I do the vast majority of my communicating via email but I still love sending and receiving handwritten notes , opening a really cool party invitation or getting an almost-too-nice-to-write-on notepad for my desk. (Don't worry, I'll writ…
Oh sure, I try to be all nonchalant at this time of year: Christmas cards? I'll get to them! Wrapping? I have weeks! But, don't let my cool exterior fool you. I am quaking as the clock ticks down to Christmas . But before I tackle my nev…
We call my oldest daughter a mini version of her beloved aunt, my sister. And it's no surprise that my sister's "mini me" would love her style as well, like her penchant for soft scarves thrown around her neck as soon as the temperature …
Can you suggest some more holiday photo card sites? I'm a little bored with the same ole, same ole every year. Or, what about a site for creating your own cards with flair? -Ginger I am fairly certain that Holiday Rule #1 states that you…
When my kids were young, I found a trio of very cute stockings in a small local store that I thought were totally unique and special for our family. And then my mother saw them and said, O ooo, I saw those at the card store! So much for …
My kids once had a gymnastics teacher who was training to be a Cirque du Soleil acrobat. He would take a ribbon that was hanging from the ceiling and spin himself up it as if gravity had no effect on him. It was freakishly amazing, a des…
When buying a gift for those sweet toddlers in my life, I tend to steer clear of "white" anything. Let's face it, they aren't the cleanest creatures on the planet. But HABA is one step ahead of me with their new line of snow-white lambs …
What's your beat? asked someone recently when I told them I write for Cool Mom Picks. Confused momentarily by the lingo, I recovered and replied, kids music . And, what a great beat it is, especially in 2010, when the music put out by ki…
I may refuse to listen to the Christmas music that has been blaring on certain radio stations since Halloween, but make no mistake: The countdown to Christmas is a big deal in this household. And what better way to countdown to the big d…
We've been eating out waaaay too much lately because of a kitchen renovation, and though my kids have finally grown sick of chicken fingers, they are also sick of those restaurant-supplied paper activity mats that hold their attention fo…
I spend a lot of time thinking about what gifts to buy each person on my Christmas list. Some gifts may say, I know you love nice things, or You have a great sense of humor , and even Maybe next year you'll do a wish list so you don't ge…
As my milk-allergic daughter will tell you, the Thanksgiving table can hold one big heaping of "no" for kids with food allergies. No, you can't have that. Or that. Or that. And nowhere is this more apparent than when desserts are brought…
Every year, I make my Mother-in-Law a calendar with photos of the kids and she ooos and ahhhs over it as any good grandmother would. But, after doing this for the past ten years, I am feeling a little ho-hum about the whole thing and won…
In my last review of a Caspar Babypants CD, I mentioned that Weird Al Yankovic had called him "one of the few children's recording artists I can listen to without wanting to stab myself in the eyes, " which is my single favorite endorsem…
This Veteran's Day, we'd like to not only remember the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country, but also that little boy over there who is riding his bike with grape jelly on his shirt. And there is his sist…
Three cute kids? Check. Three cute kids who will sit still for holiday photo? Who will not blink, grimace, scratch, look away, hunch, scowl or stick out their tongue for said photo? Yeah, not a check. Good thing I've found a way to prese…
As December nears, my house is ready to to become a big, kid-friendly fun house of colored blinky lights and tinsel. With three kids, I know what to expect and have given in to All Things Christmas. Except I've just seen the most beautif…
You know what's scary? Realizing you've invited a bunch of little butterflies and superheroes to invade your home for a pre-trick-or-treating soiree, and then realizing your house is not ready. Ahem. Since making a last-minute dash to a …
I've never doubted the power of music to unite people--though it does bring to mind those big events like Woodstock or Live Aid. But it's the effort of one dad and some very cool bands with loads of heart that now deserve to get people b…
The list of children's books I've loved to read to my kids is l-o-n-g though I've always had a particular fondness for the books of author and illustrator Mo Willems. Unless you live under a rock, or a pile of newborn diapers, you are pr…
We know school lunches have been the butt of jokes since the invention of "mystery meat." But, if watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution taught us anything, it is that what our kids eat at lunchtime can get better with the effort and co…
The UK's Meri Meri has put together these smart Cupcake Kits and my party-throwing life just got a little easier. With 24 colorful cupcake wrappers and assorted toppers, the designs are way cuter than the plastic licensed character stuff…
My 7 month old is an insanely adorable bundle of energy. I recently discovered, much to my dismay, that she also inherited my crazy wide feet. Thinking ahead, I've been trying to find some decent shoes for her . I've searched high and lo…
With some Halloween candies containing loads of hydrogenated oil, artificial colors and even high-fructose corn syrup, I appreciate why so many of us are taking a closer look at what we drop into those pillow cases come October 31st. Eve…
