If you are on the lookout for a great toy for your kids this Christmas, Toobeez is the one gift you must have in your house.  It is a favorite in my house and will be in yours too.  This is one of the few toys on the market that actually make your kids think which is why I love it!

Toobeez is basically one big tinker toy set that is super easy to put together.  If my 4 year old can do it, anyone can do it.  All you do is take the tube and push the end into the hole on the spheres.  You then turn it slightly until it clicks.  That’s it!  Now, there are about 100 different things you can make with these.  You can make simple structures (which is where Madison is at) and every intricate structures like a super fighter jet.  There are just so many things I really like about this.  Like I said before, it makes my kids think and design.  It is not too hard for my daughter to put together, so she does not get frustrated and is able to build what she wants without too much help.  I remember building forts as a kids with chairs and blankets, and I have to admit that this Toobeez set with the slide on curtains is just so much cooler.  Best of all, it comes with its own zippered storage bag, so you don’t have to worry about losing pieces!

If you decide that you kids must have this, they are running an awesome deal.  If you purchase the 57 piece set, you get an additional 15 piece kit ($24.99 value), The Big Idea Book with tips for enjoying your TOOBEEZ ($4.99 value), and free shipping ($24.00 value)!  Also, make sure you check out their giveaway!  They are giving away a free set to a lucky winner.  How cool is that?  If you are sick of the noisy toys that don’t require your kids to think, then Toobeez would be a perfect fit in your home.

Something that my daughter likes is anything that can be customized. Shains is one of items that she really likes. Shains is recycled fashion accessories. There is a little something for everyone; there are keychains, ponytail holders, necklaces, pins, bracelets, and dog collars. Madison easily made herself a bracelet and a ponytail holder. There are 50 letter and symbols that can be used, so you can easily make any message you want. Madison enjoyed being able to spell her name and then put a ton of symbols like a ice cream cones and a strawberry next to her name. She really enjoyed being able to be as creative as she wanted to be. She also loved being able to do this all by herself. She didn’t need us to make the bracelet at all!

Shains stands for “state how action is a necessary solution”. They realized right away that wasn’t going to be catchy enough, so they shortened it to Shains. Shains are made of 100% recyclable scrap materials. I personally think it is brilliant that the owner of this company took something that others were throwing away and came up with a great product for kids! I also love that 10% of the net profits are also donated to environmental organizations.

If you have a fashionable environmentally conscious kid who has everything, Shains is the way to go!

I recently came across another item that falls along the lines of “why didn’t I think of that?”. The mom who came up with the Parking Pal, in my opinion, is a genius.  The Parking Pal is a circular magnet with a child size hand print in the center.  When you put it on your car/van/vehicle, you child puts they hand on their, and it keeps them safe while you load or unload your vehicle.  Being that I don’t have a driveway and we park on the street a lot with the minivan, I love that this keeps Madison safe.  I’ll be honest, when we first used it, I was completely surprised by something.  Madison knew what I wanted her to do without telling her.  She knew that I wanted her to stand there with her hand on the magnet while I was loading the car.  I love that this is intuitive enough that she just knew what was expected.  This has also been a hit with other moms.  They all wanted to know where I got this from, and all thought it was a great idea.  Now, the Parking Pal does come in several designs to pick from — everything from soccer balls, to fish, to flowers.  There is definitely something for your kids that you can get on there.  The Parking Pal will run you about $7.99.  However, $8 is well worth insuring my daughter’s safety.

Can I say that I absolutely love this alarm clock? This is an alarm clock that every kid needs in their room. Kids as young as 3 can even use this!  Teach Me Time!  Talking Alarm Clock is an alarm clock, a teaching tool, and a nightlight!

How can it be all that?  Easy!  For kids that are 3-5, you are able to set the clock, and you can set it to be a yellow glowing nightlight.  Now, if you don’t want the kids getting up super early, you tell them they can’t get up till the clock light turns green.  Now, I didn’t think that would really work, but it does!  Well, it does for my four year old who thinks this clock is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Now, for kids that are 5-7 years old, there is a talking game (which we tried to play with Madison, but it was pretty hit or miss for her.)  The alarm clock shows both digital and analog time, so it helps them learn to tell time.  I am hoping that if we keep working on it with Madison that she get it at some point.  Now, if your kids are over 7, the talking alarm clock works as a fully functioning alarm clock with a snooze button!

This alarm clock is a must have.  It has three different bezels (blue, pink, and yellow) that you can interchange.  This is not made with lead paint.  It has adjustable volume too.  You can even change the brightness of the nightlight.  For us, this alarm clock keeps my daughter in bed longer, and we love it.

Want to be the coolest parent ever this Christmas? The zOrb microscope is that cool gift.  I’ve had my 4 year old using it, so it is good for little kids all the way up to teenagers.  It easily hooks up to your computer; all you need to do is hook it up to your USB port on your laptop or desktop.  The really cool thing is that you can magnify it anywhere from 35 times on a 14″ monitor all the way up to 53 times on a 21″ monitor.  Want to see it in action?  Watch this video:

The microscope has a built in illuminator too.  The coolest part is that you can make your own video with it too (and no, I won’t subject you to the videos my daughter made).  The zOrb comes in three colors:  Surf Blue, Safari Green, and Lava orange.

A gift all ages will love is this zOrb microscope, so make sure it is on your shopping list.