Now that I'm a mom myself, I realize that Mother's Day is not just about getting breakfast in bed (not that I would turn that down) or a day off from housework (also, sounds awesome). Rather, I want to do something to honor my mom for al…
You know what I've always wondered about Easter baskets? Where people store them every other day of the year. Because if there's one thing that's not exactly storage-friendly, it's a big, round basket with a gigantic handle on top. This …
When it comes to Easter egg decorating, as with a lot of crafting, I've been known to bite off more than I can chew. Which is maybe why I'm so keen to try my hand at this awesome silhouette Easter egg dying tutorial which looks as beauti…
We'd never recommend you give our forefathers the finger (especially on President's Day!), but in the case of these adorable knit finger puppets from Wee Knits , we'll make an exception. Their Patriotic collection of finger puppets inclu…
My children are fortunate to have extremely generous family members who love to spoil them with lots of Christmas gifts. And since my 6-year-old can now write well enough to ask them for specific presents , my feeling is she can do her o…
Maybe you're visiting relatives in New York and need an excuse to get out of the teeny tiny apartment. Or maybe you already live there and need to spice up your family holidays. Either way, we've got the scoop on some hot deals that just…
My quest for all things cool for babies started when a friend told me about Trumpette socks. She said all the hip Mommies in her Brooklyn Mommy's group had them. Images of moms dressed in effortlessly chic clothes with Converse sneakers …
In my family, our Christmas day tradition always involved a nice big breakfast, lots of coffee, lots of gifts, and then afterward, we'd bundle up and brave the crowds at a midtown movie theater for one of the big releases. (Yes, crowds -…
Partridges, French hens, the splattered eggs of a dozen overactive geese. Forget 'em. If you want to say "I love you" with birds, go for the artistic, lasting beauty of paper lovebirds, another gift that gives back. Whether you'd like a …
This year, I planned on getting my holiday cards out with plenty of time and all of a sudden it's Christmas week . Good thing there's a service that lets me send out cards--really, professionally designed holiday cards--digitally. Not on…
Don't worry, little narwhals and belugas. My kids' sticky mitts will never touch you, much less rip you to shreds to get to the booty beneath. No, my sweet blubbery friends, you are far too precious for that. Yes, I'm talking to wrapping…
Around my place, we've got a house full of practical gift giving jokers. I see the old "huge box for a teeny tiny gift" trick almost every year and humor my husband each time he does it. Well this year, pay back is going to be a you know…
I still need a dressy dress for my 3.5 year old daughter for Christmas eve, so I started diving through our archives looking for ideas. Of course there's always the mall stores that we all know and love (or accept somewhat begrudgingly a…
People always say that nothing is for free, but here is something that really is: A customized letter to your child from Santa that you help create. And it will do more for other kids than your own. At Letter from Santa , add personal de…
One year, I got my mom an electronic photo album for her holiday gift . Well, that was a flop. She told me she really wanted a regular photo book of her grandkids, just like I gave her the year before. But, I like to complicate things! S…
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…
A lot of us are probably more used to popping bottles of milk and apple juice than champagne these days. But the holidays call for sparkle--and I'm talking fancy shoes, party dresses, and champagne, not Elmer's glue and glitter (as much …
I love crafty people. I wish I were one of them, but, alas, I'm not even that great at wrapping gifts. They end up looking like my three-year-old took the reins. But, this year, my friends and family will think I've developed some seriou…
The only thing better than connecting our readers with fabulous finds is knowing that those purchases do real good in the world. So we thought we'd take a look-see around Cool Mom Picks for some of our favorite picks that put your money …
Need a break to gab with the girls and giggle about gifting? Want to win a gift certificate to one of our favorite online shops ? Then pull up a squishy chair, grab a chai latte, and settle in for a cyberchat with the Cool Mom Picks gang…
I cringed on that day back in October when holiday cards replaced an aisle of Halloween costumes. It's not that I dislike the holiday season or have a soft spot for grown men dressed as plates of spaghetti. It's just that the cards were …
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 …
I now have a tree filed with beautiful one-of-a-kind ornaments from years of craft fairs and museum shops, and travels to cities everywhere. But if I can't get around the world, I'm glad their ornaments can now get to me, via Etsy. This …