Washington Post: There are a ton of sites out there for kids, about kids, by moms, by dads. This site makes sense.
Martha Stewart: "The best in gifts, gear, and everything new and cool for moms."
Parents Magazine: "Liz Gumbinner is The online arbiter of cool for the swingset crowd."
People: An all-around repository of great mom ideas
About Cool Mom Picks:
What started as a grassroots labor of love in 2006 (whoa) has grown to be one of the most trusted lifestyle networks on the web for parents. And a lot of non-parents too.
Cool Mom Picks is often featured in national and local media discussing parenting trends, gift ideas, tech and digital safety, mom-run businesses, entrepreneurship, and online shopping. Frequent broadcast appearances include The TODAY Show, CBS's The Early Show, The Martha Stewart Show, GMA Live!, ABC News Now, CNN, Headline News, CBS Atlanta, Fox 5 NY, NY1, and shaky iPhone videos commandeered by our children.
We've also curated sales, events, product recommendations and gift guides for outlets like Martha Stewart, Lucky Magazine, New York Magazine, Parents, Gilt Group, Ideeli, Babycenter, New York Family, and Time Out/Kids.
In 2024, we're making some big changes to help make our network an even more valuable resource for a broader range of parents. We need all the help we can get these days.
Our mission:
To make parenting more cool, more fun, and more meaningful while celebrating the diversity of families.
Here's what we stand for:
(We've clearly had a lot of years to think about this.)
- Living our values as best we can, in all the ways we can.
- Amplifying women, sharing their voices, supporting their businesses, their writing, and their work.
- Diversity, representation, and inclusion to amplify more voices, businesses, and stories.
- Supporting all kinds of families, because all children deserve love and support. That means families on tight budgets and those who aren't. Blended families, families with single parents (or solo parents), extended families, families with two moms, families with two dads, families with gender-nonconforming kids. Families with ten kids, families with one kid. Military families. Adoptive families, foster families, homeschooling parents, public school parents, families with special needs.
The one thing our readers have in common: We believe you know your children best, and you are all doing the best you can for your family with the best information you have. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here.
- Raising children to be responsible citizens of the world. That's why we love diverse books and movies, family travel, teaching and valuing kindness, accepting facts and scientific data, and encouraging kids to express their passions through charity and activism.
- Conscientious consumerism: Buy things you truly adore, supporting the companies you feel good about. That's why we have always supported small businesses and start-ups, with a focus on companies run by women, but we will share all kinds of things that are cool, helpful, and affordable for families.
- Tech-positive parenting. Tech is not going away. Let's support each other in raising responsible digital kids.
- Teen-positive parenting. Now that more of us have tweens and teens, we realize how cool teens are, and we want you to see it too.
- Respect for the planet: we only have one. That doesn't mean we are trading our cars for bikes, giving up electricity, or shaming anyone for eating a non-organic strawberry, but we know we can always strive to do better in both big and small ways. It's a journey and we can help.
- Giving you choices, not judgment. Shop from big box stores, shop from your local indie bookseller, swap items with friends, borrow from your library. Buy the shoes on sale at the big stores, or the designer ones that were a splurge, but give you joy every day. Feed your family plant-based meals, or take-out pepperoni pizza because that's all your kid will eat right now. We may have our preferences, but you do you.
We also believe in welcoming differing opinions. We love respectful debate. But we also know when we’re being trolled, or our comments being used to spread disinformation or hate toward other commenters. Then, out you go!
- Helping women feel good about themselves: There are lots of ways to get there: Self-care, fitness, body positivity, chocolate, binge-watching, humor. Time with kids, time without kids. Date night. Girls' night. Or maybe it's a crisp new shirt that fits perfectly, or a lipstick that makes you feel like a rock star, purchased without guilt or judgment.
And hey, feeling good also comes down to a community of other women who support one another. Probably that most of all. (Which is also why no one gets to be a jerk in our comments or on our social networks.)
- Giving back and doing good in all the ways we can.
- Writing about topics we care about. It's not just products, as you can see. We write about current events and evolving worldviews, helping provide answers and resources for tough stuff families are facing.
- Humor. If we weren't laughing, sometimes we'd be crying. Both are fine! But humor helps.
Last but definitely not least, we value integrity and trust with our readers.
As the New York Times recently shared about us, we work to earn our readers' trust every day. This hasn't changed since we started our site in 2006.
While we support our team through ad revenue, we disclose our brand partnerships and affiliate links even before it was required. If we review a product, you'll get our honest opinion. We don't post press releases and pass them off as our opinions.
Because this is not Meh Mom Picks, we do focus on discovering and curating stuff that's cool, not stuff that sucks. However, we always tell you what we really think. For example, the world would be a better place without boy and girl toy aisles, "gender" reveal party stunts shouldn't maim your guests, and sometimes the expensive mascara really is better than the cheap one.
If we recommend something that ends up sucking, we do our best to change our post and rescind our recommendation. No hesitation.
Follow us, pitch us, sponsor us, be a part of something good
We love what we do, and we couldn't do what we do without all of you. That means readers, entrepreneurs, podcast fans...all of you. Join us!
Subscribe: We have some great newsletters to help you save money, find cool things, learn more, and score you deals. You can join here.
Social: You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, on Pinterest, and like us on Facebook. You'll be in good company! And yes, we like commenting back.
Podcast: Subscribe to our award-winning Spawned Parenting Podcast on Apple Podcasts or any podcast app. It's fun. And helpful. And kind of... uncensored. We think you'll like it.
Pitches: If you have an idea or a cool client or own a company yourself, feel free to send it our way at info@coolmompicks.com. You can find more info on submissions here.
Sponsorships: If you are interested in advertising or sponsored opportunities, by all means, email our Director of Ad Sales and Brand Partnerships: stefan@coolmompicks.com. He's a cool dad, and he'll hook you up.
