16 truly special Valentine’s gifts for best friends who could use a little extra love right now

by Christina Refford | Valentine's Day

Valentine’s gifts for best friends isn’t always something that comes top of mind when we’re shopping for gifts for the kids or our significant other. But c’mon — could we have gotten through the past couple of years without all the...

Over 20 of the best Advent calendars for 2022: From the magical to the luxurious, to… goofy dad jokes?

by Christina Refford | Uncategorized

I’m just about ready to think about all things Thanksgiving, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that NOW is the time to order an amazing Advent calendar so you can start the countdown to Christmas on December 1st. The best ones goes fast! Which is...

The coolest birthday gifts for 4 year olds

by Cool Mom Team

Cool gifts for 4-year-olds are so much fun for us to find — and buy! — because at this age, kids are truly playing with toys and games for longer than a few seconds. A 4-year-old is great at independent play, they’re past the put-everything-in-your-mouth...

Thinking of trying melatonin to help your kids sleep? Please read this first.

by Christina Refford | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing, Tips + Tricks

Like so many other desperate — and exhausted — parents, we turned to melatonin supplements to help my son sleep when he was younger. I spoke to our pediatrician first of course, and did enough research about melatonin on my own to know that melatonin...

What we can do to help Ukraine right now: Donate, share, call

by Caroline Siegrist | Doing Good

I know I’m not the only one worrying nonstop about citizens in Ukraine the past few days. Despite claims to the contrary, President Putin invaded Ukraine at multiple points on the Ukraine border this past week and seems to be targeting Ukrainian troops defending...

Tons of amazing last-minute gift ideas that don’t feel last-minute at all.

by Caroline Siegrist | Uncategorized

For all you out there needing last-minute Christmas gifts, we got you! My son’s gotten into the habit of asking Alexa how many days are left until Christmas and while it was pretty adorable at first, it can incite a little panic now that we’ve hit the...

Last minute DIY holiday gifts for friends. And family, who you like enough to call friends. | Holiday Gifts

by Christina Refford | DIY

We love looking for easy last-minute DIY holiday gifts each year that show our friends we care, especially during such a trying time. But not all of us are gifted crafters who can knit a pair of mittens while watching a Christmas movie,  or eke out the time for a...

3 unique subscription boxes for kids that teach the values of gratitude, kindness, and giving back to others

by Christina Refford | Books for Kids, Doing Good

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, charity and giving to others is particuarly top of mind, which is why I was just so happy to discover several subscription boxes for kids that teach those very values. Many of us are talking to our kids about things to be thankful...

The one trick to make sure your child’s face mask fits properly, to comply with the brand new CDC recommendations.

by Liz Gumbinner | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing, Kids, Tips + Tricks

After 18 months (sigh) it’s now clear that we’re past the point of “any mask is better than nothing” for preventing Covid spread, especially with the Delta variant here. In fact, just this weekend, the CDC issued new, specific recommendation...

This list of the best YA books of all time is absolutely awesome

by Caroline Siegrist | Books for Kids, Books for Adults

Not to brag, but here at CMP, we’re kind of kids’ books experts. We round up the best of the best lists every year, keep taps on the new releases, and share all kinds of YA book recommendations for parents. Which is why I was so happy when I saw that Time...