holiday gift guide: give Tiny Tillia

I have tons of toys for my kids to play with in the bath. But what they love most--even more than the wash-off bath crayons that don't always wash off so well!--is squirting soap or shampoo on their hands and lathering up. So when I find kid-friendly bath products, I'm hooked. Tiny Tillia products are not only safe to use and gentle on the skin, they're entertaining too. Now you can buy a pre-made gift bucket and share the fun with friends. It includes a bath mitt featuring a fun Tiny Tillia character (choose from Ben Giraffe, Indy Sheep, TT Cow or Duncan Dog--pictured here), a waterproof character story book, bubble bath, foamy wash and an adorable bucket that you can use afterward to store toys or take to the sandbox. Created by London-born designer Tiffany Lerman, daughter of novelist Jackie Collins, Tiny Tillia is available at select specialty boutiques (such as Fred Segal, Lisa Kline Kids and Kitson), nationwide at Target and online at www.shoptillia.com.

holiday gift guide: give kiddimoto

How cute is this? Available in baby blue and seafoam green too, the new Scooter ($169.99) by Kiddimoto is every two- to six-year-old kid's dream holiday gift. (The Chopper comes in a black and silver combo).

I remember wearing my favorite white flared jeans when learning to ride a bike, and getting the extra fabric from one pant leg caught in the chain. Kids today have nothing of the sort to fear. Kiddimoto's Scooters, made from renewable birch plywood, have no pedals, chains or gears to get hurt on. And their unique build makes them ideal for kids to learn balance and steering and improve their motor skills.

Check out the entire collection of Kiddimotos at www.kiddimotousa.com.

holiday gift guide: give tech toys

If you're not a techie at heart but want to give your kids the latest innovations around, let Skype Resident Tech Expert Jamie Sorcher do your holiday shopping for you. I love his picks for tech toys under $50...

Freetalk BuddyCam for Skype ($19.99)

We've tried video cams that you hook up to your computer and haven't found one that works well. So if you don't want to deal with voice delay or unclear imaging, try Skype's free video calling. It's a great way for kids to say hello to grandma all year-round.

www.skypelookbook.com

Zhu Zhu high-tech pet hamster ($10)

There's no way our kids are getting a dog, not at this stage at least! A great alternative: Furry interactive hamsters that react to your touch, coo and purr. Stock up on triple-A batteries too while you're at it! http://zhuzhupets.com/main.html

Leapfrog Tag ($49.99)

The Tag Reading System revolutionizes the reading experience for children ages 4 to 8 by bringing storybooks to life. My son used it from age 2 to 2.5 when he started reading on his own. I'm sure it helped him learn to read at such a young age. And my daughter loves the Tag Junior--she just turned two! Definitely worth the investment... http://www.leapfrog.com/en/shop/tag_library.html

Targus Sport Netbook Case, the CVR215 ($25).

Planning on leaving home for the holidays? Designed for an on-the-go user, this netbook case from Targus is perfect for carrying just the essentials. And these days there are a lot of them!

http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.aspx?sku=CVR215

Griffin Technology’s Volume-Limiting Headphones for kids ($40).

Want to have some adult talk during the long family car ride home? MyPhones are safe, comfortable, and customizable over-the-ear headphones geared towards children ages 3 to 12. The volume doesn't get higher than what's recommended by auditory health organizations. And your kids can personalize them with their own unique designs. Check out http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/myphones

And don’t forget, that with Coupons.com, you can take advantage of various virtual clippings, right at your fingertips!

www.coupons.com

holiday gift guide: give mini social

Need a great kid's gift but don't know where to turn? Theminisocial.com has quite a selection--and they're all pretty unique items. Founders and children's shopping experts Dominque MacPherson and Melinda Marinack share some budget-friendly gifts for all the kids on your list. For under $25: Hair clips from Giddy Giddy ($5), Wooden Animalz ($4) and Jazzy Toes Socks ($12.50). For under $99: Babush Slippers from Zid Zid ($40), Dante Beatrix Backpacks (dinosaur, $42). If you want to splurge, check out these find for over $100: Custom Prints from Ida Pearle ($158), Bla Bla Giant Dolls ($130--shown here) and Chaiken Mommy Bags ($240). Go to www.theminisocial.com now to place your order.

gift-a-day holiday gift guide

check out kidandcaboodle's
holiday gift guide,
featuring a gift idea every day
for the month of
december.

happy
holidays!

november braininsights winner

Congratulations to Cherie W--the winner of the kidandcaboodle/braininsights November giveaway contest. We loved her story about telling stories to her granddaughter so we're sending her a braininsights free gift set for newborn- to three-year-olds featuring fun activities she can do with her kids to promote brain development. Look for another great giveaway coming soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cherie's story:

"My granddaughter who is 4 now is one of the best story tellers. Ever since she has been a baby I have told her stories. We attend the YMCA and after swimming we always take a shower. During the shower, is when I tell the story. Her favorite has always been "The Three Little Pigs". She has down the voice inflections for the wolf and for the 3 pigs. Because of her interest, she was in a Children's Pageant "New Star Discovery". This year they had a talent show. We debated what we should have her do. We chose for her to tell "The Three Pigs" story and act it out with props. She competed against 0-10 yr old. Others had singing, dancing, karate,and piano playing as their talents. My granddaughter took Supreme Title #1 winner of this talent show. I have never been so proud of her in my whole life as I was at that point in time. You see, storytelling does pay off. I now have a 14 month old and another on the way. I will continue my storytelling with them also!"

clothes for kids: rollingrack.net

All of us with young kids can relate: Our child gets an outfit as a gift and it sits in his/her closet until one day we remember it's there and suddenly realize he/she's outgrown it. Or, we just buy too many adorable dresses in size 12-18 months! How many can one kid wear? Newsflash: There are plenty of kids who could use all of those unworn items and the Rolling Rock Fashion and Apparel Group has found a way to get them to them.

A collective of talent dedicated to the Fashion Industry and the people who make it happen, the organization's screened members include couture designers, high-level company executives, retail designers, buyers, merchandisers, public relations professionals, photographers, make-up artists and others. Rolling Rack members represent the fashion spectrum from Armani, Estee Lauder, Benneton, Lacoste, Guess, Puma, Nike, Calvin Klein, La Perla, Lloyd Klein Couture, Girbaud, Levi's and everyone in between.

Last year, Rolling Rack, along with Marc Ecko, Russell Corp and Kate Quinn Organics generously donated over $1200 of brand new clothing to the students of Port Monmouth Road Elementary School in Keansburg, NJ. The school staff raffled off beautiful clothing gift baskets. The winners of the baskets took home hundreds of dollars of new clothing and the school raised over $500 for their student activity fund and to purchase new children's books. "It broke my heart when a first grader came up to me and she was so proud of her new winter coat; I knew her parents had gotten it from the local charity," says Founder/President Gary Montgomery.

This year the urgent need continues. Montgomery was contacted by another elementary school in North Carolina where 90% of the children cannot afford a daily lunch and many of them are proud of their second hand clothing purchased from charity shops.

If you'd like to help these children, most of whom live under the poverty level, you can do so through Rolling Rack's/Meet The Fashion Press's combined effort, the Threads of Gold program. You can donate brand new children's clothing, or make a donation. Go to www.rollingrack.net or email gary@rollingrack.net with questions or to give now.