We’ve never seen such modern Valentine’s Day cards like the ones from Paper Culture.  So, send your love in style with one of Paper Culture’s Valentine’s photo card designs.

Valentine’s Cards with a Modern, Eco-Friendly Twist from Paper Culture

We’re a little bit behind in our holiday preparation, and just started planning to make our gingerbread house.  We went looking for some gingerbread house design inspirations and found some great links.

• How to make mini-gingerbread houses for your coffee mugs [via Design Mom]
• Gingerbread House Showcase via Flickr
• Step-by-step German and Swedish gingerbread houses
• Gingerbread house template via Martha Stewart
• Building a gingerbread house video via YouTube
• Mod gingerbread house with design plans via Ohdeedoh

Skip Hop sent us a few of their Zoo Packs, a line of small scale backpacks just for little kids.  I found that they’re perfect for my two-year old because she loves the monkey bag, and the pack is just the right size that it can’t be overloaded.  And while Skip Hop promotes that their Zoo Packs are BPA free, Phthalate free, and PVC free, it’s the banana zipper tag detail that makes it a winner for me.

Skip Hop Monkey Zoo Pack |  $24 at Amazon.com

Remember growing up with your giant box of Crayola’s with the built-in sharpener?  Well, here’s the modern day alternative – 500 Colored Pencils from Social Designer. Available only via monthly subscription, you’ll get 25 new colored pencils every month for the next 20 months. Their website explains the subscription this way:

We believe the greatest beauty of 500 Pencils is that you don’t receive all of them at once, but over the course of 20 months. It gives you new focus as an artist, working with color families and feeling the precious nature of each pencil.

Is there a good little boy or girl who would love 500 Colored Pencils in their stocking?

Busy parents know how quickly hectic holiday schedules can sneak up on us.  One holiday task that can quickly become a chore is getting out our holiday cards, so that’s why busy moms turn to Paper Culture’s Mail and Message Service.  Just upload your address contacts in one fell swoop, and if you choose, individually message each card. Paper Culture prints it on the card and sends the cards out for only the cost of the stamps! We love this amazing holiday time saver.

What’s more is that Paper Culture offers the hippest, most modern holiday cards we’ve seen.  Read our review on modern holiday card designers.

Mail & Message Service from Paper Culture: Let Paper Culture address, stamp, and mail your cards for free! Shop Now!

Coochicoos Reader Special: Get $15 off and FREE Shipping on Orders $100 or More! Expires December 16. Use Code: JOY

Shopped around Etsy today and found these unique gifts you probably won’t find at the mall.

• Snowflake Cookies
• Crayon Apron
• Wool Felt Clock
• Silhouette Portrait with Elephant
• Little Car Yo-yo
• Kitty Egg Crayons
• DIY Whoopie Pie Kit
• Perpetual Paris Photo Calendar

Quick, run over to Etsy to get this limited quantity re-usable Christmas tree fabric wall decals ($112) before they’re out.  Also good for year-round kid’s room decoration too.

Free Shipping* at The Land of Nod! Ends 11/30

$25 off any purchase of $125 or more

Save 20% OFF site-wide at momAgenda

Tiny Prints Studio Basics Holiday Cards – Starting from just $.69 each!

Free Shipping on any order at Paperspring Custom Stationery.

Enjoy 15% off plus free shipping and returns on everything at BodenUSA.com! Valid 11-27-09 through 11-30-09 only.

Purchase from our Petunia Pickle Bottom gift sets collection and receive 15% off. Enter promo code GIFTSETS at checkout (offer ends December 31, 2009).
Snuggle up to savings. Spend $100 on our Barefoot Dreams collection and save $15. Enter promo code SNUGGLE at checkout (offer ends December 31, 2009).

Get $15 off & Free Priority Shipping on Orders of $100 or More! Use code: JOY

Free Ground Shipping at Robeez – No Minimum Order Size!.

Get 10% Off and Free Shipping on every order (no minimums) at Cardstore.com.  Use code: WINTERSALE.  Sale goes thru December 1, 2009.

• 25% off plus Free Shipping on all your holiday shopping from ChronicleBooks.com. Promo code HOLIDAYHINTS (ends 12.31.09)
• ‘Tis the season for savings. Shop Gifts Under $20 from Chronicle Books.
• Chronicle Books Friends & Family Holiday Sale! 35% off + Free Shipping with promo code FRIENDS. (Ends 12.4.09)

Paperspring offers a contemporary and safe, classic look on their holiday card designs.  Choose your best family photo with one of their designs, and you’ll have a holiday photo card that’s a cut above the choices at your local big-box warehouse store.  Check out their StickyStock line for customized photos products on “post-it note” papers.

Pear Tree Greetings is another safe choice for clean fresh holiday card designs that appeal to all tastes.  We like them because they offer a different look at traditional holiday cards, but sometimes playing it safe can be boring too for those who prefer a bit more cutting edge style.

Black Friday Weekend @ Pear Tree – 20% off Holiday Cards. 11-27 to 11-30.

Tiny Prints is the online giant in online custom stationery that everyone is inspired by.  That said, Tiny Prints straddles the line between old school and modern stationery designs that attracts the broadest customer base.  To put a more modern edge to their extensive card line, Tiny Prints produces special exclusive product lines with top stationery designers.  See all Tiny Prints featured designers here and also their 2009 Holiday card line.

Looking for all modern and contemporary?  Minted is strictly modern across all their holiday card and paper stationery designs.  For a different holiday card spin, make sure you check out their exclusive multiple-photo card designs – the Minibook and the Yearline.

Paper Culture is our pick for the online card company that has the trendiest modern baby stationery and holiday photo cards around.  You won’t find any traditional designs at Paper Culture, where illustrations of holly berry’s, Christmas trees, and all other holiday motifs are designed in very modern interpretations.

They have it all – from baby shower invitations, birth announcements, eco-friendly holiday Christmas cards, birthday invitations, and even personal stationery and thank you cards.  If you’re looking for modern stationery designs that you’ve never seen anywhere else, definitely check out www.PaperCulture.com.

I love this 2010 calendar overlaid with bubble wrap so you can pop the days away – but seriously with a house full of kids, how long do you think these bubbles will last?  About eight or nine months, days, or mere minutes?  Fun idea, nonetheless.

2010 Bubble Wall Calendar |  $20.10