Every year, my friend and her three small children (all under 7) huddle around the TV, noisemakers in hand, party hats on heads and watch the ball drop. Is she crazy? Yes, but in a fun way. The kids love the excitement of watching the ball drop as much as the big kids do, so every year their family tunes into CNN and celebrates the new year by watching the festivities—in London.

The time difference means the kids can have a party at the very reasonable hour of 7 p.m. EST instead of midnight and still get into the holiday spirit. This is also great for moms and dads who may not be able to make it to midnight, either!

A few fun things to make with the kids while you’re waiting for the stroke of 7pm:

Party hats. Grab some scrapbook paper, scissors, glitter and glue, and create your own fabulous way to get festive.

Noisemakers. Fold paper plates in half, fill with dried beans and staple shut—don’t forget to add shiny accents, ribbons and streamers to the outside. Cans with a few coins wrapped in pretty paper work well too.

Time capsule. Write a few holiday memories on a piece of paper and place them in a special box to be put away and brought out with the Christmas decorations next year. This is a great way to stroll down memory lane every year.

image from Giant Stuffed Animals

When Christmas morning arrived, there she was—the biggest, softest, brightest pink bear I had ever seen. “Sasha” became my steadfast favorite friend. And, although Santa and his trusty elves must have spent hours hand-crafting my bear, I do love these modern day alternatives—no reindeer required.

Giant Giraffe by Melissa & Doug

Look for this giant stuffed lion, by Melissa & Doug, in an upcoming kid’s room by Little Crown Interiors!

Jumbo Panda Bear by Melissa & Doug

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about that Christmas morning, and I had a thought I wanted to share. Only now, as I spend hours reading Consumer Reports to figure out which telescope my sons will like best and discovering that one can, in fact, purchase a toy angle grinder*, do I realize the amount of work my mom and dad put into making each Christmas perfect. So, if you ever got the perfect holiday gift, consider taking a moment to call the giver and thank them again. Not only for the gift, but for the amazing memory that you’ll always cherish.

*An angle grinder is some kind of crazy tool my husband uses in the garage. I have no idea what it does, but the kids are obsessed with it. Seriously, how did people find this stuff before the internet?!

The giddy excitement in my nine-month-old baby’s face when he crawled out to the Christmas tree was pure and total magic for me. His perma-grin made the absurd hour we were up to see Santa’s gifts worth losing a few hours sleep.

The minute Brennan spotted his shiny red Flintstone-style Radio Flyer Sport Coupe, he was in love. I swear for days after that he and the car were inseparable; his sister sped him around the house while he pushed all the buttons on the dash. The car was his favorite mode of transportation for cruising for babes (babies) in the neighborhood and for pushing around the house while he learned to walk. It’s the toy the kids always fight over at playgroup.

Two years later, Brennan is still in love with his first set of wheels, even though he no longer needs mom to help him move it around. And I love how thrilled he remains with his gift.

1. Radio Flyer Sports Coupe 2. The Konstantin Beta sit-on toy by Nika Zupanc  3.  Ferrari F430 6v Car 4. Dalmatian’s Choice Ride-On Fire Engine 5. Retro Racing Car

I have so many favorite Christmas gifts, it’s really hard to pick just one from my childhood. I would have to say the Barbie Dream House, my Cabbage Patch Dolls and a pastel boom-box were definitely highlights for me. My parents even saved the Barbie house and the cabbage patch dolls, which my nieces play with when they come over. It’s great to see that old toys never truly get “old.”

For someone like me who is extremely girly, the whole boy toy thing is brand new to me. With a three-year-old son who is car and truck obsessed, I feel like I have become an expert. In fact, I now know names of probably twenty monster trucks. Who knew that “Monster Mutt” and “Grave Digger” were terms I would use often in my vocabulary? So, if your little guy (or girl!) loves cars and trucks, here are some our favorites.

The first set of cars we purchased were by Wow!. These German-designed toys are great because you just push them and they go. They are extremely durable and perfect for a boy around a year and beyond. We love the Turbo Twins set that comes with two drivers.

This Lightning McQueen Activity Ride-On Toy has given our son years of entertainment. We got it for him at about a year, and he still rides on it to this day, even though his legs are now way too long for it. It has a storage compartment under the seat, it lights up, and it has numbers and songs to entertain and educate your child.

The Magna-Tiles Working Trucks by Valtech are very popular in our house. These are designed for a child around three and would appeal to older children as well. The set comes with 27 different magnetic parts that can be made into all sorts of car and truck combinations. This is great for kids’ hand-eye coordination and encourages their creativity.

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry is a book that has been around forever, and I am so excited to be able to read it to my son now. I had this as a child, and my brother and I spent hours looking at this book. The illustrations are fantastic, and your kids will love searching out “Goldbug”on each page.

And you may be wondering what our toddler will be getting this year. Well, we decided on the Step 2 Up and Down Roller Coaster. Who cares about cold winter weather when you have this? We will be setting this up in our basement for hours of entertainment!

I cherish the memories I have of my dad and me bonding as we assembled the dollhouse together. The dollhouse was something I was proud of and cherished. I loved being able to pick the colors for the walls and selecting the furniture for each room. Maybe that’s where my love for design began!

Now, many years later, my two-year-old daughter is asking for a dollhouse. While she may still be a little young to build her own, there are plenty of options on the market for the young dollhouse dreamers! Here are a couple of my personal favorites.

The Savannah Dollhouse from KidKraft

Multi-Level Solid Wood Dollhouse from Melissa & Doug

Decorating the Christmas tree is a wonderful tradition, but in our house, the decor is anything but traditional! We actually have two Christmas trees—one for mommy (my colors this year will be turquoise and gold), and one for the kids. And I’ve got to admit, the kid’s tree is pretty stinkin’ cute! Between the homemade ornaments and the SpongeBobs and princesses, my children’s tree is the perfect mix of personality and memories! And best of all, they can mess it up as much as they want, and I don’t have to worry about it.

So get creative! Choose a theme this year to brighten up your Christmas decor and show off your style. Here’s some of my favorite themes, for kiddos and grown-ups.

1. Tobi Fairley Whimsical Pink Christmas Tree  2. Baby’s First Christmas Tree 3. Frosty Land Tree 4. Candyland Tree

Check out my Pinterest board for more Christmas tree theme ideas! Happy decorating!

Mini-e Kid’s Replica Eames Chair by Little Nest

Years later, I still think back on that gift. Nowadays, there are so many fantastic options out there for child-sized furniture. They range from exact replicas of famous chairs to new and modern designs in fun fabrics—the options are endless. So if you’re willing to admit that your child is, in fact, growing up, consider a mini version of your favorite chair!

Baroque Kids Armchair by Casa Padrino, Child’s Womb Chair by Knoll Kids,  Junior Templeton Chair by Jonathan Adler, Mini Chesterfield Chair by Chic Shabby Interiors

While the bike of my 1980 childhood dreams isn’t exactly what I had in mind for my nearly 2-year-old and 4-year-old, I do have big bike plans in mind for their Santa surprise this holiday season. The iconic Schwinn is still the perfect family bicycle—boasting hip and slightly retro designs for the entire family. I have my sights set on their Gremlin appropriately named for my big one.

Now for the two and under crowd, topping Santa’s list is the ultimate balance bike for kids ages 1 to 5, otherwise known as Wishbone. Find it carefully curated and on sale in our Opensky store.

Lastly, kudos to the folks at Schwinn for their intuitive website that genuinely helps you choose the right bike for each member of your family. I’ll be found watching their featured video, “Teach Your Kids How to Ride” in the new year.

Julie: As a little girl, my favorite Hanukkah gift was the newest “cut-out-and-dress-up” paper doll book that my parents would get for me every year (normally night five of Hanukkah). When I was eight years old, they found me adding glitter and paint to the dresses of one doll and trimming the hem on another, so they began to realize a creative profession was looming in my future.

This “Fancy Nancy” book reminds me of the books I loved as a little girl.

I love Rosie Flo’s Fashion Show, which allows you to color and stage your own paper fashion show.

Melissa and Doug take “dress-up” dolls to a new dimension with their magnetic wooden dress-up dolls.

Alessia: Of all my childhood Christmases, the ones I remember with great pleasure are those when I have received yet another figurine for my Smurfs collection. I was obsessed with the Smurfs, and I “had to have” the complete village! Since my parents wisely never gave it to me all at once, I always had room to wish for more. This kept me well engaged in writing strategic letters to Santa for several years. If your children have a passion for something, add a little piece each year, and they will remember it for a very long time.

The Smurfs Cottage and Movie Set Figurines

The Original Smurfs DVDs: Season One, Vols. 1-3

The Smurfs Pop and Race Game

With the release of the new Muppet Movie, I wanted to share some fun gift ideas for this holiday season!

1. Muppet Monopoly Game via Amazon 2. Muppets Miss Piggy Plush Toy from Disney 3. Muppets Kermit Plush Toy from Disney 4. The Muppet Movie – Kermit’s 50th Anniversary Edition (1979) via Amazon 5. The Muppet Show Poster via Amazon 6. Muppets Fozzie the Bear Plush Toy from Disney 7. Animal Plush Toy via Amazon