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By Mom Unplugged, December 15, 2007 9:52 pm

I had a fun post planned on ideas for Christmas stocking presents, but alas, it shall have to wait. I have just realized that I have spent so much time advising others on how to prepare for the Holidays, that I am not prepared myself!

Although I feel like simply collapsing into bed with a cup of tea and a warm dog or two, I shall have to do a bit of online shopping .

I’ll try and get that post out before it is entirely too late to be useful. But for now, if you want some ideas for nice, “tried and true” (by me) gifts that will fit in a stocking, I refer you to my stocking stuffer category.

Hope it’s useful!

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(Read all the Christmas/Holidays Unplugged posts here.)

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By Mom Unplugged, June 20, 2007 5:57 pm

This clever toy is really a work of art. The manufacturer (The Orb Factory) says: “The multicolored beads represent the many beautiful colors of humanity. As you manipulate this orb, think about the possibility of world peace. The series of seven rings represent the continents and oceans.”

While I would love to imagine that this toy could induce a meditative state in my darlings as they contemplate world peace, I fear that the reality is that they just think it’s cool!

Children can manipulate this wire and bead disk into different shapes or a sphere. Kids aren’t going to take this out at home and play for hours, but it is a good diversion for travel or restaurants and it is small enough to put in your purse.

Adults can’t resist picking it up either. A creative friend of mine actually wears one as a bracelet!

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By Mom Unplugged, May 2, 2007 3:43 pm

The object of this classic game is to get four in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. This tiny version comes in a little 4″ x 5.5″ tin that is ideal for travel or a stocking stuffer.

I generally prefer travel toys with very few small pieces, so all these little balls could be a car or airplane disaster. I only recommend this as a travel toy for children old enough to manage the balls without spills (also not good around babies). But for older kids, or even adults, this is a great game!

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By Mom Unplugged, April 22, 2007 8:51 pm

I wish I had invented these.

We discovered Wikki Stix when we were staying at a hotel in San Diego. They gave them out in the restaurant instead of crayons. My kids (3 and 5 at the time) thought they were WAY more cool than crayons and a coloring place mat.

What a simple idea! They are simply bits of colored string covered with a wax coating thick enough for them to bend and stay in position! Like a candle wick, hence the name I suppose. Kids can make all kinds of things with them.

We use them in restaurants, the car, my purse, anywhere that an instant emergency diversion might be needed. They also make great stocking-stuffers. Santa brought some this past Christmas. Available in primary and neon colors.

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By Mom Unplugged, April 6, 2007 10:25 am

This one is very simple and has been around for a long time. I believe that string games exist in just about every culture. Really all you need is a piece of string, but this set is nice because it comes with a sturdy string as well as a book of instructions.

The instructions are simply presented and well-illustrated so that children can learn the two person Cat’s Cradle game as well as how to make string-figures like Witch’s Broom, Eiffel Tower, and Jacob’s Ladder.

This makes a great travel game (it is easy to pack a string!) or stocking stuffer. My 6 year-old loved it and has taught her friends how to play. It brought back memories for me too. I discovered that I can still remember how to make Cat’s Whiskers after 30+ years!

This second book, is nice to have too: