As much as I like to tap into my inner Martha Stewart during the holiday season, this year there just isn't enough time to crochet snowflake ornaments, whip up petit fours wrapped in fondant, and glue-gun wreaths made of pinecones and mi…
Over the years, we've become more aware of eco-friendly gift wrap options from reusable gift bags, to recycled wrapping paper. But one thing I haven't thought so much about is tape. And honestly, this must be the time of of year that the…
I have a chronic and embarrassing condition called "failure to plan ahead", which occasionally leaves me without a hostess gift , cute wrapping paper, or party decorations. Good news! There's a cure, and it comes in book form. Martha Ste…
OK, so you've probably never wondered what a holiday card designed by Jennifer Aniston or Zoe Saldana would look like, but here's a hint: They're stylish. Stylish enough that it surprised us. And stylish enough that they are carried by p…
Last year we discovered the beautiful new holiday card company, Pinhole Press . And this year, the company has a whole new lineup of cards--so I'm glad to have discovered them myself. Let's just say making holiday cards stresses me out s…
We've already established our love for Zappos , which is quite clear if you take a peek at our closets. So when they asked us to some of our favorite dresses for the holidays, we knew the only problem we'd have would be culling our list …
While bananas are not normally something you find associated with Hanukkah, this year we have good reason for you to reconsider- Bananagrams have gone Hebrew. This awesome modern word game already exists in English and in Spanish so we'r…
We've adored the gorgeous baby and kids luxury brand Jacadi since we first discovered them at our own baby showers (thanks to some very generous friends!). The name conjures up what you might imagine from any top-of-the-line French cloth…
Not to be dissing those chalk gold-wrapped coins with an actual chocolate content of about .03%, but if you're going to treat your dreidel winners with sweets this Hanukkah, we've got a better idea. The Hanukkah chocolate disks from CMP …
I love teaching my children about different cultures and how to appreciate the beauty of family traditions . This lesson is most important around the holidays. There is a Christmas tree on every corner, sometimes with a Hanukkah menorah …
Life with four kids means there are a lot of last minute "oops" happening around my place when it comes to gifts and cards. This is also why I've been a fan of Animoto since we first featured them on Cool Mom Picks a few years ago. Their…
I always feel more social during the holidays. Maybe it's the cooler weather and festive music that inspires me to finally bring out the welcome mat and throw a party. (Fine, the fact that the house is finally decorated doesn't hurt.) Bu…
Though my religious affiliation can best be summed up with a long puzzled silence, there are certain things from my youth that I carry with me to this day, like praying when the plane jets down the runway, and setting up the nativity sce…
Of all the Cyber Monday deals today, we might be the most excited about Tea Collection. A frequent CMP sponsor and a label our own kids wear a lot of, they're not only offering 25% off their already reduced sale collection today, but for…
Let's face it people, good Hanukkah items are hard to come by. Fortunately Emily Sper, creator of those clever Hanukkah activity books is back and I'm especially pleased to find a fresh pick from her for 5772. Emily' new collection of Ha…
Method definitely had me in mind, when they developed soaps and cleaning products that not only look good out in the open, but they smell nice enough that you don't mind washing everyone else's dishes. (Ahem.) This year they've got a hol…
My kids really want to be helper elves when it comes to wrapping the gifts, but after a roll of tape and a yard of paper, I've learned to enlist their help in other ways. So instead of handing them the safety scissors and gift wrap, I'm …
Fewer things throw my kids into a tizzy of Christmastime anticipation as an advent calendar with its counting down of days. But the calendar grandma gets them with the waxy chocolate behind each door isn't much to look at and barely make…
Just a quick note to wish you all a beautiful Thanksgiving, however you're spending it. We hope you're surrounded by all the people you love, reminded of all the many, many things we have to be thankful for. As for us, we can say with al…
It's the perfect spirit of the holidays come to life: Give a little, get a little, and well, a collectible holiday keepsake doesn't hurt either. I just discovered the Heart 2011 Designer Ornament Collection from HSN, a partnership with a…
We have a thing for Zappos . A big, hard, mad love kind of a thing. So we were thrilled when, as our newest sponsor, they asked us to choose a few of our favorite holiday shoes for boys and girls. That's uh, kind of like our dream job. A…
The countdown is on--you've now got one month until Haunukkah ! Do you know where your menorah is? While I love the idea of using a menorah at Hanukkah that's passed down through the generations, I think there's also something great abou…
Garfield has never been called elegant, nor is Snoopy considered stylish. And yet, in the right hands, the Sunday comics are being transformed into stunning holiday ornaments. The Sea Urchin Recycled Newspaper Ornament from kissadesign o…
This holiday season, you can do almost anything with your fancy photos: make books, cards, puzzles, even an afghan. But we found one artist putting a beautiful homemade twist on capturing your family's image, and we think this one's wort…