totmama

In these days of unsure economic times, we can’t feel totally safe with the “usual” investments and financial institutions. Seems like “brick and mortar” banks are being snapped up left and right by merger or going bankrupt. What CAN you really be sure of these days? Well, it’s nice to know you can “invest” your money in a lovely bank like this Elephant Bank by Johnathan Adler. No doubt he’s talented, and with these clean lines and the adorable color pallet at least you’ll know your money is “secured” in the classiest place in town. 

We the people have the right to live in a place free of the yucky stucco and bare white walls of the usual apartment or condo. (If you own a house and have Bare White Wall syndrome, FOR SHAME!) In our quest to rid the world of this horrible, crippling syndrome we nominate a new wonderful place to help hip your crib. For very little money, The Poster List can take your sad walls from plain to “knowhatamean” in seconds. We personally love the Orange “Chill” Couch and the Primary Cameras. They have something for everyone and every situation. (Did we mention that the posters are 2 for $20?!?!) Choose the lovely Pink Hanging Chandelier or the Pink Old School Phone for your daughter’s nursery. Maybe you can rev up your pre-teen boys with the Grand Prix on Wood or Vintage Cars. Rock out with their Guitars, Brown Amp and Drums. Cool Numberpress in the playroom… you get the idea? Let not your dining table be flanked by stomach turning white walls again. Get some “wall medicine” for your home and live happy.

As November approaches, I am beginning to think about the holidays that are right around the corner. This year, with so many of my fave little online shops closing, it’s been a tough one to find great stuff. I have a wide range of kids to buy for, from teens to pre-schoolers to infants, and I love to get things that are not the usual fare. Things that teach in a sly way, things that can be done with family in mind, things that are silly or cleaver. Here are some of my ideas for great gifts under $30. 

Food Kits 

I like to give great things that let kids learn something cool. Usually the parents learn something cool too. The best thing is when there is something to show for it in the end. Things like these kits or a collection of baking mixes from Kids Central Kitchen are always perfect, no matter the age. Throw in an apron and a few cookie cutters or a chef’s hat and you’re the best Auntie around!

I saw this Brew Your Own Cola Kit at UO, and thought it would be a great gift for kids. The joy in getting to make and drink your own home made soda sounds so nifty. You could even go farther and create bottle labels, etc. Fun for the whole lot!

Building Kits

Kids get bored with the same old simple wooden puzzles from day to day. It’s much more fun to have a challenge, and get the whole family involved. Something like these DIY Eiffel Tower, DIY Pirate’s Ship, or similar will get everyone in on the fun while they wait for the turducken in the oven.

My son loves to play with gadgets and gears. He often wants to watch Battle Bots with his dad, and stops dead in his tracks when he sees an ad for Myth Busters. (Did I tell you he’s only 4 years old?) He’s got it in his blood. When I saw this really neat Tin Can Robot Kit I thought it would be perfect for them both. My hubby gets to pretend he’s doing it all for his son, and my little guy can revel in the marvel that is destroying a handmade robot. It should be a blast. 

Plants and Green Gifts

Kids are easy. Dirt and water gravitate to them like “Pig Pen” on Charlie Brown. Why not get them something they can take care of, and teach them a little about the food they eat? This book Don’t Throw It, Grow It would be a wonderful gift with a gardening set or packs of seeds. These modern terrariums called Plant Cubes, can grow self contained gardens for your little ones. You can choose between (monster) Venus Fly Trap and Zen Grass Garden (Fairy), which you can doctor up and decorate for kids. If you need some landscaping, why not let the kids plant a tree! This Plant a Tree Kit comes with either a Date Palm or Apple Tree that the kids can plant. A proceed from the sale of the kits goes to charity to help replenish the forests.

Meal Time Gifts

Anything that makes it easier to get peas and carrots into the kids gets high marks in my book. These cleaver Stacking “Lego” Utensils would make a great gift when given along with a cute Emily Green item like a bowl, plate or cool placemat. On-the-go items like this Crayon Roll  and these super cute Water Games make travel and meals out much more fun. 

My good friend Mel has set up shop! Super talented, with a knack for bringing out the whimsical in her work, she has created these adorable children’s items currently on sale at etsy.com.  Featured with her fun illustrations, from frogs in a flower to a doggie line up, these cool raglans, tees, lap tees and onesies are too cute to pass up. I’ve got my eye on a black sleeve Dog with Hydrant Raglan for my son, and I’m sure he’ll love it (especially knowing it was made by “mommy’s friend Mel”). Perfect for holiday gift-giving, each item comes with a unique cotton reusable bag. Snatch them up while you still can! mindofmel

 When my son was just a wee thing, a close family friend gave us a couple pairs of these wonderful Summer Froggies by Fogal slipper socks. My son adored them, and it put my mind at ease knowing he had good non-slip soles while he made his first steps on our slippery hardwood floors. When he got older and outgrew his original pairs, I hoped to buy bigger ones. I knew from the name that there was supposed to be a Winter Froggies slipper, and thought they would be perfect for the holidays. (Maybe a stocking stuffer?) They’re so practical, and the styles and colors are adorable. Other moms would ask us where to get them so much that I had to finally ask my friend. After a little snooping, I found their website and checked it out. Turns out they are from Fogal of Switzerland, and only sold online to customers in Europe. Bad news for my fiending mommy friends, or so I thought. After a bit more snooping at styles, I discovered that they were available after all. You can pick up a pair by calling their Chicago or New York stores and having them shipped directly to you. Good news! Now I need to figure out what sizes and colors to pick for the kiddies! 

I’m crazy for grapefruit-y, citrus scented ANYTHING, so when I found this new Brazilian Mango Grapefruit solid perfume, body butter, candles and soap by Pacifica I knew I had to add it to the totmama list. They describe the scent as “mouthwatering and luscious”, and “playful with a level of sophistication.” That sounds like a whole lot of good to me, so i can’t wait to try it out. They also have a Tuscan Blood Orange that is currently on sale at their online shop. 

I’m not sure exactly when I became a scent-crazed lunatic, but I know it grew in college and got insane shortly after my move overseas. My first love was Crabtree & Evelyn, and I would splurge on anything my starving student budget could get my hands on, savoring the free samples I got until there was absolutely nothing left. I remember really liking their Tea Rose Body Lotion. After dating a while, I started to wear more oils, and would pick The Body Shop’s Dewbery Oil as my day to day scent. Eventually I grew up and found my own signature scent, Annick Goutal’s Eau d’Hadrien, and I still wear it to this day. Every once in a while I do find something new to add into the mix, like Archipelago Botanicals Grapefruit or Bulgari Green Tea. While on a trip staying at Auberge Du Soleil in Napa, I fell in LOVE with L’Occitane en Provence, and even got my husband stuck on all of their Verbena Bath products. Later I moved on to Fresh, and have stuck with their Hesperides Oval Soap. (If you haven’t tried any of these, you’re missing something wonderful!) 

It really is amazing that people can remember so many things linked to the scents around them. I can clearly remember playing at my great-grandmother’s vanity at about 4 years old, wishing I would have a lovely collection of perfume bottles and curios like she did. Now as an adult, I don’t have the formal vanity table, but I sure do have a few of the pretty bottles. Back then, there was a certain sense of respect for those kinds of things. Unfortunately not now. In my house, they should have a much more beautiful place to sit, instead of just being shoved in the bathroom drawer. Gee, maybe I should take a second look into that cool modern, narrow legged vanity I saw at West Elm!

I am always looking for something cleaver and unique for my kiddies to make and give as gifts to friends and family. The other day I got a tip on something that fits both descriptions easily. Art Clay is a cool and fun way to fashion your own jewelry! Real silver, gold or bronze flakes are suspended in a resin that is pliable and can be pressed and sculpted almost like Playdough. You fire the items in a hot kiln, and voila!… lovely handmade charms or trinkets for your friends and loved ones. The resin is burned off in the kiln, and it leaves a solid precious metal piece of jewelry with a higher percentage of metal than most jewelry (like silver which is only 92.5%). Talk about cleaver! There are local places to make your own, like  Laurel Street Arts, which have a deal that gives you enough to make 4 pieces for only $40. 

Handmade dolls have a way of bringing out the giddy girly side of me, and now that I have a daughter it’s become much more of an obsession. Over the years I have amassed a decent amount of toys, and until now I never thought they would actually be played with by a child. (Sad, I know.) Recently, I unearthed a box full of some of my girly girlfriends and arranged them in my daughter’s nursery. Now all the older dolls are mixed with recent ones I have found for her, making a very cute display of mod chicks.

The other day I was happy to find these lovely vintage-y, girly gilrfriends from Craftsbury Kids called Posy Dolls. These lovely dolls by Projectgrabbag are entirely custom, so you can choose everything from her skin color and hair color to whether her eyes are open or shut. The button mary janes, neck scarf and cutesy “poof” hair make it just the right “it girl”; totally worthy of our dresser space. Perfect for my “daughter’s” growing handmade dolly collection! I can only hope that she grows up to understand the love and care that goes into making (and picking) these adorable friends. 

Often we find ourselves at the dinner table, hands pulling our hair out, trying to remember that new breathing technique we learned in last weeks yoga class because of a kiddie dinner explosion. (Yes, it happens often!) Thankfully Skip Hop has come to save the day with the new Mate stay-put mat and plate set. It’s a placemat, with a dish and plastic wear that snap on to keep them in place. With the beautiful bright colors that are all free of the icky bad plastic chemicals, we’re on our way to more peaceful times. Gotta love them!

Don’t be so blue! I was checking out Urban Baby Runway today, and spotted something else worthy of totmama praise. We can smile (and smirk) all the way to the park with these adorably edgy, kid scarf sets from Sourpuss Clothing. With a choice of red monster or green monster, I am sure my son won’t loose a mitten ever again. Lots of other nifty kiddie things hanging out at their website, including this Eat Brains Baby Bib, can be found to make your mother just cringe. (Of course! I love it all!) Just in time for Thanksgiving dinner at your great aunt’s!