Holiday Gift Guide: Piggy Banks

One of my favorite gifts to give is a piggy bank.  Not only are piggy banks classic, but fabulously functional, inspiring a trait I wish I had.  If 2009 has taught us anything, it's that you can never go wrong saving your pennies.  So here are my three favorite piggies, at least one of which some luckies on my list will be receiving this year. Sort of creepy and very cool, check out Harry Allen's Bank in the Form of a Pig, made from the cast of an actual pig (no piggies were hurt in the cast-making process).  Available at AREAWARE for $95 in pink; also available in white, chrome, gold, copper, hot pink, mint green and black to fit into nearly any color scheme.

 

 

For a piggy that will blend in anywhere, go for Roost's Glass Piggy Bank, available at Velocity starting at $18.  Also, check out similar ones available locally at Hudson.

For the perfect amount of sparkle, and the perfect price tag, hit your local Old Navy for their bling-y piggy.  My shop only had them in gold, but I hear they're available in a disco rainbow.  At a mere $5, you can get this one for folks on your list and yourself.  Y'know...if you needed a bit of inspiration to become budget-minded in 2010.  Not that I know anyone like that.

 

Holiday Gift Guide: Boston Baby Photos

For parents, all photos of their children are exquisite, even when taken with a crappy camera phone.  But when your kid's picture is taken by a professional photographer, the result can make you feel like a stranger has witnessed the soul of your child and captured it for eternity.  At least that's how I feel about Jessica McDaniel of Boston Baby Photos.

I met Jessica for the first time when Weston was nine months old.  Jess had been in the baby photography business for a couple of years and was shooting in a traveling studio at a local children's clothing store.  The session prices were fairly inexpensive, so I signed up, hoping for a better result than what I might get from a cheesy department store set-up.  Not only was Jess completely accommodating (the store had double-booked me with another mom, but Jess hadled the mishap like a total pro when the teenage sales associate didn't know what to do), but she made me feel at ease during the shoot, gently directing us, watching and capturing natural moments.  A couple of weeks later I headed back to the store to see the proofs (this was in the early days of digital photography), hoping that there would be one decent photo that I could use to get the free 8x10 that came with the shoot. 

I bought every dang picture.  

A few years later when Levi arrived, I contacted Jess and arranged an in-home shoot -- her specialty.  This time, Jess casually and near silently followed Levi as he crawled around the house, onto a wooden wagon, up the stairs, and ultimately into a giant L.L. Bean bag.  About a week later when I saw the result (this time on the web), I bought every shot.  Again.

Not only is Jess an uber-talented photographer, but she happens to be a wonderfully nice person...the kind of person you want to stay in touch with even after your shoot is over, and the kind of photographer that you will want to shoot your kids and family every couple of years.  At least that's how I feel about her. 

So this holiday season, consider putting a Boston Baby Photos gift certificate on your wish list.  Or if you happen to be a grandparent, aunt, uncle or other generous soul, consider springing for your local loved one (Jess will travel within 20 miles of Milton, MA for free, or beyond for a travel charge).

To see Jess' portfolio, visit her here.

For gift certificates, contact Jess at jess@bostonbabyphotos.com

Image credits: Weston at 9 months and Levi at 10 months, Jessica McDaniel, Boston Baby Photos

'Tis the season!

Every year, I leave my husband and kiddos for four days and go for a long weekend of holiday shopping with my Mom, my Aunt Liz and Liz’s daughter Jen, who is like a sister to me.  The weekend is a celebration of my mother’s birthday, and for me, marks the official start of the holiday season. 

So, now that my mind is set firmly in gift-shopping mode, I’m dedicating the next two weeks of posts to great gift ideas.  Some gifts will be local finds and some available on the web, but all will be home design-y and wonderful.  So stay tuned...and happy shopping!

Image credit: Mahoney's Garden Center (one of my favorite nurseries)

Five Ideas: Holiday Tabletops

When hosting a party, I enjoy cooking (sort of), but my favorite part is creating fun, interesting and unexpected tabletops (elegant is great too, but they've gone the way of the Dodo since kids...too much pressure).  If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, click over to Boston Mamas for some last-minute easy ideas to make your tabletop shine.  (Yep, it's true...two Boston Mamas columns in two weeks!)

What easy tabletop ideas do you have?  Share them here!

Image credit: Randy Weiner, Flickr (cool pic, don't you think?)