It's time for first birthdays! I have two parties coming up; one boy and one girl. Then my own baby girl will celebrate her first this fall. So what are some gift recommendations for this new stage of development? -Elaine Yay for first b…
We joke a lot about how our kids sometimes would rather play with the box a present comes in than the actual present. The thing is... it's not always a joke. And one company has taken that idea on, big time. Blue Manatee Boxes are amazin…
Ever since my daughter declared Easter was her favorite holiday, I've paid a little extra attention to the gifts I put in her Easter basket . After all, I'm sure the Easter Bunny thinks she's pretty great. While Easter is still a few wee…
I just got wind of an adorable new shop featuring anything and everything animal-themed for kids. Well, not everything animal. This is just the cute stuff. In other words, no magenta and gold metallic toddler cheetah leggings As Seen on …
This past week, I had a dandy time perusing the 600,000* aisles of the NY International Gift Show, scouting out what's cool in gifts and gear and design for our fair readers. I was also honored to be one of ten judges of the Best New Pro…
If you're sick of the frantic rush of live holiday shopping but still want to take up some real estate under the tree, you need to go check out the cool stuff at Discovery Kids, the exclusive toy section of The Discovery Channel Store. I…
My daughter is obsessed with being a dentist. Yes, just like that Elf on that Rudolph video. Of course, I'm delighted and I want to encourage her, but dentist toys are a little hard to come by. Luckily, I won't have to scour the Internet…
If we couldn't solve all your holiday shopping conundrums with our Cool Mom Picks holiday gift guide (gasp!), then we've got over 75 more fabulous gift options just for you in our brand spankin' new Cool Mom Tech holiday gift guide ! We'…
I've long thought about how to channel the power of the restaurant paper placemats in my own home so that we can all enjoy a pleasant meal. In other words, one in which the kids are occupied while I'm busy cutting their food into a billi…
D anielle asked us on Twitter for the best birthday gift ideas for a 5 year old boy, since her son is about to hit the big number five. She says he likes "things that go" but already has 400 cars. He also likes art projects and writing n…
The way I see it, if your kids are going to fall in love with colorful shape sorters and battery-operated talking phones anyway--and trust me, they are--they might as well be from a company like b.toys . This small company used to licens…
The biggest challenge I face every Easter is finding cool candy alternatives for my kids' Easter baskets. But thanks to CMP fave boutique Cattiwampus, my search for sugar-free Easter gifts just got a little easier. Their virtual shelves …
My kids (probably like yours) aren't lacking for stuffed animals. But when I saw the amazingly adorable Jungle House Pillow from Toronto's So Chic Gifts I knew I could totally justify getting them this handmade pillow-and-stuffed-animal …
Ever since my oldest daughter turned five, she's been obsessed with losing teeth. And considering many of her kindergarten classmates have already lost two or three, I suppose she has a good reason to think about it. And that means I do …
You don't need us to tell you about the latest Elmo toy or Hannah Montana guitar, so we work hard to point you towards toys and other playthings from small companies or independent artists that you might not know about yet. After a year …
Cool Mom Picks readers know I have a serious soft spot for handmade dolls, which goes way back to the days that my mom taught me how to stuff an old stocking with batting and stitch the face to make a nose. But the incredible handmade do…
Unless a plush animal is on a kid's holiday or birthday wish list, I tend to steer clear from giving them because as a mom, I know how maddening it can be adding another stuffed bear to the already full toy bin. But when I saw the Kindre…
Every December, I take stock of the state of our coloring, drawing and painting supplies and weed out the lost-caps, tiny crayon bits and crusty paints so they can be replaced. It's a great tradition that both keeps us organized, and pre…
We at Cool Mom Picks may be great at finding stuff, but that doesn't mean we're so great at remembering to actually buy it ourselves in a timely manner. With an uncompleted shopping list that includes a newborn, a few toddlers, some kids…
I don't do much overseas traveling. Okay, none, really. And I can't even blame my kids, since I barely did it before they were born, either. A passionate desire for a reduced carbon footprint or sheer laziness? I'll let you decide. But, …
I know friends who have a holiday tradition of giving the kids a new pair of pajamas every Christmas Eve. It makes for fantastic photo ops on Christmas morning -- but then I visit in the spring and those poor kids are still walking aroun…
Got a tween girl on your list this year? I don't, I confess. But if I did, I totally know what I'd get her. (See, isn't that always the way? Now if only I could trade this great tween gift idea with someone who knows the perfect thing fo…
As the nieces and nephews and various children in my life get a little older, I'm increasingly more into finding crafty gifts that not only entertain them for a little while, but let them show off their handiwork when they're done. Here …
Tween girls are often the hardest to shop for at the holidays - everything they covet seems to be a fortune (iPod Touch, I'm talking to you) and most of the inexpensive gifts are hopelessly disposable. But I think I just found a home run…