Magic Rabbit

I know it's hard to believe, but Halloween is on its way. And one of the fun things parents get to do (before the kids are old enough to have set opinions about alter egos) is choosing a costume for the little kid.

By "little," I mean between the ages of 2-4 and too young to protest. That's how, for instance, I got away with dressing my two-year-old as a skunk one year. And that's how you can dress your unsuspecting child as a rabbit-in-a-hat. Really. As you can see from the photo, this costume is a complete bunny with a "hat" hoop skirt completing the ensemble for easy walking. It's completely hilarious. If you can talk an older child into accompanying them dressed in the magician outfit, so much the better. Your kid will get a hefty candy haul, guaranteeing you weeks of pilfered "fun-sized" Snickers. Excellent.

Such an ingenious costume doesn't come cheap: about $98. But oh my, the memories. Check it out at www.chasing-fireflies.com. And if the pop-up bunny doesn't seem magical enough, this site has the best costume selection I've seen in a long, long time.

Dress for Party Success

There are nothing but parties coming in the next few months. Besides the never ending birthday events, there are holidays and family get-togethers galore. And every little girl loves a party dress.

Problem is, the party dress prices. I regularly see admittedly lovely stuff for well over $100. That's just crazy. However, after scouring blogs and online sources, I found Redfish Kids clothing. The dresses, as you can see at right, are sophisticated without turning little girls into little temptresses (no spaghetti straps or clingy cuts here). The Mandarin, for instance, looks like a classic cheongsam, but in a cute way (no, your daughter will not look like a concubine). The Lucky dress looks more classic little girl, with a big skirt and old-fashioned line, but the pattern is refreshingly hip. The greatest thing about these dresses is that you can easily dress them up for a party, or layer them over some jeans for a laid back school look. Now, that's versatility.

And the price point? Under seventy bucks. Yeah, ok, that's still some money, but considering the wear she'll get out of one of these dresses, I don't think it's unreasonable. You can even pass it on to a fortunate friend or relative (and they'll really want to take it). Find these two dresses and many more at www.redfishkidsclothing.com.

One Old Fossil

Likely as not, if you have or know a child between the ages of about eight and ten, they are fascinated by fossils. No, not grandma and grandpa, but real fossils from a real long time ago, like prehistoric times.

Now you don't have to go to the museum to look at one. Just order a fossil fish. He hails from Wyoming, but long before cowboys and skiers traversed its slopes and valleys, think 50 MILLION years ago. He swam in salty seas, met an untimely and ancient demise, and was buried in mud before turning into stone. Now he's a rock that your child can examine to her heart's content. What a totally cool science lesson.

Dig Finny Fossil up at www.theevolutionstore.com. He's just $29.00 for a little piece of history.

Shine a Little Doglight

Although I personally don't know anyone having a baby at the moment, they're persistent little scamps with a habit of being born all the time. I'm sure you know one, and thus need a gift.

This is not something you'll find on any baby registry. In fact, it's quite quirky and odd. But, for the right parents (let's face it: the infant could give a hoot about how the nursery looks), this nightlight might cast a perfect glow. The Carlos nightlight features this proud yet Elizabethan collared chihuahua (recent operation or hotspot???) who sits quietly on a table or nightstand, helping a sleepy new mom or dad find their way cribside. Carlos is the perfect little dog: useful, cute, and never barks. Because the last thing new parents need is a noisy canine.

Adopt Carlos and send him on his way to a new happy home. He's waiting at www.mattermatters.com.

Get the Baby a POD

There's lots and lots of things no one ever tells you about having a baby. Many simply can't be explained until the baby is here. But bathing isn't one of them.

Few things are a bigger challenge for a sleep-deprived, hormone-addled new mom than bathing that baby. That silly tiny tub. The infant's prone position. Your back breaking crouched position. The possibility of drowning or at least dunking the kid accidentally. The soapy squirming. It's just impossible. This gadget, however, looks like a good solution. It's a baby bathing bucket called a WashPOD. Fill with water and stick the baby in upright (NOT head-first, please. Are you really that tired?). Holding the baby upright with one hand, wash with the other. You don't need to worry about scrubbing, since an infant isn't usually covered with dirt. And it's far easily to gently wash little faces and ears when they're not at risk of submersion.

The bucket has a limited lifespan of only six months or so. But it'll save a lot of hassle and worry, not to mention back pain. Find it at www.giggle.com.

For Your Little Worrywart

Although we'd all like to idealize childhood as fabulously worry-free, that's really not the case. There's plenty to keep a kid wrinkling his brow with anxiety, from bullies on the playground to spelling tests to lousy lunches. Let me repeat: childhood is NOT a worry-free zone.

However, as we adults know from our many forays into therapy of all kinds, voicing and articulating our fears and concerns helps take the bite out of them. Here's a gift to help children do the same (because, honestly, they're way too young for shrinks). This Worry Woolie Notebook acts as a fuzzy repository for all those worries banging around in their young brains. They can scribble them down, draw pictures, write lists, plan coping scenarios, and face those fears in black and white (or purple ink, whatever). Plus, the Woolie's just so cute; he's bound to put a smile on any kid's face, no matter how heavily the weight of the world rests on her small shoulders.

Order this sunny friend at www.etsy.com. It'll make your little worrywart forget his troubles.

Stamp Out Invites

There are always kid's birthday parties to plan. And while many have resorted to the uncouth social hammer of the Evite, some dedicated mommies prefer the old-fashioned paper (recycled, of course) invitation, distributed through snail mail.

These "Small Object" stamps would be just perfect for personalized invitation making. While professionally printing unique invitations for a four-year-old might be expensive idiocy, making some cute ones by hand could earn you the Martha Stewart Good Mommy Award. Just use these kiddie scrawl stamps on the front of the cards, handprint the info inside, and voila, fabulous invitations are ready to go.

Of course, these stamps are multipurpose, since after the invite making session they become an art aid for the kids. Excellent. Order them at www.roseandradish.com.