Local Mom Gives the San Mateo Scoop

Friends often ask each other for advice on what products to purchase, vendors to use and books to read. But imagine if your friend circle expanded by thousands of woman throughout the country sounding off on hundreds of topics.

That’s the idea behind SkinnyScoop.

“Most of us make purchase decisions based off of what our friends recommend,” said Burlingame mom and SkinnyScoop co-founder Erin McBride Crocker. “Every woman is passionate about something.”

San Bruno-based SkinnyScoop got its start when Crocker and her Stanford Graduate School of Business roommate Eden Godsoe sought an easier method of sharing and finding information on everything from parenting to products to iPod apps. Along with Larissa Dinh, the pair founded SkinnyScoop as a virtual place where people can share their experiences and expertise through asking and answering questions, creating lists of their favorite things and adding to and commenting on lists.

The lists are easy to share, and can be displayed as widgets on a blog or links on Facebook.

Crocker recently created her own list of favorites for San Mateo and surrounding Hillsborough and Burlingame. As a one-time board member of the Burlingame Mothers' Club and Burlingame resident for 10 years, Crocker is used to others asking her for suggestions on the best businesses around town. She decided to compile her favorites in one easy-to-use guide.

“Local is where sort of my whole life happens,” Crocker said. “I love our neighborhood, I love where we live…I love to recommend people that I think are awesome.”

Crocker said she has many lists on SkinnyScoop on everything from travel to Thanksgiving recipes, but her best of San Mateo list focuses on the standout services found around town, many of which are owned by local families.

Not only are these people knowledgeable and professional, but they also go the extra mile.

“These are good people,” Crocker said, noting it’s apparent they love their work. “There’s not enough people who work like that.”

Crocker’s list includes a contractor who continues giving advice after his project ends and a seamstress who made Crocker’s son’s Halloween costume and then hemmed it for free even though the incorrect length resulted from Crocker’s measuring mistake.

Crocker enjoys helping her friends save time and bringing new business to her favorite vendors through her list in what she said is a win-win situation.

“It saves my friends time and gives back to someone who’s great at what they do,” she said. “It’s a fun and really transparent way. It’s not some ad—these are folks that I really like and you should check them out.”