gifts

If you are a mother of boys then you will certainly be able to relate to the subject of the ongoing search for the latest and greatest toys and gadgets for busy little boys. The popular “mega girly” Club Libby Lu, the Hannah Montana craze and Princesses galore make it more than feasible to purchase the optimal gift for a friend’s daughter or your own. Let’s face it … we shop for a little girl and we spend more money than we intend. Why? The choices are endless, not to mention the emotion and creativity the manufacturers pour into the design and production of dolls, beauty centers and fashion accessories for our lovely little divas. We have quickly adapted to “more is more” for our little girls and the marketplace happily obliges, but what about our sweet little boys?

This being said I consistently made a diligent effort to offer more of a balance between boys and girls in selection. The market and industry often dictated what was “hot” for girls; however when it came to our little boys I had my work cut out for me! Sure there was always the token blockbuster film dominating the toy industry but who wants to buy the same product that every other little guy has in the neighborhood? Just like girls, our boys like to be voted “most popular” on the playground.

Here are a few toy ideas and websites to share from my years of shopping for specialty toys for little boys. Play value was always the key coupled with safety, education, and hand and eye coordination. Durability and quality were also key factors in my decision process.

Siku is one of my favorites for high tech, high level standards in toy trucks and cars. “Siku” is a German manufacturer and offers so much more than a dump truck. Who doesn’t need a Liebherr Hydraulic Excavator? In addition, back hoe loaders and street sweepers are popular. You can find these and more at 300Toys.com.

Quercetti manufactures a spectacular exclusive vortex loaded with multiple marble launches, paddle wheels and double length bridges. It contains 220 pieces, ages 6 and up. Made in Italy. You can find Quercetti on Educational Toys Planet along with several other unique and fantastic toy items for boys.

Be sure to check out Ravenburger on line and view the 2007 award winning “Pirates of the High Seas.” Your little one can hoist the sails in a supersize 3-D pirate game. Ages 6 and up.

Discovery Toys has a very popular toy for the toddler boy; I have bought this several times and has been a smash! It is called “Farm animals bowling set” — not only is it visually pleasing, it is safe, interactive and offers open ended play! I have multiple favorites, however I had to narrow it to a few so my final recommendations would be LearningResources and their “Wacky Wigglers.”  They are motorized buildingsets. Learning Resources also offers several other styles in this category. Melissa and Doug and the classic Radio Flyer are also worth a browse.

You can shop in quantity for your little guys as you do for your little gals, you just need to know where to look. The year has begun and birthday parties, milestones, and soon the holidays will once again be upon us. Begin now, take pride and have fun in toy and gadget shopping for our equally sweet little boys and their toys.

Happiness is having the brightest, biggest back hoe loader in the sandbox!

Are you or your guests on the search for the perfect baby shower gift? A great way to enhance your event for your guests, as well as for the guest of honor, is for the ceremonial gift opening experience to be unique and unforgettable! Last week, I shared an innovative theme for a baby shower. The theme of the shower has been created using the bedding and or room color palette pre-selected by the mom-to-be. Keeping in line with your theme, it would behoove you and your guests to offer gift selections in hopes to unite the dream baby trousseau of which any new mother could wish!

1. Fully-stocked diaper bag. A Fleurville Mothership or Caden Lane Messenger bag make the perfect packaging; these are prominent and prestigious diaper bag companies and each represents the utmost quality. Fill the bag with Noodle and Boo hair and skin care products, such as Extra Gentle Shampoo, Conditioning Hair Polish, Super Soft Lotion and Ultimate Cleansing Cloths. You can fill the outer pocket of the diaper bag with fashionable travel bags with pink disco dot by Diapees & Wipees.

2. The Peanut Shell. A celebrity favorite, this pouch can be worn 5 different ways and has just the right amount of stretch for comfort! Brooke Shields, Marcia Cross and Jenna Elfman are all fans of the Peanut Shell. Retro Dots in Pink Chocolate or Blue Chocolate are best sellers!

3. Hip, keepsake designer blankets by InphantElefant, wrapped just like a gift ready to give! Be sure to add a matching onsie. Inphantelefant was also featured in Oprah’s World’s Biggest Baby Shower!

4. Ribbit-Ribbit hand painted, wooden ornate baby frames designed by Amy Dillard, Many colors and motifs to pick from you will find more than one to match any baby’s room.

5. Blossom Roll crib bedding or Bassinet Bag by Petunia Picklebottom. Baby will sleep in comfort and style in this luxurious linen. Available in chocolate brown and champagne pink floral brocade (pictured here). A beautiful diaper bag is also available to match!

Glowology’s The Balm is beautynewsnyc’s, beauty editor, Candice Sabatini’s choice for the perfect “hostess gift.” Here is what she had to say:

“While you’re giving thanks for the bounty, don’t forget to thank your hostess for working her fingers to the bone and for creating a fabulous feast. Even if she did only dial-for-dinner, she deserves a prezzy.

The Balm by Glowology smells as sweet as dessert and will soften her hands and feet with its blend of shea butter, sugar maple essence, orange and lemon.

Use your noodle and buy one for yourself also. It’s too delicious to want to give away!”

Available at Neiman Marcus, The Balm $26.00

Happiness is having someone cook (or order) for you . . .

Glowology, according to The Daily Obsession, offers the perfect gift for “The Yummy Mummy” on your list. The Daily Obsession covers fashion, beauty, shopping and lifestyle, and has a wonderful holiday gift guide. Our Simply Divine gift-set was included as a must-have along with our Essential Care Kit for the little ones in your life. Here is what they had to say:

holiday gift-guide 07: yummy mummy

Even the yummiest of moms may not look so divine after a sleepless night waiting up with her child for Santa. Gift her with the Simply Divine set ($45) from Noodle & Boo’s glowology line. She can re-charge by lathering up with the Heavenly Honey Wash, a rich cloud of milk and honey meant to refresh and relax. Afterward, she’ll turn to the Lovely Body Lotion to hydrate and smooth skin (not to mention, will leave her smelling SO good). And since we know that these mommies just adore their children…add the Essential Care Kit ($15) so that her kid can join in on the fun, too. The result is baby soft skin - for both mother and child!

Noodle & Boo products available at Neiman Marcus.

Glowology’s Simply Divine makes the “top 12″ list on the STYLELIST. Here is what they had to say:

Bath Beautiful

Need the perfect present for a girlfriend, neighbor, or co-worker? This indulgent Glowology gift set, featuring body wash and lotion made from milk and honey, is formulated for even the most sensitive skin. Simply Divine Gift Set, $45, www.noodleandboo.com.

To view The Stylelist’s complete list of BEST: Last-Minute Holiday Gifts, click here.

Several of my favorite celebrities from across the pond, such as Dame Helen Mirren and Helena Bonham Carter, are promoting Oxfam’s Unwrapped campaign with a hilarious commercial encouraging people to give thoughtful gifts this holiday season. You know, like fertilizer and condoms.

Huh?

It’s not as strange as it sounds. Oxfam Unwrapped is a way for people to purchase gifts online that will benefit needy families and communities. And so, for a community struggling with HIV, the gift of condoms isn’t all that strange. Fertilizer that will help a family grow vegetables to feed their community will bring more happiness to that family than another goofy tie will to your husband.

You can also purchase a goat, drinking water, toilets, dinners, tools, and much more. For a comprehensive list of available gifts and for more information on how the program works, click here. You might be a little late to give the gift in time for Christmas, but need doesn’t stop on December 26.

Photos from Oxfam

Jennie Lynn Johanson is the founder and designer of an haute diaper bag collection adorably named Bumble Bags. Her prominent background as a handbag designer helped her pave her way into embarking upon her creative niche in the diaper bag industry. Jennie’s handbags had so much fashion appeal she received a request from a customer to design a diaper bag. She was on the mad search for a stylish and functional bag for contemporary mothers. Jennie honored her request, and today these posh bags have been spotted buzzing around in outdoor shopping centers, walks in the parks, special occasions as well as the “Queen Bee” of baby shower gifts all over the the US.

Bumble Bags are a collection of sophisticated, lightweight diaper bags created with exclusive one-of-a-kind, hand-designed prints. The moment you are introduced to a Bumble Bag you are immediately charmed by its command to touch and feel, toss over your shoulder and watch yourself coo over its beauty. Bumble Bags are not just another pretty face, they are heavily equipped with function. Each bag is stroller friendly, machine washable, special stain resistant with a soil proof lining and have a widened shoulder control strap for comfort.

Who says mama has to forfeit sass and style to indulge in functional diapering gear? Certainly not the popular moms of Hollywood… recently in People Magazine’s Style Watch, a new favorite “Buttercup Bliss” was featured! A few famous mamas adorned by Bumble Bags are Sheryl Crow, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Garner, Naomi Watts and most recently Christina Aguilera purchased one of Bumble’s newest additions, an “On the Go” changing kit. This is one of Jennie’s newest additions to the Bumble Collection and is available in seven prints. Matching accessories such as car seat covers and small and large snack bags are also available for purchase as these prints are all so delicious you do not have to limit yourself to just one!

Kimberly Tote in Cappucino Dot, available at Bumble Bags.

Happiness is a hip mama with a hot bag . . . .

A nice review from beauty expert Mickey Williams at BeautyBakery. Mickey says: “This lotion is considered a luxury in the body beauty world and it’s not just for its super smooth texture and flirty smell.

Glowology glimmers with other benefits like being solely created with the sensitive flesh in mind. I recommend Glowology Lovely Body Lotion as a fall to winter product. It’s a nice complement when the nights get colder and your honey gets closer.

Nourishing milk protein, almond oil and clover honey leave skin sweetly soft.”

Available at Neiman Marcus, Lovely Body Lotion, $26.00

Happiness is having someone to cuddle with . . .

A review from BeautyNewsLA. We are glad that Glowology is a new fav!!! Here’s what beauty expert Courtney Kretchman had to say:

This month, the educated editors at BeautyNewsLA have found love in studying Glowology. Positively defined as “the art of celebrating the beauty in every woman,” Glowology is a luxury line of skincare by Noodle & Boo dedicated to women who are “expecting” or have sensitive skin.

Whether brought on by stress, hormones, weather or any handful of reasons, skin can become more sensitive with age. Glowology products have been developed with natural ingredients that are moisturizing and regenerating, to relieve, calm and reduce symptoms of easily irritated skin. Specially selected ingredients improve skin’s tolerance level, while also helping to reinforce its barrier to outside influences.

The Sugar Mama Honey Scrub was a unanimous favorite amongst the BNLA women. Even those of us who didn’t claim any skin sensitivity issues couldn’t seem to get enough of the honey and shea butter whipped body scrub. It’s even sold as a boxed duo called Honey Child, packaged with the Sugar Mama Honey Bar. Gentle enough for little ones too, the moisturizing bath bar smells amazing and is said to balance skin’s natural pH level.

We also couldn’t wait to pick up the Repair Kit for our pregnant pals. The bow-tied embossed box set includes Glowology’s Perfecting Crème, a formula to control and prevent stretch marks, and Afterglow Gel to firm and tone the skin.

From packaging to product, we can’t say enough about Glowology. We only wish we’d studied it sooner…

Available at Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills.

Happiness is healthy skin . . .

What a nice write-up at people.com on our new line, Glowology, developed especially for women with sensitive skin.

“Stars like Jennifer Garner and Liv Tyler love to suds up their kids using only the best with Noodle & Boo’s line of ultra-gentle baby soaps and shampoos. But when the company found out that the little ones weren’t the only ones appreciating the products, they created a new line for all those moms who couldn’t resist sampling the products themselves. Glowology uses the same gentle ingredients as the children’s line, but in a way that’s definitely all grown up. The mild scent of Heavenly Honey Wash floats away stress, while the Lovely Body Lotion keeps skin moisturized without greasiness. And our favorite, the Sugar Mama Honey Scrub, contains gentle exfoliants to buff your way to baby-soft skin. Best of all, the company donates 20% of their profits to children’s charities. We can’t think of a more perfect holiday gift for all those caring moms on our list.”

Happiness is baby-soft skin . . .