It feels like the world is in a very give-back kind of mood this year, doesn't it? And while we have quite a few gifts that give back on our holiday gift guide , there's something particularly special about ornaments that support a great…
If you score not-so-high on the Official Scale of Craftiness (which, I swear, should be a real thing), fear not. You and your kids will have a blast making these eight super-easy, super-cute holiday crafts we've rounded up just for you. …
DIY handmade ornaments make some of the most lovely Christmas gifts . Our own Christmas tree is filled with handmade holiday ornaments, some from flea markets and craft shops on our travels, and some DIY ornaments from crafty friends. (S…
If you're a design fan, or just like a lot of color besides red and green in your hoildays, then these ornaments from Pantone might be the ten most perfect ornaments for your Christmas tree. I am having trouble picking a favorite from am…
More and more people are craving a handmade holiday season, from stockings to gifts. I understand the feeling of wanting to be surrounded by one-of-a-kind pieces that are unique and beautiful. When I was a young child, my aunt made my wh…
I adore everything about the holidays, especially decorating. Growing up in my family, prepping the house pretty much stopped at setting out the menorah. Now that I'm in charge, I love decking out our home with a cozy all-holidays-welcom…
With Christmas just around the river bend (how very Pocahontas of me), the search for festive ornaments is underway. I like to hunt for ornaments, especially handmade ones, in unpredictable places, and my first visit is always Etsy . It'…
I may still be full from the Thanksgiving feast, but I'm already thinking about decking those halls, trimming the tree, and getting my hands on an Advent calendar before December 1st rolls around. But no worries: You still have about a w…
My box of Easter decorations may sit unopened in the basement this year, but I can still make my home festive beyond the colored Easter eggs, with printables. Here I've gathered up a bunch of free Easter printables to get me in the mood …
No one likes taking down those holiday decorations, but mamas? Trust us, you don't want to be "that one house" with the lights still up on Valentine's Day. That's why we've got 5 great ideas on how to store your winter holiday decoration…
While I love the silhouette ornaments in our Holiday Gift Guide this year as a fabulous grandparent gift, here's one more idea. And if you've got up to 5 cousins (or kids) in the family, even better. The customized star ornament from CMP…
Because I live in the desert, snowflakes are as rare as... well, snowflakes in the desert. We dream of white Christmases but they don't often happen. So snowflakes are my holiday totem, and I absolutely love how they've come together in …
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…
We may still have Thanksgiving leftovers in the refrigerator, but December 1st is just around the corner. To my kids, this can only mean one thing: Time to get out the advent calendar so that they can start the countdown to Christmas. An…
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…
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…
Partridges, French hens, the splattered eggs of a dozen overactive geese. Forget 'em. If you want to say "I love you" with birds, go for the artistic, lasting beauty of paper lovebirds, another gift that gives back. Whether you'd like a …
Don't worry, little narwhals and belugas. My kids' sticky mitts will never touch you, much less rip you to shreds to get to the booty beneath. No, my sweet blubbery friends, you are far too precious for that. Yes, I'm talking to wrapping…
I don't usually go the disposable paper plate route, except when it comes to kids parties. But here are some paper plates so adorable they might be worth making an exception. Why? Well, they're personalized. With a photo of my smiling sw…
Hanging boughs of holly and popcorn is fine for the mantel, but you wouldn't want to wear them yourself. I mean, think of all the cleavage sap full of popcorn crumbs. If you're looking to decorate yourself for the holidays while staying …
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…
When my kids were young, I found a trio of very cute stockings in a small local store that I thought were totally unique and special for our family. And then my mother saw them and said, O ooo, I saw those at the card store! So much for …
I now have a tree filed with beautiful one-of-a-kind ornaments from years of craft fairs and museum shops, and travels to cities everywhere. But if I can't get around the world, I'm glad their ornaments can now get to me, via Etsy. This …
'Tis the season for lots of neighborhood parties and gatherings, and you know what that means--lots of hostess gifts . I have a closet dedicated to "cutesy gifts gone bad," like dozens of fancy soaps. (I'm a pump dispenser girl.) Persona…