2009 Mommy Brain Reports Toys, Crafts, Activities Gift Guide
✔= Personally reviewed  ♥= Mom Owned Business
Toys:
Zhu Zhu Pets
The best alternatives to real live hamsters, Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters don’t poop, die, or stink, but they are still a riot of motion and sound. Darting around in their hamster tubes, busily scurrying from room to room, you never know where they’ll go next! Simply pet the hamster’s back, set him down, and watch him Zhu Zhu Zhu-oom! Zhu Zhu Pets™ like to be picked up and snuggled too! Pet them gently on the nose, and they’ll squeak with contentment. These hamsters have over 40 different sound effects, depending on the unique environment they encounter. Zhu Zhu Pets are the world’s first innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. Zhu Zhu Pets include two play modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr, and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Over a dozen add-ons can be purchased to build an ever-evolving hamsterworld for your hamsters to play in and explore. Zhu Zhu Pets are the newest craze among kids and expected to be the most popular toy of the year!
Look for Zhu Zhu Petsâ„¢ Hamsters for sale right now at even more retailers, including: Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Amazon.com, Meijers, select Hallmark Gold Crown Stores, Shopko, Duck Wall, Fred Meyer, and more… ✔
We were sent a few of the Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters along with their play ball, and my girls love them! They’re the perfect “pet†for little kids! I don’t have to worry about them being fed or cleaned… They just play with them and put them away when they’re done! I’ve heard from several parents that these Zhu Zhu pets and accessories are very hard to find in stores, so if you’re looking for them you need to act fast when your favorite store gets them in!
LITTLEST PET SHOP COZY CARE ADOPTION CENTER
(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 09)
Kids will love to “feed,” “groom” and “dress” their pets at the COZY CARE ADOPTION CENTER a colorful new playset full of surprises, friends and tons of fun! The COZY CARE ADOPTION CENTER playset offers LITTLEST PET SHOP pets hours of play and tons of activities including an exciting training course perfect for a run or a fun-filled spin in a rotating playpen. These pets will have so much fun running and playing games—they will never want to leave! After a long day of running and playing, pets can get groomed at the special salon. The COZY CARE ADOPTION CENTER playset comes with an exclusive dog and puppy pet in addition to over 30 cool accessories, lots of storage space and easy portability for girls to display their LITTLEST PET SHOP collection anywhere. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com. ✔
We were sent the Cozy Care Adoption Center, and it is just the cutest thing! It’s definitely not meant for little kids because of all of the small pieces, but my girls are loving it! The animals are just so cute! It’s perfect for any kid who loves animals!
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SWEET SURPRISE STRAWBERRY Doll
(HASBRO/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $22.99/Available: Fall 09)
Girls will love to play with STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE’s hair and makeup with the SWEET SURPRISE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE doll. Fill the applicator with water, pop it in the freezer, and once it’s cold use it to “apply†pretty eye shadow, lipstick, and an adorable berry on her cheek! Girls can comb STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE’s long, red hair and style it using the included clips and barrettes with SHIMMER SHINE hair extensions. Add final touches of glamour to the SWEET SURPRISE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE doll with shiny mylar sticker accessory sheets. The poseable SWEET
SURPRISE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE doll stands 11 inches tall and features the classic strawberry scent. No batteries required. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com. ✔
Strawberry Shortcake has had a makeover! She doesn’t look a thing like she did when I was a kid, and I had a few Strawberry Shortcake dolls! The new Strawberry Shortcake is awesome, and definitely updated. My girls love playing with her “makeupâ€. They love watching me put makeup on, and now they get to play with “makeup†on Strawberry Shortcake! Check it out!
MY LITTLE PONY PONY FRIENDS Assortment
(HASBRO/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $5.99/Available: Fall 09)
This fall, the MY LITTLE PONY brand will introduce a whole new look to its core cast. Girls will love the new look of each pony in the MY LITTLE PONY PONY FRIENDS Assortment. PINKIE PIE, RAINBOW DASH, TOOLA-ROOLA, STARSONG, SWEETIE BELLE, CHEERILEE and SCOOTALOO all feature bright colors, fun-filled hairstyles, and new sizes that reflect their age. For example, SWEETIE BELLE is the youngest pony in the collection, making her the smallest pony in the group. Each figure in the PONY FRIENDS Assortment comes complete with her very own activity book, giving girls the opportunity to get to know their favorite pony up close and personal! ✔
Another great toy from my childhood that is pretty timeless. My Little Pony has made it’s way into my girls hearts. I love watching them play with my old ponies, and now I can get them some new ones that are super cute! We were sent some of the new ponies to check out, and although my girls haven’t seen them just yet, I know they’re going to love them!
WowWee Aliveâ„¢ Animal Babies
Age 3 and up
Suggested Retail $59.99
The critically acclaimed WowWee Aliveâ„¢ Cubs, introduced in 2008, capture the technology of Hollywood-style animatronics in the form of huggable, life-like plush animal babies. New for 2009 are four new cuddly varieties that come “alive†with love and attention – the WowWee Alive Seal Pup, Husky Puppy, Koala Joey, and Leopard Cub. Each features animated facial and vocal expressions triggered by users’ touch and comes with adoption papers and a family portrait.
Wowwee Alive Minis-
Suggested Retail $19.99
The WowWee Alive line are adorable, 8-inch WowWee Alive™ Minis, complete with an interactive feeding bottle. These WowWee Alive Minis feature touch and tilt sensors triggering soft endearing sounds from snoring to gurgling that indicate the cubs’ various moods.  ✔
WowWee Aliveâ„¢ Sleeping Cuties-
Suggested Retail- $34.99
WowWee has also unveiled a new line of pajama pals, the WowWee Alive™ Sleeping Cuties™ pets. These adorable sleepy pets are perfect to cuddle up with for a nap. Featuring lifelike fur, a poseable head, and their very own blankets, the WowWee Alive Sleeping Cuties pets make gentle slumbering sounds, have animated eyes, and can lift and lower their head into wakeful or napping position when you pet them.  The WowWee Alive Sleeping Cuties pets come in two varieties: Labradoodle Puppy and Beagle Puppy.
We were sent one of the Wowwee Alive Minis, and it is sooo cute! My girls were given pandas for Christmas last year, and I know that the new addition to their collection is going to be awesome. They really love being able to play with them, like they’re babies. It’s so cute! My girls love animals, and these are an excellent alternative to pets!
myWallaby Agile Doll Carrier – Created by a husband and wife team, Myriam (mompreneur) and Eric Hildenbrand helped create a doll carrier for little girls. She is an immigration lawyer by day, he works at a major US bank in compliance, and by night, they run their company. myWallaby was just launched this summer and already is gaining accolades as a recipient of a fantastic award to be officially announced end of this year, as well as countless coverage in publications and blogs. It is a product that all little girls would use and love! Simple idea – great design!! myWallaby Agile Doll Carrier is the next hot product for little girls! New to the market, the myWallaby Doll Carrier easily converts in a matter of seconds from a purse to a doll carrier.
The myWallaby Agile Doll Carrier fits a variety of dolls, ranging in size from 12-18″ including American Girl Dolls and stuffed animals. The Agile bag is named after the over 30 sub-species of wallabies.
The bag is made in the USA, hand made from the finest materials. Completely machine washable, its patent pending design enables it to be converted from a purse to a doll carrier in just a matter of seconds. As you can see from the photos, the purses convert to transport dolls easily. What really sets the myWallaby Agile Bag apart from others, besides the upscale quality, is that it is designed to carry a doll facing forward in an expandable pocket that resembles a real Wallaby pouch. They come in wonderful color combinations.
You can purchase the myWallaby Agile Doll Carrier on their site t www.mywallaby.com for $49.99 or at amazon.com. ♥
Kimochis – Created by Nina Rappaport Rowan, a mom entrepreneur who was struck with the horrible Columbine High School Incident, thinking how could something like this have happened? It made her dig deep and question why. What is missing? What are we not doing right with our children that they can be so disconnect and so self destructive? This very thing was the inspiration that drove Nina to create the Kimochis. The goal is to get parents and kids talking to each other. Creating original children’s products and animated family entertainment, the company wants to create compelling stories and loveable characters that will build confidence and self-esteem in our children and serve to strengthen parent-child connections.  Kimochis was awarded the Creative Child Magazine 2009 Seal of Excellence and Best Vacation Products by Dr. Toy.
Kimochi (KEY.MO.CHEE) means “feeling” in Japanese and each 13 inch Kimochisâ„¢ character comes with 3 plush “feelings” and a how-to- Feel Guide with tips for parents on connecting with their kids during emotional moments. Feelings can be messy…Kimochisâ„¢ can help!
Kimochis is the perfect holiday gift for parents and kids! — You will see why both parents and kids would be THRILLED to receive a Kimochi Character!
Purchases can be made at www.kimochis.com. Characters retail for $25 and Mixed Feelings Pack retail for $12.00 ♥
AquaPod: Looking for the coolest gift on the block this year? Go no further – we have something for every kid, brother, dad and friend – introducing the Aquapod Bottle Launcher (www.theaquapod.com), the first professionally manufactured bottle launcher on the market.
It’s not just for child’s play – but the perfect way to have some thrilling, blowing-stuff-up kind of fun. The Aquapod Bottle Launcher is a bottle rocket launcher that can launch a 2-liter plastic bottle up to 100 feet in the air. Launching the Aquapod is simple—it requires no assembly and is easily portable. To launch, fill an ordinary 2-liter plastic bottle 1/3 full of water, place it over the launch tube, and secure the latch. Attach a bicycle pump to the front air valve, and give 10 to 15 pumps or until the check valve releases. Moving back 15 feet to the launch position, pull the trigger lanyard with a short, quick tug to release the bottle. Watch it soar up to 100 feet in the air!
Whether you are looking for the ideal gift that will please everyone, or looking for the present that will make you a hero this holiday season, the Aquapod is something to share with your kids, friends, or the perfect gift for yourself!
The Aquapod is available for $24.99 at http://www.theaquapod.com ✔
Sweet Spot Sports Product Line
The Sweet Spot Sports line of products comes with special electronic features that emit an audio reward when a user hits or holds the ball in the right spot, the “sweet spot†improving accuracy and hand-eye coordination.  All Sweet Spot Sports products have an MSRP between $14.99-$19.99. The following Sweet Spot Sports products are designed for youth ages 5 and up:
·      Sweet Spot Football
·      Sweet Spot Baseball with Bat
·      Sweet Spot Hockey Stick and Puck
·      Sweet Spot Basketball and Hoop
Voice Command and Sure Shot Product Lines
The Voice Command and Sure Shot product lines, which have MSRPs between $69.99-$79.99, feature interactive training tools with instructional coaching to help athletes ages 5 and up hone their techniques. Whatever the sport—baseball, football, basketball, soccer or hockey—the Voice Command and Sure Shot product lines take the excitement of sports simulations out of the digital realm and into the physical world.   Products include:
·        Voice Command Pitching Machine
·        Voice Command Quarterback
Sure Shot Basketball
·        Sure Shot Hockey and Sure Shot Soccer combo (Available Exclusively at Target Stores)
Crafts/Activities:
Expo (www.expomarkers.com) offers many items that won’t break the budget. One in particular that I believe you will find to be a great gift is their Learning Board.
Expo Learning Board
-         9†x 12†dry-erase whiteboard that can be used on your lap or desk
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Front side is white to allow for creative drawing
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Back side includes penmanship lines for practicing writing, spelling and math
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Intended to be used as a learning aid for children, a teaching aid for parents, and an earth friendly alternative to paper for fun activities
- Available at big-box stores nationwide, with an average retail price of about $4 ✔
I purchased two of these boards a little while back while trying to make learning to write more fun for my girls, and less stressful for me. They loved having their own dry erase boards like Mommy, and it was perfect for showing them how to write, and quickly erase little mistakes! At the end of every lesson, they were allowed to doodle all over their boards for a while, and it was awesome because I didn’t have any papers to throw away!
Bijoux in a Box offers high quality and creative DIY beaded jewelry and craft projects that make excellent gifts—both to make and receive—for moms and kids. Two of her top sellers are:
A top pick for kids is the memory wire bracelet kit which makes 4 beautiful bracelets and costs $28. It is both a cool activity and a beautiful jewelry option.
http://bijouxinabox.com/memory_wire_bracelets.html
A favorite for women is a wine bottle stopper kit which makes 2 wine bottle stoppers for $36. One stopper ($18) coupled with our wine glass charms (6 charms for $16) makes a fabulous gift for only $34 and you even get to say “I made it myself!â€.  Wine bottle stoppers and charms can be found here: http://bijouxinabox.com/Wine_Stoppers_and_Charms.html.
All products can be ordered from my website, www.bijouxinabox.com.
The Knit Kit is a unique all-in-one compact knitting
accessory kit that includes a tape measure, stitch counter, thread cutter,
scissors, crochet hook, stitch holders and tip protectors all on one compact
device. Great for traveling by car or plane, and ideal for the first-time
knitter-the product not only features everything a knitter needs in one
light-weight compact case, it also keeps ‘knit knacks’ organized and easily
accessible. Known as the “Swiss army knife of knitting,” The Knit Kit is
available for $19.95 at local yarn shops (LYS) across the United States. Also on the horizon is the all-new 2010 edition; plus The Quilt Kit and The Sew Kit. The Knit Kit is available online at www.dreamweaveryarns.com and www.yarnmarket.com. For a complete listing of retail locations, for more information, or to view a video demonstration, visit www.theknitkit.com ✔
I was sent a KnitKit to check out, and thought it was a really awesome idea! I don’t knit, but I do crochet, and this was helpful even for my projects. I can’t wait to see the Quilt and Sew kits coming out next year!
The kit includes a quality 11†x 14†double-matted frame, acid free artist paper, an adorable child’s canvas apron, 6 bright, washable, non-toxic finger paints, and a Certificate of Authenticity affixed to the back of the frame with the child’s hand print signature.  There is no other complete kit like it available today.
“FingerPrints” is a wonderful gift for the busy career person, as completed gifts for moms, dads and grandparents, or as a birthday party gift, baby shower gifts and more.  Anyone with a child in his/her life will appreciate the convenience of an all inclusive, one stop shopping package, that turns family time into a keepsake that will last a lifetime.  Parents are always astonished once they see how a simple finger painting becomes a masterpiece when it’s put in our frame. Visit us at www.ColorGoRound.com ♥
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Great ideas, thanks!
Nice list of gift ideas. The zhu zhu pets amaze me though. Classic case of supply not meeting demand. The company had no idea it was going to be like this….
.-= Michael´s last blog ..Zhu Zhu Pets Currently on eBay =-.
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