More coolness from recent weeks…
8 awesome ways to decorate a teal pumpkin for Halloween.
The teal-colored pumpkins on stoops throughout your neighborhood are more than just pretty — they have a special meaning. Thanks to the Teal Pumpkin Project, a blue jack-o-lantern signals that a house offers non-edible treats that accommodate trick-or-treaters with...
See Target’s new line of adaptive clothing for kids with special needs. It’s beautiful.
When Target released new clothing styles made just for kids with sensory issues, we all burst out with a collective "woo-hoo," because this is so meaningful to so many kids and parents. And we're "woo-hoo"ing again now, because today is the day that, as promised,...
10 outrageously creepy Halloween pumpkins for when your kids are out of the nightmare stage
When you have young kids, you tend to find inspiration in cute Sharpie Pumpkins or maybe painted pumpkins -- perhaps with a little pastel paint and some glitter glue? But when your kids get older, it's all about having the creepiest pumpkins -- the more guts, the more...
In defense of parents: A response to the child-free haters of the world.
If you ask me, anonymous avatars on the internet don't need more license to shame parents and our children. But alas, a recent Lifehacker article by Patrick Allan explicitly asked non-parents to name their grievances against those people who deigned to bear kids. So...
Getting kids to do homework without even having to ask. | Spawned ep 90
Wouldn't we all love our kids to be those self-starters who sit down dutifully each day after school to tackle homework, proofread, make corrections, and hey, maybe do some extra-credit -- all without being asked? Well, yeah. But we're realists And not every kid is...
Beyond Wonder Woman: 14 empowering girl Halloween costumes inspired by real life heroes
I'm really excited to share these 13 empowering girl Halloween costumes based on some of our favorite real-life heroes. Not that there's anything wrong with comic superheros and imaginary self-rescuing princesses, but there's something special about honoring a real...
From Lisa Frank to Mother of Dragons: 13 cool, easy last-minute Halloween costumes for moms
I've spent most of this month trying to tame my kids' all-out obsession about their Halloween costumes. They've swung the gamut from obscure Harry Potter characters to obscure Studio Ghibli characters to morph suits. I can't keep up, much less take the time to think...
Beyond Waldo: 6 gorgeously artful look-and-find books for kids
I'm lucky to have a job that allows me to the opportunity to preview countless kids' books each year. But admittedly, it often feels like a neverending stream of the same-old. However recently, I've noticed a trend of well-designed, beautifully executed look-and-find...
How to throw a Stranger Things themed party! 20 of the coolest ideas this side of The Upside Down.
If you're planning to throw a Stranger Things themed party for an upcoming birthday, for Halloween, or even a viewing party to celebrate the launch of the next season -- counting the hours! -- we've got you covered! Check out these cool Stranger Things party ideas,...
13 super easy, very fun, no-sew DIY Halloween costume ideas for babies and toddlers.
My six-month-old baby can't eat candy yet, but I'm not above exploiting his cuteness to satisfy my own sweet tooth when we go trick-or-treating. (Kidding. Sort of.) So I'm all for adorable, easy, no-sew Halloween costume ideas for babies that are simple enough for a...
5 Black beauty secrets I learned from my own gorgeous mother…who I thought was Diana Ross.
When I was little, I just knew my mom was one of The Supremes. Actually, she wasn’t just one of them, she actually was THE Supreme, Miss Diana Ross. I figured this out using my excellent 5-year-old powers of deduction, of course. My mom’s name is similar to Diana Ross...
How to wear 90s style today without looking like a Friends throwback.
With crushed velvet, baby doll dresses, and black nail polish trending this fall, it hit me: 90s style is back. And I'm all in. So let's turn up some Pearl Jam and scribble Mrs. Jordan Catalano on our Trapper Keeepers while we figure out how to grab those items that...
We tried the top-rated pillow on Amazon to see if it was all that. And whoa, it is.
I get a lot of email pitches here at Cool Mom Picks with all sorts of compelling subject lines, but when I saw Try the Top Rated Pillow on Amazon, this extremely tired mom couldn't help but click that one open. To be honest, I don't tend to put a lot of weight into...
12 spectacular sugar skull craft ideas for Día de los Muertos, from painted planters to papier maché.
With Día de Los Muertos coming up on November 1 and the Pixar film Coco premiering November 22 -- my kids are so excited to see it! -- I've been seeking out some fun sugar skull crafts for the family to work on together. It's such a nice way to honor this beautiful...
8 fun, spooky DIY Halloween door decorating ideas that are so easy to do.
I'm not one to go all out and decorate my entire house for Halloween, but I do love turning my front door into a showpiece and DIY Halloween door decorations are a simple way to let all those trick-or-treaters know that yep, you're home -- and yep, you're the house...
The 2017 National Book Award finalists that YA lovers will want to get their hands on now.
The 2017 National Book Awards have just been announced, in time for those crisp autumn nights cuddling up with a good book. And while you should check out all the finalists in the fiction and nonfiction categories, we're sharing the Young People's Literature...
A dedicated Boy Scout troop leader on why allowing girls into the organization won’t ruin life as we know it. | Thinking: Parent
Boy Scouts of America made a huge announcement yesterday: starting next year, girls will be able to enroll in their Cub Scouting program, and by 2019 be qualified to earn the coveted Eagle Scout rank. And of course, there is much debate, outrage, celebration, and...
Inspiration and encouragement in the most unlikely of places: Your underwear.
We've seen plenty of inspirational art and motivational mugs, but never have we even seen... panties. Well, until now, thanks to Innertruth Panties, a line of embroidered underwear with inspirational messages. On the inside. Admittedly, I giggled, but then, really,...
Unicorn pumpkins FTW! The cutest tutorials from around the web
We are here for the unicorn pumpkin trend! And, maybe you are too. I mean, unicorns are not going away because, unicorns. And magic. And glitter. And make-believe. Whether you've got a kid trick-or-treating dressed as a unicorn, or just want some front porch decor...
The flag is getting more respect than women right now, and we’re calling it out.
When we're feeling angry, feeling distraught, feeling completely gutted -- as we have been for the past week following the news about Harvey Weinstein and so many (too many) related stories -- it's always helpful to talk out our feelings. So Kristen and I got on the...
Free printable posters to empower our children with favorite quotes from strong women.
We're all such fans of the wonderful work of maker, designer and crafter Ursula Rosien of KRAFT&MINT design. So when we connected to discuss creating a series of free printable inspirational posters just for our kids, a whole lot of lightbulbs went off. With so...