Right about now, I've heard enough Run Run Rudolph to last me to next Christmas, and I'm itching to mix up our holiday music playlist with some old favorites and new-to-us tunes. So, as my gift to you, I'm sharing a brand-new Cool Mom Pi…
I totally get the last-minute holiday gift problem. Believe me! I mean, we may have started amassing ideas for our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide in, like...February, but hey, we're busy moms. And we're busy shopping for you sometimes at the ex…
The day it was released on Netflix, I watched Shondaland's Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker , the new documentary about Debbie Allen Dance Academy and their annual production. Before I knew it, I was crying. While I danced as a chi…
I think I speak for all of us when I say, wow, that was awful . If you too desperately need some end-of-the-year levity, check out these funny Christmas cards that riff on all things 2020 -- from masks to Zoom to that big election you ma…
Living in New York, I kind of take for granted that everyone knows what Hanukkah is, and we don't need help explaining it to our kids. But last night on Twitter, I came across a thread started by a curious mom asking for documentaries or…
Not to be cynical, but like, what happened, Amazon? You search for cool holiday gifts, and next thing you know there are 47 sponsored listings for the same item, from brands like XIPOSIRPOWR and HARINGOH-783. On the other hand, Amazon is…
We've shared our favorite gifts for kids under $15 , and now of course, we've got gifts for adults under $15 . After creating these affordable holiday gift lists for years now, we have one rule: No stocking stuffers! In other words, a li…
Let's talk ways to "meet" Santa this Christmas this year, during Covid. Because my young son will want a Santa Claus visit this year, and I know he's not the only kid, by a long shot! So I've been brainstorming alternatives to sitting on…
With lots of us going a little bigger and bolder with our decor this holiday season, I realized I needed a new tree skirt that was not an old bed sheet. (Don't judge!) An Etsy search yielded the gorgeous retro-modern tree skirts from Cra…
I had to laugh when I caught wind of Kayla Pekkala's wonderful holiday gift collection on Tiny Werewolves -- the highlight of which are the mugs, hats, tees and sweatshirts, all lovingly adorned with a classic Christmas sweater pattern. …
Am I a fan of Elf of the Shelf? Not particularly. But I know lots of you are -- including members of our own team. So when I saw this handmade quarantine bag for Elf on the Shelf on Etsy, well... come on. Join me in celebrating the ingen…
Yesterday, my daughter who is attending graduate school for social work in Denver, called to tell me that she thinks it is best for her to cancel her planned trip home for Thanksgiving thanks to the new COVID warnings and restrictions in…
After rounding up 11 of our favorite new Advent calendars for kids and the best food Advent calendars of 2020 (seriously, amazing finds there so be sure to look!), I found just one more gorgeous keepsake Advent calendar. And I love it so…
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…
Every year (since 2008 !) we've scoured the internet to find the coolest Advent calendars to help you -- and your excited kids -- count down to Christmas. In spite of all the hardships this year has thrown our way, or maybe because of th…
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 …
I am usually a big advocate for letting Thanksgiving have its own precious time before shifting my focus on to Christmas. But, with Thanksgiving falling so late in November this year, those of us who celebrate Christmas will want to have…
Like many parents, I've been reeling ever the New Zealand mosque shooting last week , which was just followed by yet another horrific racist attack only yesterday: a fire deliberately set at a mosque in Northern California . So as a non-…
If you're like me, you're already kind of dreading the annual, late night "OMG we have to wrap every one of these gifts after the kids get in bed" conversation on the 24th. Or, if you're like half the people in my Instagram feed, you've …
We're scrambling to track down the last-minute holiday shipping deadlines too right now! After all, most of us busy parents are doing more and more of our shopping for the holidays online -- usually late at night, after the kids are in b…
The truth is, I've looked at a lot of lists of practical stocking stuffers around the web and... I never like them much. Because no, chocolate bars are not "practical" gifts, as much as I like getting them. And no, deodorant is not a coo…
We've covered so many holiday books for kids over the years, and one thing we've realizes is missing: a good selection of books for children who celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. While my teens may be jealous of friends who celebrat…
With the holidays coming up , I've been on the hunt for beautiful high chairs that will actually look nice at the dining room table -- unlike the sweet potato-crusted plastic monstrosity I'm currently using. Let's just say it won't be wi…
Before you deck the halls, deck your girls out in the handmade, one-of-a-kind holiday dresses and skirts from one of our longtime favorite indie makers, Courtney Courtney . They're much more comfy than a red faux-taffeta dress with scrat…