Every year after I spend half the day trying to get myself ready, and then wrangling my four kids and my husband for our annual holiday card family photo extravaganza, I vow to do something different the next year. I have found it! With …
When my kids were younger, they adored lacing cards, though I can't say any of them had illustrations quite so adorable as the Lacing Cards from House 8810 . What I do remember is how quietly and intently they would sew their cards, and …
We fell in love with Minted back when we first got wind of their holiday cards , all created by indie designers, many of whom happen to be talented stay-at-home moms. The customization process is a snap and the quality has never failed t…
If you're not familiar with TableTopics , it's such a fabulous little secret weapon to have around the house for those holiday weekends in which the throngs of relatives descend upon you. I mean, uh, honor you with their presence. Each b…
When it comes to unwrapping gifts, people usually fall into two camps. Either they take their time, delicately lifting the tape and neatly folding up the paper; or they rip through the paper like a present-seeking claw machine. This pers…
I'm often of the "do it quickly" school when it comes to holiday presents --I sometimes forgo the little touches (like tags!) in favor of just getting the gifts wrapped. (And yes, we're thinking holidays already. Forgive us!) These beaut…
One of my favorite holiday traditions is sending and receiving cards in the mail -- especially the photo kind. (I can't possibly be the only one. Who doesn't love getting real mail? And photos? Everyone does!) It's the best part of Decem…
With the money I'm spending on Halloween costumes and bags of candy, I'm not about to drop a fortune on decor too. So, I'm so pleased to have found so many affordable (and free!) printables that don't require me to do much of anything or…
Halloween is just around the corner and the overpriced costume catalogs are rolling in. As I do not own a sewing machine, I of course will be buying. Personally I am hoping to acquire something affordable , easy to get on and off, reusab…
In spring, a young man's thoughts lightly turn to love. In fall, everyone's thoughts turn to a really kickass Halloween costume. Right? If you're looking for something really special this year , that will last past midnight on the 31st, …
The cool thing about Grandparents Day is that if you have grandparents like my kids do, it doesn't take a whole lot to make their day. So on the outside chance you were a little busy this week with back-to-school and Labor Day and hurric…
Now that I'm a mom myself, I realize that Mother's Day is not just about getting breakfast in bed (not that I would turn that down) or a day off from housework (also, sounds awesome). Rather, I want to do something to honor my mom for al…
You know what I've always wondered about Easter baskets? Where people store them every other day of the year. Because if there's one thing that's not exactly storage-friendly, it's a big, round basket with a gigantic handle on top. This …
Now I don't have to wonder what I'm using to turn my eggs all shades of the rainbow, thanks to a super-easy-to-use natural Easter egg dying kit whose ingredients are just as natural as the eggs. For years, I have dyed my Easter eggs in w…
Every year I decide this will be the one where we will finally avoid that annoying plastic Easter grass that somehow makes its way out of the baskets and all over my house. But this time, I really mean it. Because we grew our own. Since …
Guess what, mamas? It's American Chocolate Week! Or at least the end of it. The way we see it, you just have to suck it up and do your patriotic duty by gorging on chocolate, right? If you love chocolate as much as we do, here are some o…
No matter how you choose to spend Martin Luther King Jr Day--either at a local event commemorating his contributions to society, by participating in a volunteer event on this Day of Service , or simply using it as an opportunity to start…
Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr Day or, as many kids will tell you, a day off from schooooooool! And while sleeping in is definitely a benefit, there are loads of kid-friendly, educational activities going on…
2011. Is it even possible? It just sounds so...future-y! From Kristen, Liz, and everyone at Cool Mom Picks, we wish you and your family a peaceful, beautiful, happy, healthy new year. We hope it's filled with all the joy, all the success…
While we all know the department stores are slashing prices in their annual post-Christmas frenzy right now, some of our favorite small online shops are having amazing post-holiday sales too. The snow being what it is in my neck of the w…
From the bottom of our hearts, we wish all you cool moms, cool dads, cool aunties + grandmothers, and all of your beautiful families, a very merry Christmas. - Kristen, Liz, and everyone at Cool Mom Picks. [poster via salt & paper shop .…
Maybe you're visiting relatives in New York and need an excuse to get out of the teeny tiny apartment. Or maybe you already live there and need to spice up your family holidays. Either way, we've got the scoop on some hot deals that just…
I cannot be the only one who sequesters myself in the bedroom oh, say around midnight on December 24, frantically trying to wrap, ribbon, and generally beautify Santa's hard work. If you're still looking for a few finishing touches for y…
Forget germs or flu bugs or anything like that. The way I see it, there are three new reasons to wash your hands right now: The three new holiday scents from Method. I can't remember the last time I bought a hand soap that didn't smell m…