Still need a little gift inspiration? Baby Scoop Austin got a little help from one of it's elves, Marika Flatt, to find the season's favorite gift ideas.
FOR THE KIDS
My NapPak
When your toddler or preschooler needs to nap at daycare, the best
option is to get them a My NapPak, which comes in cool fabrics, like the sports
mat (called “Play Ball”). These ultra compact totes include the mat, a pillow
and blanket all in one, with a little handle that makes it easy for your little
one to carry it all by himself. (www.mynappak.com, IN AUSTIN: Bright Beginnings, Best Dressed Kids, $41-48)
SmartGlobe Jr.
If you’d like your little one to learn some
geography and have fun doing so, the SmartGlobe is a great gift. With its
interactive quizzes and fun colorful shape, your kid will have fun knowing what
animals come from what regions and tons of other fun trivia. You’ll have your
child asking you questions like, “When will we go to Africa?” Soon, they will
be smarter than a 5th grader! Available in Barbie version as well. (3
& up, $49.99 www.oregonscientific.com)
Baby Brain Box
It’s one-stop
shopping for infant brain development. You can stimulate your baby with this
box of goodies, including a musical CD, a hand puppet, a few books, a rattle, a
mirror and other surprises. The carrying box stores all the pieces where you
can grab them in a jiffy. After all, your living room is dirty enough with all
the other toys. (
www.babybrainbox.com,
$79.95)
Sipahh Milk Flavoring
Straws
You’re at the restaurant and your child really wants chocolate milk but all
they serve is white milk so you break out your Sipahh straws and presto…chocolate
milk! These disposable straws come in chocolate, strawberry, banana and
cookies’n’cream. They are easy to carry around with you and provide a tasty
treat. You simply drink white milk through these straws and it’s transformed to
the flavor of your choice by the time it hits your mouth. (www.sipahh.com)
Affirmawrap blankets
Wrap your
cuddly teddy bear in his very own snuggly blanket covered in loving statements
such as ‘My future is bright’, and ‘I am a miracle’. The blankets are available
in fleece and cotton, and in adult sizes, too. (
www.affirmagy.com, $20-25)
Clickstart My First
Computer
Transform any TV into your preschooler’s first computer. This toy
makes it easy and fun for him to learn keyboarding skills and gets him started
early on a lifetime of computer using. For ages 3-6 years (Toys R Us, $60)
Boca Beth Bilingual Backpack
In Austin, many parents want to
teach their kids to learn Spanish. Here’s a fun way to get them started and
less expensive than private lessons. This backpack consists of two bilingual
DVDs, three upbeat music CDs, a 44-page coloring/activity book and two brightly
colored musical shakers. Now all you have to do is carve out the time! (
www.bocabeth.com, $80)
WordWorld
DVDs
The new hit PBS animated kids series, "WordWorld"
is geared toward making learning to read fun for kids. Grab a few
episodes that you can feel good about your kiddos watching, especially for
those holiday road trips. “Welcome to Word World” includes 4 episodes: "Happy
Birthday Dog”, "Sh-Sh-Shark!","The Mystery of the Disappearing
Pie" and "Snug as a Bug". Intended for children in pre-school to
kindergarten. (www.wordworld.com, Toys R Us, $15)
Shirley and Me matching mom and daughter tees
It’s fun for
little girls to look like their moms. It’s not only cute and trendy, but it
creates a bonding experience and everlasting memory between a mom and daughter.
All hand tie-dyed and highlighted with Swarovski crystals. $1 from
all t-shirt sales is donated to the Safespace Foundation, Inc. (www.shirleyandme.com, $26-35)
pediped™ footwear
Get the cutest designs for kids’ shoes
with pediped; from polka dots to natural colored loafers, your tot will be the
best dressed from head to TOE. Their new Fall and Winter line debuts several
colors, textures and fabrics including pink cheetah faux fur, camouflage print,
black velvet, red patent, chocolate brown suede, khaki/olive and metallic
silver! Available in sizes newborn (select styles only), 0-6 months, 6-12
months, 12-18 months and 18-24 months. (
www.pediped.com,
$29-$31)
Outside Baby winter outfits
Curly Windproof Collection
The stylish hooded jacket and pant set is made of
a warm, soft Polartec® Thermal Pro® high loft fabric. The Curly collection is
luxuriously cozy with a high loft interior and a tightly knit velour outer
surface for great durability and warmth. Both the jacket and pants are water
repellent and wind resistant. Available in Khaki/Blue, Pink, Green. Two Layer
Windproof Collection-- Built with two high-tech layers, both the jacket and
pant are reversible. The Polartec® Classic Micro fleece side is soft and warm,
while the colorful printed, sueded side is water and dirt repellent for those
outdoor adventures. Both pieces are made to accommodate the quick growth spurts
of this age group with accented roll back cuffs. Available in Red Flower,
Spirograph, Blue Camo; sizes 9 months-5yrs. (www.outsidebaby.com, $30-35 Pant, $50-55 Jacket)
AeroSport OverNighter
It’s a great addition to any sleepover, road trip or weekend getaway. And since it
rolls up and stores compactly in a lightweight, cool matching backpack, it’s
easy and fun for kids to take anywhere. The OverNighter is durable and is quick
to set up, inflating and deflating in less than 60 seconds. The twin size is
available in four colors (pink, blue, red, lavender). Your child will love
having his own “magic bed” to carry in his backpack for overnight visits. (www.aerobed.com, IN AUSTIN: Dick’s Sporting Goods, $50)
Mozart Magic Cube
This
award-winning product will be music to your little one’s ears. It teaches how
sounds combine to create 8 Mozart masterpieces. Your child can add or subtract
instruments with the touch of a button and lights flash along with the music.
It provides hours of interactive play for budding young composers of all ages.
(www.munchkin.com, $25)
Alpahbet Rockers CD
Your kids
will be rockin’ out to their ABCs and 123s with hip-hop beats, DJ-style
scratching, reggae grooves, contemporary urban sounds and rock guitar. Former 4
Non Blondes drummer Dawn Richardson and Kaitlin McGaw, a Harvard graduate who
also sings for Suite Love Express, partnered to write and produce a series of
cool music CDs that children and their parents can enjoy together. Get the CD player
into the living room and get a workout dancing with your kids to these songs.
And don’t be surprised when you’re singing them in your sleep!(
www.alphabetrockers.com,
$15)
Shootsie blanket
Here’s a gift
that will make you feel like a celebrity parent. Are you trying to teach your
baby to self-soothe at nap and bedtimes? Do you have a needy child who needs to
be comforted often? If so, your child needs a Shootsie. These ever-so-comfy
lovies will be your baby’s best friend and are made with such high-quality that
they should last up to 18 years! You can teach your child how to snuggle and
connect with their Shootsie and use it at the doctor’s office, with a new
babysitter, on long car trips or any type of stressful situation for your
little one. (www.shootsie.com, $122.50-144.50)
FOR THE ADULTS
Sensor activated soap pump
If
you want the coolest hand soap dispenser on the block, this is your pump. It
has a timer to help show kids how long to lather to get germ-free hands, it's
easy to refill, and is very modern looking. (www.simplehuman.com,
IN AUSTIN: Bed, Bath & Beyond, $40)
Holiday Rwanda Basket
An amazing initiative founded to help
female survivors of the genocide, the Rwanda Path to Peace Project offers
beautiful handwoven baskets. By creating a sustainable export business, the
Path to Peace project has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue
for Rwandan women, most of whom are heads of households and were previously
living on less than $1 a day. Focused on trade not aid, the income from the
baskets provides food, shelter, medical care, and other necessities for the
weavers. These women sit side by side as they talk and weave together, slowly
healing themselves and their society. (www.macys.com/rwanda,
$35-120)
Cheryl&Co. cookies
What do
you get the parents with everything? How about some yummy cookies or other
holiday treats, wrapped in an attractive tin and delivered straight to their
door. You can choose everything from cookies to brownies to candy and even
sugar-free delicacies. They even have gifts specifically for new parents such
as, “bundle of joy” gift towers. (www.cherylandco.com,
prices vary)
TinyPrints.com
Tiny Prints offers the “Tea*nie Tiny
Treasures” memory kits that serve as great stocking stuffers for new
parents. Each of these charming treasure box keepsakes chronicle and
celebrate a newborn’s milestones allowing parents to note a small, special
event in their child’s life each month for their child’s first year.
Additionally, at www.tinyprints.com you
can create holiday cards that are more like holiday treasures. Selecting
from hundreds of designs, you can personalize any design and choose between our
suggested wording and layout, or create a card entirely from scratch.
FOR MOMS
Hooter Hiders
Here’s a
brilliant gift for any nursing mother, one of those “Why didn’t I think of
that” products. Austin women need to nurse in public places sometimes but many
women go to great lengths to cover themselves. Better than a heavy blanket,
these light shields hide it all and are positioned in such a way to allow an
opening for the mom to see baby while she’s nursing. (www.bebeaulait.com, IN
AUSTIN: Nordstrom Barton Creek Square, $35)
Everything Fits Gym Bag
This eco chic bag keeps women
organized on-the-go with a roomy interior and special compartments for shoes,
sneakers, mp3 player, and yoga mat. Moms need to keep everything organized to
head the gym because we really don’t need another excuse to skip the workout.
Available in green and black. (gaiam.com, $60)
Julie Morgenstern “Do It All” Bag
Part of her overall
organizational system she developed for Franklin Covey, Morgenstern’s
fashionable leather bag will help moms keep their lives organized. With plenty
of pockets, this chic bag offers a place for everything. Moms can even throw
some diapers and wipes into this spacious bag. The red leather is a real
eye-catcher. Make a statement since you are, after all, a hot momma! The bag
comes in Black, Red and Chocolate.
(http://juliemorgenstern.com/Products_Web_DoItAllBag.php,
$80)
The Healthy Back Baby Bag
Most diaper bags can
make you feel like you're carrying the world on your shoulders. Save yourself a
pain in the neck — and back. Designed to distribute weight comfortably, this
very stylish baby bag offers plenty of storage, plus extras like a changing pad
and wet-dry zippered pouch. Cool enough to use as a gym bag later on, too. In
six colors.
(www.ameribag.com/catalog/product/32 ,
$70)
Give the gift of Baby Scoop Austin this Christmas! Just forward this newsletter to a friend you know that loves getting the SCOOP and ask them to join our e-mailing list. Our free weekly newsletter is the best gift ever!
Check out our site key for more details.
