Hasta La Ideas

Once again, the now-ubiquitous breed of seasonal retailer—the holiday pop-up shop—has taken up residence in several crannies throughout New York City. Of course, the shops are welcome tenants, for there’s no better place to stumble on the perfect gift than their cleverly curated corners. Below are three unique pop-ups…

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Not even the biggest Scrooge can deny a little holiday cheer upon perusing this year’s update to the Cool Hunting Gift Guide, and 2012 brings with it a new bounty of items sure to top your wish list this season. We’ve scoured the globe online and off to make…

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Independence Day 2012 has come to an end. Some of you may have hosted barbecues, others lit off fireworks, and there were likely many of you who dressed up both the inside and outside of your homes with decorations sporting the traditional red, white, and blue.

Just as with any holiday, once the festivities are over, you’ll need to take down your decorations and put them away until next year. The key is storing them so that you can find everything you need when that time rolls around again, keep them out of the way of your normal living paths until then, and store them safely so as not to invite bugs or pests into your home or the decorations. But, before you run out to get containers, keep these five organizing principles in mind:

1. Gather like items together. As much as possible, keep all Fourth-of-July-related decor together so that they’re easy to find. Better yet, keep all banners together, all wall hangings together, all table cloths together, etc. Once packaged up, store them adjacent to other spring/summer items in your holiday storage.
2. Make them accessible. Put your items away in a spot you can get to fairly easily and safely. If you have to move other things out of the way to reach them, it will be difficult to get what you want and to put them back when the time comes. Also, you don’t want to end up in the emergency room of your local hospital.
3. Label your containers. Put a label (write “Fourth of July” or add an American Flag sticker) on your boxes to help you remember what’s inside the boxes without having to open the containers. It’s helpful to put a list of the contents on the outside of the box as well (e.g. two wreaths, one box of streamers) so you know how much you have and don’t go off buying duplicates in the future.
4. Keep some original packaging. If the items are delicate, try to store them in their original boxes for additional protection (e.g. plates, paper crafts).
5. Keep the good stuff. Only store items for the year that are in good condition and that you plan to use again. Trash or recycle broken items. Donate or give away items to friends that you no longer want but are still in good condition.

Only after you sort and organize and know exactly how much storage you’re going to need is it a good idea to buy containers. And, if you already have storage containers, you won’t need to buy anything at all.

If you’ll be storing a flag for the year, it is respectful to treat it well. If dirty, you can hand wash it in mild detergent. Or, if you prefer, you can dry clean it. According to the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC), some dry cleaners offer complimentary cleaning services for U.S. flags during the months of June and July. The FCIC also suggests keeping flags in an area that is well ventilated. Store it in an area you would other fine textiles, like a linen closet, instead of in an old garage, basement, or attic.

Flags are typically folded in a triangle which can require two people to do properly. Once it’s folded, put it in a triangular flag case or a container lined with acid-free paper made to hold nice linens.

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Show mom some love with a thoughtful gift pack handcrafted by a trio of warmhearted women

In celebration of “amazing mamas” in their lives, three crafty friends recently collaborated on a lovely gift that’s perfect for any loved one deserving of a treat. The Care (About You) Package, designed to pamper on Mother’s Day, takes care of the thoughtfulness for you with relaxing herbal bath sachets, massage oil and a hand-drawn illustration.

The trio behind the warmhearted bundle, all women-helmed small businesses and friends of Cool Hunting—Blades Natural Beauty, Good Fight Herb Co. and Paperfinger—each contributed individual specialties for one awesome display of affection. Jessa Blades handcrafted a bath tea blend that soothes with lavender, calendula and rose, as well as sea and epsom salts. The massage oil, blended by Lauren of Good Fight, includes anti-inflammatory and pain relieving herbs, such as wild-harvested arnica, St. John’s wort, calendula flowers, comfrey leaf, organic turmeric root, combined with wintergreen essential oil, almond oil, vitamin E and extra-virgin olive oil. Topped off with Bryn’s (aka Paperfinger’s) charming hand-printed “you are loved” illustration, the package makes for ultimate way to show your mom just how much you appreciate her efforts.

Mother’s Day is still a few weeks away but the gift is a limited run of just 40. The Package sells online from Etsy for $48.