Cheryl Shops

I generally spend the first week or two of the official holiday shopping season shopping for myself. (I hope I am not alone in this; otherwise, I am incredibly selfish.) What generally snaps me out of it is when I start shopping for kids. After all, giving kids gifts is really what Christmas is all about. (Ok, and family and togetherness and all that.) So it makes sense that my first installment of my 2010 Holiday Gift Guide is dedicated to kids--more specifically other people's kids. I do not know (or really care) what the hot toys of the season are; if you're interested, I'd advise you to read the thousands of Mommy blogs out there. These gifts are, I'd like to think, more fun and more thoughtful. In some instances, the parents might enjoy them more than the kids, but, hey, they're kind of for them anyway.
Because Mom & Dad do rock, there's a tattoo-inspired Mom & Dad onesie, $27

I fortunately had parents who encouraged my creativity at every turn; do the same for the kids you know with Alex Toys My Very Busy Box Activity Kit, $40

I know from Facebook updates that parents with kids under the age of 3 are almost always lacking in sleep; help them out (kids, not parents--well, not directly) with the soothing Summer Infant Mommies Melodies Gund Bear, $21.49

This Handmade "Villages Airways" Plane from Sri Lanka, $44, supports fair trade and also looks pretty awesome to play with

Start their fashion addiction early with this fierce Lee Military Jacket from Stella McCartney Kids, $145

Sometimes you do whatever you can to get your kids to eat. My mom fed me chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and macaroni & cheese; you can try this supercool Construction Plate & Utensils Set, $14.95 & $17.49

Rain will become that much more fun for them (and adorable for you) with a Western Chief Kids Frog Raincoat, $37

The essential book for a city kid (or for a suburban kid who one day dreams of moving to the city: This Is New York, $18

How incredibly adorable are these Robeez Soft Soles 3D Moose Booties, $39?