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,…
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 grower…
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, thoug…
This year for the holidays, instead of getting your guy a remote control bottle opener or electronic book mark, I say go off the grid and surprise him with this elegant, yet undeniably masculine set of ManCards stationery for men, by Mic…
Looking for a gift that's Just Right for your child's teacher? A wee gift that says "We appreciate everything you do!" without getting too personal? Lovely monogrammed notecards are always a good bet - you know, to write thank you notes …
I think I just knocked a couple of gifts of my list with the Mobile Foodie Survival Kit spotted at Uncommon Goods. This purse-sized tin of organic herbs, spices and condiments will help the finicky eaters of the world better endure the i…
For years we've been professing our love for Psychobaby, mostly because they make our job of finding edgier baby gifts ridiculously easy. And since they're always updating their inventory with new, fabulous items, we decided to update ou…
I think holiday ornaments always make a cool little gift , especially when you (or the kids) have made them yourself. And the YoYo ornament kit at Mahar Dry Goods, is hooking you up this year with the happiest, most colorful decorations …
Playing dreidel is a staple of celebrating Hanukkah , and I have to say our games have been known to get very competitive. Hey, there are M&M's at stake! But Staccabees take dreidel playing to a new height. Literally. This dreidel game s…
When we made the move to suburbia, one of the first purchases we made was a wagon. But like most people, we were limited to what we could find at our local chain store, which was definitely about functionality and not at all about sleek …
Automoblox have taken over more than a few toy chests in the last few years, and it's not surprising - these modular, creativity-inspiring toys cars and trucks inspire imaginations, while still delivering the joy of vrooming a car around…
I've bought enough chocolate for my milk-allergic daughter to know that milk isn't a necessary ingredient for super-delicious chocolate, especially when it's the extra-good-for-you darker varieties. And while Divvies is my first choice f…
Indeed the whole eco-friendly gift tag embedded with wildflower seed thing isn't brand new, but I like it anyway. I like that it makes the giver feel as good as the getter. And in time for the holidays, I especially like the Plantable Or…
For my niece's first Christmas, I got her a big collection of DVDs from great kindie rock artists , hoping it would help keep her away from all that awful kids' music as she got older. But I never really think to check our favorite music…
Tween girls are often the hardest to shop for at the holidays - everything they covet seems to be a fortune (iPod Touch, I'm talking to you) and most of the inexpensive gifts are hopelessly disposable. But I think I just found a home run…
When I found out that How the Grinch Stole Christmas , one of my all time faaaaavorite Christmas movies was out on Blu-ray I couldn't wait to see it in glorious high def. Especially now that we're officially into Christmas season . As it…
Thanks so much to CBS 4 in Denver for the lovely coverage of our Holiday Gift Guide and their focus on our support of mom-run businesses and more affordable options for parents this year. Click over (while you can!) to see CMP VIP and De…
We fell in love with Paloma's Nest last year when we first featured this Austin artist's ceramic Christmas ornaments in our holiday gift guide . (Speaking of which - our 2009 guide should be out next week. Whoo!) We were so blown away by…
I send flowers several times a year and I've found florist shops and online flower delivery services to be very hit or miss in terms of the quality and freshness. When most of the "fresh" flowers you order are shipped in from abroad, how…
In our family, Christmas stockings have always been a really important aspect of our family tradition. Even on years we skip the tree for whatever reason, those stockings just make the house feel festive and fun. So I really love seeking…
For years I was mystified by the thong, an article of clothing that felt more "medieval torture device" than comfy undergarment. But, after hearing about Hanky Panky's thongs , I gave them a try and have been a convert to their comfortab…
I've become a strong advocate of paper dolls since realizing that my girls can spend hours entertaining themselves with them. The only issue? That whole paper thing. Let's just say freak decapitations are are not an uncommon occurrence. …
We've all got play dough connoisseurs for children at Cool Mom Picks, so I know that a few of the organic versions I've had a chance to try out recently have some tough standards to live up to. Past pick Eco-Dough so far is the benchmark…
If you're looking to knock off a half-dozen of teacher gifts or cousin gifts or classmate gifts in one fell swoop, I love the idea of the holiday ornament kit from CMP fave, Thomas Claire . This wonderful mom-run company will hook you up…