Moleskine Journals

Loved by both productivity geeks and artistic types, Moleskine journals and sketchbooks have been hot for the past couple of years. They come in everything from plain paper, grid-ruled, music staff, city versions with maps, and even a red-covered planner / diary.

Fight Like a Pirate

I can't believe we haven't had any serious injuries from my kids fighting with all the different hard plastic swords that have appeared in our house. We've definitely had some bumps, welts, and scratches from them. Then we found these foam swords. They feel about like a pool noodle. You can whack a kid almost as hard as you can with one of these and get nothing but laughter. The first pair we bought lasted about 4 days before breaking in half. The second pair have gone 3 months because the kids don't completely abuse them. I think someone took a bite out of one.

FRAGILE - It must be Italian

For years now I've been meaning to buy my father-in-law a genuine leg lamp from A Christmas Story. Maybe this is finally the year. They're all over eBay in many different forms, from full-sized replicas to nightlights to Christmas tree lights or ornaments to an inflatable light-up one for on top of your trailer your front yard.

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MANGROOMER Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Hair Shaver

I can't write anything funnier than this Do-It-Yourself Back Hair Shaver's own product description (and pictures). You have to see it yourself. We're chipping in and buying one for our tech support guy at work.

Or on a more serious note, you could buy them a credit at a laser hair removal place like Ideal Image.

Mini RC Helicopter

The other night we were standing around outside in the dark waiting to get into one of the kid's Christmas plays when some tween kid fired up one of these $20 mini RC helicopters. With a flashing LED on it, it took about 3 seconds before every kid out there was chasing it and asking for one for Christmas. They look like a big hit this year.

I Want Ice Cream

This ice cream maker soccer ball thing is a sweet little producer-consumer problem solver. Keeping the ball moving for 20 minutes will heat up the kids and deplete their blood sugar. Right when they're ready to drop from the hyperthermia and hypoglycemia combination, they'll have ice cream.

Inkjet Cartridges

Last year for Christmas we gave our kids inkjet cartridges and just let them print whatever they wanted. 300 pages of My Little Pony and Power Rangers and Microsoft Paint creations. Hours of entertainment for $30.