With winter breaks coming up, I know lots of our readers will be planning Orlando vacations. Because, family! And...Orlando! Let me just say, our family is good at vacation. We trained on our first trip to Disney back when I was pregnant…
With family picnics and outdoor parties on the horizon, I'm loving Jaq Jaq Bird's Chalk Board Table Runner that gives kids -- and adults, if we're being honest -- a creative canvas on which to doodle while they (cough) patiently wait for…
I've always been a big advocate of keeping my kids' games and videos put away at the dinner table. Especially in restaurants, which is why I have a special place in my heart for those that provide crayons to kids -- in particular the sma…
My toddler seeks out new ways daily to make mealtimes all stress and all mess. Food on the floor, "non-slip" mat thrown in the air, liquids everywhere--you name it, he's done it. It's more than the OCD in me can handle some days--okay, m…
Meal time with a toddler can feel like a special kind of hell. Aside from picky eating, the real frustrations for me came in when my little eaters managed to throw what seemed like all of their food on the floor. If you're the type of pa…
We are big fans of Project (RED) here at Cool Mom Picks, so we're really excited to eat out in June (zomg it's June already) in support of EAT (RED) DRINK (RED) . From June 1-10, restaurants, all those trendy food trucks, and bars around…
While we try to cook most of our meals at home--with the help of all of the awesome recipes curated on Cool Mom Picks by our resident foodie, Stacie Billis--sometimes dining out is a necessity. You get it. And now Chipotle's new Cultivat…
Going out for Chinese food was a regular event during my childhood, and we kids always loved it. Chinese restaurants are the great crowd-pleasers of the culinary world, kid-friendly environments where veggies are magically hidden in almo…
Surely I'm not the only one who's often grossed-out by restaurant high chairs? They're handy, yes, but they're usually filled with the remains of some other kid's meal. This is just why the new Phil & Ted's Lobster seat comes in very han…
Ahhh, the Happy Meal. Regardless of whether or not you ever step foot in a McDonald's, you probably know exactly what you might find if you open up that brightly colored container: A little hamburger or set of nuggets, pouch of fries--an…
Manners books for children may sound a little old-fashioned, but thank goodness they aren't. I've come to realize that children of a certain age love learning rules and getting to understand social construct; my own five year-old thinks …
One of the greatest joys of travel is not having to cook, do dishes or feel the slightest bit insulted when one of my kids pushes something off their plate. Yes, I do love eating out, though I know all too well what can happen when I arr…
When it comes to eating out with my kids, we make sure to go to our favorite family friendly restaurant early in the evening with an arsenal of activities to keep them occupied . Seriously, I think planning a wedding is easier. But thank…
I used to organize a girls night out with friends once a month, and it always started with one itty-bitty email to the group. Pretty soon though, that email had mushroomed into dozens of reply-to-all's, forwards, links to can we try this…
Regardless of what type of activities we bring with us to the table when we eat out, we still only ever get about 10 minutes of peaceful eating time. And that's on a good night. If you feel my pain, you'll want to invest in a few pairs o…