There’s something about a hot pink hippo that makes you smile. RosieHippo is one of my favorite stores because I know how much effort the owner puts into picking her merchandise. When you buy a gift from RosieHippo, it comes with “Rosie the Hippo” coloring pages and a friendly Rosie the Hippo sticker on the packages.

Kids love this sweet hippo, and customers have asked Kim, the owner of RosieHippo, to start selling a pink hippo for months. Kim searched far and wide for a plush pink hippo that met her quality standards. She finally located a manufacturer in the United Kingdom and now offers two exclusive Rosie Hippo plush animals. Rosie is available stuffed with lavender from France and natural wheat grains from England — or stuffed with wheat grains only.

Nicole Caccavo Kear is a college friend, a fabulous actress, and a stunning writer–plus she lives in Brooklyn and has launched a witty, honest, and insightful blog about motherhood, A Mom Amok. So, she is a natural fit for checking out New York City events for kids and parents. She visited the Hasbro Showroom and found some new twists on classic toys and games…

One of my favorite stores is donating 25% of all Valentine’s Day purchases to Haiti. Click here to visit Rosie Hippo and to donate 25% of your purchase to Haiti use coupon code: HELPHAITI.

RosieHippo.com is the place to shop for hip, eco-friendly toys. Many of their toys are on-sale right now, so you can get a great deal and make a donation to Haiti at the same time.

Looking for a last-minute Hanukkah present or last-minute Christmas present? Visit your local toy store! There are so many benefits to shopping locally. One of the big benefits: education. Local stores provide personalized service. I have a great relationship with my local store owner, and I have appreciated some of their tips and product recommendations. My neighborhood toy store carries unique educational toys. But I bet you didn’t know that you are actually supporting your local schools when you shop locally.

The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is, hands down, the most popular toy at our play dates.

We’ve been able to teach the toddlers and preschoolers to line up, inspired by their desire for a turn at the Cozy Coupe…

As a mom and an educational consultant, I believe in the power of play. A few carefully chosen toys can boost creativity and problem solving–here are a few of our top picks this year. With the best educational toys, your children will not even realize how much they are learning!

Ride-ons are toy classics–right up there with blogs and dolls. As soon as man invented the wheel, mom and dad probably thought up the ride-on. We like ride-ons that spark the imagination and get kids moving–here are our picks for Award Winning Ride-Ons from our Hottest Holiday Toys.

If your little ones are crazy for cars, make their holiday dreams come true with this line of exclusive cars from RosieHippo.com.

RosieHippo.com is a top source for organic toys, wooden toys and handcrafted quality toys. All of the toys have been carefully selected by owner Kim Bloom. Kim is a mom, and the line of exclusive cars and trucks came from her son Ethan’s requests.

This is one of my favorite categories of toy. My mom recently brought out an old pull toy of mine and it is a classic that just keeps on giving. Push and pull toys delight babies, amuse toddlers, and occupy preschoolers. Some, like the sophisticated and clever mix-and-match Automoblox, are collectibles suited for older children, teens, and even adults.

The selections from our Hottest Holiday Toys Awards are engaging, interactive, and made from high-quality and often eco-friendly materials.