Some books are like cut flowers: I get them, enjoy them, and forget about them. But some books are like lawns, like rich green grass that I want to cultivate and nurture and wiggle between my toes every Spring . Okay, maybe just the firs…
Instead of yet another poster for your kids' rooms, I'm kind of digging this take on abc art, from Toronto Etsy shop, bookhou at home. The laser-etched birch plywood of this wooden alphabet would be so cool in a nursery or playroom. And …
Okay, show of hands: Who else gets ready for a fabulous trip by overloading a bunch of sandwich baggies with half-full sample bottles and hotel soaps? Um, me. Not exactly glamorous. Know what we be much more fitting? This pouch. "No matt…
Some mornings, as I leave for work, my daughter says, "Mommy, give me something from your bag so I can remember you!" I reach in and pull out a business card, a pen...anything will do really. It's become a sweet little tradition between …
Every year, I promise my kids one special back to school outfit, and now that it's officially September (eek!) I guess it's that time again. Generally I'm a big believer in $8 jeans, but one splurge always seems reasonable, especially wh…
On a recent trip to Prague, I fell in love with the town's infamous toy shops. Somehow, I managed to squeeze into my bag a set of 6" marionettes for my kids, along with a small puppet theater. Who would know it would turn out to be the b…
This morning, my social media streams were in an uproar about a tee for tween girls that declared "I'm too pretty to do homework...so my brother has to do it for me." I can't begin to tell you the number of things wrong with that message…
I'm not shy at all about my love for eco-friendly Green Toys, so it's probably no surprise that I squealed a little (okay, a lot) when I heard they were launching a line of tableware for kids. Not toy tableware--the stuff you can actuall…
When I explained to my daughter that every group of animals has its own name, she was absolutely entranced. "You know, like a gaggle of geese. Or a flock of seagulls," said me, Mrs. Smartypants. Just before realizing that I couldn't name…
The day my husband and I got engaged is the day he stopped clothes shopping for himself. Partly upon my request. It's now up to me to pick out everything from his sleeping t-shirts to his ties. Seeing as how I'm not a big fan of departme…
I have confessed before that I am an unapologetic makeup snob. My feeling has always been, you change your shoes, but you wear your face every day. That said, I'm willing to spend more money on great products, but only on the great ones.…
I like Star Wars as much as the next mom. Okay, so maybe I like it a little more than the next mom, considering I can speak a little Huttese. I love that the Star Wars world is timeless, exciting, iconic, and fun, and I really love shari…
It's got to be said: I've never been a big fan of the in-line stroller concept. I was always worried that the poor kid in the bottom kind of gets the shaft, staring at the back of a seat for the whole ride. Much to my surprise however, a…
As a long time fan of blogger and cookbook author Ree Drummond (and a contributor to her homeschooling blog), I've had the date marked on my calendar to catch her new Food Network show, The Pioneer Woman . So this past Saturday, my kids …
I'm all about finding ways to make life easier, especially when there's a newborn at home. To that end, we raved about the clever designs from Magnetic Me (formerly Magnificent Baby) when it first launched. The magnetic closure baby clot…
As a child of the 80's, Soliel Moon Frye and I go way back. I have a glorious memory of dressing up as Punky Brewster for Halloween one year, which involved mainly pig tails and lots of bandanas. Her character was so bold and confident a…
It's just a few days until the beginning of September which means it's time for our next fab subscribers-only giveaway, and you'll definitely want to be part of it. Become a Cool Mom Picks subscriber before 9/1 and you'll have the chance…
No sooner did Team Umizoomi launch on Nick Jr. last year that my preschooler fell in love. Madly and deeply. Let's say she occasionally insists on being called Geo, her favorite color has gone from purple to blue, and best of all, she's …
It generally doesn't matter to me that a bunch of celebrities use a particular hair care product on their babies. But it did make me wonder what was so special about Jenerations Baby that Hollywood moms seem to be flocking to it. Jenerat…
If you're yearning for a glance at a map today that doesn't feature that scary white swirl of doom indicated up and down the east coast, take a look at these fantastic cartographic posters spotted at Fab.com today. But hurry, because of …
If you're stuck in Irene's path this weekend, most of all, we hope you're safe! After that, here are a few of our favorite ways to spend your electricity-free time hunkered down in close quarters with the family. Got game? Apps and onlin…
School mornings get chaotic. Kids are running around, remembering things that were supposed to be put in their backpacks the night before. Shoes are untied while sandwiches are turned crustless. I get anxious just thinking about it. Oh, …
As if I needed more cute kiddie clothes to covet, an uber-hot European shopping site for kids under 14 is launching stateside, with free shipping to boot. Hold on to your credit cards! Alex and Alexa is every fashionista-in-training's dr…
I've been staring down the task of tagging a bunch of different items for my daughter's foray back to school. I don't know if it's because she's now a pre-K-er--a.k.a., one of the "big kids," (sniff)--or if that eau de Sharpie isn't my f…
