I know what you're thinking. Will anyone actually eat the dozens of leftover candy canes from stockings, class parties, and gingerbread houses? Won't kids just take three licks and then abandon the candy, leaving me to find them stuck to…
Hope today brings you everything magical you're hoping for, whether it's a fancy gift, your favorite cookies, a Netflix binge-fest, quiet time with your family, a day with no political arguments, a really good port, the ultimate holiday …
My daughter is at that magical age when she wants to take part in every possible Christmas tradition. Before bed the other night, she asked me what we were going to leave for Santa in case he arrives hungry (“that’s what they do on TV, M…
As much as I love to cook, I do not want to spend Christmas morning (or afternoon for that matter) in front of a hot stove. And if you're celebrating Hanukkah, which overlaps with Christmas this year, I'm sure you feel the same. Not when…
I know that the days before Christmas can seem unusually long, especially when kids are out of school and the presents are taunting them (my nieces' word, not mine). So if you've got a household of over-excited kids, we've got just the t…
Haven't finished holiday shopping? You are not alone. No, seriously: I'm not done either, which is why I rounded up these seven easy and totally fantastic food subscription boxes that make a killer last minute gift. These boxes are fille…
This month is full of reasons to stock up on festive dinner recipes. Sure there are special meals to be shared on Christmas and Hanukkah, but there are also the nights when out-of-town family arrive and when the neighbors (and their 10 k…
I love the simplicity of brown paper packages tied up with string as much as the next person, but sometimes I'm in the mood for more creative holiday gift wrapping to make my presents really stand out under the Christmas tree or by the m…
These memories brought to you on behalf of JCPenney We spend so much time around here thinking about the best gifts to give to those we love, that sometimes we forget about ourselves and our own gifts! (Is that a mom thing?) So we asked …
There's nothing like the perfect cocktail -- or two! -- to make your holiday party a little merrier (and greatly increase the chances of an end-of-night singalong). While we love eggnog (with or without booze), mulled wine , and mulled c…
So apparently giving out holiday classroom gifts are a real thing. How I've managed to get my kids from preschool through middle school not knowing about this, is a mystery to me. But this year, I was tasked with searching for ways to ma…
I'm not going to lie, this past year, and especially what's going on in this country right now has been really hard on me. Really hard, and really stressful. And while I'm the queen of self-care and would love any of the self-care gift i…
In all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it's easy to lose sight of what really matters -- giving to others -- even when we are giving gifts. Because for so many of us who already have all that we need, gifts are icing on the cak…
My mom worked at a school when I was growing up, and to this day, some of the gifts she received -- like Mrs. Anderson's pumpkin bread and Mrs. Hutcheson's spiced tea mix -- are among my favorite holiday traditions. Now, as a busy mom on…
It should be obvious by now that here at Cool Mom Picks, we love presents. (We have 350 of them in this year's holiday gift guide , which we think you should check out, if you haven't already.) But even more, we love when our gifts give …
My family has a tradition of reading Christmas books at bedtime every night during Advent. Some years, I wrap each holiday book in our collection, so they'll be surprised which book we're reading each night. Other years, we take turns ch…
I'm a big fan of eggnog, but with eggs, cream, whole milk and sugar, it's no joke. Especially if you make yours boozy the way that I like to make mine. So, yea, it's a once a year treat in my house, which is too bad given how much the ki…
This year, I chopped and prepped many of my holiday dinner ingredients ahead of Thanksgiving. I still had plenty to do in the kitchen the day of, but it was more relaxed -- my mom and I peeling apples (and sipping champagne) instead of c…
Those of you who are also fans of Cool Mom Eats (and hey, thank you!) know that I'm all about coming up with smart solutions to help busy parents with home cooked meals that still feed our families quickly and easily. Especially this tim…
Cookies, cakes, gingerbread, oh my! The holidays are here and they're made even sweeter by the treats that mark, oh, pretty much every holiday occasion. If you're baking sweets to give as gifts, bring to your kid's holiday party at schoo…
Let's be totally honest here: The very best part of Christmas is the cookies, right? Getting in the kitchen and baking with my kids is one of my favorite traditions of the season. Of course, we can't choose just one, so we end up making …
Our dedicated readers know that I'm all about using healthy shortcuts to help me get my cooking done faster -- especially around the holidays when time is at a premium and I'd rather spend more time with my family than in the kitchen. I'…
Next up in our Cool Mom Eats 2016 Holiday Gift Guide , we had the best time finding the most fun food-themed stocking stuffers for you. Because sometimes it's those little sips and bites and baubles and tees that really are the crowning …
Full disclosure: I was at Home Depot the day after Thanksgiving, picking out the perfect tree that I'll probably keep until it's brown and desiccated on Valentine's Day. I've got plenty of space for a gigantic Douglas fir, no family memb…