Must-Haves

Christmas Crafts for Preschoolers

If you're the parent of a three- to six-year-old, you're probably already hearing, "How many days left until Christmas?" Help shorten the wait for your preschooler with these Christmas crafts from "The Preschooler's Busy Book" (Meadowbrook Press, $9.95) by Trish Kuffner.

Christmas Place Mats

Cut up old greeting cards, glue the artwork onto a piece of construction paper or light cardboard, and cover it with clear contact paper. You can also have your child cut his or her gift wishes from a catalog or magazine and glue them onto paper to make a wish-list place mat.

Glitter Balls

Pour glitter into a shallow dish. Spread glue evenly over a Styrofoam ball and roll it in glitter. Let the ball dry and attach a thread for hanging it on the Christmas tree.

Christmas Tree Picture

Cut out a Christmas tree from green construction paper. Use a paper hole punch to punch out dots from various colors of construction paper. Glue the dots to the tree for decoration and add sequins or glitter and a star at the top.

Paper Plate Wreath Cut a hole in the center of a green paper plate. Cut or tear red and green tissue paper into small pieces. Have your child twist or crumple the paper into small balls and glue them onto the plate. Add a ribbon bow.

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- a look at life from one modern mom

This week: Traditions

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Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

Sure, we know the "hot" gifts this year for kids: Elmo Knows Your Name, Xbox 360, an iPod nano, so we're uncovering some other options for you that will be sure to be a hit this holiday.

Aerobloks

Aerobloks - inflatable blocks made of translucent vinyl - allow little builders to create a variety of durable, life-sized play structures. The coloful pieces connect simply and sets come with instructions on how to make basic houses to elaborate castles and boats.

$52.99 for the Starter Pack at Aerobloks.com

Disney DVD Bingo

Join Winnie-the-Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Bambi, and all the Disney princesses for a rousing game of Bingo-DVD-style! It's the classic game with an educational twist for preschoolers and kindergartners. Disney characters and movie clips help children learn numbers, colors, and matching skills. $24.99 at Amazon.com

Cool Crew Talking Tool Bench

This rugged tool bench has all the tools to get the job done right, and have a lot of fun too! The tools interact with your little carpenter and "talk" to each other and there's also a project included that lets your child to build a toy plane! $29.99 at Target

Classic Colorforms

With over 1 billion sets sold, Original Colorforms offer 350 bright pieces to stick, unstick and create for hours. The set comes in a hip, modern box and spiral bound book. $35 at ModernSeed.com

Clothes To Nature

Before winter storms and spring showers are in full swing, get your little ones ready with outdoor gear from Hatley. Their too cute line of matching raincoats, boots and umbrellas featuring fun animal prints - like frogs, bears and horses - will keep your kids looking good while staying dry.

The raincoats feature a super-soft terry lining (too bad they don't make 'em for adults, but check out their line of PJ's for grownups) and boots are lined and padded to keep little toes warm and cozy.

Buy online or find retailers at HatleyNature.com

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>>	Modern Mom Profiles...Teri Garr
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>>	Five Tips for a Low Stress Holiday Season
>>	Easy Morning Makeup
>>	Parenting & Technology: The World of IMing - Do you know what your children are saying?

- a look at life from one modern mom

This week: Fright Night

>> Win one of ten Experts Guide to Life at Home Gift Bags

>> Win one of five copies of Degrassi Junior High: The Complete Collection DVD

>> Win one of ten pairs of PediPeds!

- Our Etiquette Savvy Mom

My friend is throwing me a small baby shower, but a lot of people are asking me when the shower is. How do I explain that they won't be invited?

Trust the Experts

In her first book, The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do, Samantha Ettus tapped the world's most knowledgable folks for insights into mastering the little things in life that are often invariably the hardest to accomplish. This time around, she once again brings together 100 renowned experts who share their proficiency and know-how to show you not only how to make your home more beautiful, but "how to live more happily in it."

Each chapter offers succinct, solid advice on how to accomplish everything from folding sheets to carving a turkey to hanging holiday lights. Some of our favorite chapters include:

ΓΆβ?¬ΒΆ How to Create a Family Barbecue by Al Roker

ΓΆβ?¬ΒΆ How to Compromise by Joy Browne

ΓΆβ?¬ΒΆ How to Host a Dinner Party by Ina Garten

ΓΆβ?¬ΒΆ How to Discipline Your Children by Harvey Karp

ΓΆβ?¬ΒΆ How to Incorporate Fitness into Your Daily Life by Jorge Cruise

ΓΆβ?¬ΒΆ How to Lead a Happy Life by Alexandra Stoddard

From the bedroom to the kitchen, the kid's room to the basement, the backyard to the front yard, The Experts' Guide to Life at Home makes it easy to read a little and learn a lot about making the most of your home.

The Experts' Guide to Life at Home - $13.57 at Amazon.com

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>>	Modern Mom Profiles...Marlee Matlin
>>	The Healthy Baby Nursery
>>	6 Tips for Asset Focused Parenting
>>	Strategies to Make Anytime With Your Child Quality Time

- a look at life from one modern mom

This week: It Takes A Village...To Host A Kids' Birthday Party

Doctor’s Orders: Good Clean Fun

Pediatric dermatologist Dr. Robert Buka, a.k.a. Dr. Bobby, decided to do something for the countless parents who would complain about sticky, goopy, smelly skincare products for kids. He took it upon himself to create a gentle, kid-friendly and allergen-free line of skincare products just for children.

After two years in the lab, the result was Doctor Bobby's Skin Caring for Kids - five frill-free products. And this good doctor knows kids: his hand wash and shampoo make the most difficult hygiene moments easy. Our testers loved washing their hands and didn't bat an eye at getting shampooed with the fun to dispense foaming soaps.

Available at drbobby.com

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>>	Modern Mom Profiles...Marlee Matlin
>>	The Healthy Baby Nursery
>>	6 Tips for Asset Focused Parenting
>>	Strategies to Make Anytime With Your Child Quality Time

- a look at life from one modern mom

This week: Lost and Found

>> Win one of 3 DVD sets featuring Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Gilmore Girls - The Complete Fourth Season

>> Win one of 3 Martha Stewart DVD Sets

>> Win one of 10 Playhouse Disney Imagine and Learn CDs

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