When Kristen and Liz started Cool Mom Picks, their desire was to highlight cool, indie shops that make innovative products with fresh ideas for kids and families. A decade later, that’s still our driving passion, and the chic handmade baby moccasins at Freshly Picked is one of our favorite indie shops to recommend for baby gifts. We’ve always loved Susan Petersen’s eye for style, and now she’s using that to highlight other small businesses too, with the Freshly Picked Marketplace.
This online community is a hub of small shops curated by Susan, and when I browsed through the site I immediately added gifts from each one to my holiday shopping list. They’re beautifully made with impeccable taste. They’re the kind of gifts that will get noticed at a baby shower or your family holiday party. But more than me getting credit for giving an awesome gift, I love the feeling I get when I spend my hard-earned money with a company that is using their own success to help other small business owners too.
Related: Treehouse Kid & Craft: A cool indie toy shop that makes you want to buy everything.
Here’s the lineup for the initial launch of the Freshly Picked Marketplace. See what we’re saying about great taste?
Sproutling + Co
Simple, modern baby mobiles that are handmade with natural materials. They each come with a muslin keepsake bag, because yes, we’re sentimental enough to keep our kids’ baby mobiles stored away in a memory box.
Koko’s Nest
These gorgeous 100% Egyptian cotton blankets have a simple, modern design. And the fact that they’re midweight means you can use them year-round; and practical gifts are always favorites of ours for new parents.
The Posh Society
I’m dying over the incredible leather bows that is a collaboration between Freshly Picked’s gorgeous leathers and the Posh Society’s playful, girly sensibility. If you want a hair accessory with some edge, these are the ones for you.
Hazel Village
These artsy, cool woodland stuffed animals are made responsibly, and their goal is to create a keepsake item you can pass on for generations (at a price that won’t haunt you for decades).
Bannor Toys
We’re already fans of Bannor Toys’ wooden rattles, and love that they’re made completely in the USA with organic wood, finish, and paint. Beautifully made and safe for our kids? Yes, please.
Visit the Freshly Picked Marketplace to see all these small businesses and stock up on some holiday gifts early. We’ll be browsing there too.
