Parent Guide Holiday Wish Guide

HAPPY GREEN HOLIDAYS | HAPPY HOLIDAYS HONEY | TOP TEN TOYS FOR 2011

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Holiday Wish Guide ParentGuide速 3

Editors Note Happy Holiday Shopping

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Editor’s Note

Welcome to the holiday season, that lovely time of year filled with family, food, fun and shopping.

And while many find this to be the most exciting and joyous time of year, for some parents, it’s a time of great stress. Why? Because shopping for the right presents for their kids and spouses can often be frustrating and time consuming. That’s why Parent Guide is taking this time to showcase some of the best toys and gifts of the holiday season in this handy, Holiday Wish Guide.

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Happy Green Holiday

So, while munching on another piece of holiday rum cake, lighting all the candles on the Menorrah or rearranging the ornaments on the Christmas tree again (yes, your secret’s out), why not take a few minutes with your Parent Guide Holiday Wish Guide and plan out some fun shopping. Then, find your kid and sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at the top of your lungs...together.

You’ll cherish the memory forever.

Geodie Baxter Padgett Executive Editor

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Happy Holidays Honey

12 Top 10 Toys of 2011 14 Merry, Merry for the Kids 16 Merry Petmas

INSIDE

This wonderful gift guide has gifts for everyone-parents, kids and pets. There’s also a green gift guide and a a very special section provided by the Goddard School that highlights their top ten toy picks for infants to children age 6. Well, actually, it’s not their top ten toy picks, it’s the picks of their kids. That’s right. The Goddard School let their students pick the toys for their top ten list.

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Holiday 2011CONTENTS

Holiday Wish Guide ParentGuide速 5

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Holiday

Trivia to

SHARE

1.

Suppose your beloved decides to bestow upon you with all the gifts in “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” How much do you think he or she will have to fork out?

Answer: For all the gifts, be prepared to shell

out $101,119.84 according to the PNC Christmas Price Index for 2011, which by the way, lists this year’s price at more than 4 percent more than 2010. If that’s out of your budget, you could just pony up for one day’s worth of gifts for a mere $24,263.18.

2.

How many reindeer does Santa have including Rudolph?

Answer: 9

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, Blixen and Rudolph

3. In “A Christmas Story,” Ralphie wants a new Red Rider BB gun. Why can’t he have one?

Answer: His mom thinks “He’ll shoot his eye out.”

4.

What kind of pipe did Frosty the Snowman have?

Answer: According to the song, “Frosty the

Snowman, the iconic snowman held a corncob pipe as well as a button nose and two eyes made out of coal.

5. What’s the name of the top-like object that children spin during Chanukah?

Answer: A dreidel, which is used to play a game

where players bet on which Hebrew letter will land upright, is often played during the eight days of Chanukah.

6.

Who wrote “Twas the Night Before Christmas?”

Answer: Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem, which was originally titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas in 1823.

Holiday Wish Guide ParentGuide® 7

Holiday Wish Guide HAPPY GREEN HOLIDAYS Parent Guide’s picks for the best green gifts

Adorable Hobby Stick Ponies Peanut Butter Mixer

Natural peanut butter is delicious, but stirring it up when it separates is a pain. That’s why this peanut butter mixer is sheer brilliance. Just screw it on a 16 oz. peanut butter jar and crank. There’s even a gasket that wipes the mixer off for easy cleaning. $10 Go to www.gaiam.com.

These handmade hobby stick ponies from Manely Recycled by audioamy are not only cute, they’re very popular among green kids and their parents.

Learn more at Manely Recycled’s Facebook page or www.etsy.com where they sell for $37. Or contact the artist at audioamy@gmail.com.

Little Class Your Glass

with

You can ditch the one-time-use plastic straws for Strawsome’s straws, artsy glass straws that are reusable and add more than fun to your drink. Prices start at $7. Check out www.strawsome.com to learn more.

Soft Clothes

from the

Dryer

Now you don’t have to miss that snuggly feeling when pulling clothes from the dryer. Bouncing Woolies are eco-friendly dryer balls that lessen drying time and soften clothes. Prices vary per design and quantity. Visit www.bouncingwoolies.com.

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Product Reviews I

Geodie Baxter Padgett

Healing Stones

End that headache or help your child ease her teething pain with these unique, amber healing bracelets and necklaces from Inspired by Finn. Prices vary. Visit http://hyenacart.com/stores/inspiredbyfinn for more information.

Bug-Free Humanely

This de-bugger will satisfy moms who want a bug-free house and kids who want to catch and watch bugs. The BugZooka is a battery- and chemicalfree bug catcher that sucks bugs into a chamber where they can be released.

Kids can even get a peek before the bug is released. $29 at www.gaiam.com.

Recycled Solar System Puzzle This 48-piece puzzle will intrigue children eager to see the secrets of the universe. Made of sustainablyharvested and recycled pieces with non-toxic soy-based ink and water-based coating. $15 at www. planethappytoys.com.

DIY Lip Gloss

for

Girls

This Kiss Naturals Lip Balm Making kit will delight girls ages 6 and older.

Featuring essential oil, sheer butter, beeswax, and safflower oil to make the lip balms, all products are natural and easy to use, although younger girls may need mom or dad’s help to melt waxes and oils. $25 Visit www.treehugger.com.

Holiday Wish Guide ParentGuideÂŽ 9

Holiday Wish Guide HAPPY HOLIDAYS, HONEY Parent Guide’s picks for the best gifts for moms and dads

70 The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

During these tough economic times, there may be no better gift for your spouse than Dave Ramsey’s book on how to get out of debt. Not only will this book it help you live debt free and build wealth, it will have you both working together for a common goal. $16.50 or less at www.amazon.com.

mph

Umbrella

He’ll love this one-of-a-kind umbrella that was tested in a wind tunnel. It features a unique aerodynamic design that resists turning inside out. Made with a sturdy aluminum frame and pongee polyester canopy and reinforced points. $70 at www.sharperimage.com.

Mom’s Techno Wonder

Apple’s iPhone 4S is without a doubt a busy mom’s new BFF. Siri, the “personal assistant,” can answer mom’s questions, help her call folks and keep her organized. And that’s in addition to all the other cool stuff that the phone does. Prices vary according to calling plan upgrade status. Visit www.apple.com.

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Fine Dining Both

for

You

One of the best gifts you can give your honey that you both can enjoy is a gift certificate to your favorite romantic restaurant. And save a little money on that gift certificate by visiting www.restaurant.com for dining deals in your neighborhood.

Product Reviews I

Natural Home Spa Treatment

She’ll create her own beautifying treatments using her favorite natural ingredients such as avocado, cucumber and more with this natural spa. Complete with recipes, this unique system will have her feeling healthy and lovely all the time. $120 at www.sharperimage.com.

Geodie Baxter Padgett

Home Brewing System Dad will love getting up early with the stylish Keurig single-cupbrewing system ready to make his morning cup of coffee. It offers a range of coffee options as well as tea, cocoa and more. Plus, because each cup is brewed individually, there’s no waste. Prices vary. Go to www.keurig.com.

Relax Dad’s Favorite Grill Toy

This one-of-a-kind grill brush features motor to really power away grease and grime. It also has a steam sprayer to help melt away grease. Uses 8 AA batteries, not included. $30 Available at www.brookstone.com

and

Enjoy

You’ll make her day with the i-need massager for neck and shoulders from Brookstone.

The massager wraps around the neck and shoulders while delivering heat and rhythmic vigorous percussion. $100 Visit www.brookstone.com.

Holiday Wish Guide ParentGuide® 11

Holiday Wish Guide Top Ten Toys of 2011 for Infants and Preschoolers (Courtesy of the Goddard School)

In 2011, over a period of a few weeks, teachers in select Goddard Schools observed how the children played with a number of toys that had been sent to the school to be rated. The teachers documented their finds, and that information was compiled. From it, a top ten toy list for infants up to age 6 was developed.

And here they are...

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Sassy® Sensory Ball Set

(Suggested Age Range : 3 months & up) Sassy’s Oppenheim Award-winning Sensory Ball set comes with a set of three balls, each featuring high-contrast patterns, graspable areas, textures or noisemakers for play and sensory development.

Hugs :) Links™

(Suggested Age Range : 3 months to 3 years) Each link is a happy rattle. Beads click–smooth plastic loves little hands. Put them in the jar. Take them out of the jar. Repeat.

Rooooll the jar down the hall.

Little Shopper Playset

(Suggested Age Range : 6 months & up) Six-piece playset is full of activities. Each food features a different texture plus crinkles, jingles or chimes. Perfect for fill and spill and take along fun.

Soft Chime Garden

(Suggested Age Range : 6 months & up) Colorful flowers encourage baby to reach, tug and bat, developing hand-eye coordination.

Parent Guide Picks I

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Geodie Baxter Padgett

Totem Stackers

(Suggested Age Range : 6 months & up) Stacking is easy and frustration-free with the Totem Stackers!

They use smart magnets, baby learns that there is no wrong way to stack them!

Elemeno

squeeze ®

(Suggested Age Range : 6 months to 3 years) Toss them in the tub, learn the alphabet and build your masterpiece. They can keep children busy for years! Or at least minutes. The toymaker’s international heritage inspired the rich colors.

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Wheeee-ls !®

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Animal Sounds Hay Ride

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(Suggested Age Range : 1 to 4 years) Great for enthusiastic little hands. The car rings! The truck chimes! The racer rattles! The taxi squeaks! “Garage” box is made from recycled and recyclable materials.

(Suggested Age Range : 18 months & up) A fun tractor and hay wagon ride with farmer and animal figures. The figures are removable, with a bonus game of matching the animal figure to an image within the hay wagons, rewarding the child with the correct animal sound.

Bingo Animal Kids

(Suggested Age Range : 2 years & up) Be the first to find the animals on your picture card to win the game! An assigning game with animals includes a variation for older children.

CitiBlocs Little Builders Rattle Blocs

(Suggested Age Range : 2 years & up) Eco-friendly; builds strength in little fingers and improves eyehand coordination. Learn and practice math skills by grouping, adding, subtracting, matching and sequencing.

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Holiday Wish Guide

Parent Guide Picks I

Geodie Baxter Padgett

Merry, Merry for the Kids Parent Guide’s picks for the best toys for school age, tweens and teens.

LEGO’s Cool Ninja Sets

Ninjago, LEGO’s popular Ninja set, features all types of setups including this year’s LEGO Ninjago Fire Temple. Set comes complete with 7 minifigures...and a splitting temple where the Fire Dragon is held. Age 8+; $108 at Target.

Glow Rocks Science Kit

These special minerals light up under a UV light (included in the set). Just wave the portable UV light over them and watch as they sparkle and glow with color. And you can take the UV light and check out other things around the house. You’ll be surprised at what might light up (money, stamps, etc.). $40 Visit www.amazon.com to buy.

Color Magic

Swimming Around

the

Room

Air Swimmers are amazing remote controlled fish that actually swim/fly around the room leaving the kids (and you) astonished. Moving with the smooth glide of a real fish, the air swimmers are designed for inside use only.

Fish requires only 4 AAA batteries and has up and down and a full 360-degree turning control. $50 Available at Toys R Us.

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Make your own colorful rainbow with this motorized rainbow maker.

Simply apply the suction cup to a window getting direct sunlight and watch as solar energy powers the motor that rotates a genuine hanging crystal. As the crystal refracts light, rainbows light up your living room. $35 Visit www. smithsonianstore.com

Around

the World from the Living Room

It’s not just a magazine, it’s worldwide adventure. National Geographic is the perfect gift for tweens and teens (and their parents) to explore the globe’s most fascinating and beautiful animals, lands and people. And National Geographic Kids is available for pre-school and school age kids.

Special online pricing for a year: $57 for National Geographic and $15 for National Geographic Kids. Check out www.nationalgeographic.com.

Portal 2 Xbox

for the

This follow up to 2007’s Game of the Year doesn’t disappoint. Players use their wits over weapons solving puzzles and facing challenges in a “funhouse of diabolic science.” Rated E10+ $30 at www.gamestop.com.

Glow-in-the-Dark Beetle Mouse Though it may look like some sort of graphic optical illusion, it’s not. A real chafer beetle is embedded in the acrylic of this unique mouse. $20 at www. smithsonianstore.com

Gift Cards

Sometimes, there’s no getting around it.

Tweens and teens are more finicky about their gifts, and often, those gifts cost more than the holiday budget allows for. That’s why you can never go wrong with a gift card.

Consider some of these tween/teen favorites when buying the card: GameStop, Aeropostale, AMC or Regal Movie Theaters, iTunes, Amazon. com, Banana Republic and Best Buy. Or try a Visa Gift Card for use anywhere.

Kindle Fire

Released in September 2011, the Kindle Fire is the newest entry into the tablet marketplace. Although its suite of functions isn’t as extensive as the iPad, for most users, what the Kindle offers is entertaining and more than enough. It’s full color with thousands of apps, games and movies. Features a dual core processor. $199 Go to www.amazon.com.

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Holiday Wish Guide

Parent Guide Picks I

Geodie Baxter Padgett

MERRY PETMAS! Parent Guide’s picks for the best gifts for your pet

Canine Cool Shades

Designed with an elastic strap to wrap around your dog’s head, Doggles are a smart, hip way to protect your furry friend’s eyes. 100 percent UV protection, shatterproof construction. Approximately $20 Visit www.doggles.com for more info and ordering.

Pampered Pooches

Lavish some extra love on your dog with a Doggie Spa kit filled with Every Dog Has His Day SpaR Shampoo, Between Baths Spritz and Paw Rub. All products are free of chemicals, dyes and synthetics. $49.50 Available www.frontgate.com

Scratching & Groovin’ Kitty

See what moves your cat can bust when she starts playing with the DJ Cat Scratch Turntable. 100 percent cardboard. 100 percent cool. $40 at www.perpetualkid.com

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Preppy Pups

Spoil that little friend of yours this holiday season with pet sweater or polo from designer Ralph Lauren. Sweaters and polos come in all different sizes, colors and styles.

Prices vary. Go to www.ralphlauren.com.

High Tech Kitty Games

Some of the greatest ideas are the simplest as in the case of the FroliCatTM BOLT, an award-winning laser toy that flashes laser light around the room, triggering the cat to chase it. $20 Visit www.frolicat.com

Birdie Fun

Encourage your bird’s exercise and keep his beak and claws healthy with the Star Bird Toys. Made of wood and leather, it will pique your feathery friend’s interest while keeping his mind and body active and healthy.

Cat Feeding Station

The AiKiou Stimulo has to be the most unique cat feeding station around. Food is hidden in the blue tubes and cats use their natural hunting and foraging abilities to find it and eat it rather than tearing up the couch. $25 Visit www.amazon.com.

Artsy Goldfish Digs

Who says your goldfish bowl has to be boring? The Fishscape Fish Bowl is a 2011 International Design Excellence Award winner with its beautiful underwater landscape crafted all in glass. $140 Check it out at www.conranusa.com

Holiday Wish Guide ParentGuide® 17

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