With Thanksgiving looking so different this year, we're really trying to focus on gratitude and gratitude activities, so that we're spending more time feeling, well, thankful, instead of resentful. With my own Thanksgiving family plans c…
You might have heard, but there's this election coming up in the US on Tuesday, November 3 and it's kind of a big deal. Not just because we'll be electing the next president, but a lot of Senators, Members of Congress, and important loca…
Raising money for UNICEF at Halloween has become a tradition for many of our readers and their kids, and it's a cause we've supported since the very beginning of our site. That's a long time! So we're thrilled to announce that this year,…
One of the proudest badges of participation in our democracy that we can wear is the little I Voted sticker after we walk away from the polls on Election Day. But this year, so many more of us are casting absentee ballots , voting by mai…
I know that this year, a lot of teens, including my own 17 year old, are even more motivated to get out and do something to impact November's election. But for socially conscious teens under 18, it can be frustrating that they can't make…
Well. This certainly has been an interesting start to Anti-Bullying Month. After four years of strife, anger, division, hatred, bullying...I can safely say that parents are tired . I know I'm tired of apologizing to my kids that they hav…
"My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in a statement to her granddaughter before she died, this past Friday. I have been so saddened and yeah, troubled …
You may have seen the news this week about the new labels in Patagonia shorts. Just four words appear on the underside of the labels: Vote the a**holes out. This isn't just cheeky resistance; Patagonia is a company that's always stood up…
If the continued interest over Michelle Obama's lovely "Vote" necklace from last month's speech at the Democratic National Convention was any indication, many of us are also eager to promote our voting rights loud and proud, this critica…
By now, I think our readers are aware that that creating more equity and representation for Black Americans across every industry is one of the most impactful ways to dismantle racist systems. So as a fan of original rock portraits -- an…
As I look for ways to help Beirut after the horrific explosion this week, I'm grateful to Fadia Berberi, ( @karzel ), a mom in the suburbs of Beirut who I've known through Instagram for a while. She DM'd me to explain, What happened here…
I've lost count of all the times that healthcare workers have brought me to tears with their bravery and selflessness over the last few months. So I was thrilled to find this Everyday Hero t-shirt collection celebrating nurses , from the…
I've been so happy to see clothing brands expanding their offerings to meet the diverse needs of their customers, whether it's Halloween costumes for kids with special needs or adaptive clothing for kids with sensory issues . And this ne…
We have spent more time listening than talking this difficult weekend. But I woke up this morning knowing I want to make it perfectly 100% clear where Kristen and I stand: Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. This …
We've always had a heart for Mother's Day gifts that give back, but this year, we're focusing on gifts that give back to Covid relief efforts, including donations to frontline healthcare workers, food banks, restaurant workers, and all k…
When my friend Dara sent me the link to the Electable kids' shirts , dresses and baby rompers at our friends from Free to Be Kids , I was like YES YES YES. Seconds later, I was holding back tears. The fact that we even need to remind peo…
When I shared the news about the 12 million acres destroyed (so far) and thousands displaced in the current Australian fires, my always-on-social-media daughter was shocked. Why hadn't she seen this? And what could we do to help? Well, w…
When we first started this site in 2006, eco-friendly was one of our most popular tags. Parents were concerned about where their products were made , what ingredients were in them, and how they impacted the planet. Then the recession hit…
If the picture up top makes you think, Ack! That's every room of my house, then you're going to be so happy to learn about Second Chance Toys , an organization that will help you get those no-longer-wanted toys into the hands of kids who…
Each year, we love putting together some of our favorite gifts that give back in substantial and specific ways -- not just some undetermined percentage of your purchase going to "charities." While we definitely share these kinds of gifts…
Every year, the USPS gets tons of letters to Santa from children from all over the country, many of whom come from low-income families where the holidays present quite a hardship. Well, this year, the USPS is helping to make these kids' …
I think you're going to be as excited about LEGO Replay as I am. Because if your kids are like mine, they've accumulated a whoooole lot of LEGO bricks over the years. And there comes a point where maybe they don't need them. Or at least …
This go round, we're going to change things up a bit in the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club , because I'm going to be talking about two selections that I know are relevant to so many parents these days. In light of the recent Climate St…
We all fell in love with artist Karen Hallion's "She Series" empowered heroines poster last year, which featured some of our favorite fictional badass ladies (plus Eliza Hamilton). This week, she announced a brand new limited-edition pos…