Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String (A Few of My Favorite Things)

Zoomorphs

I recently found this wonderful item in our local independent toy store, and since then I've bought a set as gifts for the last three kids' birthday parties we've gone to. Zoomorphs is a building system; the pieces snap together easily and securely. There's a set for every kid's interest: Dinomorphs, Petmorphs, Mythmorphs, Rainforestmorphs, Jumpermorphs, Nightmorphs, Insectmorphs, Safarimorphs, and Diggermorphs. Whew! You can put them together to make a recognizable animal or mix up the pieces and make crazy critters. All the sets are interchangeable, too. $15 to $10 per set.



Lumene Time Freeze Instant Cooling Eye Stick

I love this product. As the name says, it's a stick, but unlike most sticks, it glides on smoothly and gently. And the instant cooling sensation is awesome. After waking up and washing my face, applying this feels great and moisturizes the delicate skin under my eyes while reducing puffiness. It's also refreshing on hot summer afternoons. Contains "natural arctic heather and plant sterols extracted from arctic white peat"--okaaaay, ifs they say so. These ingredients are supposed to help reduce wrinkles and protect against further aging; I can't vouch for that--all I'm saying is it feels nice and soothing to put on. $21.00


Sam's Club Grilled Chicken & Four-Cheese Ravioli

This is a dinner that has it all: inexpensive, super-easy to throw together (just boil for five minutes and top with tomato sauce), healthy (especially if you add some veggies to the tomato sauce), delicious, and filling. Best of all, my kids--even my picky toddler--LOVES them. My 3-year-old can eat about six of these large raviolis. When you don't have a lot of time to prepare a homemade meal, these raviolis are perfect. They taste way better than anything available at the grocery store, and are cheaper than what you'll find at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Per serving: 270 cals, 9 g fat, 18 g protein, calcium 15%. $9.99 for a twin-pack; each pack has about 20 large raviolis.