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 …
I love the hustle of the holiday season: cooking, shopping and giving are three of my favorite things. What I really don't like is finding the right wrapping paper for my latest treasures - and it can get ugly when I have multiple smalle…
I'm not sure which is cooler, the actual lyziwraps reusable gift bags that I just discovered, or the story behind them. They were originally designed by an 8th Grader, for an innovation competition, who was trying to find a way to decrea…
Yes, she's usually the one holding the antique French albino ostrich duster while explaining that it's a good thing to keep spiders out of your house with handmade pomanders. But now Martha Stewart is actually encouraging you to have win…
My daughter's fourth birthday is coming up, and I spend a good bit of time daydreaming of mastering fondant, hand calligraphing creamy envelopes, and crafting a birthday banner in lovely watercolor washes over newspaper. Ha freakin' ha. …
Edited to add: Unfortunately, Kate Landers Events no longer exists. Why settle for paper plates with generic movie princesses on them when you can actually have a party fit for a princess, complete with a hand-made felt crown and persona…
Let's face it: no one's ever going to say, "Whoopee, a cello bag of Jordan almonds!" It's just not in our DNA. And yet we feel the primal call to give cutesy favors out at at baby showers. ( I once painted twelve identical paintings in o…
I need some great first birthday party ideas and some adorable first birthday party attire for a little boy. Any suggestions? I am a recent follower, but a huge fan! Thanks! -Emilie Congratulations on the upcoming first birthday for your…
We're always on the lookout for cool party favors that do not include small plastic toys that last all of four minutes, or sugar-infested treats that seem to last four hours. So if you've got a party coming up, stuff those goody bags wit…
The story of Alice in Wonderland involves a tea party, funny little cakes, a menagerie of characters and lots of adventure. In other words, all the ingredients for a kid-friendly birthday party, as my daughter has recently discovered for…
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. Tot…
When I was a new mom, I swore that I would never make tableware "an issue." I would stick with neutral plates and bowls, basic silverware, and my kids would just deal with it. Right. As it turns out, serving dinner on "your special plate…
I'm always on the lookout for goodie bag favors that aren't mini plastic Slinkies from the dollar store. And last week I discovered the adorable Crazyoleez crayons and I thought, now there's a winner. Two passionate moms essentially melt…
It didn't take me too long to learn that younger kids are pretty much scared out of their wits by a lot of the costumes and decorations that are par for the course on Halloween. Forget bloody eyeballs or Scream masks -- even the giant in…
Provided you hold the embarrassing games, we love baby showers . Yay for momentous occasions! If you want to make the event as pretty as can be, we've collected a few unexpected decor ideas all from the indie artists and crafters on Etsy…
I love giving gifts; what kills me is the wrapping. All that wrapping paper getting tossed in the trash -- or worse, those reusable but ugly gift bags. Solution: LivingEthos reusable cloth gift bags . Made of 100% cotton, these bags are …
If I had my way, birthday decorations would be limited to a couple of mylar balloons. It's not that I don't appreciate a good birthday celebration. It's just that when you pile on the streamers and the birthday signs and the confetti (oh…
I owe a whopping thanks to Big Day Chains for getting me to my daughter's 5th birthday (today!) without completely losing my mind. Because if there's anything more annoying than the "Are we there yet?" question, it's "How many days until…
I've admitted here before that I'm a terrible gift wrapper, but as long as there are children aging in the world, there will be presents to wrap. Which is why I'm so happy to have found the Eco Deco line of green gift wrapping from Olive…
If you need a break from superheroes and princesses, I've got a fabulous kids birthday party idea, and it's so easy: Food themed birthday parties. Move over tea parties, we've got three new themes worth checking out. Milk & Cookies Fest …