I've been fighting boredom this summer with a bunch of magic markers and one really huge (like, seriously huge) and cleverly illustrated coloring poster for kids from a new company called Pirasta. And the beauty of these posters is that …
We are so excited for summer, if you haven't been able to tell from our posts lately. Swimming all day. Staying up late to play outside way past bedtime. Kids sleeping in late. (Ha, we wish.) It's a laid-back schedule that's so perfect f…
We may look at our tweens and teens and think, How did they get so big so fast? But you only have to scratch the surface to find a playful kid hiding in there, and ready to come out. So, it wasn't hard to come up with a whole bunch of me…
We've got a lot of summer birthdays for the kids in my family, so party planning is definitely top of mind for me these days. But I realized, as I've looked around the web, that while there are lots of gorgeous handmade birthday crowns o…
We've been smitten by Claudine Hellmuth's clever gift boxes that look like ovens and popsicles for a while now. So we just visited her Etsy shop again, and wow, she has so many fun printable gift boxes at her site now that I'm tempted to…
Oh, the joys of the summer birthday party when the nice weather means celebrating with friends out-of-doors. And whether this means gathering everyone into your backyard, meeting at the local park, or even taking over a quiet piece of sa…
Oh, summer. The kids wait and wait and wait for it, and then, how many minutes in are they complaining about how hot it is? Or how you won't take them to the pool (for the second time that day)? Or that they're simply bored? So we've tra…
I am so digging these adorable free summer printables that I just spotted at Oh Happy Day, courtesy of talented designer Amy Moss. I love the idea of printing a whole bunch on card stock and stockpiling gift tags for summer birthday part…
One of my favorite go-to blogs for design inspiration, whether it's a fun kids' bedroom, an unexpected party theme, or a cool DIY project is Oh Happy Day . Jordan's impeccable taste and fun use of color just makes me, well, happy. And no…
They may be growing up oh-so-fast, but our elementary-school aged kids are more than happy to get as messy as their toddler selves used to, especially when it's all in good fun. Our tip: Every so often, it's okay to get messy. So throw o…
When it comes to showing moms our unending appreciation for all the hard work they've put in for us over the years—especially now that we get it a little better ourselves — we always want to make Mother's Day incredibly special. And yet,…
As my NYC neighborhood catches spring fever big time this weekend, I'm suddenly digging all the picnic supplies out of hiding. One thing I could use but don't have: reusable plastic cups. Since my kids have started using real glasses, I …
We've all been huge fans and supporters of Minted long before they were a Cool Mom Picks sponsor, so it seems hard to believe that they are turning seven! It's no surprise their ever-growing collection of stationery, invitations, and gif…
We want our kids' birthday cakes to be perfect. I mean, you only turn 5 (or 7 or 9 or 13) once, right? But it can be daunting trying to copy so much of the beautiful stuff online created by trained pastry chefs. See also: Cakewrecks. So …
As much as I love party decorations, I hate throwing them out at the end of the day. I don't even like throwing out paper tablecloths, after they're torn, which, I know. My own issue. So I always love finding party decor that can be reus…
We are so excited to launch our brand new, first ever Ultimate Birthday Party Gift Guide , featuring more than 100 of the coolest birthday gifts for kids of all ages. Whoo! Over the years, we've been asked a zillion times (not even exagg…
Sunday night is Oscar Night! Or as so many of us think of it, Oscar party night. So I've scoured the web for some easy Oscars party tips and printables , because it's the perfect excuse to get together with friends, dish on the dresses, …
Whether you’ll be watching the Oscars with friends, snuggled up with family , or all by yourself, these 6 creative popcorn recipes are the perfect Oscars viewing snack. Or anything viewing snack, really. Move over fake butter topping, mo…
It seems the days of simply announcing whether your baby is a boy or girl seem to be long gone. The latest trend in baby showers that shows no signs of waning is the gender reveal party -- personalized, meticulously planned, sometimes me…
It's no secret that we're huge fans of Tattly tattoos , but even more now that they've teamed up with charity:water to help raise money for an awesome cause. The Craziest Thing tattoo not only has a message I'd more than happily wear on …
As we say goodbye to 2014 and remember to start typing 2015 on all our correspondence, we wanted to take one last look back at our posts. Specifically, the top posts written in 2014 that caught the attention and imagination of our reader…
If you ask me, the most important aspect of throwing any cocktail or dinner party host to know is how to make a cheese plate. And not just any cheese plate, but knowing how to put one together that looks fancy, even when it’s made with a…
Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to be a blockbuster affair. In fact, some of the best holiday gatherings are small, impromptu get togethers and relaxed gatherings with easy cocktail party foods, festive snacks and, of course, seasonal …
It's that time of year when pretty much everyone is entertaining. And yeah, we all know how to run the vacuum and wield a toilet brush (or hire someone else to do it, if you're lucky), but as the resident Cool Mom Picks neat freak, I've …