Cool Stocking Stuffer Ideas

FOR THE KIDS

toothbrush

comic book

mini playing cards

pencils

notepads

hair bands, ponytails

mini lego kids

FOR HER

After 8s (just sayin')

magazines

lotions/soaps/smelly stuff

FOR HIM

puzzle

chocolates

magazines

flashlight


FOR HIM OR HER (just not the kids)
iPod Touch/iPhone Cases from Belkin

Easy Teacher Gifts

Swing over to my Yummy Mummy Club column to read my suggestions on
Easy Teacher Presents

In my world, teacher gifts were costing a fortune and a ton of crazy.

Now, instead of thinking "What do I give the teacher?"...I ask the kids "What are YOU going to give the teacher?" - because it is their gift to a special person in their lives...not mine.

And from my talking with teacher friends...teacher's don't need another box of chocolates...

Click HERE to keep reading...

Virtual Book Club

It is not too late for on-line holiday shopping. I recently placed an order with Indigo.ca and it arrived within 2 days (I heart Indigo).

If you are holiday shopping - for yourself or a fellow-book lover - there are many hot fall releases that make great winter reading.

Did I ever tell you why I named this site Parent Club? Because I used to get together with a bunch of girlfriends for brunch...and "brunch" like "book club" was really a chance to socialize and share. Hence Parent Club was born.


So why not share what we are reading/giving to read this season? A virtual book club if you will.

I'm about to start Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" (and I confess I've watched the movies based on his other books but I have never read them).

What's on your reading list? (oh - and if you are going to buy a book - support Canadian bookstores like Indigo)

Stocking Stuffers and More...

Oral-B Triumph With SmartGuide Oral-B’s most technologically advanced toothbrush. It combines cleaning and gum care with a wireless display that provides real time navigation for the dentist-recommended two minutes. This is perfect for the gadget-lover! (Watch for the Parent Club review of this product in January).


- The Oral B Vitality ProWhite rechargeable toothbrushes are clinically proven to effectively remove plaque and reach between teeth and along the gum line for a thorough clean. This is a wallet friendly option for the holidays.


Perfect for the gardening Grandma or Grandpa - Canada Blooms tickets. The Toronto show runs March 18-22, 2009. Tickets available for purchase on-line making this an easy gift to buy from the comfort of your home.

Putting together a gift basket for a new mom? Be sure to include safety devices such as Cover Plug. A smart product to keep little fingers safe.

Other Stocking Stuffer ideas...

mittens (because the kids will always need mittens

kids magazine (chirp, owl) or colouring book

favourite chocolate treat

markers or crayons

Green Christmas

Tree is up. Decorations are up. Are you interested in making your Christmas a little greener? Well, we know solar powered Christmas lights don't really work so well. However, there are some other ways in which you can green your Christmas...

• Use felt bags in lieu of paper gift wrap
  
• Instead of buying plastic tree decorations - make your own paper decorations (hand prints, photos, snowflakes, snowmen)
  
• Use plantable paper (paper embedded with seeds) for cards
  
• Give baked items in re-usable containers
  
• In lieu of gifts for your kids little friends -- arrange play dates at a favourite indoor playground
  
• Carpool to Christmas parties
  
• In lieu of a teacher present - donate a book to the class
  
• In lieu of buying plastic dollar store stocking stuffers - purchase items with a longer life -- toothbrushes, comic books, games
  
• Turn off the television and radio and decorate the house while singing carols

Teacher Gifts

I've put together some teacher gift ideas which perhaps may give you some inspiration.

Gift certificates are easy, practical - and um, easy.

Movie theatre or Rogers/Blockbuster gift certificates.

Tim Hortons/Starbucks gift certificates.

Indigo or amazon gift certificates.

Home Depot or Rona gift certificate (for the gardener or builder).

HMV or music store gift certificates

At Christmas, I had my school-aged Things paint a picture. I scanned and uploaded it to be printed as cards (and put their name, grade and year on the back of the card - leaving the inside blank). These specially made blank cards (plus some postage stamps) were LOVED by the teachers.

Make a small charitable donation to a children's centre or to Sick Kids in the teacher's name.

Have your child draw a portrait of their teacher and put it in a frame.

My newest, "smart" idea is to trace child's hand (two of them actually ) on some colourful construction paper. Have her cut both hand prints out - punch a hole in each "wrist" - tie some nice ribbon connecting the two hands. Write "Thank you" on one hand and "From ......" on the other. There you go -- it's a homemade HUG.

A great souvenir of the small hands that this nice person has helped over the school year.

I'm a bit against sending baked goods to school because of allergies. But sending "cookies in a jar mix" or "brownies in a jar mix" is a creative alternative. Take your favourite cookie recipe - layer the dry ingredients in a mason jar - type out the wet ingredients and cooking time. Tie a bow on the jar and VOILA!

Have a teacher gift idea to share? e-mail; Parent Club or leave a comment.

Kids Craft - Orange Clove Pomander

Going on a field trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village inspired me to find a kid craft for orange clove pomanders. They smell great and scream 'Victorian Christmas'. This is a appropriate craft for a school aged child - with parental help.

Here's what you need;

a washed orange or lemon
many many whole cloves
cinnamon
nutmeg
orris root oil (available at craft stores or on-line)
orange or lemon oil

Push the cloves into the orange/lemon in a pattern (stripes, swirls) or completely cover. You could use toothpicks to prick the skin first and save some labour.

Mix the orris root, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange/lemon oil in a small container. Then roll the orange/lemon in the spice mixture.

Wrap with Kleenex or cheese cloth. Use ribbon to hang it as a decoration.

If you notice mold as it cures -- throw it out. It takes about 3 weeks to completely cure. Then, you can keep it for years. Should you notice the scent lessening simply add clove oil to the pomander and re-roll it in the spices.

Cinnamon Clay

This is a sweet smelling dough that can be made into ornaments or gift decorations. No glue in this recipe so - though you wouldn't really want the kids to eat the dough - it is safely organic.

Age: Preschoolers and school aged

1 cup applesauce
1 cup cinnamon

Mix applesauce and cinnamon in a bowl. Knead the mixture until it turns into a firm clay. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

Clay is best when used at room temperature. Roll it out on wax paper (or a non-stick mat). Use cookie cutters for desired shape. (We've used stars which worked really well).

If you are going to hang your shape...use a straw to cut out a hole near the top of your decoration.

Place shapes on a cooling rack. Dry shapes for approximately 2 days. You may need to turn them occasionally.

These decorations smell amazing...and they keep for months. Great teacher or grandparent gift.

Teacher Gift Ideas

• Coffee Lovers Package; coffee mug + plastic spoon dipped in chocolate + certificate to coffee shop.


• Baking package; homemade vanilla (see post), homemade vanilla sugar + muffin pan


• Weekend Project; Building centre certificate + work gloves + clipboard.


• Home Package; tablecloth + fancy napkins.


• For the Classroom; sharpeners, pens, books, materials. Money donation for a class pizza lunch.


• Practical Gifting; note paper, envelopes + national/international postage stamps.



• Portrait of teacher, drawn by your child, placed in a nice frame.


Gift certificates


• Tim Horton's


• Indigo


• Starbucks


• Video rental


• Movie passes


Or make a donation in the teacher's name


• Foster Parents Plan


• Local Food Bank


• Toronto Public Library


• Givemeaning.com


• Make A Wish Foundation


• Hospital for Sick Kids - Toronto


• justgive.org


• Ontario Early Years Centre

Breakfast & Baking Tips

Reheating Refrigerated Bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave - then place beside the bread item; a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

When you are baking breakfast muffins or coffee cake, double the batch and freeze half. Especially with the holidays approaching, extra baked goods are great gifts to take along to brunches.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup.

Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Make your own vanilla sugar. Place a cup of white sugar in an air tight container with two whole vanilla beans. In about a week you will have wonderful vanilla sugar to pour over fresh fruit, or to put in baking items.

Make your own vanilla extract. Slit a couple of vanilla pods in half, cut them into pieces and place in a clean (air tight) jar. Add in 1/3 teaspoon of white sugar and 3 ounces of vodka. Make sure the vanilla beans are completely covered. Shake the mixture and be sure to keep in a dark, dry place. Give it a shake about once a week for several weeks (or keep it a few months for a more concentrated flavour).

These homemade items would also be valuable inclusions in a gift basket for a teacher or family member.

Parent Club gift idea - toys

To continue the series of Internet shopping for the holidays...this instalment presents the art of toy shopping with a click.

Mastermind Toys - Canadian store with lots of Ontario locations. They have been selling on-line for 9 years. Free gift wrapping. Website allows you to shop by brand, age and category.

Grand River Toy Company - you can shop on-line by age, brand and category. Shipping in Ontario is stated to be $7.99.

Toys r us offers free shipping on selected toy orders of $49+.

e-bay.ca is great for finding that hard-to-find item. Don't be afraid of bidding just know your prices of what the item would sell for in stores. New to e-bay?

E-bay vocabulary primer

NWT - new with tag
NWOT - new without tag
NIB - new in box

Parent Club gift ideas - Loveable Lables

This is a superb gift idea from www.lovablelabels.ca. Through this Canadian company, you can order a personalized storybook where your child will find his/her name on each page of the book. You can also include up to three friends names and the child's hometown to be woven into the storyline.

The treasured hardcover book promotes self esteem and reading skills.

If you order before Dec. 10th - you are guaranteed to receive your books before the holidays. Gift wrapping is also available.

This is a lasting gift.

As a bonus; Lovable Labels donates 50 cents of each book sold to be disbursed to various literacy organizations supporting literacy programs.

Lovable Labels Inc.
Toll Free: 1-866-327-5683
www.lovablelabels.ca

PARENT CLUB tests - LEAPFROG

LeapFrog asked Parent Club to test some toys with our infants & toddlers. Of course, our panel jumped at the chance (see, didn't use that "leap" pun). As always, we invite older and younger siblings to play with the products -- to make the toy testing fair and fun.

Bilingual Counting Maracas
Ages: 6-36 months (6 months - 3 years)Suggested retail price: $19.99

These maracas introduce bilingual learning through counting numbers 1-10, colour names, and vocabulary. It features twinkling lights, silly sounds and music. There are 3 learning modes. Babies and toddlers will be singing, dancing and learning with fun. (Parent Club note: only one of the maracas has lights, counting, and music. The second maraca is a shaker only).

PARENT CLUB panel: "The maraca with the lights and sounds appeared very entertaining for my 19-month-old son. He played with both the English and French settings, having fun switching from one to the other.

I did notice that the kids were able to shake the maraca faster than it was able to count or recite colours.

Both my toddler and 4-year-old were not interested in the maraca that simply made a rattle sound when shook. “This one is no fun!” was the statement my 4-year-old made and a confused toddler asked for “Light on?”. When I explained that only one maraca had lights he promptly asked his big brother to “Switch please?”."

PARENT CLUB panel: "Fun, but my daughter was wondering why only one was lighting up and making music, so she ended up playing with only one.

What attracted her the most was the colour and to be able to repeat the name in french. She had no concept of shaking the maracas, but instead liked staring at the different light colour.

The 2 volume setting is nice but the loud setting is far too loud for their little ears and as they play with the button, it is hard to keep it at low…it can be a concern for a mother...

Far from being challenging for a 3 yrs old. And the language is too slow, she gave up waiting for the next word after a while."

This is the general feedback; one fun, twinkling, musical maraca and the second just not as much fun. Parents said these toys were very well made. The toys held the children's attention for short time spans.



Bilingual Animal Sounds Guitar
Age: 12-36 months (12 months - 3 years)
Suggested retail price: $24.99

This colourful guitar (with whammy bar and fret button)introduces numbers and animal sounds in English and French. It also encourages music and guitar sound effects. It has 3 learning modes; numbers, animals and music.

PARENT CLUB panel; "Fun at first, although, even at 3, my daughter doesn't really have the concept of playing guitar. Except for pushing the button to see the wheel spin, my daughter had very little interest. Of course for her age, we are past the animal sounds stage, but we are starting counting so that part of was fun.

There are a lot of buttons that are more of a decoration and they don't do anything and she was disappointed.

Not very challenging for a 3 year old.

As much as my daughter loved to boogie, dance or sing, it didn't really get her attention.

However it is a sturdy toy considering the amount of time it fell to the ground."

PARENT CLUB panel; "This toy was fun! My two kids (19-months and 4 years) already have fun playing with other electric toy guitars we happen to have, so the younger one was excited to see a little guitar that was more his size.

The number and animal settings were played with the most. The sound setting seemed limited and was rarely played with. My toddler appeared to enjoy both spinning the red knob in the centre of the guitar or pushing the whammy bar to turn the coloured number and animal wheel.

I liked to see learning of number order and animal sounds while building fine motor skills."

This toys seems to be a hit for the younger age range. The Parent Club panel loved the bilingual aspect of the toy.

We would like to, again, thank LeapFrog for bringing this challenge to Parent Club. We certainly throw our support behind toy manufacturers (like LeapFrog)that produce high quality, educational toys which engage children and promote fun.

PARENT CLUB tests - Leap Frog

Parent Club was called on to test some Leap Frog toys. Our panel of Parents & Kids (ranging from infant to tween, anglophone and bilingual) leaped at the chance (excuse the pun).

Leapster Learning Game System
Recommended age; 4-10 years
Suggested retail price: $79.99

The write-up for this toy states that; "Leapster offers learning opportunities and fun to kids at home or on the road". With activities that include; writing, drawing, painting and educational games -- this toy seems to have it all.

This toy came with a Leap Frog game (featuring our friend Tad).

We also tested the Scholastic Clifford the Big Red Dog Reading software (ages; 4-6, suggested retail price; $34.99)

As always, when the test panel takes a toy challenge we invite older and younger siblings to have a play.

PARENT CLUB panel; "Leapster was given 10/10 by my two kids, boys aged 8 and 12. They thought it was fun, light, and portable. However, thought that if they were aged 4 to 6 - it would be perfect and that they would have fun and learn.

The games were too young for both of them, however, they still played for quite some time."

PARENT CLUB panel; "My girls, 4 and 7 LOVED this toy. So much so, that we had to use a timer to respect turns. They enjoyed the drawing feature the best. Their favourite game was Clifford. This toy really caught their attention. As a mom, I loved the headphone jack. This would be a great toy for a long car ride."

We should also note that the toy comes with an attached plastic cover to protect the screen. Plus volume control! Durable product, easy-to-change batteries and fits in your Parent bag.

Summing up the general feedback - this toy is a huge hit.

Thank you Leap Frog - we enjoyed the challenge.

Coming later this week; Parent Club tests Leap Frog (Again). Our panel results for some bilingual infant/toddler toys.

Parent Club Holiday Gift Ideas - Happy Mail

Happy Mail For Kids is a Canadian business (based out of Nova Scotia) that sends smiles to kids.

The smile comes in the form of mail sent directly to your child. The themed monthly mailing features; a letter to the child (you can also add a special message from the sender like "thinking of you...Love Grandma"), the Happy Sheet (fun poems), the Yummy for the Tummy Sheet (supper time recipe )The Sweet Sheet (dessert recipe) and coloring sheets. There is always a fun pencil, stickers, other little surprises and an awesome craft kit with everything needed to complete the craft (except glue).

You can send a one time mailing or choose to subscribe every 3, 6 or all 12 months of the year. The multiple subscription choices come with bonuses like a "Believe in Yourself" wristband and other goodies.

There are also specialty mail packages available;

Animals are cool

Crafty girl

Deluxe birthday for girls

Happy birthday for boys

Happy birthday for girls

It's a boy thing

It's a girl thing

Under the sea

I Lost My Tooth - which includes a tooth bag that hangs on the
child's door knob to help the tooth fairy find the tooth!

Prices are reasonable and range from $9.99 - $24.99 (add taxes on top). The website is fun, informative and all priced in Cdn. dollars. Shipping is across Canada and included in the price!

This is a smart gift for grandparents, family & friends to give. Even a parent living outside the home (or who travels frequently) can enjoy being closer to their child even when they are away.

Happy Mail for Kids

Parent Club Holiday Gifts - Handprints - Part 1 of Series

Is anyone else in the Parent Club starting to think about holiday gifts? As promised, we give you Part 1 in our series of Parent Club Holiday Gifts. This is a point & click, personalized gift idea for family, teachers or hostess presents.

HAND PRINTS

You need;

A hand print of your child's hand
scanner/or printer
local print shop or photo centre

Timeline: 1-3 weeks

Start off making a hand print (this can be difficult if your child likes to squish the paint on the paper). Optional; write your child's name and age at the bottom of the artwork.

Either print the hand print or scan it to create a jpeg.

Point & click. Through a print shop you can create greeting cards with the hand print as the imagery. At a store, like Staples, you can order on-line. The cards come with envelopes and work out to being about $1/card.


At your local print shop, you can have the hand print jpeg put on coffee mugs, mouse pads or t-shirts. Again, you can point & click during nap time.

Hand prints are fun to make and fun to give. Check out the comments regarding other handprint ideas.

Coming Soon...

Parent Club is writing a new series on family friendly holiday shopping.

Do you hate going into the malls with kids, snack & strollers? Do you plan how many stores to hit before kid-meltdown? If you answer yes -- then these articles are vital for you to read!

We will cover point & click shopping, gifts that keep giving, and amazing ideas for the grown-ups in your life.

All mall-free!

Warehouse Sale...Shopping Anyone?

Unilever Warehouse Sale-- Sept. 20 - Oct. 7

(Actually includes; Lipton, Knorr, Degree, Sunlight, Vim, Dove, Axe, Q-tips, Vaseline, Ponds)

Downsview Park

Tuscan Gate Entrance (off Sheppard Ave. W., Merchant Building, north entrance)

Mon-Fri 10am-9pm, Sat/Sun 10am-6pm

Visa, MC, Interac, Cash

Miko Toy Sale Sept. 17 to Dec. 24, W 10–4, Th–F 10–8, Sa 10–5, Su 11–5

60 East Beaver Creek Rd. (at Leslie) ,Richmond Hill

Service is no frills—instead of carts, you stuff your finds into enormous red bags but the savings in toy shopping is good.

Click here for Canadian Toy Recalls.

Snug As a Bug
91 Brandon Ave. (at Dufferin)
416-534-6881

CANADIAN COMPANY BASED IN ONTARIO

Parents of daycare-bound kids appreciate the sturdy construction and durable fabrics (polar fleece, twill and corduroy).

http://www.snugasabug.com/clearance_pj.php At the store location at; 91 Brandon Avenue, Toronto, (Off Dufferin Street, North of Dupont) Strollers are provided for your convenience along with movies and FREE treats for your kids, while you shop.

SNUGABYE FACTORY OUTLET

188 Bentworth Avenue, Toronto, (Caledonia Road & Bridgeland Avenue)
Open: Mon. to Sat. 10 am - 5 pm

You'll find sleepwear, playwear, rompers, underwear, crib bedding, socks and more. Expect to save from 40% to 70% off.

More Gifts - for the helpers - end of year

The first year my daughter was in school I bought end of school presents for her teacher, extra-help teacher, teacher's aid, school secretary, morning school bus driver, afternoon school bus driver,...and sent something treat-ish for the entire class. Absolute MADNESS!

How do you acknowledge the many, many professionals that help your child in their day-to-day schooling?...

My newest, "smart" idea is to trace dear daughter's hand (two of them actually ) on some colourful construction paper. Have her cut both hand prints out - punch a hole in each "wrist" - tie some nice ribbon connecting the two hands. Write "Thank you" on one hand and "From ......" on the other. There you go -- it's a homemade HUG.

A great souvenir of the small hands that this nice person has helped over the school year.

Teacher Gifts - end of year

Creative, inexpensive yet very thoughtful ideas...

• Movie Package; a box of organic microwave popcorn + movie theatre or movie rental certificates packaged in a large popcorn-friendly bowl.
• Coffee Lovers Package; coffee mug + plastic spoon dipped in chocolate + certificate to coffee shop.
• Sun Package; Plastic beach pail containing a bottle of sunscreen + book store certificate.
• Weekend Project; Building or garden centre certificate + work gloves + clipboard.
• Patio Package; plastic tableware, tablecloth, fancy napkins.
• For the Classroom...sharpeners, pens, books or materials.
• Practical Gifting: note paper, envelopes + national/international postage stamps.
• Simple Flowers or a plant.
• Small Donation to a children's centre or educational fund in their name.
• Portrait of teacher, drawn by your child, placed in a nice frame.