2009 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Gift Ideas For Kids

ZHU ZHU PETS

     
  
Zhu Zhu Pets are THE hot toy of the season!  If you find them on the shelf or online, you may want to pick it up - I’m certain there’s a child in your life that would LOVE to find their own Zhu Zhu Pets under the Christmas tree!  The best alternatives to real live hamsters, Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters don’t poop, die, or stink, but they are still a riot of motion and sound.  Zhu Zhu was cleared by the CPSC of a contamination claim by a California group. Also available at Amazon (at a premium, unfortunately).

LEAPFROG LEAPSTER 2

     
With the Leap Frog Leapster2 educational handheld game system (ages 4-8), kids can learn on the go with 40+ games (including great titles like Disney’s Cars and Disney’s The Princess and the Frog), then connect online to unlock even more fun.  As a parent, I like the fact that by connecting the game to LeapFrog’s Learning Path online I can see my son’s learning progress.  The Leapster2 handheld offers a robust learning experience through built-in tutorials and learning levels that adapt automatically to your child’s pace. Its touch screen and stylus help develop motor skills used in writing. It’s also compatible with all 30+ Leapster learning games, so kids can practice a wide variety of skills for school as they play and learn with their favorite characters. Current Amazon prices: Leapster2 $48 & ships free, Disney’s Cars $24, Disney’s Princess & The Frog $24+.

STEP2 LIFESTYLE DREAM KITCHEN

 The Step2 Lifestyle Dream Kitchen: Surprise your children with the most realistic toy kitchen they’ll ever see! This compact, upscale kitchen is designed to match today’s home décor with “granite-look” counter tops. Made in USA of US and imported parts. Phone, play food, silver doors and faucet made in China. Five electronic features, Framed window with working overhead light and dish rack, 37-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary), Adult assembly required, Requires 6 “AA” and 5 “AAA” batteries, not included. Dimensions: 44.75 H 35.50 L 15.50 W / Weight: 48.00 lbs. Step2 is currently offering this kitchen for $119 ($40 off).

 DISNEY DVDs

 
You can never go wrong with a Disney DVD for the kids on your gift list.  From Playhouse Disney features for toddlers & preschoolers, to films for older kids, to old and new classics alike for kids of all ages, Disney DVDs are always a hit!  New releases & best bets for Christmas 2009: Tinker Bell & The Lost Treasure (review), G-Force (review coming soon), Mickey Mouse Playhouse: Mickey’s Choo Choo Express (review), Up (review), Monsters Inc (review), Santa Buddies (review), Handy Manny’s Motorcycle Adventure (review coming soon), and Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In At The House of Mouse (review coming soon).

HANES

This season, Hanes has a great offering of products under $10!  Perfect for stocking stuffers (Christmas is the perfect time to replensih the kiddos socks & underwear + other simple essentials) and gift giving (a warm play outfit for the child on your list would be well used over the winter months), Hanes can easily get everyone marked off your list without blowing your budget.  Check out the pictured items in Hanes Top 10 Under 10 For Kids: Short-sleeves, long-sleeves, sweatshirts, sweat pants, socks, underwear, & more for boys and girls. 

AND LOTS MORE FABULOUS GIFTS:

VTech V-Motion: Wireless, motion activated joystick is also righty or lefty adaptable; 100% compatible with the entire V.Smile Smartridge library; Web connect features allow for bonus game play downloads; Includes sports title; Includes V.Link. Chk out this deal on games.	First Act Discovery Guitars: The FG1133 is a 30” acoustic guitar, specially sized to accommodate a child’s smaller build. Its thinner body is more comfortable to hold, while the low string action makes playing easier for little fingers.	LeapFrog Tag Junior Book Pal encourages toddlers to explore while helping build confidence with books. Each Tag Junior board book introduces a different preschool skill¿such as the alphabet, counting or social play through 24 playful, book-based activities & more than 130 audio responses
Smooshies! Soft, touchable shapes that you put together to create the smooshiest character of your choice. Create a monster, dog, robot or an alien from another planet. Easy as 1-2-3 simply velcro your pieces together. Available online at JoAnn’s & Amazon.	Toy Story 6-piece dining set from Zak Designs: Includes 8-inch melamine plate, 5.5-inch melamine bowl, 9 oz plastic tumbler, cup, 2-piece flatware set (stainless steel spoon & fork with easy grip handles), and plastic placemat with a 3D effect.	Kushies Zolo Play Garden: Build your imagination with this magnetic build and stack activity garden that is sure to delight! Magnetic creatures stick to the garden and the magnetic plant pieces stack and build! 50% OFF right now!
My Sporty Soccer Ornament from Lenox: Celebrating their favorite sport, and personalized with their name, this ornament will be a hit with all the soccer fans in your family. And they make great holiday gifts for friends, teachers, and especially coaches.	Fabkins are soft and durable everyday cloth napkins for kids, available in an array of bright colors and playful designs. Sized for kids’ laps and lunchboxes, Fabkins come in themed packs of five that reflect kids’ interests	Handprint Ornament from Child To Cherish: Here’s a one-of-a-kind keepsake gift new parents will love. It’ll be the most treasured ornament on the tree. Includes plaster, molding tray, ribbon and easy directions in a festive box.
Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas: Nancy is especially excited about decorating the Christmas tree. She bought a brand-new sparkly tree topper with her own money! But when things don’t turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous?	Elf Magic: From discovering an Elf’s magical arrival in the home, to searching for their hidden Elf after a night full of mischievous adventures – children know the magic in Elf Magic is real!	FunFelt Christmas Tree Advent Calendar: Count down the days of Christmas with the Christmas Tree Advent Calendar wall hanging. Includes velcro pieces, 25 felt figures, felt background, dowel to use it as a hanging & literature explaining each symbol of Christmas.
Veggie Tales Saint Nicholas: A Story Of Joyful Giving: When Junior Asparagus & friends learn Laura Carrot’s dad lost his job on Christmas Eve, Bob the Tomato decides to tell the kids a very special story about giving. Using a big storybook & a little imagination, they travel to ancient Greece to meet Saint Nicholas.	PakNaks are fun soft rubbery 3-D decorations for kids (and adults too!) to personalize all of their stuff. Backpacks, lunchbags, headbands, computer bags, household items, the list is only limited by your imagination.	Gotta Catch Santa Claus DVD: Trevor & friends embark on the adventure of a lifetime to catch Santa in action and reveal the true magic of Christmas. But they’ve got to find Santa before LeFreeze & his snowman minions put Christmas on ice forever!
Christmas Magic: Santa begins to prepare for his big night of giving: he gathers  his reindeer, polishes his bells & sled, then lovingly chooses toys for every child in the world. For Santa loves them all & knows what each child at heart wants most.	Santa’s Elves Magic Cookie Kit from Sassafras: Includes: Color-changing cookie mix, icing mix, holiday sprinkles, rhyming recipe.	The Nutcracker And The Mouse King: With beautifully detailed illustrations, the story will become an instant classic. It’s a story readers of all ages will delight in.
BATTERIES! You know you’re going to need them Christmas morning, so stock up! Fuji EnviroMax is dedicated to environmental conservation, so all their batteries are safe for our environment using all recycled paper & plastic.	Dear Baby, What I Love About You board book: Sweet rhymes & playful pictures capture the sheer joy of everyday life with baby. Infants & toddlers will love the glowing tropical colors & animated faces. A wonderful first book for baby!	FunFelt Dolls & Outfits: The felt dolls are made from 1/4″ thick felt and their clothes are made from a thinner gauge of felt so they are soft, pliable, and adhere to the felt doll nicely, just with friction from the texture of the felt, and gravity!
Belmama & Cherub Wash Cloths pamper your baby with the same luxurious terry velour cloth that their Shower Hugs are made from! Available in Original or Organic with your choice of trim colors to match your Hug. These clothes are super soft and super absorbent - perfect for cleaning your little cherub!	Wett Giggles Ophelia The Duck: Natural glycerin handmade soaps, each bar is made one at time with essential oils and shea butter. A nail brush encased in soap. Wett Giggles a fun sudsy soap that encourages good hygiene. A perfect party gift for kids.	Belmama & Cherub Burp Cloths pamper your baby with the same luxurious terry velour cloth that their Shower Hugs are made from! Available in Original or Organic with your choice of trim colors to match your Hug. These clothes are super soft and super absorbent - perfect for burping your little cherub!
Stride Rite Liam: Sensory Response Technology, with sensory pods in the outsole, allows your little one to feel the ground beneath him for steady stepping, while also offering him support and shock-absorption.	Thanks Dad Tees are a great way to say “Thanks Dad” for those unique experiences shared by a father and his child - these moments are filled with love, learning and joy.	Dapper Snappers: A cost effective, easy-to-use, and fashionable answer to droopy drawers. (My three year old kidlet has a skinny waist and these have been wonderful to “snug up” his pants.)
Sparkabilities DVDs - Babies 1 and Babies 2: Segments are designed to entertain your baby and develop essential learning skills - attention, recognition & memory.	Family Dollar $5 Toys: Hundreds of brand-name toys & gifts for $5 or less, along with a festive variety of other value-priced gifts, electronics, home accents & stocking stuffers for the entire family.	Baby Bible Board Books: Stories of Jesus - This set of 4 books includes Jesus Feeds the People, Jesus Heals a Little Girl, Jesus Helps a Blind Man, and Jesus Stops a Storm.
Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs - The sub-zero heroes are back on an incredible adventure. With a mission to rescue the unlucky Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle Flora and Fauna, run amuck and meet a relentless, one-eyed dino-hunting weasel named Buck.	Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian - History is larger than life — and twice as funny — in this monumental comedy sequel. Security guard Larry Daley and new friend Amelia Earhart infiltrate the Smithsonian Institute and battle the likes of Al Capone, Ivan the Terrible and Napoleon in order to rescue old-friends.	Elmo’s Animal Adventures DVD: Join Elmo & friends as they embark on 3 fun-filled adventures.  Help Elmo & Tilly find Little Bo Peep’s missing cow; use animal facts to help Elmo & Abby succeed in the “Find The Amphibian Game” & join Elmo in a camping adventure as he learns that sharing is fun and discovers the different types of food that animals eat.
Crayola Crayon Town My House from Wild Planet: Children will have hours of fun coloring pop-up structures, building props & characters, & playing in the unique worlds they create. Just color the scene & let the fun begin! The play set includes a 11 x 17 inch playmat, pop-up buildings, vehicles, figures, accessories & 4 Crayola crayons!	Learning My Letters Vintage ABC Flash Cards: Learning the alphabet can be memorable and fun with this 1950’s British story version set of flash cards. Each card creates a visual reminder of the matching letter. Card Size: 6 3/4″ x 5 1/4″ Box Size : 5 1/2″ x 7″ x 3″	Crayola Crayon Town Large Mat Zoo Set from Wild Planet: Children will have hours of fun coloring pop-up structures, building props & characters, & playing in the unique worlds they create. Just color the scene & let the fun begin! The play set includes a 22 x 17 inch playmat, pop-up buildings, vehicles, figures, accessories & 4 Crayola crayons!
Paper Fashions Fancy by Klutz: A set of patterned and colored papers, including some with glitter, foil, and velvety black flocking. There’s a selection of seed beads, sequins, ribbon, and more than a hundred sticky-back “jewels” for embellishing the fashions. And, of course, the tiny wire hangers with clever ideas for decorating those hangers to make them gown-worthy.	Scientists On A Gardening Adventure Kit: Young Scientists will learn about the fun of gardening through exciting hands-on science experiments, will make a terrarium, learn about underground habitats, explore the different parts of plants, test the soil, & much more. Enclosed mini- garden tools and watering can. (Ages 5 and up)	Invasion Of The Bristlebots by Klutz: Part robot! Part toothbrush!  It comes with two mini-robots — basically motorized toothbrush heads. These guys zoom around like caffeinated cockroaches, spinning, skittering, and bouncing off walls. Resistance is futile. The book bristles with ideas for robot games and activities.
Juliet Pink Dog iPod Cover: This cute and cuddly universal cover will protect your MP3 player while giving your phone some style and attitude.  Will fit almost any small MP3 player.	Electronic Dream Phone Game by FunDex: Find out, “Who, who, who, has a crush on YOU!”  Features a state-of-the-art phone, a stylish new look, & cell phone standard features. Sold exclusively at Justice Stores.	Tadpole Computer Mouse from Fun Friends:  This style of our cute bright green frog, Tadpole, is perfect to replace any ordinary computer mouse. With a 30″ retractable cord this mouse is sure to provide comfort and convenience.
Alphabet Fun Cookie Kit: Learn your alphabet, spell funny words and have fun eating them all up! Our kit includes 26 letter cookie cutters, sugar cookie mix, sprinkles, mixing spoon, rhyming recipe/instruction sheet.	Winters Tail for Nintendo DS: An amazing tale of Winter - a dolphin whose bravery & perseverance has inspired children & adults throughout the nation. Winter’s Tale is the only game that combines the wonderful true story of Winter with engaging mini-games & heartwarming life lessons.	Fairy Princess Magic Cookie Kit: Kids will love baking with this kit, especially when the dough magically turns pink! . Kit includes: cookie mix that turns pink, pink icing, fairy dust sprinkles, cookie cutter, fairy wand. This baking kit comes with a recipe and instructions.
Dirt On My Shirt Selected Poems I Can Read Level 2: From meeting Auntie Brooke & Uncle Keith to searching for tadpoles & snakes, young readers will love discovering Jeff’s vibrant neighborhood all for themselves.	Haba Animal Upon Animal The Duel Game: The tiger balances the goose on his paws, the squirrel climbs on to the goose, but the second team is catching up! A quick stacking game of balance for 2 skillful players. Includes variation.	Meet The Feeling Friends: Journey to Feeling Free Island and join KK as she introduces each of the 12 Feeling Friends. Each friend reveals his or her identity through engaging rhymes and colorful illustrations.
How Cleaning My Room Changed My Life: Tales of Cleanland will capture the attention of both kids & adults. It teaches children how an organized room comes with many life lessons through a heartwarming story of a little boy with very messy habits. Also includes step-by-step guide to teach basics of tidying-up & staying organized.	Delgo: When a forgotten enemy returns, the fate of the world lies with a spirited princess and an unlikely hero. Take an exciting journey to a spectacular realm of magic, fantasy, romance, and adventure.	The Berenstain Bears I Can Read Collection Level 1: The Berenstain Bears are among the most beloved children’s book characters of all time. Now part of the I Can Read! family, Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear bring their warmth and good nature to early readers worldwide!
Sixty Minute Shakespeare Series: An ideal alternative for those who lack the time to tackle the unabridged versions of the worlds most widely read playwright, so that students can experience the thrill of his stories & beauty of his prose.	Helping Animals Book Series by Sam Lopez - Books available: The Miracle of the Little Kitten, The Three Legged Kitten, Stinky Little Scroungy, and Our Orphaned Owls.	Shakespeare For Children: The Story Of Romeo and Juliet - Highly condensed, fully illustrated version of the world’s greatest and most tragic love story. Author supplies thought-provoking discussion questions that allows you to explore this tale from any age or perspective.
Holiday Smenciles - Collection of 5 gourmet scented pencils made from 100% recycled newspaper. A wonderful stocking stuffer, each Smencil features a biodegradable eraser & is housed inside an environmentally friendly plastic tube.	Munchie Mug: A New Spill Resistant Snack Cup for Toddlers. Made in the USA. - BPA free. FDA compliant materials.	The Shandle: The Shandle builds healthy hand washing habits by repeatedly reminding kids to wash their hands. In addition it provides a cleaner and easier way to lift and lower the toilet seat.
Runt Farm Book Series: In the first book of the Runt Farm series, Farmer Brunt’s truck zooms away forever. while tough-guy Kitten hides in the barn loft, delighted to have the place all to himself. A day later Kitten meets The Peep, a hatchling duck with issues, then continues to meet new friends. But living together isn’t always a picnic. As the group learns to make room for their differences they become a family, proving that home is where you find it.		Scarecrow Finds A Friend: This heartening tale involves Tally, a good witch, who is losing her power to fly. She befriends a Scarecrow and he comes up with a plan to save her flying power. Together they are able to get back Tally’s flying power, express their gratitude to each other, and give young readers a few surprises along the way. A beautifully illustrated children’s book for ages 4-8.

  HAPPY SHOPPING!

 Products were provided by respective companies / brands

Written on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 8:00 am
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