At my house, we always start the new year with new board games found under our tree, and this year, it's included some really fun board games inspired by 80s movies. As we face the fact that there's a whole lot of winter to go (and stay-…
Acts of kindness have never felt more important than they do this year. And since kinds are naturally inclined toward kindness, we wanted to give this post a bump this year. Because when Christmas is over, Santa is back at the North Pole…
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…
The truth is, I don't need an excuse to play scary board games for Halloween with my. kids. We're full-fledged board game geeks at my house , and all games are an option for us, any time at all. But with so many families looking for safe…
It's official: I'm writing about safe trick-or-treat alternatives after weeks of putting it off. The CDC has even officially recommended against trick-or-treating during COVID-19 , at least in the traditional way, and oof. I need some sa…
With winter around the corner, I know so many of us are in full prep mode. Or at least as close to full prep mode as we can be while also managing work, online school, and preventing a household COVID outbreak. Oof. So I've tried to take…
"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 …
If you don't think of family board games as an educational opportunity to supplement your kids' learning, well put away the Cards Against Humanity (ha) and check out these suggestions! To be clear, as a homeschooling mom, I'm a big fan o…
This year, even though we haven't been able to go to actual movie theaters, we're still seeing plenty of great movies from home. Yay for film companies adapting! And yay for me spending less than $50 to get everyone popcorn! If you're bi…
For my kids, their siblings have been their only playmates for months. And hey! Now that we're heading into yet another weekend during Covid, that means finding a few more family activities . Our default is to sit around the table and pl…
We've all had a lot of (ahem) together time recently, and we're honestly starting to get a bit bored the same board games . There's only so many rounds of Apples to Apples I can play before it's not so funny anymore. So lately, we've tur…
We love our game nights with friends, and cancelling those has been a sad part of the quarantine for us. But we've found 6 great games you can play over FaceTime or Zoom. It helps make that distance feel not so far at all, and gives you …
This is a sponsored message from Yippee Let's be honest, we're all spending a lot more time in front of screens these days, and that goes for our kids too. Which is fine. We just all want to make sure they're safe when they're scrolling …
As a homeschooling mom, I know how educational documentaries for kids can help fill the days, balance entertainment with education, and even give us longer breaks when we need it. I even included it in my tips for parents who are now hom…
This is paid content from BBC Studios It's so wonderful to find a charming, modern, imagination-building kids' tv show that adults can appreciate too, and Bluey is all that and more. Critics have even called it "a show kids can watch on …
With the coverage of Black History Month winding down in the news, we actually think this is the perfect time to share some of the new children's books about Black history that we've discovered over the past month. Because all children's…
It's no surprise to anyone who knows me or my kids that we are massive Broadway fans . We are so fortunate to live in The Greatest City in the World (name that tune), which allows us to see a lot of musicals. A lot. But my kids are hardl…
Nothing gets me emotional quite like the Folger's coffee holiday commercial, with the sentimental mother-son reunion at 5:30 AM over a cup of coffee. (I'm not joking, I cry every time.) But that's not quite most people's reality when we …
Who's got Frozen fever? We've only been hearing about Frozen 2 , oh, since last year sometime. And I know that's not just my own kids. With a November 22 launch date -- and who knows whether you can even get tickets for opening weekend a…
If it's not clear by now, we loooove Halloween around here! And if you need some ideas for party activities on Halloween night, or fun printables and craft ideas to keep the kids out of the candy stash for a few more days, take a look at…
[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.17.6"] It's time to decorate those pumpkins, parents! And it's always fun to look around for some of the cute, creative pumpkin decorating id…
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…
After someone I follow on Instagram mentioned that her family had a blast playing the game Crokinole , I decided to Google it, having never heard of it myself. What kind of board game buff am I? Not a good one, apparently. Well, as I've …
Teens can be picky, and I don’t have the easiest teenagers myself. So on a recent long weekend getaway in San Diego , I planned out our days carefully with them in mind and hooray, it worked! Planning is the key to a good family vacation…