Editor's Pick: 2009 Holiday Gift Guide!

We've barely recovered from the Halloween sugar highs and now it's already time to think about holiday shopping.  Busy moms can use all the help they can get, so we had our editors hit the pavement (or as it seems to mostly be these days, the keyboard) to find fun, educational and even affordable gifts for your kids.  We've got something for everyone, big kids, little kids and even for the kid in all of us!
 
Happy Shopping!

from the MothersClick team

        Kids 0-5

 

1. Organic snap pea growing kit, with everything your budding greenthumb needs to grow fresh snap peas from seed to yummy.  They also have organic butternut squash and organic tomato and basil kits, along with many more. 

 

 

2. Awesome Animal Ears hat from Collette.  What little cutie wouldn’t look even cuter with these darling ears? Also comes in white.

 

3. The Book Buggy from P’kolino is a moving book cart your toddler can pull around all over the house! I know my daughter would have LOVED this when she was smaller. Heck, she might even dig it now:

 

4. For your favorite little wannabe mommy, SnuggyBaby, a baby sling that’s just right for dolls!  What a great way to introduce kids to attachment parenting. I am definitely getting one for my daughter so she can carry her doll while I carry the new baby in a sling too!

 

5. Encourage the curious with this handmade I Spy fire truck activity bag, which allows the child to “find” hidden objects over and over again. We love that it’s so interactive and that the 20 trinkets are hidden inside non-toxic pellets just in case it happens to leak. It’s a book AND a bag! Great for taking along in the car. 

6. If girls want to be just like mommy, boys want to be just like daddy too. Now he can shave right alongside dad with this great My First Shaving Kit set from Toys to Grow On.

 

 

 

7. This very cool Let’s Play Doctor kit from Toys to Grow On reminds me of one I had when I was little. What a great way to encourage that future MD!

8. Every kid should have a set of alphabet blocks to stack and learn their letters. And though wood blocks are great, I LOVE that these are washable for the really small ones who love to stick everything in their mouths.

9. Because every kid is a backseat driver, give them their own steering wheel! GREAT for long road trips.  Beep Beep, here I come!!

10.  For a bigger family gift, especially for two-kid families (any more than that and they’ll be fighting over it!), get this great bouncer for two.  For an extra thrill, you can buy a bag of 100 ball pit balls to throw in from the same site. Enter “100 extra balls” in the search bar to order.

 

 

Kids 5-11

 

1. Bring back and oldie but goodie from your childhood with Lite Brite. The Lite Brite is suitable for kids age 6 and up and has undergone some 21st century changes to fit today’s savvy kids. LIte brite now features a flat screen, cube style or Flash Art FX. The Lite Brite fits every budget with kits ranging from $9.99 to $29.99 and is available at Walmart. Target, The Hasbro Toy Shop and Amazon.com

 
2.  How many times have you contemplated giving in and letting the kids get a hamster or a guinea pig? If weren’t for the mess you’d probably say yes right? With Zhu-Zhu pets you can finally give in and never worry about smelly cages or reminding your kids to feed their furry friend. Zhu-Zhu pets are a fun, furry interactive toy pets that deliver just as much fun as the real thing! Kids can add on to their pet’s habitat with accessories such as cars, slides, wheels and additional rooms for their habitat. Zhu-Zhu Pets can be found at Target, Walmart, and Amazon.com and retail around $7.99 and up.

 
3.  Learning and gaming go hand in hand which is why Leap Frog is dedicated to keeping kids entertained and their minds sharp with their Didj hand-held educational gaming system. Kids can brush up on their studies while playing games through some of their favorite characters. Parents can then check their child’s progress by linking the game system to their desktop computer. Kids can find new games to download online as well. The Didj learning game system retails between $60 and $80 and can be found at a number of online retailers including Amazon.com, etoys.com and Toys R Us Stores, Walmart and Target.

 
4.  Remember when you were a kid and you would break a crayon? Mom used to shave it down and melt it in the oven in muffin tins. Those few minutes of melting create a new colorful crayon. Crayola remembers the days of melting down broken crayons to make new ones and have created the Crayola Crayon Maker; a fun and safe alternative to making fun crayon creations! The Crayola Crayon Maker can be purchased online at thecrayolastore.com, amazon.com, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Khols, or Toys R Us and retails for about $24.99

 
5.  If your kids need a new twist on classic games, consider Swinxs! This children’s gaming console, combines technology and old school games all in one for hours of activity and fun for kids of all ages. Kids are encouraged to get up, get active and get involved in the game. Looking for more fun? Connect your Swinxs console to the Internet and download additional games created by other players and Swinx! You can purchase Swinxs for about $150 through Amazon.com

 

6.  Disney’s done it again with their latest beloved family flick, Up! Follow Carl as he takes an Uplifting adventure to fulfill a childhood dream and a promise of adventure to the love of his life. The story is inspiring and heartfelt as Carl looks beyond his own dreams to help others make theirs come true. Up! Is available on DVD and Blue-Ray and can be purchased through Amazon.com and retailers worldwide.

 

7.  Let your imagination run wild and the creativity soar with Bristlebots. Build your own mini robots with the Klutz Bristlebots Kit. Kids can create games, design bots, race and run through mazes. Each bot is constructed from a motorized tooth brush head and has a number of options for customizing to make the bristliest and most creative bots. Parents can purchase the Bristlebots for around $20 and available at bookstores, amazon.com and Klutz.com

 
8.  Kids can explore their creative genius and discover the fun and creativity of making, singing, and mixing their own music with Ucreate Music. Future music stars can record their own songs, mix music like professional producers and song writers with the Ucreate Music system. The Ucreate Music system is available at Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Amazon.com and Mattel.com for $39.99

 
9.  Now young and old kids can relive the fun that started the Nintendo craze with Super Mario Bros for Wii! Up to 4 players can take a trip through the Super Mario Bros by collecting coins and either working together or working against each other to the finish. Players use the motion control of the wii controller to move through the adventure as well as the action buttons. Whether you want to compete against your kids or help them win the game is up to you as the game allows to compete and work together. Super Mario Bros for Wii is available in stores everywhere for $46.99

 
10.  Moon in my Room lets out the inner astronomer  in every child. The Moon in my Room is a half circle shaped light that affixes to a wall and moves through the moon’s phases. Kids operate the curved textured light by remote control. The Moon in My Room is battery operated and works with light sensors so when the sun shines in the room, the light goes out. The Moon in My Room retails around $19.99 and available in stores everywhere as well as target.com, drugstore.com, amazon.com and Barnes and Noble

 

Girls 12 and Up

 

 

1.  Look out Project Runway, this fashion design kit for kids includes a dress form, fabrics for draping, scraps of trim and even a mini digital camera so you can photograph your designs and upload them to the Harumika fashion website. (Thanks to ResourcefulMommy).

 

2.  Encourage your Twilight teen to write down her thoughts with this collection of journals that come in a Twilight tin. Years from now, they'll look back at what they wrote and see that mom really was right when she said, 'don't worry, you'll get over it."


3.  Taylor Swift makes music every teen girl can relate to (and us grown up girls like her, too!) She sings about young love, being an outcast at school, parental issues and she does it all with clean lyrics, an upbeat style and a sense of hope. Great music that you and your daughter will both enjoy.

4.  Call this the modern version of a Polaroid instant camera. You take photos on your cell phone then wirelessly transmit them to this printer which prints your photos in an instant. What a great way for your daughter to share photos with her friends and imagine the great blackmail pics they'll get at their next slumber party.

 

5.  Twilight fans move over, there's a new (old) vamp in town. The Vampire Diaries are actually an old series of books that have been made into a new TV show for The CW. Get the whole saga in a recently reprinted collection, or pick up the books one by one. A must have for the teen vamp fan in your family.



Boys 12 and Up

6.  Bean Bag Chair.  It may be basic but a huge bean bag chair is still a great gift for the teen boy on your list. Boys love to lounge while playing games, listening to music, texting friends and even. . . can you imagine. . reading a book. Only trouble is, once he gets in this chair, you'll never get him out.


7.  Turn a favorite photo into a poster. Choose a picture of your son in action on a skateboard, playing football or just hanging with friends. Kinkos and Walgreens both make poster-sized prints as do dozens of online shops such as Snapfish. Compare prices and watch out for the Christmas lead time if you're ordering online.

8.  IPods are great but headsets can be a pain, especially if you want to share your music with your friends. Here's a portable speaker that doubles as a case. Just slip in your iPhone or iPod and everyone can listen to your tunes.


9.  No musical training is required to enjoy playing around with this easy to use keyboard. You'll be surprised how quickly your son can pick out his favorite tune and by New Year's he'll be composing his own music. And remember, music has charms to sooth even the most savage teen.


10.  Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Tough Stuff:  Stories of Tough Times and Lessons Learned.  Your son will look at you funny when you give him this book, but then he'll sit down and read it when you're not looking. These straight forward advice books talk to teens in a language they can relate to. Let them know they're not alone.

 

For the "kid" in all of us

 

 

1.  For the foodie on your holiday list, choose any of the great gift sets from O Olive. These are artisan citrus-crushed olive oils and they are really special. Try something really daring like the O Tahitian Lime Olive Oil and O Pomegranate Vinegar combo pack.
 

 

2.Want to recapture the smell of summer, try a Beach Bum soy candle which smells like coconut suntan oil. Need a boost? Jitterbug smells like dark roast coffee and Chocoholic has three layers, each smelling like a darker flavor of chocolate. Best of all, there are no calories in candles.

 

3.  For the chocoholics we all know and love, Recchuit Confections has put together some amazing looking (and tasting!) gift boxes just for the holidays, including their  signature Burnt Caramel chocolate adorned with nostalgic Dr. Seuss-like drawings of stockings. And the toy collection is the gift that gives back with $2 from each sale donated to Creativity Explored.  

 

4.  Place the Extreme Geek missile launcher near your computer and you can aim and attack right from your keyboard. Keep those pesky bosses at bay! Defend your area when the teens come over looking for money. Who says only kids get to have fun.

5.  The new Star Trek movie makes a great gift for every level of fan. There are inexpensive single disc varieties for casual fans and there's a cool 3-disc set that comes with a replica Enterprise. Now that's a gift!

 

6.  Fun in a box!  Organic heirloom popcorn meets mouthwatering flavor in this do-it-yourself popcorn kit. These colorful kernels contain special antioxidants that pack a healthy punch. A great gift from 479 degrees!  They also have already popped varieties in some amazing flavors.  And,  when you buy their Schoolyard Pop, they will donate to Urban Sprouts, helping kids eat healthy.  Everyone wins on this gift.

 

7.  Dog lovers will get a kick out of these fitted bling tees from DIG. Karina Smirnoff was seen wearing the blue style during her rehearsal footage on Dancing With the Stars. They also have some cute accessories and sleepwear and doggie greeting cards. Woof.