Supporting amazing artists and designers we find at cool, yet undiscovered indie shops we find is so important to us -- in fact, it's why Kristen and Liz started Cool Mom Picks in the first place. So when we find a shop like Small Appare…
There are a lot of worthy causes out there, plenty of which we feature here. And there are a lot of amazing gifts that give back to support those causes through your holiday shopping . But one cause that's profoundly personal to us as pa…
Each year, we love putting together some of our favorite gifts that give back in substantial and specific ways -- not just some undetermined percentage of your purchase going to "charities." While we try to share these kinds of gifts yea…
My kids' holiday gift requests are coming in fast and while I'm sure Santa appreciates the early input, I want to make sure my kids don't forget how it feels to give to others as well. That's why Little Loving Hands is one of my favorite…
( This post has been updated, August 2017 ) It's been a somber mood around here lately, as it surely been for many of you. When I first wrote this post, our hearts were going out to the people of Paris. We each have been hoping and prayi…
If you're a fan of great parenting blogs, you may be familiar with the difficult story of our friends Mike and Heather Spohr, of the popular site The Spohrs are Multiplying. They experienced the unimaginable after the death of their daug…
We've always been big fans of trick-or-treat for UNICEF, but this year, they've got limited-edition Peanuts boxes to make collecting donations extra special. This weekend, kids can collect candy and collect donations for UNICEF while the…
When my kids' father was deployed for a few months to Afghanistan, I put together several military care packages filled with fairly typical items. Don't get me wrong, they were definitely very appreciated by his unit! But it wasn't until…
When we first discovered Tree Change dolls , our readers went wild and with good reason -- mom Sonja Singh is taking one of the most polarizing children's toys (Bratz) and refashioning them into some of the most beloved children's toys (…
Today is the International Day of the Girl. And while we talk so much here about how important it is to empower and educate our girls every day, if they're not even in school, both of those things are nearly impossible. So we thought one…
The most essential (or at least the most fun) part of your new-mom gear collection just may be a great diaper bag. Since you'll have it with you all the time, you want it to be well made, look great, and let you find that paci immediatel…
Any parent knows the importance of a go-to baby blanket, because a baby blanket is never just a blanket; it's a play mat, a changing pad, a lovie, a spot for tummy time and sometimes yes, a perfect cover for snuggling up and keeping warm…
Next Thursday, September 24, I'm so pleased to be co-hosting a Rebecca Taylor shopping event with Jessica Seinfeld, on behalf of the awesome folks at Baby Buggy . And I'd love our NYC readers to join! What? You say you can come? Awesome!…
As a New Yorker with strong emotions each year on 9/11 (not mention someone with a 9/11 birthday), I am acutely aware of how many of us are profoundly connected to today's events, even 14 years later. I still leave the TV off all day, an…
Back-to-school season is in full swing, some of us just starting this week and others already a month in. But however long your kids have been in school this year, you know how hard it can be to adjust to the new schedule -- homework, ac…
We imagine that nothing makes a teacher happier than seeing their students light up about a subject, ready to learn more. Whether you've got a number lover, a big reader , a mini scientist, or an artist-in-residence -- or maybe a mix of …
As the carefree days of summer wind down and the structure of the fall rounds the bend, its time to start thinking about curricular activities. While sports and school clubs are great, I like the idea of encouraging a teen to take on a h…
T he Day the Crayons Quit , written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by the amazing Oliver Jeffers, has been sitting on my kids' bedside table -- and getting read every night at bedtime -- since the day it came home from the bookstore. It…
This past Sunday, August 9, marked one year since the death of Michael Brown and the subsequent uprising in Ferguson, Missouri. Despite the many months that have passed, trying to make sense of the heartbreak and horror of everything tha…
Sharing, liking, or commenting on this post donates one life-saving vaccine to a child around the world. Please read on for the full story. One of the most wonderful things about social media is that it gives every single one of us a voi…
Wow, it's been a long time that we've been fighting the good fight for smart girl tees , as an alternative to the future diva and future golddigger tees we used to see way too often when our own girls were babies. Clearly we weren't alon…
We've all been saddened by the story of Cecil the Lion this week, and we know a lot of you feel the same way. It's an especially hard thing to explain to kids who may have heard the news too, since children always have such an an innate …
We first featured Krochet Kids a few years back, and immediately loved this non-profit's mission of creating gifts that give back, to help provide job training and a sustainable income source in impoverished communities around the globe.…
I was a two-year Brownie, a Girl Scout for less than a year and then...well, I okay, so I was never much of a joiner to begin with. It all came down to the dress in the end; I didn't want to have to wear one -- this was the 70's after al…