A Few of My Favorite Things: Gerri Panebianco

The holidays are upon us and to get you in the spirit, we thought we’d share a little shopping inspiration from your friends at Project Nursery. Our team has rounded up the FIVE items they love, cherish, gift or simply can’t live without.

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I LOVE the holidays, and absolutely everything about this time of year.  That said, I’ve never been great at “doing” the holidays.  I’m the Mom who forgets to bring a gift to the party because I was too busy blow drying my kid’s outfits which I forgot I needed washing.  I’m the one who has huge plans for a home that smells like yummy home baked treats, but for some reason, I always find myself making a last minute Trader Joe’s run.  In spite of all that, I am determined to have amazing gifts for my friends and family, and to that end, I’ve been shopping for weeks!  Here are some of my faves…

#1 Packing It In – These adorable little back packs are a great gift for all the kids on the list.  Made by Skip Hop – a Little Crown Interiors “go-to”, I am in love with the owl – (pretty sure one of my nieces will be seeing this under the tree!).  With 8 different designs to choose from, there’s something cute for each and every nice little boy and girl.  I’m going to pack them full of fun little things, I can’t wait to hear the kids squeal “Mommy – looky”!

#2 Personalized Frames – Oh how I love a great custom item!!  This website: Personalization Mall – is a staple for me.  Their reasonably priced personalized items are consistently high quality, and their turn around is quick (great for the last minute, non-planner, like yours truly).  This personalized wood frame is one of my favorites – year round (holidays, house warmings, and even showers).  The site has a great “preview” option, so you can see what your gift will look like before purchasing.

#3 Homegrown Fun – At Little Crown Interiors, we think a family’s values are more important than just about anything else in the world.  To us, a gift is one that both parents and kids can do together – something that encourages the family’s traditions – is the best type of gift. The kid-friendly, garden-theme gifts from Potting Shed Creations are absolutely awesome.  Many of the items on the site can be personalized, and I road tested them – the plants actually grow!

#4 Everything in Between – If I were on a desert island with only one place to shop, it would have to be Anthropologie.  It’s a great spot to find beautiful things for the home, presents for hard-to-shop-for friends, and – of course – some extra holiday cheer in the form of a great outfit.  Their growing selection of funky children’s items makes this shop one of the first places I check when I’m looking for just the right thing…

#5 A Little Something for Myself – I know, I know, but I just can’t help it, my own list is so very long!!  Of all the things I want, this is the one that I’m definitely treating myself to: a membership to Tiny Prints.  Some quiet evening, between now and the new year, I plan to sit down with a cup of hot tea and put all of my family birthdays into my Tiny Prints account.  Then, they are going to mail all the birthday cards for me (on time!!), and I am going to spend 2011 looking like thoughtful, sentimental, and completely organized super-Mom that I’ve always wanted to be ;)