We're so excited that Cool Mom Picks editor Liz Gumbinner will be joining The Today Show tomorrow to talk about some of the cool back to school picks in our Back to School Shopping Guide. The best part might be that Liz gets to share the…
It's 104 degrees outside, and you know what that means: back to school and our annual Back to School Shopping Guide ! We know-- it doesn't make much sense. But we also know that the next few ultra-sunny weeks will require new clothes, sh…
We've long adored the cute, unique little kid backpacks from Little Packrats (now PVC-free, by the way!), but now that some of our little kids are turning into big kids, we're glad that they've added some new bags just for them. The new …
We're lunch packers around my house, but when there's no microwave to heat up anything, it makes it challenging to pack the hot lunch my daughter would beg for. Too bad we didn't have new Crocodile Creek insulated food jars , now at mom-…
If you're like me, then you probably try to have a nice stack of name labels on hand for all those things your kids have to take to camp, school, daycare and everywhere else their busy little social calendars may take them. But when kids…
In the summer, I tend to let my handbags go a little more casual and a little less structured. Messenger bags can do the trick, but frankly, I don't want to look like a messenger. [ don't miss the giveaway after the jump!] That's where M…
We're heading into our second year of middle school , here, and it's been... interesting. It's definitely a whole different ballgame than elementary school, particularly for girls, who tend to morph into social piranhas pretty early. Is …
It's hard to imagine right now -- as the kids run around outside in pure daylight until well past 8:00 -- that the days are getting shorter, again. And before we know it, we'll be back to those early mornings of heading out to school whe…
I can't believe I'm already looking at back to school items for my kids, but that I am. So I checked in to see if last year's CMP find, Dabbawalla Bags , was doing anything new for 2010. And that they are. Good stuff too! I adore this Un…
Next month Congress is going to be revisiting school meal program guidelines, and the more parents and kids they hear from before they do so, the greater the chance that our schools will have real food (what a concept) to offer our child…
Now's the time in the school year that moms are figuring out whether that cool lunchbox you bought for your kid actually does the trick, or whether it was more cute than functional. Luckily, I fared pretty well (thanks Cool Mom Picks - h…
It's music to any educator's ears: The chance for big bucks for the school, just because it's great. GreatSchools.net and Care2.com have partnered up to create the America's Favorite School Contest , and they're giving away everyone's fa…
The television show Mad Men isn't just influencing adult styles for Fall. We've seen some pretty awesome retro-inspired kid's clothes and shoes this back to school season, like the adorable Elliott shoes from See Kai Run . Even though th…
Before I had kids, I vowed that I would force them to eat the crusts on their sandwiches.. And then I had children who hated crusts. Now I'm eating their crusts and my words. With the Lunch Punch , you kill two birds with one stone -- cu…
My daughters attend a school that requires uniforms: Khaki pants and navy blue shirts. They can wear any solid navy top -- no logos or words, and no polos. Any creative suggestions for some cute tunics, or tees, cardigans? -Shannon I adm…
Since the recent revelation that SIGG bottle liners contain BPA, we've been on the look out for more alternatives made of stainless steel and not aluminum, which requires a liner in the first place. There's the Safe Sporter which we've f…
We just had so much fun picking our favorite summer clothes and accessories at Psychobaby last month that we decided to switch things up just in time for back to school shopping . Which is now. Cue the "holy crap it's September already?"…
I know every week lately, one of us shows up here saying OMG I found the cutest lunchbox EVER, but I think I may have just topped them all with the Shinzi Katoh Japanese bento boxes for kids. Spotted at the adorable e-boutique My Sweet M…
My kids have been back to school for a few weeks already, and my inbox runneth over. I need more volunteers for the coupon drive , says the coordinator. This is quickly followed by a bevy of reply-alls which are making me crazy, so I can…
My kids wear uniforms to school. In general, I'm a big fan because it makes getting out the door that much easier (white polo! navy shorts! let's go!). But I get a little wistful when I'm shopping for school clothes -- after all, how exc…
We're so excited to bring you the first of our new weekly Etsy round-ups. Tune in every Wednesday for more delicious handmade goodness. Everyone knows that when you go back to school , it is IMPERATIVE to have the coolest stuff. (Althoug…
I pack school lunches for my kids every day. I don't mind actually making the lunches; it's the packaging that gets me, all those little plastic bags bound for the trash, stored in a garish character tie-in lunchbox. That part is depress…
I do not have six million free hours in my day but if I did, I just might consider turning my kids' sandwich into a giraffe. Or a caterpillar. Or Sponge Bob. Just because I could. And if I were to do that kind of a thing, I would have to…
Yes, I know that the dresses from Pink Chicken are not the least expensive in all the land, but I'll tell you why I love them beyond nearly anything else in my girls' wardrobe: They're well made , the styles are adorable and I can toss t…