Our kids are all officially back to school this week -- whoo! -- but that also means that some of us now have bored preschoolers at home part of the time, missing their big siblings. They don't want to miss out on the excitement their bi…
You may not have heard the term "photo-real," before -- I hadn't -- but you've most likely seen this trend all over boutiques, fashion spreads, and your kids' own gear, since it's been growing steadily for the past few years. From backpa…
I am never going to be the mom who makes that impressive bento lunch for my kids, featuring a Chewbacca made out of sesame noodles. But I am in fact that mom who stashes a bunch of free printable lunchbox notes in the drawer under the ki…
It's so easy to find yourself on-the-go all the time as a parent, but having downtime is important. In fact, I think it's vital to being a good mom or dad. Of course, a few hours alone to get a manicure or go for a walk is so nice, but I…
Who doesn't need more coloring books in their lives? Well, okay, if you look in my kids' craft drawer, maybe we don't. But, we do need awesome ones. The cheap, thin, licensed ones can get tossed and we'll replace them with cool, creative…
Yes, wishing Monopoly money were real may be the biggest cliché, but close behind it is wishing you had more of the fake kind. At least if you're like us and somehow manage to lose it over the years. So I'm not sure why I never considere…
I'm all for splurging a bit on special camp stationery as my kids head off later this week ( sniff ), especially since it seems to compel them to use it more. But after about 25 cards or so -- wishful thinking, I know -- the costs add up…
With temps in the high 90s and crazy humidity here, I'm really, really looking forward to the beach trip we have planned later this summer . So I've sought out lots of fun, easy DIY crafts using shells,which are an easy way for the kids …
With my girls heading off to sleepaway camp in a few weeks, getting everything together has been definitely consuming many brain cells. And with a few of our writers in the same boat, that explains why you've been seeing recent posts her…
We expect to hear plenty of ooh's and ahh's to accompany all the bright and sparkly things we'll see on the Fourth of July, but I hope to eliminate any ow's with these safera alternatives to sparklers that they can enjoy on Independence …
We're all about helping you with summer boredom busters for kids this week. First, there's that awesome giant coloring poster for indoor creativity when the weather gets icky. But when the sun is shining and you need one more trick up yo…
Before you go to the Fourth of July parade, fire up the grill, or lay out the blanket to watch the fireworks fall from the sky, I like the idea of getting inked up with some beautifully designed DIY Fourth of July tattoos. Just like fire…
I've been fighting boredom this summer with a bunch of magic markers and one really huge (like, seriously huge) and cleverly illustrated coloring poster for kids from a new company called Pirasta. And the beauty of these posters is that …
We're always looking for ways to keep kids reading, especially once the school year ends and those 20 or 30 or 45 minutes a day aren't exactly "required" any more. (Well, depending on your house rules.) Plus, that lure of all that extra …
We just keep finding more and more fun, free Father's Day printables for you all. Which is good news whether you're looking for a token that's sweet but not spendy, or even if you already have some big splurgy gift, but really want somet…
If you missed the boat on photo gifts...no, wait! You didn't! We all live in the land of the Smartphone Camera , after all, and if you've got a camera and a place to print a photo, you've got the makings of a wonderful surprise Father's …
Wow, is our email box and social media feed getting packed with parents stressing out about what to do with kids during downtime this summer. Seeing as how we can't let kids play in the park by themselves without 8 "concerned" neighbors …
We just finished putting together a ton of great educational activities for kids to keep them sharp over the summer, and now of course I find one more I'd love to add to the list. This free printable paper chain reading log from Eighteen…
H i Cool Mom Picks! A ny suggestions for workbooks or activities to help prepare my child--and keep them out of my hair (ha)--for the summer between kindergarten and first grade? -Chaitali Ahhhh, summer! No school lunches to pack, no bus…
We've got a lot of summer birthdays for the kids in my family, so party planning is definitely top of mind for me these days. But I realized, as I've looked around the web, that while there are lots of gorgeous handmade birthday crowns o…
We've been smitten by Claudine Hellmuth's clever gift boxes that look like ovens and popsicles for a while now. So we just visited her Etsy shop again, and wow, she has so many fun printable gift boxes at her site now that I'm tempted to…
Oh, summer. The kids wait and wait and wait for it, and then, how many minutes in are they complaining about how hot it is? Or how you won't take them to the pool (for the second time that day)? Or that they're simply bored? So we've tra…
I am so digging these adorable free summer printables that I just spotted at Oh Happy Day, courtesy of talented designer Amy Moss. I love the idea of printing a whole bunch on card stock and stockpiling gift tags for summer birthday part…
I always feel so grateful to those amazingly talented illustrators and graphic designers who create free printables that we get to share with you. We've found so many cool ones over the years. But the one I'm really excited to have disco…