Cool Mom Picks - the coolest gifts and gear for parents

Thursday 02 September

Cotton nightgowns - The holy grail of children's sleepwear

For as long as my oldest daughter has refused to wear pajamas, I've been on a search for a cotton nightgown. And if you've got a little one like mine, then you know that they are pretty much impossible to find.

Comments: 0 | Find More: Kids Clothing

Thursday 02 September

Coloring meets funhouse mirror magic

I'm not going to lie to you: When I opened the Morph-O-Scopes Kit box my daughter received for her birthday one year, I was unimpressed. Some crayons. A shiny cup. And a bunch of coloring pages with a hole in the center, the images all stretched out and weird looking.

Honestly I expected to find it all discarded on the floor within 10 minutes.

Comments: 0 | Find More: Toys and Other Playthings

Wednesday 01 September

Green with eco envy

The new shop Green Eyed Monster isn't about jealousy; it's about sustainability. But that's not to say if you go shopping there that you won't find something that will make people wildly jealous.

[don't miss an exclusive offer after the jump!]

Comments: 1 | Find More: Doodads and Random Bits of Coolness

Bright and beautiful kids art, hold the usual characters

As so many of you know by now, in Cool Mom Picks land, Etsy is always the place to look for the nursery decor that won't make you say, "That looks just like that print I saw at the store...."

And on Etsy, we're loving Hsin Ping Pan's shop of lively and unique illustrations, each done via a mix of digital and hand-painting.

Comments: 1 | Find More: Art+Decor (Sounds Fancy)

Wednesday 01 September

Books for kids who love Twilight (and the moms that love them... and Twilight)

I'm going to go ahead and admit it right here: I'm in my early thirties, and I love books written for teens. I know I'm not alone because the YA genre, or Young Adult, is awesomely popular right now.

So I'm thrilled to have found a website to help parents find the best new books for teens, or for yourself, if you're like me.

Comments: 0 | Find More: Websites

Tuesday 31 August

Aden + Anais go organic

Even though I haven't had a baby around here in just under two years, I still use my aden + anais muslin swaddling blankets. But with a new little one arriving soon, I might just have to splurge and add more of their amazing swaddlers to my collection - this time from their new organic line.

Comments: 2 | Find More: Bedding and Blankets, Burps and Bibs

The Perfect Back to School Bag -- for Mom

I love the back-to-school rush -- the shopping and planning and anticipation. But because I both have boys and send my kids to a school with uniforms, I always wind up feeling a little short changed in the back-to-school shopping arena.

For me, fall meant new shoes and a new bag, always. In fact, I still typically treat myself to a new bag when school starts, just because.

Comments: 6 | Find More: Baubles & Bags

Tuesday 31 August

One less thing for me to nag my kids about. I like that.

Those of you with little ones probably cannot imagine the day when your tween despairingly announces that her glasses make her look like "a total dork," but I'm here to tell you that it happens. And suddenly your kid is big enough to wear contact lenses, and yes, she promises to take good care of them and wash them properly and be mature and careful and... what? How long has she been wearing that pair? Um... a while?

Comments: 2 | Find More: Doodads and Random Bits of Coolness, Tweens + Big Kids

Monday 30 August

Little kid backpacks without the bells and whistles

I've learned that as my kids get older, they will have plenty of time to use their decked out backpacks with the 400 pockets and zippers. And I'll have lots of chances to clean them out. But for my little preschooler, I'm digging the new simple canvas backpacks from Blabla Kids.

Comments: 2 | Find More: Backpacks, Lunchboxes + Bags for Kids

Monday 30 August

Party like it's 1959

I think I've discovered party favor central. And much to my delight, it's not in a mall or a half-abandoned shopping center, which is where those party favor stores seem to be in New York. In fact, it's not even in New York. It's in Wisconsin. But you can reach it through Etsy.

Hey Yoyo definitely has a nostalgia/vintage-y vibe going, so if you've got your heart set on Thomas the Train plates and Big Bird cups, this ain't it. However if you're looking for a mid-century inspired 3-D robot cupcake kit and vintage ballerina cupcake toppers like the ones from my own childhood you're in luck. (Oh, the nostalgia for the Carvel ice cream cakes of my misspent youth!)

You'll also find ice cream cups and stripey paper straws in every color, plus cupcake papers from ginghams to polka-dots to a very rowr leopard print.

If you've got a baby shower to throw, a kids party to plan or you're determined to be that mom who sends your kid to school with the most enviable cupcakes for the entire class, I think you've found your heaven. -Liz

Find fabulous vintage-inspired party supplies online at Hey Yoyo

[via serious eats]

Comments: 0 | Find More: Misc Paper Goods, Party Time!