favorite gifts

Showing posts with label favorite gifts. Show all posts

Personalized Pencil Pouch

I know it's a little late for back-to-school, but I love this "Elephant Pouch" Pencil Case I found at Etsy (it is also described as a possible EpiPen carrier, which I guess is a sign of the times). For just $10 this makes a very sweet handmade gift for a young (or even not-so-young) student. The entire A.E. Wilder Etsy shop is full of delightful hand-embroidered items, so check it out.

Seventh Birthday Gifts

R., who sometimes reads this blog over my shoulder, has been asking me every day when I am going to write a post about her birthday gifts, since I wrote about some of S's favorite 4th birthday gifts. So, even though it's over a month late, here are some of the presents that made her smile most as she turned 7.

Pink Pig Pillow Pet ($19.99). Apparently thousands of other 7-year-olds needed to have this immediately after seeing the TV commercial; they are sold out. Try Ebay instead. (Thanks, Aunt E.).

Shrinky Dinks Friends, Fashion & Fun ($12.10 at Amazon.com). This is one of those retro toys that you love to introduce to your kids because secretly you can't wait to play with it yourself. R. and I had so much fun coloring these together and then watching them curl up and "cook" in the oven. A great gift for the 7 and up crowd. (Thanks, Chavie!)

Alex Toys Slip 'Em On Decorate-Your-Own Sneakers ($16.99). R. must have 5 pairs of slippers at this point, but these are now her favorite. (Thanks, Mia!)

Spunky The Extra Large Pink Puppy Dog by Gund ($52.99 at ToyShelf.com). No matter how old my baby girl gets, she loves her stuffed animals, which I think is very sweet. She begged for this one last year during a visit to FAO Schwarz with Grandma and Grandpa, and they gave it to her for her birthday (Thanks, G & G!)

Who else has a child who turned 7 recently? What were his/her favorite gifts?

Best Boy Wall Art

This personalized tricycle wall art by Hip Kid Art has been one of my favorite decor items for boys ever since I posted it at this blog over 3 years ago. So I was excited to spot it on sale at Zulily (a site I check every morning) in 2 sizes- 24 x 18 (on sale for $89.99; originally $125) or 12 x 12 (on sale for $49.99; originally $75). Each giclee-printed heavyweight canvas is gallery wrapped around a wooden frame, and ready to hang on the wall. And the light blue/navy/red color combo is one of my absolute favorites for little boys. Can't go wrong with these either for yourself or as an extra-special baby gift or birthday gift.

Having trouble clicking on the Zulily links because you're not a member yet? Click here for an invitation to join. It's an awesome site and I am somewhat obsessed with it, to say the least.

Automoblox Cars on Sale

I've mentioned before how much S. loves his Automoblox cars, so I wanted to tell you that you can save some money on soon-to-be-retired Automoblox vehicles at GummyLump.com. For example, the Purple X9 Wooden SUV has been reduced to $29.97 from $37.95. Shipping at Gummy Lump is always free for orders over $75 so shop around for other wooden toys including Melissa & Doug, KidKraft, and Uncle Goose Wooden Blocks. Gummy Lump also earns kudos for paying extra attention to children with special needs and their parents, both on its site and on Twitter. Thanks, Gummy Lump!

Top photo: Automoblox cars (and what S. calls their "little guys") occupied us on rainy days during this year's beach vacation.

Same Tee, Next Year

Do you remember those cool raglan birthday tees I've posted before from the Etsy site Happy Family (shown above in R & S's versions from last year, ages 3 and 6)? I ordered them again, in age 4 in light blue and navy for S. and age 7 in pink and fuschia for R. These have become a yearly favorite, and for good reason. As far as birthday tees go, they manage to be sweet, sentimental, and stylish. The raglan style flatters both brothers and sisters. And, they work great for photo ops (we almost used ours for our holiday card). The price ($16 apiece) can't be beat, too. If you need some cute sibling birthday tees, definitely check out Happy Family.

What a 4-Year-Old Boy Loves

I've learned that having kids whose birthdays are twelve days apart doesn't leave much breathing room (or time for thank-you notes, which I always like to send out punctually, but send out later and later each year). Now both kids' birthdays have passed, but I am still finishing up thank you notes for both. Here were some of S's favorite gifts (in addition to the Fisher Price Imaginext DC Batcave), which I think all are good recommendations for little boys under age 5:

International Playthings Lift-off Rocket ($34.95 at Genius Babies). S. and R. fight over whose turn it is to play the "liftoff sequence." My sister gave this to S. paired with Byron Barton's I Want to Be an Astronaut ($6.99 at Amazon.com). (Thanks, E.!)

Tomy Pop-Up Pirate Game($11.99 at Amazon.com). S. squeals just as much each time the pirate pops up- even for the 1000th time. (Thanks, Jonah!)

Automoblox T9 Truck ($34.99 at Target.com). S. adores his blue Automoblox car, so I was touched when R. asked if she could buy him a green one, too, for his birthday. Now he plays with his "blue guys" and "green guys" (the little peg people) together. (Thanks, R.!)

Mega Bloks Yo Gabba Gabba Plex's Tour Buggy ($25.99 at Amazon.com). A perfect gift for the boy who had a YGG-themed 4th birthday party. (Thanks, Ronnie & Michael!)

Do you have a son aged 4 (or thereabouts)? What are some of his favorite toys?

Back-to-School at Layla Grayce

Our affiliate Layla Grayce is running a special on all of its Back to School products (see coupon code below). This includes Skip Hop's popular new "Owl" design for its toddler backpack, which I've spotted in a bunch of fall magazines. Love this one. The toddler packs are the perfect size for preschoolers (10 x 11.5") and are completely BPA-Free, Phthalate-free, and PVC Free. There's a matching lunchpack, too, if you can stand the cuteness. Order one for $20 at Layla Grayce.

Enjoy a 10% discount on all back-to-school items at Layla Grayce with code "BACK4FALL" now through August 31st.

Personalized Masterpieces

My friend Cathe at Feterie e-mailed to tell me about this great back-to-school product that the shop has just introduced. It's a Retro School Drawing Pad. Each standard-sized drawing pad has 53 sheets printed with your little one's name at the bottom in practice "dots" style, so they can sign each masterpiece that they create. It's a gift that will keep giving...just think of all the finished products you can send along to the grandparents! It costs $25.50 (includes personalization) at Feterie.

Personalized Birthday Plates

R. had a wonderful birthday (thanks everyone for your well wishes). I forgot to mention that this morning (as well as on S's birthday 12 days earlier), both kids enjoyed their breakfasts on the hand-painted ceramic plates shown above. They got these last year as homemade birthday gifts from my best friend/college roommate and her kids (then ages 8, 6, and 4) who made them especially for R. and S. at The Kids' Place, an arts & crafts studio in Needham, MA. Isn't this a thoughtful gift? I've seen personalized birthday plates for kids before, but never thought to buy them, and I think these are much more meaningful. I was really touched that my best friend's children took the time and precision (down to hairstyle and eye color) to make these for my little ones. I know we will enjoy them for many birthdays to come!

Thanks H, S, and A!

The Only Thing Cuter than a Diapered Baby...

...is a baby wearing a monogrammed diaper. You know that "customized" diapers are all the rage now (I reported on the Huggies jeans diapers and Cynthia Rowley diapers for Target). But these Designer Diapers with Initials at Baby Chix are, by far, the cutest entry in the category. Are these the ultimate new add-on baby gift or what? Sure, they cost $1.50 per diaper (one size only, 8-14 lbs), but buy one or two of them to include as part of a gift package and the new mom will be thrilled. Imagine the photo ops! Buy them in pink or blue at Baby Chix.

Rock On, Silly Bandz

S's 4th birthday party is next weekend and I let R. (who turns 7 two weeks later) invite some of her friends, too. Not surpisingly, she wants her friends to get a more sophisticated party favor than these Yo Gabba Gabba! Coloring Books which all of the preschoolers will receive. She chose Silly Bandz. Of course. So in keeping with the Yo Gabba Gabba/music theme, I found these packs of Silly Bandz Rock Bandz at Amazon.com for just $2.72 per pack of 24 band (regular retail price $5.99). Hopefully these will please the picky second-graders. By the way, I noticed that this particular pack of Silly Bandz is the #3 top seller in ALL of Amazon.com's toys and games. Wow.

Baby Takes a Map

I read about these baby "soft maps" made by Brooklyn architect Emily Fischer in yesterday's New York Times. They're a labor of love- each is hand-embroidered and hand-knotted, and shows a child's city or neighborhood which can be personalized further with the child's name, birthday, home, and favorite local sites. Choose from a handful of city "soft maps" (including San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago and Miami) or, closer to my heart, New York City neighborhood "soft maps" (Brooklyn moms, rejoice...these are for you). Shown above: the Prospect Park soft map. For an amazing custom gift like this, the price is about what I'd expect: $125 for a ready-made blanket, or $150 for a blanket with personalized details and locations. Check them all out at Haptic Lab.

I Remember Ramona

I am really excited for this weekend's opening of Ramona and Beezus. The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary was one of my absolute favorites when I was my daughter's age (7 years old). It is the only paperback series that I saved in its entirety in my childhood bookshelves at my parents' house. I have just about every book in the series, including my favorites Ramona the Pest , Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona and Her Father, and, of course, Beezus and Ramona, which was originally written in 1955. I bought my own copy c. 1980 (for a mere $1.75) and my reward for consistently good behavior was another book from the series (wish this worked with R., who is probably more interested in watching Despicable Me than reading Beverly Cleary). Want to introduce your kids to the spirited little imp who is called Ramona? Try this The Ramona Collection, Vol. 1 boxed set which costs just $9.99 at our affiliate Amazon.com.

Did you read the Ramona series when you were a child, and are you seeing the movie this weekend? And does anyone else remember the short-lived 1988 TV series Ramona starting a young Sarah Polley?

LikeWear Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to entry #22 (chosen by Random.org) "BSB", who wrote, "Love the silly bandz t-shirts and so would my daughter!" and has won a $20 gift certificate to LikeWear. Please e-mail me within 72 hours to claim your prize.

Didn't win? Don't worry. All MyMomShops readers get a generous 25% discount on any purchase (except sale items) at LikeWear with coupon code MYMOMSHOPS. So that Silly Bandz tee can be yours for much less. Enjoy!

MyMomShops Giveaway: LikeWear

My almost-7-year-old daughter is obsessed with Silly Bandz and I knew she would flip for this Silly Love Rubber Bandz ($22.95) that I purchased from our newest affiliate, LikeWear. Sure enough, the shirt has become a favorite and lots of R's friends have asked where she got it.

So, LikeWear is a clothing/accessory company that does two very smart things

1) It carries apparel with licensed images from some of your kids' favorite brands and icons- everything from Honda motorcycles to Lucky Charms cereal. The shirts are all 100% cotton and the prices are quite reasonable- most cost around $20. Not surprisingly, Silly Bandz clothing and accessories are a top seller this summer. But I also like the Facebook "Like" T-shirts (they kindly sent a "Like" Grey T-shirt for S. along with the tee that I"d ordred for R.)

2) LikeWear has positioned itself as a mom-friendly company where moms like you or I can earn money from sales of its clothing right from our computers. Their entire sales force, in fact, is made up of moms and the company offers various opportunities for you to choose from. Sort of like how our own moms sold Tupperware, but online, and with a much more fun product.

I like the concept, I like the people I've communicated with there, and, most importantly, I like the products. Go see if you "like" LikeWear too.

MyMomShops readers get a generous 25% discount on any purchase (except sale items) at LikeWear with coupon code MYMOMSHOPS (note: this code will be activated at approximately 4pm today). And one lucky winner will get a $20 gift certificate (see below).

Win it! One reader will win a $20 gift certificate to LikeWear. Here are the contest rules:

1) Visit LikeWear and tell us your favorite item from the site. Leave your comment on THIS post (click on "comments" below).
2) Post your comment by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, July 22nd.
3) You may leave up to 3 separate entries- 1 entry with a comment as described in #1, 1 entry with a link to where you have blogged about this giveaway, 1 entry with your Twitter name if you have tweeted about this giveaway.
4) One winner will be chosen at random (using Random.org) and announced on Friday morning, July 23rd.
5) NOTE: If you wish to be contacted by e-mail if you win, please include your e-mail address in your comment. Otherwise you must check back on Friday morning, July 23rd. If the prize is NOT claimed within 72 hours, the next random winner (using Random.org) will be contacted.

GOOD LUCK!

Bargain Alert: Monogrammed Birthstone Necklace

If you subscribe by e-mail to Red Envelope, you'll get announcements of special one-day deals every Thursday. Today's deal caught my eye; it's a monogrammed birthstone necklace that has been reduced from $99.95 to just $29.99 (that's 70% off). Inspired by wax seal monograms, each sterling pendant is surrounded with faceted gemstones and hangs from an adjustable lobster clasp chain. If you don't fancy your particular birthstone, feel free to choose another (April's "white sapphire" could pass for diamonds, you know). Buy it for a mom, sister, best friend or yourself at Red Envelope.

Best "Car" Ever

I can't believe I've never posted about "Car" (what S. calls this My First Car by Kettler) before. It has been a fixture in our home for over 5 years now. We bought it in 2005 when R. was a toddler, and then S. took it over. "Cah" was one of his first words, and he has stayed fiercely loyal to "Car" even as other toys have come and gone. Yes, it is recommended for ages 1 and up, and S. is now almost age 4 and quite tall for his age. But he still fits within the weight limit (60 lbs) and even though his knees are practically up by his ears when he sits on it, he rides it all over the apartment, and stashes hidden treasure sinside. At night he "parks" it by the foot of his bed. I've heard that other friends have used this toy well beyond the toddler years too. So if you're looking for a fun 1st or 2nd birthday gift that will really last, check it out. It's been discontinued at many sites but I found it for $44.99 at Baby Hugs.

You're Right

I may like this "You're Right" pillow from Alexandra Ferguson's "Pillow Talk" collection ($89) as much as the "Be Nice Or Leave" pillow that I showed you before. Alexandra (whom I met in person at the New York International Gift Fair last February, and who is just as sweet as her pillows are snarky) makes these felt pillows out of 100 percent post-consumer recycled water bottles. Which I still don't totally understand, but it never ceases to amaze me. The appliques are all hand-sewn, and no two pillows are exactly alike. See what else is new at Alexandra Ferguson's "Pillow Talk" collection.

How High Does it Go?

As we all know, sometimes the simplest toys make the biggest splash with our kids. I returned home from Time to Play's summer toy preview recently with a bagful of samples for my kids, and their favorite toy by far was the "Hyper-Charged" Sky Ball from Maui Toys. This soft-ball sized rubber ball is filled with a combination of compressed air and helium, making it super-bouncy (to use a non-scientific term). Supposedly it can bounce as high as 75 feet, though my kids seem quite satisfied with its reaching our living room ceiling. I must admit I have a fun time with it, too. The kids fight over it, and since we only got 1 sample, naturally R. is begging for her own for her upcoming birthday. Since it costs just $8.50 at Vat 19, I can't complain. Pick up one (or more) for your kids this summer- I promise they'll enjoy it, too.

10% off at My Bambino

I wanted to pass along a coupon code for our affiliate MyBambino.com, where I bought both of my kids' photo growth charts ($29.99). I wanted sturdy wooden charts that also had room for personalization and photos, and these have worked out perfectly. The price- even before the 10% discount- is quite reasonable, so this also makes a great baby gift. While you're at My Bambino, check out their selection of other personalized gifts, including rocking chairs, stepstools, piggy banks, beach buckets, and party favors.

Enjoy 10% off all orders (no minimum) at MyBambino.com with code "July4" now through July 4th, 2010.