I'm what you'd call a crazy flea market/craft fair/art festival devotee. I could spend every weekend seeking out cool local artisans in church basements and school parking lots--provided there's also a lemonade stand or cider donuts so I…
Even after we compile our favorite baby shower gifts of the year in our Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Guide , it's so fun spending the rest of the next year looking for cool new ones . The kind that make you go wow . Which is just what I did…
I have already espoused my love for baby bloomers here on Cool Mom Picks. Their versatility really make them the perfect warm weather baby accessory. But with the adorable baby bloomers from CMP fave Raven & Lily, I just added another re…
Sit. Speak. Shake. Breathe flame. Okay, now make the room more attractive. Go on. Good boy! You get a biscuit! Okay, so maybe it has nothing to do with the movie, and maybe it can't sit up and beg, but I saw this duck's egg blue and ivor…
Growth charts aren't exactly one of those items that has overtaken the design world just yet. Mostly your options are semi-cheesy printed paper wallhangings, or what we use at my house -- a pencil mark on a door frame. Klassy, I know! So…
If bobblehead dolls have taught us anything, it's that adults can now play with toys in public. Hence my complete lack of shame in adoring the simple yet amazing hand-painted peg dolls from mooshoopork on Etsy. Especially the sassy pirat…
We're always on the lookout for cool party favors that do not include small plastic toys that last all of four minutes, or sugar-infested treats that seem to last four hours. So if you've got a party coming up, stuff those goody bags wit…
I always thought of tea towels to be completely prim and proper, but that's absolutely not the case with the gorgeous block printed tea towels at Fisk and Fern. The bright inviting designs are printed on absorbent 100% cotton which evide…
We've been following the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and its negative effect on the handmade products and small businesses we love , ever since the very beginning. And so, we wanted to pass along some updates, so tha…
I scream, you scream, we all scream for... well, okay, I lied. I didn't scream over these adorable soft ice cream-festooned beanbags, but I did squeal just a little bit. The Baby Gardner brings us Lisa Bacigalupi's exclusive hand-stitche…
I admit that baby mobiles never did much more for my kids than keep them entertained with their robotic songs and spinning cutesy stuffed animals. But moms-to-be hoping to get a modern bit of nursery decor out of the deal should be beggi…
Back when I used to pack my own lunches for work, I can't tell you the number of times I lost or tossed (oops!) perfectly good silverware. And now that I'm in charge of my daughter's noontime meals, I'm afraid the apple doesn't fall far …
I love all the flower-embellished accessories right now, even if it's so ubiquitous that Gap and J Crew are all over it. But so are our favorite indie labels. Take a look at this sweet hand-knit rose clutch from CMP's beloved site, Shoka…
I think I'm in love. The object of my affection: The selection of decorative artwork embellished with handcut paper hearts from the brand new Etsy shop Paper Cut Works . Ania Alyson, Seattle artist by way of Poland, creates artsy, anatom…
Our passionate, abiding love for Etsy is no secret, so we are thrilled (thrilled!) to be featured today on Etsy's handmade blog, The Storque, talking about some of our favorite handmade Mother's Day gift ideas from some of our favorite a…
You know that feeling when you pick up an object and can feel that it was made far away, somewhere different and exotic? It seems more real somehow, like it has a story. These shimmering lavender sachets from CMP favorite Raven + Lily ha…
My very favorite word is cupcake , but I'm also a huge fan of funky, simple, and handmade . Luckily, those are the specialties of Mountain Aven Baby . Well, maybe not the cupcake part. But the other three. We see loads of bibs and blanke…
I've always adored the one-of-a-kind handmade designs from Baby Bean Vintage Daywear , which really let a little girl be a little girl. Albeit a spectacularly dressed one. Talented designer Christine Visneau (also the editor of the wonde…
My mom has always had a thing for vintage cards, particularly valentines. My dining room growing up was filled with shadow boxes holding beautiful, textural Victorian cards and I remember just losing myself in them for hours. I figure I …
Of course we want to make sure that each and every mom is treated like the goddess she is on Mother's Day, but it's also important to make sure that grandmas are not overlooked. After all, they had a little something to do with each of u…
You may already know how much we love Shokay , the little e-shop that put yak hair on our collective radar. Soft, cashmere-like, and socially responsible (the shop supports struggling Tibetan yak farmers), this luxury fiber makes some of…
My heart is aflutter after taking a peek at Magpie Lovely again. We've raved about the site before, and its enchanting selection of original handmade work by a number of different independent artists, but I have to admit, I'm spending th…
Normally, wire coat hangers kind of skeeve me out. The way they get all tangled together makes me a crazy person. Therefore, you must understand what it takes for me to fall in love with anything made of wire with a pesky hook on top. Th…
Writing for Cool Mom Picks is pretty much my dream job, and I get to review some truly amazing stuff. I can shout at the top of my lungs about how much I like a product, but the real test is this: Did I go back and buy more? When it come…