Evergreen Moms: A Pacific Northwest Shopping Blog

Get your craft on

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Northwest mom Marie LeBaron of the fabulous (and useful!) website Makes and Takes has a new book out: Make and Takes for Kids. Fifty seasonal crafts for kids, each one creative, fun, and (best of all) simple. No running to the craft store for some use-it-once item.

A great present for the child who's constantly playing with pipe cleaners and glue sticks--or a handy back up plan for those days when you've plum run out of ideas of things to do with the kids.

$13 at our affiliate Amazon

Give yourself a gift

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

There is still time to order a beautiful silver necklace from PNW shop Morgan Prather Accessories for that special Christmas gift. Or do what I do and just buy one for yourself and tell your hubby that you've taken care of your own Christmas present. You get exactly what you want and your hubby doesn't have to stumble through the mall. Win-win! There are a number of intricate designs to choose from so you'll probably find more than one to love.

$23 at Morgan Prather Accessories

A sweet new ride for the preschool set

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

I used my favorite Ergo baby carrier until my son was just too darn big for me to lug around. But since he also didn't like to ride in the stroller, I would end up hoisting him on my shoulders anyway. I only wish I had known about The Piggyback Rider! This ingenious backpack-like device allows you to carry your 2 1/2+ age kiddo (up to 60 lbs) like a traditional piggyback but with much better ergonomic support. Your child stands on the foot-bar so they can see everything from their little perch. And they are secure with a safety tether and integrated grab handles.

$80 at The Piggyback Rider

A positive spin

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

There are days when I feel like we're doing more correcting than encouraging our kids. So when I stumbled across the "I Like Book", I knew it needed a place under our Christmas tree. Each day, parents write down something they like about their kiddo in this 12 month open-date journal. I plan to begin this on New Years day as part of our bed time routine. That way no matter how many corrections I've doled out, the day will always end with a positive message.

$20 at our affiliate, Amazon

Serve up your favorite faces

2011-11-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Portland's Silhouette Shop has all sort of melamine Christmas plates and platters you can personalize with your own family's profiles. Just email pics (there are directions and tips at the shop's site) and you'll have an ultra-personal piece to enjoy for holidays to come.

$40 at Silhouette Shop

Dress it up

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Add a special touch to a plain dresser in your babies' nursery with beautiful hand painted knobs from PNW shop Sweet Mix Creations. With a wide variety of colors and styles, you'll find a set of knobs to match your decor. After hand painting the knobs are coated with several layers of hardwearing gloss for a durable finish.

From $33 at Sweet Mix Creations

24 days of joy

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but this find needs a little prep time! The kit from Portland's Clip and Pin comes with the muslin bags, clothespins, and twine you'll need to create an advent calendar made just for your family. Fill the bags with trinkets, candies, or slips of paper with a special activity for each day--so much fun!

$44 at Clip and Pin

Gobble gobble

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Even the smallest kiddos can get into the holiday fun with this turkey bib from PNW shop Twenty7 Handmade. Each bib is handmade and hand embroidered with your choice of colors for the feathers. And they will even personalize with your child's name.

$13 at Twenty7 Handmade

Keep warm while keeping cute

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

This little hooded monster fleece vest is too fun for its own good! It's one of four embellished vest options handmade by Portland's Oh My Goshman. Available in sizes from 12 months to 4T.

$20 at Oh My Goshman

It's potty time

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Our favorite sign language program Signing Time has just released Potty Time, a potty training DVD and CD. With catchy tunes like "My Body Is Amazing," this DVD will sure to be your kiddo's new fav (and reinforces whatever potty training method you're using). These signs have come in handy when we're trying to ask our son if he needs to go potty in a crowded room without embarrassing him. Or when we're double checking that he washed his hands. And now that we're starting to sign with our daughter, this DVD will definitely be under the Christmas tree with her name on it!

$25 at Signing Time*

*EGM is proud to be affiliated with Signing Time

Little helper

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for lots of cooking and baking so why not get the kids involved? Keep them tidy with these adorable handmade aprons from PNW shop Corakids. For a fun festive touch, order a matching set for you and your kiddo and then keep the camera handy to capture all of those special moments you spend cooking together.

From $24 at Corakids

Real trees + digital love

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've always thought that the whole initials-carved-in-trees thing was pretty dang romantic. Save for the fact that, good tree hugger that I am, I would never want to actually carve up a tree.

KarenArtCreations of Oregon solves that problem. She will digitally "carve" your name/initials/special date onto one of her pretty pictures of Northwest trees. All the sentiment with no eco-guilt!

$10 at KarenArtCreations

A bit of bowling

2011-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Now that the fall weather seems to be settling in a bit, it's nice to have some fun indoor games on hand. Like this cute little kitty bowling set made by Portland's Kitty Baby Love. You get six baby kittens, a wooden ball, and score cards, all tidy in a drawstring bag. A great family activity that little kids can enjoy!

$45 at Kitty Baby Love

Custom dresses at a discount

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

The holidays are just around the corner so it's the perfect time to find that special dress for all those parties. Like this beautiful and flattering kimono sleeve dress from PNW designer Liza Rietz. I also love her more structured silhouettes like her Ruffle Dress. And thanks to her Autumn Sale, you can buy some of her best-selling, custom made dresses at a discount for a limited time!

$206 at Liza Rietz

Rock and roll (literally)

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Manzanita Kids (out of Seattle) is chock full of developmental wooden toys, all designed to nurture creative play and just flat out pretty. There are stackers, puzzles, rattles, and building blocks galore.

Especially cool is the Manzanita Wheel, which can be used all sorts of ways by kids of different ages. Toddlers can stack the blocks or lay the wheel flat to use as a simple square puzzle. Older children can use the multicolored bricks for a game of tic-tac-toe. And kids of all ages can play with balancing the blocks inside the wheel to make it rock or roll along the floor. Love that versatility!

Until 10/29 you can get free U.S. domestic shipping with coupon code SHIPFREE.

$24 at Manzanita Kids

Fa-boo-lous Halloween party printables

2011-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's a freebie today! Who says Halloween parties have to be scary? Check out this very happy, kid-friendly party collection designed by Love Party Printables. Perfect for a fun afternoon of costumes and candy.

Free at Catch My Party

Light up my life

2011-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

These light up buckets from Lizzie Jean's Cookies are an easy way for your kiddo to stay visible (and safe) this Halloween. They may lose a flashlight or ditch a reflective jacket but they will never let their candy bucket out of their hands. And with the personalization, there will be no question as to whose candy it contains. Plus there is an on/off switch and the battery compartment is accessible so you can re-use this bucket year after year.

$18 at Lizzie Jean's Cookies

Hoop-de-loop

2011-10-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, look at the lovely hand embroidered hoop art from Oregon shop Bo Betsy! Such beautiful colors and wonderful textures to brighten any wall.

$10-68 at Bo Betsy

Trick or organic treats

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

I first discovered these delicious organic lollipops from YummyEarth when choosing potty training rewards for my son. Well after sampling a few, I'm not ashamed to admit that we bought the 5lb bag. (Ok, maybe I'm a little ashamed to admit that.) But in my defense, the price is very reasonable and we are planning to use them for Halloween treats. Of course we may need to sample a few more before the big day.

$28 at Amazon

Paper blooms

2011-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

The paper creations of Portland crafter Dana Parlevliet are just right for sentimental occassions. Like a dozen flowers made of paper saying, "I love you" (right). Or a perfect blossom made-to-order and printed with your names and special date (left). They are bouquets that will never fade--a creative way to celebrate your paper (first) anniversary!

$7-68 at Dana's Paper Flowers

Stay in touch in seconds

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

I do most of my communicating online with extended family so I have to remember to keep my computer-adverse grandma in the loop via other means. I was excited when the brilliant PNW folks behind postcardly.com contacted us about their product. It is the perfect solution to keep in touch with grandma! I simply send an email to a special email address with the text I want on a postcard and attach a photo. The Postcardly people magically turn that email into a postcard and send it to my grandma via U.S. mail. That's it! In one quick e-mail, grandma can see the latest photo of her great grandkids and a few short paragraphs about our latest happenings. I can even do the entire thing on my smart phone in just a few seconds!

And after seeing how excited my preschooler was to get his first piece of mail, it occurred to me that Postcardly would also be a great way for he and his out-of-state cousins to communicate as well. Kind of like a newer, quicker pen pal system.

$5 per month for 5 postcards at Postcardly

*EGM SPECIAL OFFER: First-time Postcardly customers can take advantage of a free trial and receive 3 free postcards.

Return to sender

2011-10-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm loving the funky custom address stamps from Portland's Glitter Puff. They have oodles of design options, all with a decidedly modern feel. Most of us send a lot less postal mail these days--may as well make it look stellar when we do!

$20-35 at Glitter Puff

Let the countdown begin

2011-10-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Halloween fans, both young and old alike, will love this handmade countdown block calendar from Bloom and Barnacle. And since 2 sets ship for the price of 1, you might as well pick up a Christmas countdown block calendar while you're at it!

$25 at Bloom and Barnacle

Zebra around the house

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Your kiddo will long for cold winter days when she sees you crocheting this zebra hat. (Lucky kiddo to have such a crafty mama!) Suitable for girls or boys, you'll receive a pdf pattern in 5 sizes to fit newborns through 5 year olds. I love the mane that runs from the top to the back of the hat and the little flower for the girl's version. The PNW shop, Emie Grace Creations, lists this as an intermediate skill level.

$4 at Emie Grace Creations

Hello, [insert favorite state here]

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

The state salutation prints by Seattle's Hands Workshop are a fun way to remember an event, trip, or town that holds a special place in your heart. Pick any of the fifty states and they'll create an 8x10 print with a star right at your special city.

$15 at Hands Workshop