If you’ve ever tried to bake with your kids , you know it’s equal parts adorable and chaotic. There’s flour everywhere, someone’s eating raw batter, and you’re wondering why you thought this was a “fun family activity.” If that sounds fa…
Trying to keep family dinners healthy, affordable and interesting is one of those invisible household management tasks that can be really draining. We've found meal-kit services can be a real game-changer... especially if they use pre-me…
New Year's Eve at home with the kids isn't exactly like New Year's Eve home without them. New Year's Eve parties for parents are more about trying our very best to stay up till midnight (though 10 p.m. is more like it) and drinking fun c…
So many parents are looking for fresh ideas for screen-free activities for kids now that we finally turned a corner. I know I'm not the only parent with kids whose screen time increased significantly over the quarantine . It was their pr…
No matter how you celebrate Easter with your kids, things are going to be different this year during quarantine. There will be no town-wide Easter egg hunts or photos with the Easter Bunny at the mall. Church services, if you attend, wil…
In my family, we love incorporating traditions into our holiday celebrations whenever we can. True to my style, one of the easiest traditions to put in place is a cookie decorating day, so I was excited to find these adorable, custom cus…
Every holiday season, we parents want to give back to the teachers who spend the rest of the year giving so much to our kids. And, truthfully, finding the right teacher gift is hard. Really, what gift strikes a balance between "thank you…
My boys have been cooking alongside me ever since they were little. But now that they're older and I'd love for them make their own breakfast , prep their own snacks, and put together their own lunches from time to time, I'm finding it h…
It's been a pretty mild winter for everyone this year, but the season isn't over yet folks. In the words of the late, great Prince, "Sometimes it snows in April." Plus, March comes in like a lion, and all that, so it will still be a bit …
We're big fans of pulling kids into the kitchen early and often. But that also means setting kitchen safety rules for kids -- and for you. Not just because it keeps them safe (though that's obviously the most important thing), but becaus…
Need some last-minute help planning a deliciously sweet Valentine's Day menu? We've put together all our favorite easy Valentine's Day recipes that we've been sharing on Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Eats -- from breakfast to dessert -- in…
We all know, of course, that the amount of money you spend on a Father's Day gift has no correlation with love whatsoever. Not that there's anything wrong with splurges. But if you're on a tight budget, if you're not a spendy gift kind o…
Anyone who’s dealt with a picky kid (and who hasn’t?) knows that feeding a picky eater is the opposite of fun. And I've found two new parenting resources—one a book, the other a game—which aim to change that. Both were developed by moms …
The cronut, a dessert made by frying croissant dough like a donut, set off a nationwide phenomenon in 2013, when Time magazine also named Dominique Ansel 's creation one of the best inventions of the year. Having had one, I can tell you …
What better way to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year than with a crafty project that you can easily do with kids? And, yields dumplings! If you hit the kitchen with the kids to make one of these six easy dumpling recipes for Chines…
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about candy, of course. But I don’t see why it shouldn’t be, if you make the candy from scratch, with love. Okay so maybe I'm justifying. but still, these DIY Valentine’s Day candy recipes--all of t…
Chocolate candy is a must over the holidays. Festive sweets make a special treat to have around the house, serve as part of a holiday dessert spread, or give as a gift . Store bought is great—we love supporting local chocolate shops —but…
There may be more talk of picky eaters than foodie kids, but some kids really dig food. I know for sure that these seemingly rare creatures exist because I happen to be mother to one. My older son loves eating, looking at food magazines,…
Whether we like it or not, all of us parents become the family cook at some point, and even those of you who hate to cook know that it doesn't get us out of it. (Darn kids and their need to eat.) These fab kitchen gadget gifts are some o…
When celebrating Halloween with little ones, there’s a fine line between fun creepy and scary creepy. Lucky for me—a firm believer that the creepier the better—my kids are finally old enough to handle scary Halloween. I’ve spent a lot of…
Of all the throwback candies, candy corn reigns supreme. More than just nostalgic, it is among the most popular Halloween candies year after year. (Because it's awesome, that's why.) It’s also the inspiration for these fun, delicious can…
Last year I threw an awesome Halloween party for my kids. (Really! There’s video , complete with Halloween dinner recipes , to prove it.) It was a blast, but now my kids want to do it again. I'm game—anything to show off my rockin' Cleop…
I'm taking a stand: No more seasonal cookie cutters for a single use. If I can't use the cookie cutter for multiple purposes I'm not buying it, and I don't think you should either. Now we just have to figure out how to use the pile of co…
I just cooked to say I Love You . And Superstar , and Happy Birthday , and pretty much any message up to 17 letters that can be stamped into a cookie . Thanks to this genius customizable Cookie Stamper , you can customize any message wit…