tech health expert, author, Austin-based dad, and Psychology Today columnist, Dr....
The Surprise Sale at TOMS has us all shoe shopping!
Well isn't it nice when a Facebook ad informs us that TOMS just extended their surprise sale! They're offering up to 50% off lots of styles, or BOGO as we frequent shoppers like to say. That you means you get double the cute shoes and double your donation of shoes to...
5 ways parents can empower our younger kids and tweens to be more independent.
It can be hard to remember when we're so busy with the minutiae of each day, but the ultimate goal of parenting is to raise responsible, independent adults. And, well, that starts before they actually hit the age of 18. The dance of educating our kids and then...
The new book about peaceful protest and activism that every kid should be reading right now.
If one thing is clear it's that our kids' generation is growing up in the throes of activism, and we love it. So we're always sharing ways to help support their passion to make the world better, from books that teach kids how to be activists, to t-shirts that honor...
Kids and nutrition: Tips from pediatric expert Dr. Tanya Altmann | Spawned ep 125
This week on Spawned, we're talking kids and nutrition. Which, TBH, is one of those issues that nearly universally stresses out parents of all kinds, with kids of all ages. Fortunately, we've got an expert to help us out: Dr. Tanya Altmann, who you may better know as...
What to do this weekend with the kids: How about free admission to a National Park?
With tomorrow, September 22 being the 25th anniversary National Public Lands Day, that means it's one of 4 days of the year that you can get free admission to more than 400 National Parks that ordinarily charge admission. And it's not just free for kids, it's free for...
7 unbelievably amazing hotel suites we want to stay in, like, tonight
We've all got trips we've wanted to take ourselves, or gift to someone else, whether it's that 50th anniversary celebration for our parents, the last-ditch babymoon, or the "who needs a 25th high school reunion?" girls weekend. Now thanks to our sponsor Suiteness, you...
Trend alert: 7 favorite mini crossbody handbags that prove less is more
Let's talk about mini crossbody handbags, my friends. If you haven't yet gotten your hands on one these little numbers, they're lining up to be one of fall's biggest (and uh, smallest) trends. I've been coveting one for practical reasons as well; because I log a lot...
Take a peek inside the new I Am a Rebel Girl: A Journal to Start Revolutions. It’s wonderful.
From the moment we discovered Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls by Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli, we knew it was bound to be a massive hit. A book full of diverse, inspiring women's stories complete with great writing and stunning illustrations -- what's not to...
The simple difference between Latino and Hispanic, in one clever cartoon
There is so confusion about the difference between Latino and Hispanic, whether you can use the terms interchangeable, and whether they're two different things. So with this week kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), it seems like a good time...
One brilliant, simple thing you can do right now to help end working mom guilt | Spawned ep 124
Working mom guilt is something every working mom has experienced in one way or another. And basically, it sucks. However, we've always heard that guilt is the most useless emotion -- and now, consider us schooled. On this week's episode of Spawned, we spoke with...
Jonathan Van Ness wants you to Own it, Gorg. Words to live by!
As devoted Queer Eye fans -- and that includes Kristen and my kids, too -- we might have squealed, just a little, when we found this super limited edition Jonathan Van Ness Own It, Gorg t-shirt from Represent Clothing. Doesn't it say everything we want to think, be...
Hurry! This limited edition Cratejoy gift box is giving 100% to an extraordinary organization
We're all longtime fans of Cratejoy gift boxes, which are packed with beautifully curated goodies for all kinds of impossible-to-shop-for people in your life. And now that they've announced that their upcoming Cratejoy for a Cause box to support St. Jude's -- one of...
TL Duryea’s striking Sheroes Portrait Project, now wearable, drinkable and portable
I first discovered artist TL Duryea's daily portrait project at the beginning of the year. It was through her portrait of Judge Rosemary Aquilina who presided over the Larry Nassar - US Gymnastics hearings. I was just floored at how beautifully she captured her rage,...
6 important reasons to talk to girls honestly about their bodies and sexual health. And no, you can’t say “vajayjay.”
When my oldest daughter was 17 months old, lying half-nekkid on the diaper change pad, she grabbed her genitals and said, BUTT! “No, honey,” I corrected. “That’s your...vagina.” Cough. Gulp. Eep. Deep breath in… Exhale. Phew. Why was it so hard? It made little sense,...