Oh say can you see... how awesome your 4th of July party or barbecue is going to be? Whether you need a last minute nosh or pretty party printables , we've got you covered like strawberries on a flag cake. 1. Need to keep your little pat…
Earlier this week it was fun finding some of the most beautiful Fourth of July printables and decor , and now for you DIY'ers, I've rounded up fun Fourth of July crafts so you can celebrate America's 236th birthday party in style. Whethe…
The best party recipes for occasions like the Fourth of July, are simple party recipes that allow you enjoy the celebration too. These festive treats are just that easy. You can even have little ones help with the prep work, while older …
I love Fourth of July parties, but not all Fourth of July party decor. Beer, hot dogs, fireworks and vintage Americana are good. Red white and blue painted garden gnomes, not so much. I've tracked down these cool, classy options for fest…
Father's Day is Sunday, and while we've been giving you loads (and loads and loads of Father's Day gift ideas , we understand that you may still be looking for that little special "something" that will pull it all together. Instead of sc…
Looking for ideas for a child's birthday party can be both fun-- and stressful. When my kids were younger, I confess, I went a little overboard with over-the-top parties causing me to collapse with exhaustion. As I learned, it can be a l…
Girls' birthday party ideas can still be girlie, even if you want to avoid the same old princess theme. Which is why I instantly fell in love with the downloadable, customizable party kits at Creative Little Stars, based around classic s…
Everybody loves cupcakes, but decorating them can be majorly intimidating. You can always outsource, of course, but spending a fortune at a fancy bakery for a kid's birthday isn't very appetizing either. This is why I'm in L-O-V-E with t…
I always need another reason to eat cupcakes (well, I don't need a reason) and now I have one. All I need is a baby shower invitation and I'm all set. The edible icing cupcake topper folks at Ticings.com (a big fave around here) have col…
The standards for kids' birthday cakes have gone up a bit since I was little, when we just stopped by the Piggly Wiggly and had the teen behind the counter misspell my name between the lumpy sugar roses. Now we want them to be beautiful,…
We are so excited to welcome Stacie of One Hungry Mama to the Cool Mom Picks team! We've admired her common sense, approachable, clever posts about food and cooking for ages now. This is the first of her weekly niblets of food-related co…
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…
We were so impressed with the gorgeous eco-friendly holiday cards from Night Owl Paper Goods last year that we ordered them for our own CMP contributors. So when I heard they added a few new items to their collection of goodies, I couldn…
With the money I'm spending on Halloween costumes and bags of candy, I'm not about to drop a fortune on decor too. So, I'm so pleased to have found so many affordable (and free!) printables that don't require me to do much of anything or…
My kids are at the age where their Trick-or-Treat bags return home weighing almost as much as they do. At this rate they'll be up to their knees in mini-treats until 2012. So I'm often looking out for other things to hand out at Hallowee…
Whether you're into classic Zeppelin or that annoyingly peppy pop song about a party under the Hollywood sign, you can't play it without a guitar. And you definitely shouldn't party without these extra tiny, extra awesome guitars, just i…
I am fairly confident in my taste, and know when I see an invitation that's special and different. But making it myself? No way. So I am happy to know there are some wonderful artists and designers out there who are willing to work with …
While the fancy cupcake trend has now hit just about every town in America, you don't need to spend a fortune to get a good cupcake or even one that your kids will consider cool . Whether you're going store-bought or baking at home, I th…
Whether you've got a tiny horse fanatic, a country themed shindig, or just some really unruly cake pops that need to be rounded up like little dogeys, we've found the perfect cupcake wrappers for you. Bonus: Hello, ponies! I've got a cas…
When my newly minted 7-year old daughter asked me to throw her a Harry Potter birthday party with only two weeks to plan, I said "absolutely!" And then ran straight to my computer to try to figure out how the heck to pull this off for ab…
I need ideas for my daughter's 10th birthday..something original and wow. She's a girly girl, loves to sing, very creative, honor student, responsible and loving. Over the years, we've done the bead parties, craft parties , clowns, art p…
After I run a 5k with my girls (their first!) and hit our local Memorial Day parade, I plan to do a whole lot of nothing but eat, drink and spend a few moments thanking those brave men and women who gave everything so I could live in thi…
Just because America broke up with England a few hundred years ago doesn't mean we're not still desperately interested in their royal family. Especially since it's about to be infiltrated by a commoner like us. If you're as excited as we…
Unless I've got a friend who isn't telling me something, I have no need for baby shower invitations any time soon. I'm not hosting one--that I know of. But when the time comes, I'm so excited to use one of the new baby shower invitations…