Guess what, mamas? It's American Chocolate Week! Or at least the end of it. The way we see it, you just have to suck it up and do your patriotic duty by gorging on chocolate, right? If you love chocolate as much as we do, here are some o…
If I had a dollar for every princess themed birthday party I've been to, including my daughter's birthday party...well, I'd be able to pay for our next goodie bags. If you get suckered into hosting one with the ever-so-popular theme, I l…
I'll be honest, I haven't used hair color out of a box since high school, which I like to refer to as my Kelly Bundy years . But I'm seriously considering now for the first time, having discovered a new line of luxury DIY hair color. Col…
Spring break is on its way, and I'm making plans. But my spring break plans don't involve beaches, bikinis, or beer. Instead, I'm looking for ways to keep my kids busy . (Besides cleaning the bathroom, my standard fallback response to th…
Never underestimate the power of craftiness. Etsy doesn't. In fact, they're banking on it in order to support More Birthdays , the American Cancer Society initiative. (Who also happens to be one of our favorite sponsors.) If you're in NY…
If you're a mom, you could pretty much rename Valentine's Day, Lots and Lots of Random Paper That My Kids Won't Let Me Recycle Day. Wouldn't it be great if you could start with a PDF and just print the paper you actually wanted ? And wou…
It's Super Bowl Sunday(tm), that day of pigs-in-a-blanket, three-million dollar commercials featuring talking animals, and of course, Puppy Bowl. Also there's a football game. Or so we hear. Without any Green Bay or Pittsburgh mamas amon…
We're perpetual fans of Martha Stewart's craft supplies and if you're a DIY-er, it's a good investment for Valentine's Cards and crafts this month. Their new heart punch aptly called Heart Punch All Over the Page lets you achieve the imp…
For some reason my daughter has been obsessed with the idea of make your own cupcakes lately. Oh wait...I remember why. Because cupcakes are good. Or at least they're supposed to be. We've tried a few DIY kits recently have been hardly w…
Most girls--my own daughter included--have lots of these little metal snap barrettes lying around and, if you happen to be a crafty type , you probably also have some pretty wool felt at home, too. If so, in just about 15 minutes you can…
A long time ago before there were many children under my feet, I was actually pretty crafty. Yes, I even used to knit! But sadly, I'm hard pressed to find the time these days. That's why I'm so jealous of all you moms who might be able t…
My 3-year-old is currently in the full throes of wanting to be an artiste . Paints, crayons, felt, tissue paper, googly eyes, she wants to do it all -- especially if she can wear a beret at the same time. And now there's a new shop offer…
We're installing a hook-and-eye on my daughter's closet today because she's desperately convinced that the Gremlins live in there and come out to mess up her room each night. I don't buy it. But here's a book of monsters that I'm pretty …
It's up to me to keep my kids' schedules straight, but they still love to count down the days until the next big event, whether that day is a Saturday, their birthday, or the next candy holiday (Valentine's Day, for the record). Instead …
The chore chart that has worked the best for my family so far been a (not-so-pretty) laminated list with my kids' pictures that I made myself. But even then, I can't really add or change jobs unless I make a whole new chart, which made t…
I love looking at a fresh, crisp, blank calendar. There's something about it so filled with promise--and unfilled with scribbles and scratch-outs and reminders of stressful days. I think our friends at Red Stamp Cards feel the same way, …
I cannot be the only one who sequesters myself in the bedroom oh, say around midnight on December 24, frantically trying to wrap, ribbon, and generally beautify Santa's hard work. If you're still looking for a few finishing touches for y…
Doing all of my shopping online sounds like such a brilliant way to avoid a lot of the stress of the holidays, except for now, when my choices are to email a gift card , which doesn't seem very personal, or pay gigantic overnight shippin…
It's very possible that some of you may score some new technology for the holidays. And of course we know that it's the gift that keeps on taking--that dandy new iPhone 4 will require a spare power cord, decent ear buds, some fun apps, a…
My daughter's first finger paintings brought tears to my eyes. "My God, she's talented!" I told my husband. I knew I was being that stereotypical overly proud parent, but her use of color was so unexpected. Really! There is something so …
I'm still poking around etsy these days for some last-minute stocking stuffers, although in my world, 9 days til Christmas is far from last-minute. CMP fave Dana Marie Hosler of GreenStarStudio always has something nifty and new, and tod…
You talented artists, you! You made it so hard for us to choose among all the amazing entries to our Cool Mom Picks + Etsy color your own paper ornament design contest to support Housing Works, and we have, after much deliberation, final…
I made a huge withdrawal from the Crafty Mom Bank on Halloween, when I decided to make a Big Bird costume for my daughter by hand. Turns out even a mini bird requires a lot of faux feathers. So I've been ever-so-slightly grinchlike when …
It's like Miss America for crafters, and you're a judge. But there's no Miss Congeniality. This one's all about looks, and you only get one vote. Actually, it's the competition for Martha Stewart's annual Holiday Craft Fair at her compan…