My kids are finally at the age where I can outsource most of the tree decorating duties to them and still be pretty darn pleased with the results. It's true: I haven't tweaked a single strand of lights or rearranged the glass balls. But …
It's that time of the year: choosing the annual Christmas card. If you are late in the game, like me, you may be skipping the photo cards. However if you're also like me, you want something unique, simple and festively awesome. I am a bi…
Expensive plastic figurines? A Jedi craves not these things. Grab your lightsaber-shaped crochet hook and get busy creating your own galaxy of bite-sized Jedi, Rebels, Empire, and, well, giant squid guys. Trust us-- it's not a trap. You …
Sorry, kid. You can't have a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas, but we hear your Aunt Clara sent you something extra special and handmade to hang on the tree. You guys love A Christmas Story as much as we do, right? This A Christmas Story o…
Hooray for the funniest holiday cards! Now, while of course we love those beautiful, sweet, sentimental holiday photo cards just like any other parents, we gotta say, sometimes we're kind of thanking the universe for that one friend who …
More and more people are craving a handmade holiday season, from stockings to gifts. I understand the feeling of wanting to be surrounded by one-of-a-kind pieces that are unique and beautiful. When I was a young child, my aunt made my wh…
Silent night? Yeah, only if your holiday toy choices don't include batteries, drum sticks, or bells. We've found a beautiful selection of handmade, heirloom quality toys that can help your child create a peaceful, quiet winter wonderland…
With Christmas just around the river bend (how very Pocahontas of me), the search for festive ornaments is underway. I like to hunt for ornaments, especially handmade ones, in unpredictable places, and my first visit is always Etsy . It'…
My kids absolutely love to play store. They'll gather up whatever small toys they want to sell, set them out, and then yell at me until I agree to buy something. (They need to work on their customer service a little.) I imagine my favori…
N is for...nitrogen? And: nerdy niftiness. We're not about to quibble when N stands for something far more unusual than nest . We brought you the Periodic Table Blocks, and now we've got something to hang on the wall over Little Miss Cur…
I don't know about you, but I've seen enough red state outlines and blue state outlines to last me a lifetime. Today, I wanted to feature a message of unity--if there's any to be found today--in this purple US map . Maybe hanging one of …
My first thought after seeing these handmade plush cameos and pillows was, " So cute that it hurts ." I mean, look at these faces! And shapes! I have a list of children that I want to make happy with these adorable creatures. Three Bad S…
In Italian, "Etsi, finalmente!" translates rather perfectly into, "Oh, yes, finally!" Which was pretty much my exact sentiment upon hearing that the famously uber-cool online marketplace Etsy is now offering gift cards , just in time for…
I've said before that I love Braille jewelry as a more subtle option for mom jewelry than traditional printed text. I'm feeling the same way about these handmade pendants. Do they look just like dots to you? Look again... In fact, these …
Striped or polka-dotted, these lovable handmade dolls have us mesmerized. Each adorable polkadottydoll is entirely unique, handcrafted in cotton without a pattern in black and white according to Alberta artist Lynda Black's imagination. …
Paper dolls are the perfect emergency boredom-buster to have on hand, at least if you're our family; every fall, a bunch of annoying colds and coughs descend on my children, leaving at least one of them at any given time home on a school…
Calling all Game of Thrones addicts: Whether you took the Facebook quiz or already had a favorite character, chances are you feel an affinity for one of the seven Great Houses. Personally, I'm Team Khal. For those of you with official mo…
I've got some folks I'd like you to meet. These pretty custom dollies are hand-sewn, have hand-painted faces, and each cost less than $50. Um...Barbie who ? I'm downright twitterpated over the beautiful handmade dolls at Hen and Chick on…
It's no secret that I have a handbag obsession. That's pretty clear the second you walk into my closet. But these handcrafted beauties I found on Etsy are on a whole other level. And if you think this violin bag is amazing, just wait unt…
Nothing brings a grin to someone's face like a gift from someone special. And nothing makes a gift-giver like me happier than finding unique gift wrap and supplies. These adorable printable gift tags from la-fabrique-a-bricole are perfec…
Let me rattle off a few words for you to chew on: heirloom, handmade , safe, affordable . Also: pretty . These Heirloom Baby Rattles from Windfall Boutique on Etsy are everything you could possibly want in a baby toy--but at half the pri…
Creating art, decor and furniture with upcycled materials is not just a fleeting design fad. It's a way of living for many artists who want to create items that are sustainable and friendly to our earth . Fortunately, a lot of upcycled p…
If you knew me in person, then you'd know by the tattoo on my inner wrist that I'm a little obsessed with braille. (It's my kids' initials, if you're curious). Now, I've seen some cool braille jewelry before, but these gorgeous, subtle p…
Book lovers, we've come across some major cuteness for you. We think you and your Munchkins are going to go (winged) ape for these adorable 3D bookmarks . And if you're not into The Wizard of Oz, they come in several other shapes, includ…