This week the National Book Awards were announced, and now we've got about a million hours of reading ahead of us. But we wanted to share the 10 longlisted finalists in Young People's Literature , from nearly 300 that were submitted, sho…
It's so easy to find yourself on-the-go all the time as a parent, but having downtime is important. In fact, I think it's vital to being a good mom or dad. Of course, a few hours alone to get a manicure or go for a walk is so nice, but I…
It may surprise readers of Cool Mom Tech , but I am pretty much a no-screens-in-the-car kind of a parent. Back when my youngest was still a toddler and four consecutive episodes of Dora meant a needed stretch of quiet. But now, unless it…
Before it even hit the shelves, there was a swell of hype around Primates of Park Avenue , by Wednesday Martin. Specifically, whether this outrageous glimpse into the inner lives of über-wealthy moms on Manhattan's Upper East Side is acc…
If you've parented toddlers, you're probably familiar with Todd Parr's children's books, and his distinctively child-like illustrations. Well, my interest was piqued when I found out about his free new ebook that happens to be for parent…
So, there's this really interesting website called The Book of Life . And I'm trying to figure out how to describe it, but I keep coming up empty. Is it an encyclopedic resource? An online self-help book? A place to turn for philosophica…
When I first learned that long-time friend, mom of (how many now?) six amazing kids, and blogger extraordinaire Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom was coming out with a book, my first thought was, finally ! I imagined it would be as beautiful…
When you've got a precocious reader in the house, it can be hard to find books they haven't yet discovered and devoured. I know this because I am that reader and I spawned that reader. Luckily, we found a subscription service -- you know…
If you have had a fantastic summer weekend host, a memorable visit with relatives, or some other cause to send a little thank you gift to commemorate the experience, consider the new Summertime book by Joanne Dugan a terrific option. Edi…
3 a.m. was scariest when I couldn't tell if my child's diarrhea or ear ache were serious or just things to wait and see about. And one of the hardest parts of being a new mom was calling the pediatrician and ending up feeling like I'd ov…
I love when vintage books are given new life, and I found that very thing in these gorgeous handmade recycled book journals from Renovated Books on Etsy. They're made by carefully pulling apart old and rare books and recombining them wit…
I love the idea of a father's day gift that's actually an experience rather than, you know, another tie (not that there aren't some cool ties out there), and that's exactly what you'll get with Maker Dad: Lunch Box Guitars, Antigravity J…
Wondering what to do about picky eaters and how to feed them can be one of the most exhausting parenting challenges. We're responsible for feeding our kids at least three times every day (or so we'd hope), and three daily battles is thre…
We're longtime fans of Meagan Francis of The Happiest Home here at Cool Mom Picks. Beyond Baby , her latest guide and accompanying workbook, makes another wonderful resource for parents, offering productive and calming exercises to help …
I've never been one for new year's resolutions, but every spring you'll find me looking to clean up in more ways than one. There's something about the budding plants, fresh green veggies, and warming weather that inspires me to recommit …
If you're looking to amp your your kids' birthday parties this year with a little more DIY, I feel you. While I'm not a huge crafter by any means, there's something really gratifying about putting together goodie bags yourself around som…
You may remember a few months ago when Princess Kate walked out of the hospital holding sweet baby George in her bespoke blue dotted dress looking absolutely gorgeous, and yet all the world could talk about was the post-baby bump. Perhap…
I like to think of myself as a closet crafter, someone who secretly loves DIY projects but can never find the time to do them. Well, now that my kids are almost out of school for the summer, I'm determined to roll up my sleeves with them…
As the Big Day approaches (and that's Mother's Day with a capital M ), our thoughts turn to mothering: our own mothering, how we were mothered, and "holy mutha, did you see how expensive greeting cards are now?!" Of course, the internet …
When we first heard that Asha Dornfest of Parent Hacks and Christine Koh of Boston Mamas , two of the women I love and respect most in the world, were putting their clever heads together to write a parenting book, well there was no doubt…
I get it--you're busy. We all are. Sometimes the people we love most in the world are the hardest to shop for so we put it off; or sometimes they just get relegated to the "last minute gift list" after all the earlier deadlines with teac…
I can't imagine that Gretchen Rubin offers a money-back guarantee on happiness after reading her best-selling book Happiness at Home , but based on Kristen's review, I think we would be inclined to do it for her. To sweeten the deal, her…
As a mama, I have big dreams: making cute-yet-healthy snacks, being a role model , kissing boo-boos like a champ. As an employee, I have the same dreams (except maybe the boo-boos part). I want to do it all...but I'm not always sure wher…
Looking for a shower gift for a baby girl ? Something that is original, meaningful, and will never, ever go out of style? I've got just the thing. And I'm calling dibs on gifting it at every baby-girl shower I ever attend. Jaime Morrison…