We are always on the lookout for the best teacher gift ideas every year, and it may in fact be one of the top gift questions we get from readers every year about this time. (Then again in May.) And hey, I get it; if there are any people …
We've been watching the news in shock and horror as fires ripped through California this past week. We know many friends and family who have been affected, and in an effort to lend some support, we've shared some ways you can help . And …
With the tragic California wildfires all over the news right now, once again as parents, we're faced with prospect of having difficult conversations with our kids about natural disasters. We want to say the right things. We don't want to…
Each year on Veteran's Day, we love finding new organizations that support the families of military service men and women. And wow, I am so thrilled to learn about United Through Reading and their 40 Million Stories campaign . This non-p…
The images and stories of the Western Wildfires -- the Hill and Woolsey Fires in the LA area, and the Camp Fire in Northern California that has entirely decimated the town of Paradise -- have been nothing short of horrifying. With upward…
It’s been over a week since I saw the brand new movie Boy Erased and I can’t get it out of my head. As an avid human-rights supporter and the mom of two activist teenagers, I spend a lot of time trying to be less angry these days than I …
Parents. We're not like other people who can just drop everything and fly out to a swing state to canvas, or host raucous fundraising cocktail nights, or even attend a GOTV concert on a whim. But there's a lot we can do -- with our famil…
Kristen and I are both old school bloggers, going back to 2006 when our kids were tiny. Back then, we were a small, passionate community of writers who shared our lives, our joys, our many challenges and even some painful losses. Many of…
If you're not yet aware of Lingua Franca , well come right here, my friends! Rachel Hruska's luxury, celeb-approved, hand-embroidered cashmere sweaters and accessories have blown up certain circles of the internet this year -- the main o…
After the past week we've had , spotting these illustrated political women icon stickers on a friend's Facebook feed kind of made my day. Let me just say, this is a tiny grassroots effort by artist Gabriela Indivero -- it's not an Etsy s…
If you're familiar with Cool Mom Picks, you know that we started this site to help discover cool new businesses and products, support women entrepreneurs, and share their amazing stories. That's why I'm so thrilled to tell you about some…
We're all longtime fans of Cratejoy gift boxes, which are packed with beautifully curated goodies for all kinds of impossible-to-shop-for people in your life. And now that they've announced that their upcoming Cratejoy for a Cause box to…
Now that my son's absorbing language at a rapid pace, I totally get the appeal of kid-appropriate music . (At least the kind I don't mind listening to, too.) So I've been stepping away from the profanity-laden hip-hop that used to domina…
Today is the 55th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom , which mean it's also the anniversary of his incomparable I Have A Dream speech. We can't think of a better way to honor the day…
We're big fans of Parkland Bags , the label making the affordable, great-looking, eco-friendly backpacks that you might have noticed all over our back-to-school shopping guide this year. They're all made from recycled water bottles , whi…
While it's still a billion degrees around here, soon enough our kids are going to be needing long-sleeve pajamas and extra bedding before we tuck them in each night. So before you grab a new pair on your next trip to the mall, please che…
Ever since turning into the kind of a woman who wears slogan t-shirts with abandon (thanks, state of the world!) I have tried to work hard to know who the company is , and not just what the t-shirt says. That's why I adore companies like…
It was only a week or so ago that I was reading Carolines article about 20 free summer activities for kids , and thinking how wonderful that there were so many mentions of various events at local libraries. And then this morning, I laugh…
In 2014, more than 21 percent of adults who were eligible to vote, didn't, because they weren't registered . It's especially true of y oung adults 18-30, whose turnout is about 38 percent lower than voters over 60 in midterm election yea…
We are all fans of Malala Yousafzai (isn't everyone?), so I was so thrilled to learn about Malala Day, which is today, July 12th. The day celebrates and honors Malala's tireless work in ensuring education for girls all over the world, es…
This year, a lot of readers and Facebook fans and even some of our own team have mentioned that they feel different about July 4th this year. You too? You're not alone. In 2018, Gallup released a poll stating that fewer people feel proud…
We're far from alone in our outrage and heartache about the thousands of kids torn from their parents at our borders without due process, thanks to the administration's new policy. Far from alone. And despite the Executive Order that the…
Well, that was fast! It hasn't been six hours since Melania Trump was photographed wearing a Zara bomber jacket with the questionable message, I Really Don't Care. Do U? on her way (of all things) to meet migrant children who have been d…
Father's Day is a joyful day. We love honoring all the outstanding dads , stepdads, and granddads in our lives in all the wonderful ways we can. But this year feels different. With the world's attention trained on the families being torn…