holiday gift guide: give Zia

Ease the stress of travel and ensure they have extra room in their luggage. The perfect gift for those on the go: Zia Natural Skincare’s Holiday Travel sets ($19.95 each). What's inside: Five skin care treatments that work specifically for dry, normal and oily skin. Each collection contains a daily cleanser, toner, exfoliant, moisturizer, and facial mask to target all facial needs. The best part: The kits are TSA-compatible so they won't cause hassles at the gate. Shop for these handy little totes at www.ZiaNatural.com and Whole Food Markets nationwide. And while you're at it: Pick up a couple for yourself so you can breathe easier when traveling home to family to drop off the rest of them.

holiday gift guide: give Gift Hero

It's 11 PM on December 21st and you still haven't finished shopping for the kids' gifts. Use the next hour wisely: Go to www.gifthero.com, check off the rest of the items on your list and your kids will get them in time for Christmas Eve. Gift Hero offers a vast selection of toys, games and puzzles for kids ages 2-10 at your fingertips. In addition, if you're traveling for the holidays, the company will ship your gifts for you. No extra baggage required. The best part: How cute is the bag they come in? So here's the deal: Procrastination is so 2009. Click on www.gifthero.com now and start shopping!

holiday gift guide: give Splendid Littles

Who doesn't want to have the best-dressed kid on the block? There are so many cute clothing companies out there so when a celebrity--who can splurge on practically anything--chooses one over the others, we want to see what's so special about it. Nicole Richie has been dressing her kids, Harlow and Sparrow, in Splendid Littles and was recently photographed with her family, including Sparrow wearing a Splendid Littles striped onesie. Turns out the clothing brand offers lots of adorable options when it comes to baby clothing, including the three-piece thermal romper set shown here ($99). There are cute tiered dresses and leggings and tunics for toddler girls, plus long-sleeve fleeces and hoodies for toddler boys. Replenish your kids' wardrobes or shop for yourself (think cozy leggings, thermal henley tops and pjs too). Buy all your holiday baby gifts at www.splendid.com.

holiday gift guide: give kiss

Tweens are always difficult to buy holiday gifts for--one day one thing is cool, the next day it's SO five minutes ago! With Holiday Party Kits from Pink by Kiss ($7.99), you won't have to worry about whether or not you're hitting the mark. Most tweens love to dress up and get creative--but while most already own several trendy dresses and all the necessary accoutrements, now they can get cool, unique, acrylic nails too and do their own manicures at home. Holiday Party Kits come with 60 press-on nails that fit snugly on small fingers including 20 design nails, and 40 solid nails in order to mix and match and wear on more than one occasion. All they have to do is find the right sizes and press in place . For more info, go to www.kissusa.com or head to your nearest Rite Aid store before January 1st to stock up.

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.

picture perfect: ABC Art for Kids

Some people count sheep when they can't sleep. Annette Back comes up with innovative new business ideas.

"One night when we were staying with friends at the Jersey Shore, I couldn't sleep," she says. "I had a son Aaron--he was two at the time. And I just saw it in my head: Some sort of artwork featuring Aaron's picture along with other objects that start with the same letter as his name (ie: apple, alligator, airplane). It would work for other names, letters and objects in the same manner. When we got home from the shore, I got to work. That's how ABC Art for Kids got started."

"Since I am a graphic designer, I knew where to look for the art. I found just the right illustration style, had the perfect photo and designed my first piece. Finding the right output for this took a lot of research. I settled on producing the idea on canvas. When it arrived at my house, Aaron and I thought it was gorgeous! I created a few more as gifts for my friends' kids. Everyone loved it. I was encouraged to start selling so I went to work designing a website."

Annette's creations aren't gimmicky and don't try to hard to be classy. They're beautiful, fun and engaging--definitely a labor of love. I hope to get one for each of my kids soon. They will definitely be an improvement from all the homemade "art" on their walls!

"I started this business to get the art out. I did not like any personalized art out there (with a few exceptions) everything else was so cutesy and soft, monotone and predictable. I thought this was fun and alive."

Her kids Aaron (4.5 years) and twins Joshua and Sara (age 1.5) don't leave her much time to work on the business but they are a sure source of inspiration. Says Annette, "Their faces are so super yummy; as I imagine every parent feels that way about their kids."

Annette is currently working on a new concept for parents and grandparents that features headshots of their kids on a themed background (ie: "beach" for a summer house or "food" for the kitchen, etc.) as well as more sophisticated options for older kids. She also creates customized canvases to suit each individual's style and taste. Email her at abc@abcartforkids.com with your ideas or go to www.abcartforkids.com to start your personalized art collection now. Enter code "2010" and take advantage of a special holiday promotion.