Build Your Own Blocks

We come across quite a few personalized products at CMP. Apparently if you put someone's kid's name on something no matter how useless or inane (monogrammed bottle sterilizer, anyone?) it's a surefire hit. ... [More]

Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll?

Remember when you were both younger and would go see bands play at the local club? If you're like me, your kids came along and put an end to that. Is it really worth forking over seventy bucks for a sitter to see your nephew's garage band fumble its way though Sweet Home Alabama? ... [More]

There's More to These Monsters Than Meets the Eye

The deliciously cute monster tees at Dishy Duds are better defined as wearable art--each is made by hand with incredible detailing, and no two are alike. It's a good enough reason to run out and buy a dozen right now. ... [More]

One Less Thing for Dads to Freak Out About

You know what about impending fatherhood freaks me out more than anything else? That my nice little sleek-and-minimal- with-a-side-of-organic-cotton aesthetic will be buried under the inevitable onslaught of pastel plaid ruffles and battery-powered, light-flashing, muzak-emitting "baby crack". ... [More]

Keeping Daddy as Close to Home as Possible

As a military wife, I've been fortunate to have avoided deployments. And while some days I wouldn't mind if my husband took a short trip across the ocean, I imagine it really stinks for the kids. ... [More]

I Stand Here Ironing (And Looking Fabulous)

Ironing, cooking, cleaning, scrubbing: Hardly my description of a day well-spent. But we may have discovered one way to overcome your reluctance to plow through your chore list on a sunny Sunday. BlipShop, the online boutique of British mum and... ... [More]

Traveling with More Leg Room

Looking for a fun and cheap way to show your kids the sights of Europe without leaving your living room? Check out these reprinted vintage books by children's author and amazing illustrator Miroslav Sasek, now available through Shop Composition.Have afternoon... ... [More]

Say it With Your Necklace

I like to think that the jewelry I wear says a lot about who I am - stylish, funky, and a little bit crazy. However, there's something to be said about jewelry that sends a message.Literally .

Babysitter on Board

It's hard for me to keep track of my multiple kids with their bursting-at-the-seams schedules, food allergies, bedtimes, assorted likes, dislikes and various pertinent telephone numbers--let aone for the sitter or the grandparents. From now on, I'm going to sync... ... [More]

No More Fighting Over Old Tees

I found the perfect solution fighting over the old way-too-small-yet- still-kind-of-cute-and-comfy Air Force Academy shirt that my husband refuses to get rid of. Instead of allowing it collect dust in the huge box labeled "Old tees that I'm forced to... ... [More]

Take Me Out to the Diaper Genie

Oh the poor diaper wipe. It spends its brief time here on earth smashed against its brethren, crammed into some cheap plastic sheath, and finally covered in human waste and tossed away without so much as a goodbye. I say,... ... [More]

You've Got Moxie, Kid!

If you had a best friend that was really friendly,  smart and level-headed and knew a thing or two about parenting,  she might be a lot like Moxie of Ask Moxie.  Ask Moxie is an advice blog where parents can... ... [More]

Trojan House

For moms who aren't quite ready to be a mom again just yet, an exceedingly chic solution: The Prophopot. These ceramic pots were made for the very singular purpose of nestling your condom collection in style, as the tell-tale lids... ... [More]

The Only Thing Missing is the Baby Nurse

While I was more than tickled to get the oodles of "welcome-baby" gifts, I have to say that I wouldn't have minded a little something for myself. Sure, a medal of honor would have been nice, but I would have taken one of You're Such a Baby's New Mom Kits in a heartbeat. ... [More]

Gemini: There is Twice the Drool in Your Future

Today the sun enters Gemini.Oh admit it, you love that stuff. Who among us doesn't feverishly turn to her local paper's horoscope page on her children's birthdays and look up "For those born on this date..." In any case, it's... ... [More]

Go Ahead and Cuff Me

I'm one of those mothers who always forgets to put a picture of my amazingly adorable daughter in my wallet. Maybe it's because I feel like she's always with me (not so far off, really), or because all our pictures are still stored on our digital camera. ... [More]

Folk for the Little Folks

If you're curious about children's music artists like Trout Fishing in America or Justin Roberts, but are too indecisive to actually purchase an entire CD, here's an easy solution. ... [More]

Empowering Teens, One Showtune at a Time

One of the coolest and most underrated nonprofits I know is City at Peace, which uses performing arts as a way of promoting positive development in urban teens. They bring together a diverse group of kids for a year, during... ... [More]

Fill it with Yen

Who Needs Paper?

My daughter has recently discovered the wonderful world of coloring. You name it - she is drawing on it, and sadly, it's rarely on actual paper. So instead of squashing her inner artiste, I'm thinking a Chalkboard Table from Sparkability might be just the way to go. ... [More]

Cool Cats, No Hairballs

I don't entirely understand all the ducks and lambs and barnyard animals on children's stationery. I mean in my urban neck of the woods, where does a child even see any of those things, let alone grow to love them? ... [More]

Buggin' Out

Lots of kids go bonkers for bugs.  But if you're like me, you'd rather not be collecting those winged suckers in your house, thankyouverymuch.  You can keep nature outside and still enable your child to explore the intricacies of living things, with the Butterfly Alphabet Poster. ... [More]

They Take the Words Right Out of My Mouth

Sometimes I get tired of being the go-to gal for any kind of creative writing. Need a poem for your second cousin's daughter's fifth grade graduation? An apologetic letter to overbearing in-laws? A newsletter for the softball team? I'm the one who gets the call. So when I found Story People, I felt like I'd happened upon my own personal nirvana. ... [More]

Now It's Easy Bein' Green

We here at Cool Mom Picks are all about being kind to the environment. But trying to live that way can be a challenge, particularly in you live in a not-so-green state like I do. ... [More]

Reversible Can Be Cool, I Promise

I have to admit that I haven't had much success with reversible stuff. I mean, sure, it's great in theory. But it always seems like one side is way better than the other, and that just sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it? ... [More]

These Pants Were Made For Crawling

Trade my gorgeous hardwood floors for wall-to-wall? No chance. Fortunately I've been alerted to crawling pants. No, I'm not kidding. Crawling pants. Pants. Just for crawling. These inventive and thoughtfully constructed toddler trousers from mom Tammany Atkinson's company Bees Knees... ... [More]

Better Than Cucumbers

As if I don't have a hard enough time falling asleep already, I am constantly dealing with my night-owl neighbors whose bright kitchen light shines right into our bedroom window.Tying to avoid any neighborly conflicts, I'm thinking of scoring an... ... [More]

Wood if I Could

Plastic, plastic everywhere. Argh, I'm going out of my head with all the neon plastic around our house! Er, what I mean is...anything for the kid.One place we can compromise is with these wooden blocks from Tree by Kerry Lee.... ... [More]

Word to Your Mother

Feeling a little unhip these days? Having a hard time understanding "the kids" on MTV? Don't worry. We've all been there. We know how those Gymboree classes, playgroups, and never-ending Barney episodes can suck the cool right out of you. So don’t... ... [More]

Boring Bandages, Be Gone

For eons, adhesive bandages came in that weird pseudo-skin tone color. Then someone got smart and decided they would make bandages with graphics on them. Yay!
... [More]

Give Your Pringles to Someone Who Really Needs Them

Do you really need to be eating that can of barbeque pringles? Or that bag of red hot cheetos? I'm thinking that perhaps there's no time like the present (cough-bathingsuitseason-cough) to put the junk food away and send it to... ... [More]

The Pod(cast) People

In many ways, technology has made raising children a whole lot easier. Just look at the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! But one of the greatest inventions for moms and dads, in our opinion, is the podcast. ... [More]

Better Listening Through Chemistry

For any of us who ever rocked out to girl bands like the Go-Gos or the Bangles, the all-mom band Housewives on Prozac will remind us even though we've traded in our legwarmers and boomboxes for maternity jeans and minivans, we can still rock. ... [More]

What? You Mean There's More to Life Than Xbox?

Surely every parent agrees that whatever it is that gets our kids into reading, we're all for it. (Okay, maybe not the SI swimsuit issue. But pretty much anything else.) Which is why we just love Books to Check Out for Kids, a journal from the always cool Imagineering Company. ... [More]

Stop and Frame the Flowers

I always think I'm taking the most beautiful, professional, ready-to-be-blown up to 22x30 photos--only to process the film and realize just how mistaken I was. Not Alicia Bock. A mother of two, ecclectic gardener, and award-winning photographer who "records the passage of time through fading flowers and weathered landscapes."

Not Any Card Will Do

They struggled for four plus years. Dealt with an annoying roommate, egotistical advisor, and really bad food. So, you can't just give them any old graduation card. ... [More]

These Clips Make Me Giddy

We're just getting to the point that my daughter might actually have enough hair for a clip. However, I have been forced to put the kibosh on my victory dance due to the poor offerings of sassy hair clips that work on a head with barely any hair. Seriously, if you are not into satin bows or glittery claw clips, you are way out of luck.

Tee shirts squared

New moms of twins need everything. EVERYTHING. Times two. But that doesn't mean you want to be the practical friend who shows up at the shower with two packs of diapers, two boxes of wipes, and two snot-sucking nasal thingies.At... ... [More]

Nothing Comes Between Me and My VedaBABY

Cool Mom Picks has yet to determine our version of five stars or two thumbs up but whatever it is, VedaBABY has earned it in spades. ... [More]

Washi and Wear

While I'm a huge fan of origami art, I never know exactly what to do with them. I'm thinking a row of swans on my mantle may not be the greatest design decision I ever made. But, now I can actually wear my washi  (the beautiful paper used to create origami) in beautifully handcrafted pendants by Blend Creations. ... [More]

Get Your Own Derby

With today being the annual running of the Kentucky Derby, we tried to come up with something apropos for cool moms. But, quite frankly, we can't see anyone wearing a huge hat or taking the time to make a mint julep (I just pour whiskey in my coffee nowadays). ... [More]

Everything I Needed to Know About Parenthood I Learned from a Cocktail Napkin

In honor of today's Cinquo de Mayo festivities, we scoured the web for a pop culture pinata or a designer sombrero. Just some little knick-knack or doodad, that we might pay homage to one of the most underrated holidays outside your local Chili's. ... [More]

Fat Has Taken On a Whole New Meaning

I have a tough time with the word "fat," mainly because since having a child, it's how I feel on most days. And quite frankly, I prefer it be used to refer to babies, the singing lady, and these new handmade stuffed animals I found by Jen at The Sweetest Pea. ... [More]

A Perfect Read, For the Most Part

I just finished reading Judith Warner's Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety. Considering I haven't read a book since I became a mother, that in itself should tell you a lot. ... [More]

A is for Apple

You could get the coffee mug-chocolate candy-apple tote bag combo that every teacher truly treasures. (Ha.) Or you could actually get them something that they aren't going to pawn off to their friends and neighbors.

I Smell a Mutiny

We love all the favorite kid's music artists, and by golly, we sure hear enough of them at my house. However, after playing Parker Bent's new release "I Am Your New Music Teacher" the other day, my daughter is definitely jumping ship.

This Little Light of Mine

There's a few things you don't realize the importance of until after you have kids. Okay, there's a lot of things, but as of late, it's night lights. I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm pretty certain our new toddler bed child will be making her way to our room on more than one occasion. So, she might as well find it in style.

Little. Hand-Stitched. Different.

If you're the type who prefers your child in slightly more interesting clothing (coughGAPcough) than every other kid on the block is wearing, we feel you. So does designer Heather Flottman. Her online boutique, Lilliputians NYC, is packed not... ... [More]