My Mommy's Tote

What little girl (or boy for that matter) doesn't love riffling through their momma's purse discovering loose change, lipstick and the tiny tot's holy grail - a big jangly set of keys! Now you can have an awesome little item for your kiddo that will allow them to play imaginatively while you can rest assured knowing that your cellphone won't go missing and your eyeliner won't end up as a toothpick in their mouth.

P.H. Hanson, the best selling author/creator of My Granny's Purse and My Grandpa's Briefcase has moved down the family tree with My Mommy's Tote just in time for Christmas.

This die-cut tote bag toy is made of a thick, tough material that should hold up for a fairly long time, even in the hand's of the most rambunctious of children. The Tote is full of goodies (along with simple text that illuminates a child's similarities and differences with their mother) that will delight most youngsters who typically perk up for the thrill of discovery. The Pear (instead of Apple) laptop is ingenious - the Bear was pretending to call up the Gustafer Yellowgold website (her favorite place on the web) as soon as she saw the faux-computer. The dry erase board half way through the Tote was a clever surprise and the eraser on the back of the marker worked perfectly without smearing or smudging.

My Mommy's Tote is a perfect example of creative leisure entertainment for the toddler (and younger) crowd. I highly recommend this wonderful book/toy.

Pick up My Mommy's Tote from Amazon for less than $13 and know that you have scored a super cool gift or stocking stuffer this holiday season.

One Laptop Per Child

Buy a laptop, give a laptop...

Buy this $399 XO laptop for your child between Nov. 12 and Nov. 26, 2007 and one will be donated to a child in a developing country. Your child's computer will be shipped to you by Christmas and the donated laptop is tax-deductable.

These rugged, inexpenive devices, created by M.I.T. Media Laboratory for third-world children, feature high-res screens, a camera and wireless communication capabilities. The device runs open source software so your lil' hacker can modify and tweak to their hearts delight.

Nice idea here. While I have not tried the laptop myself, the results from kid-tested trails were mostly positive. I would fear that our kids would be so used to high-tech devices that a simpler, less-frilly laptop would bore 'em, but it sounds as if the XO may be a nice starter computer for a young child...or you could always donate the one shipped to you.

From the looks of it, the XO has a very child (and Martian) friendly look to it. I dig the compact nature of it, the swivel screen and the rugged design that is made to withhold a fair amount of abuse.

If you wish to make a donation without receiving a laptop for your family, you can do so at anytime for $200. That will ship one laptop to a child in a developing part of the world.