Cool Mom Picks - the coolest gifts and gear for parents

Tuesday 03 November

Sure, Mix-A-Lot

My no-time-to-think breakfast of choice is a crunchy bowl of granola, but the good stuff has so many calories that all I can think about is how much time I'll have to do on the elliptical to work it off. But with Mix My Granola's Pringles-shaped tube of their crunchy, sweet and low-fat granola, I am rocked by how great a mere 127 calories and 2 grams of total fat can taste. Guess who skipped her workout that day?

As the name implies, Mix My Granola lets you develop your own personal blend of granola, a bit like MojaMix Custom-Mixed Cereal, but Mix My Granola deals in just one thing: Organic and natural granola. And about 75 ingredients you can mix into it.

My own custom granola blend includes chewy, tangy dried cranberries, blueberries and goji berries which I am suddenly seeing in everything, plus roasted almonds for extra crunch. The truly adventurous can add things like hemp seeds, wasabi peas, or even powdered enhancers that are way out of my league.

Just keep a steady finger and cool head when it comes to hitting the "add it" button, especially when you get to the section with tiramisu caramel chocolate balls or organic jelly beans. Never mind the cost you'll incur by adding 15 things to your healthy granola, just think about the time you'll need at the gym. -Christina

Check out Mix My Granola and receive 10% off your order with the code "COOLMOMPICKS".

EXTRA COOL: WIN IT! We have a $20 gift certificate to Mix My Granola for one lucky reader. To enter to win, send an email with "GRANOLA" in the subject to contests@coolmompicks by midnight PT and please name one of the fruits in Mix My Granola's Amazing Autumn Granola Mix, listed under Pre-Mixes.

Find More: Food and Drink, Organics

Tuesday 03 November

Best two year-old gift ever? We've got you covered.

Want an awesome holiday gift for a two-year old? Something he'll love and cherish and want to play with every free second? And it's also got to be totally affordable?

Here's the idea of the century - and don't laugh. Children's scissors. Seriously.

I got my daughter a pair of regular old CVS brand safety scissors when she turned two and it was far more popular than anything under the tree that cost ten times its price. But of course the four styles at Spoon Sisters are way cuter than those. Pair a pair with My First Book of Cutting and you've still got a home run gift all for less than $15. Score. -Liz

Find adorable children's scissors by Sassafass and My First Book of Cutting online at Spoon Sisters

Find More: Doodads and Random Bits of Coolness, Toys and Other Playthings

Now that's a push present.

I know it's exorbitant. I know it's indulgent. But when I saw the handmade solid gold globe charms from Heather B. Moore jewelry recently, I just fell in love. You can customize them with teeny diamond (or two or ten) in a spot you choose, which is just the most amazing way to commemorate the birthplace of a child, the city you first got engaged, or the country you'd love to visit one day had you not spent $13,325 on the globe.

Okay, that's the price for the large white gold charm shown here. The smaller ones start around $2600.

For those of you who can afford it, more power to you. Enjoy your beautiful jewelry while I just sit here and envy you from afar. -Liz

Find the gold globe charms and other incredible custom jewelry all made from recycled metals, from Heather Moore Jewelry.

Find More: Baubles & Bags

These limited edition vehicles really will go fast

To say my son was obsessed with toy cars, trucks, trains and planes when he was younger would be a major understatement, and I have six overstuffed bins to prove it. However, there are a few toy vehicles he's collected over the years that are so special that they are set out for display (and play) and I wouldn't be surprised if some ended up perched on his desk in his college dorm. The Playforever toy vehicle collection is that kind of special.

When Julian Meagher, an award winning industrial designer, moved to the UK and turned his attention to engineering super high quality toys, Playforever was born. This remarkable collection of vehicles are substantial in size, made of glossy, non-toxic, ABS plastic and are virtually indestructible.

I love the Enzo Speedster with side car, but check out the Mimmo Buster for your future pilot, or the sleek Bruno Roadster for your race car fanatic. Here's the thing, there are limited quantities available, so you have to pre-order, like, now, and they'll be shipped to you the second week of November. They're $60 each, but I've probably spent three times that on the crates of cheap toy cars and motorcycles I've bought over the years. So, what are you waiting for? Shoppers, start your engines--Betsy

The Enzo Speedster and the entire Playforever vehicle collection can be found at Mookla.

Find More: Toys and Other Playthings

Monday 02 November

Stella McCartney for Gap Kids and Baby - we admit it, we're fans

As it turns out, Target and H+M no longer have a lock on the lower priced clothing from high-end designers thing. We recently got a look at the brand new Stella McCartney for Gap Kids and Baby line, and the verdict is, many enthusiastic thumbs up.

Don't expect any super bargains here, or at least not until the end of the season - a gorgeous cashmere baby blanket will run you $98, and a lovely gray cotton-cashmere blend children's cardigan with asymmetrical button detailing is $54. Although that's still less than the $500 you might pay for the Stella McCartney Not for Gap label.

It's not all knits by the way; I also love her take on this season's hot plaid shirts for boys which at $38 are less than what we're seeing similar styles for in boutiques.

Stella McCartney for Gap Kids and Baby

What I'm most impressed with though is the toddler girls' clothing collection, which is something I think Gap falters on a lot. (Seriously, enough with the teddy bears.) The lovely styling, elegant details, and sophisticated palate of soft grays, plums, and peachy-pinks make the whole line a home run. There are even fun surprises in there like children's duck boots, and a fabulous child's pea coat with big brass buttons that offer a clear nod to Sargent Pepper. Two degrees, right? -Liz

Find Stella McCartney for Gap Kids and Baby online at Gap.com or at a Gap store near you. If there is one. Ha.

Find More: Baby Clothes, Big Brands Doing Cool Things, Cool Clothes for Boys, Kids Clothing

Hey foodies, your baby's wardrobe is ready

Believe it or not, there are kids out there who eat more than spaghetti with butter sauce. Some eat spaghetti and tomato sauce. Some even eat things like (gasp) sushi - and one day I hope to count my kids among them. So I love the onesies from WonderToast found at eco boutique Greeno Bambino which allow you to proclaim your adventurous food allegiances on your baby's chest.

In illustrator and mom Anna Woltz's clever alphabet (which come from the WonderToast coloring book), D stands for Dim Sum, G is for Guacamole, N is for Nigiri, and T is for Tandoori.

The designs are adorable -- Anna cut her teeth doing animation for Nickelodeon - and the onesies themselves are as healthy as the foods they portray: Certified organic cotton short or long-sleeved onesies are printed with low-impact dyes in a fair trade factory in India. Kind of like the trifecta of ethical children's clothes manufacturing. -Liz

Find the onesies from WonderToast from Anna Woltz at Greeno Bambino where you can save 20% sitewide with code COOLMOM20 through 11/15/09.

PLUS if you're one of the first ten CMP readers to use the code to purchase something from Anna Woltz at Greeno Bambino, you'll get an autographed copy of her coloring book book, free!

Find More: Baby Clothes, Cool Clothes for Boys

Woodours bears - the one stuffed animal you might actually like as much as your baby

Personally I'm a fan of the Deglingos dolls, though I understand the quirky hedgehogs and crazy-eyed lobsters aren't everyone's cup of stuffed animal tea. But the brand new Woodours bears from the same French company, Ebulobo, I'd imagine will be irresistible to anyone.

I've been excited to feature these stuffed bears ever since I found them at a trade show in the spring. They're sort of a modern European take on the classic activity dolls that engage babies with squeaky bits, crinkly feet, teething pieces, vibration, and working pockets, but with great mismatched fabric accents and a cute, quirky look about them that gives them a handmade feel.

Easily the best prices we found on the Woodours are at Amazon, where you can find my favorite, the Woodours baby activity bear. I also love one I had seen that plays music when you pull the fish attached to his fishing rod, but it doesn't seem to be in US distribution yet. We'll keep an eye out for it.

The daddy bear and baby bear play set (shown) would also make a really sweet new dad gift but even kids with two mommies will like having this cute bear family around. If you're going to get a kid a stuffed animal, might as well be on that actually does something more than sit around and stare back at you. -Liz

Find the Woodours toy bears online from our affiliate Amazon where most qualify for free shipping.

Find More: Toys and Other Playthings

Busy mom tip - No time for notes, send postcards

Chasing after three young kids alone is a pretty good excuse for getting out of a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I don't feel guilty about it, in particular, my tortoise-speed ability to send any kind of snail mail note.

So instead of giving up completely, I've taken to sending out postcards instead - like the adorable Menagerie postcards I found at Mary Kilvert's Etsy shop. This sweet, whimsical limited edition book of 22 postcards is part of the "Girls Can Draw" collective (cool!) and features the artwork of eleven different female artists. They're a smart and slightly cheaper way to send a quick thank-you, a friendly congratulations, or in my case, a "yes, I'm still alive" note.

Same sentiment, less effort, and best of all -- no guilt. Just be sure that you're not sharing intimate details of your life much to the entertainment of the US Postal Service. -Kristen

Visit Mary Kilvert Illustration for a plethora of adorable handmade gifts.

Find More: Announcements, Invites and Cards

Sunday 01 November

Looking to donate that extra Halloween candy? (Your scale says yes, please.)

Like it's not bad enough that my kids toooootally ignored the extra hour of sleep thing this morning, they also started their day (at 6:20 AM) by plunging headfirst into the piles of candy. We told them they could pick 7 pieces of candy to keep, and the rest of their Halloween hoard -- or at least the leftover candy daddy doesn't steal -- they're donating.

Our associate editor Christina just turned us onto some great options for Halloween candy donation, and we thought we'd add a few more to the list:

Find More: Causes and General Do-Gooding, Holiday Picks

Baby slings with a story

I'd all but retired my baby slings with my youngest just turning one, but then I remembered how fantastic and handy slings are for toddlers (hello, hip carry!) thanks to Small Wish.

It's hard to go wrong considering the lovely fabric choices of their beautiful baby slings like my fave, the completely authentic African fabric sling (pictured), the careful construction, and the $39 price tag.

Owner and mom Tracy Capobianco originally created these slings as a means to bond with her daughter, and is now setting aside a percentage of the profits to help with their upcoming Ethiopia adoption. Which means these slings are bringing babies closer to their moms in more ways than one. -Kristen

Visit Small Wish for a wide selection of reversible baby slings and organic baby slings.

EXTRA COOL: WIN IT! We've got a Brown Floral Sling (size Medium) up for grabs. Send an email to contests@coolmompicks.com with "SMALL WISH" in the subject and tell us how much the organic slings are. We'll pick one winner at random (US only please).

Find More: Slings and Carriers