More coolness from recent weeks…
Shop for Anissa, today!
A few days ago we told you about our friend and fellow blogger, Anissa Mayhew, who suffered a severe stroke in late November. We are so pleased that today is Shop For Anissa Day in which more than 60 businesses have agreed to donate a portion of today's sales to the...
Lovely gift boxes that take the ugh out of gift wrapping.
I am beyond grateful for all the pretty boxes and gift bags out there because I am 1. Totally spazzy with wrapping paper (seriously, it's sad) and 2. Totally impatient with long gift wrap lines at department stores. Let's also add 3. Totally annoyed with the $5 gift...
The perfect little gift for the tween who has everything. (And don’t they all?)
Got a tween girl on your list this year? I don't, I confess. But if I did, I totally know what I'd get her. (See, isn't that always the way? Now if only I could trade this great tween gift idea with someone who knows the perfect thing for a 62-year-old man, my holiday...
Redbox helps you save your money for popcorn
Sure, there's no shortage of ways to rent movies nowadays; whether you go in-store, via mail service, or even streaming over the Internet. Still, 'tis the season to be mindful of where every penny is going, so maybe it's time to check out Redbox, which is a...
Giving the gift of creativity – Great craft kits for kids
As the nieces and nephews and various children in my life get a little older, I'm increasingly more into finding crafty gifts that not only entertain them for a little while, but let them show off their handiwork when they're done. Here are a few favorites that help...
Not your grandma’s recipe cards
My grandmother wrote recipes on flowery little cards expressly for that purpose, and my mother rebelled against the cute by using nothing more than plain index cards. Me, I fall somewhere in the middle--plain cards seem kind of depressing, but I'm just not a hearts...
Doesn’t everyone have their holiday cards done by a designer? Well, why the heck not?
There is nothing that beats the convenience of digital photo cards printed out at your local drugstore, but for something a little more distinctive, you have to check out the new digital holiday cards from Hello Lucky. The Moyle sisters of Hello Lucky are known for...
The Whiplash Scooter according to Brodie – 4.5 stars out of 5
When the makers of the popular Wave skateboard asked me to send their much buzzed-about new Whiplash Scooter for a test drive, I was like uh...not on your life. But I have a 12 year-old nephew named Brodie who I knew could give me the scoop since that's who should be...
Showcase a kid’s artwork beyond your refrigerator door
I love how my little artists fearlessly choose their colors to create a purple tree under a green cloud, or how a bunch of stick figures can end up looking just like our family; they blow me away every time. RedStamp has one of my favorite ideas for how to pass on...
Kirtsy Takes a Bow – and it’s well, well earned.
I can't stop reading Kirtsy Takes a Bow: A Celebration of Women's Online Favorites. And rereading it. And going back to make sure there's nothing I missed. The thing is, it's not just me. An art director friend shirked work for an hour to browse after I handed it his...
The Lazy Baker makes a gingerbread man that is easy to catch
Normally, if you were to call me lazy at this time of the year, you'd find a candy cane in a most uncomfortable place, but the kind people at The Lazy Baker are my new best friends for creating gourmet baking mixes, like their Gingerbread Cookie Kit, which saved me a...
Oh, mon coeur! Ocechou does adorable right
As much as I like modern design, I still want to see a heavy dose of adorable in a baby's room. Thankfully, Switzerland's Nicole of Ocechou does adorable right--not by using the same old licensed characters or doe-eyed puppies, but with sweet, original illustrations...
Let them eat cookies!
The holidays aren't so sweet for those people who have to pass up all the trays of Christmas cookies because of a food allergy or vegan lifestyle. So, when I heard that Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero were following up their most-awesome Vegan Cupcakes...
A new iPhone App that even the Grinch would love
I have to admit I'm a bit of an iPhone app addict, but even though the number of smart phone apps are growing into the hundreds of thousands I generally think that there are only a dozen or two that are worthwhile. The Dr. Seuss Camera--Grinch Edition iPhone app is...
Drink This – The perfect gift for wine lovers, wannabe wine lovers, or people who just want to punch pretentious wine lovers
I've let my own wine knowledge atrophy since falling in love with someone who makes a point to say that actually, he prefers Northern Rhone wines. (Seriously.) So I was excited when I first got wind of Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl's new tome, Drink This: Wine Made Simple...
Why send an e card? Because it’s easier. Um…we mean, eco-er.
The answer to my not enough time during the holidays to breathe let alone send cards prayers has arrived in my inbox just in time for Christmas: Paperless Post. Two words that will forever ring more beautifully than the Christmas bells themselves. I mean it. ...
Decoylab Clock – Expensive taste at a frugal price
Being a fairly frugal decorator, the nurseries in our home have always been a little bleak. My excuse - it's tough to find cool, modern pieces that won't break the budget. But that doesn't mean I'm not envious of all my friends' super swanky...
Placemats that put the eating back into family dinner
Regardless of what type of activities we bring with us to the table when we eat out, we still only ever get about 10 minutes of peaceful eating time. And that's on a good night. If you feel my pain, you'll want to invest in a few pairs of the Hello Hanna get-set...
Cool robot toys that won’t give me a (bleeping) headache
I'd like to make this holiday the Year Of Fewer Batteries, which could be a bitter pill to swallow for my little robot-aholic who hopes to add a few droids, bots or even a ridiculous robotic hamster to his collection. He's in luck, though, because I've rounded up...
The fancier way to say Happy Birthday Braden
We've seen quite a few "party in a box" type services. A few are good, but most of them seem like you're paying for someone else to go down to Target and grab a bunch of matching paper plates and streamers. I feel like if you're going to shell out for the help, you...
Please pass the gelt
Gold coin chocolates are certainly a Hanukkah necessity, although I love how this tradition can be made even better with Divine Chocolate's gold-wrapped fair-trade coins. Made from cocoa coming from a farmer-owned cooperative of growers in Ghana, Divine Chocolate's...