One of the most amazing things about the holidays as a parent: all the wonder and excitement comes back to you, as you see it through your little one’s eyes.
One of the least exciting things about the holidays as a parent: you now have a zillion gifts to buy (grandparent gifts! caregiver gifts! niece and nephew gifts! gifts from Santa!), and no time at all in which to shop for them.
We’ve got you covered, with our picks for everyone on your list. Plus: we’re giving you a chance to win something for everyone — more than $4,000 in holiday gifts!
gifts for grown-ups | gifts for littles | stocking stuffers
gifts for grown-ups
get it for: a new mom, your mom, yourself, $79
Swoon’s personalized necklaces feature your little one’s name, subtly engraved on a delicate pendant. They have almost limitless options on their site, but this is our favorite. It’s simple, it’s classic, and it’s beautiful.
get it for: the grandparents, aunts or uncles, or anyone who likes a good cuddle on the couch with your little one, $115
Boll and Branch makes fair-trade linens with low price tags and gorgeous quality, which they achieve by selling direct to consumer. Their cable throw is made from organic cotton, comes in a ready-to-gift box, and looks just as lovely draped over a sofa as it feels draped over you. (Read our weeLove about them!)
Karma Go: Bring WiFi with you everywhere you go
get it for: techie parents, $149 ($99 promotional pricing through 12/31/14)
Karma Go is a new pocket-sized device that gives you mobile WiFi while you’re on the go. Whether you’re in the car with your kids, traveling to work or hanging out at the park, Karma Go keeps your devices connected so you never miss a beat. With no contract or monthly fee and non-expiring data, Karma Go is the perfect solution for all of your Internet woes. It’s also small and compact, making it a breeze to toss in your purse, carry-on or diaper bag.
get it for: the grandparents, a caregiver (as a token gift alongside holiday bonus)
To say we’re obsessed with Pinhole Press would be an understatement; whenever we visit their website, we want to order *everything.* The quality of their brag book is brag-worthy, and their photo notepads are a serious crowd-pleaser. Also ingenious: this emergency contact magnet (magnet, $4.99; peace of mind, priceless).
get it for: any woman who loves both form and function (starting at $55)
Everything about Everlane is simple and stylish, including their philosophy that consumers shouldn’t be paying huge mark-ups for clothes and accessories. They sell directly to you — and only to you — but work with the same factories that make the big name brands you know.
Our picks: the Weekender Bag ($95), the Snap Backpack ($65), and the Infinity Scarf ($55).
get it for: new parents, gourmands who love food… or not-so-gourmands who need help in the kitchen (starts at $60)
Plated helps you make your own restaurant quality meal at home, in just 30 minutes, after your little one is tucked into bed. You select the dishes that sound most delicious to you, and they send all the ingredients you need to your door. With simple directions that anyone can follow, it’ll turn even the most frazzled parents into gourmet chefs.
SureShop Reuseable Shopping Bag
get it for: a stocking stuffer, a Secret Santa, a Yankee swap ($19.95)
We’ve always loved reusable bags as gifts, for pretty much anyone on your list. The sureshop has the added bonus super-smart, parent-friendly design: it has clips that attach to your stroller (or anything else you’re toting it on), redistributing weight safely and evenly toward the center. (Read our weeLove about it!)
Tinybeans Mess-Ups and Milestones Cards
get it for: shutterbugs, reluctant baby-bookers, Instagram fanatics ($29.95)
Tinybeans’ app helps you save and share your tot’s sweet memories — and not-so-sweet but still memorable moments, like that first kicking-on-the-floor tantrum. (Read about why weeLove them!) Their new Milestones and Mess-Ups Cards are a tongue-in-cheek way to celebrate them, with 31 cards, like “graffiti artist in the making” that you can snap a photo of.
gifts for littles
get it for: your own baby, your toddler’s BFF, your niece or nephew that live far away
Fact: babies love to look at faces. And Pinhole Press’s gorgeously designed photo books for littles, memory games, and flashcards use the faces of the people they love most to help them master important developmental skills. (from $19.99 to $49.99)
get it for: a ready-to-walk (or ready-to-run!) little one, or any toddler on the move ($64.99)
This junior ride-on is also a walking buddy for babies as young as nine months. It’s been developmentally-designed to help support gross motor skills, and parents on weeSpring love that it is light-weight and great for indoors or outdoors… and it has won a ton of awards.
Tiggly Shapes and Tiggly Counts
get if for: the littlest iPad addict in your family ($29.95)
Tiggly brings together physical play and digital learning with their original toy, Tiggly Shapes (for toddlers 18 months and up) and now Tiggly Counts (for children 3+). Any iPad-obsessed kid is going to love it, and while it’s still technically screentime, as parents, we like the balance of bells-and-whistles-delight and old school imaginative play.
get it for: your little bibliophile
I See Me! creates personalized kids’ books that weave your little one into the whole story. From favorite holidays to hobbies, whimsical animals to daring adventures, there’s a tale just waiting for your kiddo to complete it. Books can be customized with your little one’s name, a photo, and even designed for siblings or twins. (Read our weeLove about them!)
get if for: the little one who has everything, the eco-conscious (and space conscious!) family that wants a smaller imprint (starts at $19.99/month)
Sparkbox is a curated toy subscription service (think Netflix for toys) that sends you four toys that are hand-selected based on your child’s age and stage of development. It’s an easy way to limit the toy overload on Christmas morning, while still giving your little one fun stuff to play with all year long. (Read our weeLove about them!)
get it for: your favorite two-, three-, four-, or five-year old ($99)
On Christmas morning, there’s nothing like a bicycle under the tree to delight your toddler. Strider makes the most popular balance bike on weeSpring, and parents love it because it really equips little ones with the skills they need to master a “real” bike later on. (Don’t forget a helmet!)
Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway
get it for: the wow factor under the tree ($250)
A train set under the tree is pretty much an iconic holiday image, and given our toddler’s (all all toddlers’?) obsession with Thomas, the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway was an obvious choice. This year, they’re launching their first limited-release engine (Logan! — serendipitous beyond words), but you can also order a custom engine with your child’s name.
get it for: overwhelmed new parents, trend-setting babies (starting at $81 for a 3-month subscription)
Whether you’re in the pre-natal months or the pre-school years, Bluum has something for you, and they deliver it in a monthly box that’s sure to delight. Their sophisticated technology hand-picks products for the exact age and stage of your baby (or your pregnancy), from 500 of the best brands out there for parents, babies, and toddlers.
Little Pimget it for: babies, toddlers, and kids to help promote their foreign and English language skills ($149.99)
Little brains are hard-wired to learn language from zero to six (we are astonished on a daily basis by our toddler’s growing vocabulary), so Little Pim primes them for learning Spanish, French, Mandarin… or a half dozen other languages. Their complete set includes six videos, two flash card sets, four books, a CD, and a super cute panda.
Kissy Kissy Reindeer Fun Santa Outfits – Dress & Santa
get it for: generations of photos in the same super-cute Santa-suit
Kissy Kissy outdid themselves this year, with this velour Santa suit for baby girls and boys. It’s heirloom quality, so after you dress your little elf in it this Christmas, you can tuck it away for her baby to wear in thirty years.
Tegu Magbot and Magnetron Sets
get it for: your little builder or future engineer — age 1 to 99! ($30 to $100)
Tegu’s wooden blocks have a little bit of magic inside: magnets that make building creative, gravity-defying structures fun and simple for little hands (and their parents’ hands!). They’re sourced from sustainable co-ops in Honduras, so you aren’t just giving a gift to your child… you’re supporting an economy and the environment.
Zutano Cozie Booties and baby clothes
get it for: your stylish little one, and her practical parents (from $21)
weeSpring parents are obsessed with Zutano’s booties: every single rating on site is a “love.” Buy them in every color — and pick up some super cute outfits to match while you’re at it. (Though parents on weeSpring suggest buying up a size.)
Wheely Bug, Bee, Cow, and More
get it for: a little mover and shaker (starting at $69.99)
The Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug is a perennial favorite: this well-crafted, durable, adorable ride-on has casters so it’ll scoot in any direction. They’ve branched beyond the original Wheely Bug and Wheely Bee, and now have a hedgehog, panda, cow, pig, and more. (Not much cuter than a little one rolling around buzzing like a bee, or growling like a tiger.)
Evenflo Exersaucer World Explorer
get it for: a twenty minute break for yourself ($129.99)
We usually steer clear of recommending big, clunky toys with all the bells and whistles — but we’re making an exception for the Exersaucer, because it plays double duty as a gift for mom and dad. We’ve been known to call it the “circle of neglect,” since it affords you time to enjoy luxuries like brushing your teeth, making a sandwich, and emptying the dishwasher. We like this one because it has a longer shelf life, with three variations on how it’s assembled.
stocking stuffers
P’Kolino’s triangular crayons are already a huge hit on weeSpring, but their cute Mess Eaters Travel Roll takes them to the next level.
Perfect for anytime you’re leaving the house with crayons because they’re neatly wrapped up, and the triangle shape of the crayons means they won’t roll off a table. ($9.99)
When it’s time to transition from sippy to big kid cup, add some CUPPIES to your cabinet. Featuring a hidden animal at the bottom, your tot will be extra excited when their drink is all done. ($8.99)
If your toddler commandeered your super cute — and super functional — Chewbeads (ours definitely did), you should add Juniorbeads to his or her list for Santa. The same bright colors, the same safe silicone — but in a mini version. And still dishwasher safe. (Starting at $18.50)
Bitsy’s Brainfood’s cookies are the most delicious way to sneak healthy food into your toddler’s stocking. Started by two moms who believe that eating smart and being smart are connected, these organic fruit and veggie snacks are packed with vitamins and omega-3s — and are shaped like letters, so snacking and learning happen all at once. ($4.99)
These ergonomic chopsticks are pretty irresistible, with the adorable ducky topping them off. They’re perfect for learners, with loops for the thumb and fingers. (Pick up an extra set — you’ll love them too.) ($6.49)
Skip Hop Explore and More Musical Phone
Your little one is already obsessed with your phone, so it might be time to find her one of her own. Skip Hop’s new musical phone plays 10 different sounds (including Twinkle, Twinkle!) and lights up, but also has the big, gazing eyes that little eyes love to look at. ($11.99)
Oogaa’s spoons are doubly awesome. Their silicone designs are soft on gums (teething babies love them), and their plane and train designs make mealtime a little bit more fun. ($5.99)
Remember Weeble Wobbles? These are those, but cuter — in fox, raccoon, and owl designs. Your little one will have endless fun knockin’ ‘em down, since they’ll spin back up every time. ($7.99)
get it for: babies starting to sit up and crawl ($12.99)
Green Toys makes toys that are… green. They’re made from recycled milk jugs, without any of the yucky stuff, and are durable as anything — with adorable, functional designs like school buses, seaplane, and submarines. We love their new push toys for little babies that are made in the USA — and dishwasher safe.
Want a chance to win something for everyone on your list?
Enter our mega-giveaway, worth $4,000.