I attend lots of baby showers. While I always purchase a gift from the mom-to-be’s registry, I also like to add an affordable yet personal gift that reflects my style.

Pacifiers soothe cranky babies and may even reduce the risk of SIDS. Personalized pacifiers are a hot gift trend, but many parents may not know that “bling” on a pacifier could pose a choking hazard.

Bestever Baby Mats have a squee quotient that is off the charts. As if the tubby round bellies and sweet faces of the animal characters weren’t cute enough, the plush fabric is so floofy and cuddly that you’ll want to curl up and take a nap.

And the mats are a favorite of celebrity moms such as Kourtney Kardashian, Kelly Rutherford and Laila Ali so your baby can get the star treatment at a price us ordinary families can afford…

Steiff is the world’s oldest manufacturer of plush animals and is best known as the company that invented the teddy bear! We’re thrilled to include a Steiff Crystal Teddy Bear Bag Pendant (ARV $170) in our 12 Days of Giveaways!

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.

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.

Going to the toy store is a magical experience and a real treat for kids. Local toy stores often have impressive displays of stuffed animals, dolls and trains. My son’s favorite spot is the train table at our local store.

While he plays happily with Thomas the Tank Engine and friends, I have the opportunity to discover some high-quality toys unavailable at the big box stores. And I can count on the friendly store owner to provide expert advice on the best gifts for the kids on my holiday list (and free gift wrapping on my purchases).

Another helpful source of shopping advice is the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) 2009 Best Toys for Kids Award Winners. Over 500 of America’s top independent and neighborhood toy retailers selected the Best Toys for Kids based on their experience and understanding of what kids like.

The Halo SleepSack Swaddle is the Cadillac of swaddlers. It’s lusciously soft, and it’s designed to not only help your baby sleep better by preventing the “moro” (startle) reflex, but also to reduce the risk of SIDS. And it’s so simple to use, even a sleep-deprived parent of a newborn can put it on swiftly and easily.

It’s well-known that immobilizing the arms of your infant by swaddling them helps them sleep better–but that’s sometimes easier said than done…

Personalization is enjoying a renaissance in the children’s market.  But why settle for just having your kid’s name in a book when the main character can look like your kid.
Even better, MJM Books publishes original personalized, customizable children’s stories with illustrations drawn by an artist.
All three available books are sweet stories about the unique perspective children have on the world.  My favorite is What Animal Are You? — a version of a game my daughter loves to play.  A series of friendly critters tries to determine what manner of creature …

When an ordinary blanket just will not do, when you cannot find the perfect cover to match your child’s room, Posh Blankets offer a chic custom option.

Design your own blanket by selecting the size, from itty bitty and lovey for babies up to the generously-sized blankets for teens or adults. Posh Blankets even creates pillows, too. Then, select from beautiful fabric choices for the front and back. You can also choose to add monogram, patchwork, and satin ruffle border options…