Yup, it’s here.  That magical time when we struggle with whether to buy something online or in the store.  For me, online wins about 98% of the time.

So, in no particular order, here is a list of my toy picks from the Amazon Top 100.  Enjoy.

This is pretty much everywhere this holiday season.  I don’t know how it compares to apps on your smartphone, but at least it is something that is theirs and theirs alone, which has something to be said for it.

You can NEVER go wrong with Lego.  NEVER.

I think this toy wins the title of longest name.  But kids sure do love them some Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

If you’ve got a kid in the right age range, remember what I said up there.

No matter what you think of the feminist aspects of this toy, it is selling like hotcakes.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with bringing an app to life in your own home.

My own little person cannot get enough Little People.

Very clever toy with a gazillion things to do.

The duct tape thing is SO hot right now.  It’s a little ridiculous.  But I am all for encouraging creativity.

We have this here and it is very cute indeed.

Another good outlet for all that creativity.

I have so far resisted the siren call of these little babies, but I may not be able to for much longer.

Yet another toy where it is impossible to go wrong.

The newest Imaginext set for the holidays.

OK, I kind of want these for me.

The evil snowman who will haunt your dreams and I wish you a very happy holiday season!

Seriously, I can NEVER get enough of these…

I’ve gone and done it.

For the first time in at least ten years, I didn’t send out Christmas cards.

You see, I waited much too long to take a picture of the kids. I kept telling myself that we could wait one more week. What was one more week? But then things kept happening, and finally the weekend that was to be my final deadline came and went with all of us being sick and barely able to function, much less posing and smiling for a picture.

I can’t think of a worse recipe for a photo than two sick kids, one of them a toddler who has hit the terrible twos with a vengeance.

So I didn’t upload the picture, the card never got printed, I never had to go pick them up, and I didn’t have to spend a bunch of time addressing them.

I feel sort of bad about it, because I know many people look forward to having a picture of the kids.

But then again, I sort of don’t.

Maybe I could send out New Year’s cards?

Has retailers crying into their beers and parents doing a happy dance.

I have tried never to buy into the whole “must have” toy thing, although I know a lot of people do because of peer pressure and the like.  If the popular toy happens to coincide with the interests of my child, then great.  But if it doesn’t, I will feel not even a tiny pang of regret.

And is it just me, or am I the only one surprised to read in that article that layaway is back?

Maybe I come from a place of privilege when I say that I’m not a big fan of layaway.

If we can’t afford something, we don’t buy it.  We have had more than one Christmas when we told our son that Mommy and Daddy simply did not have the money to buy him oodles of things.  That he gets a lot from his extended family and we see no need to put ourselves in debt for some toys.  Did he get something? Yes, but one year it was pretty thin.

Again, maybe I know not of what I speak.

Anybody want to set me straight?

So we have a family that we are good friends with, who happens to have a son the same age as ours.  They are good friends, too.

The boy is an only child, and actually has four sets of grandparents, so he is definitely not lacking in the Christmas gift department.  And truly, like my son, he pretty much has everything he needs.  His parents have more than once told me they are of the mind that he has more stuff than he could ever possibly use. And if he did want something, it would probably be too expensive for me to buy it for him on my own.

I called his mom last week, and told her I had an idea.  I wanted to run it by her, and to make sure that she wasn’t thinking I was trying to wriggle out of gift-giving.

Instead of buying him yet more things he didn’t really need, I told his mom that I was thinking of taking the two of them out on a special outing, such as to an amusement park or a really fun place they don’t normally get to go.  He wouldn’t be getting a gift, per se, but getting what I would like to refer to as a “treat.”

His parents both enthusiastically agreed, and although it was of course my idea, I felt bad for a nanosecond that I wouldn’t be giving him an actual gift on Christmas.

What say you?

Good idea, or does it just look like I’m trying to get out of getting him a present?

Because truly, I’m not.

I will say it right now, unless the men in your lives have very specific hobbies that they LOVE (i.e. golf) men are quite difficult to buy for.  Much more so than they claim to be, anyway.  One can only receive so many ties, after all.  Even if they are nice ones.

So here is a little guide to help you out a bit.

Buffalo Nickel Tails Side Hand Painted Cuff Links

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for cuff links.  When I was a little girl, I remember going through my parents’ jewelry cases and seeing cuff links and having no idea what they were for.  These are real Buffalo Nickels and are a nice departure from your boring old black/silver combination.

James Perse Lounge Long Sleeve Crew

My husband used to be the kind of guy who never wanted to spend more than five bucks on a shirt.  I kid you not.  So on a daily basis for almost twenty years, my eyes have been assaulted with the most ugly, godawful shirts you could ever have the misfortune of seeing.  But about six months ago in a sudden moment of clarity, he decided that life was too short to wear crappy shirts all the time.  He felt he deserved a little luxury, a little comfort, even when relaxing at home.  And indeed, shouldn’t that be when you feel the most comfortable?

Incase Monochrome Soft Touch Slider Case-4G

What would be more appreciated than a wonderful case for his beloved iPhone?

Pioneer AVIC-Z130BT 7″ In-Dash Navigation AV Receiver with iPod/iPhone Control, Bluetooth, Pandora

Make him the envy of everyone in the neighborhood with this uber cool navigation system from Pioneer.  It has everything he could ever want, and maybe some things he never even knew he wanted.  Until this came along.

Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player

This little device will allow him to watch almost everything he wants on television, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, Pandora, sports, plus more.  Enough, in fact, to keep his butt glued to the couch so that you can have some time to do some more online shopping without any pesky questions being asked.

Logitech Harmony 650 Remote Control

Sick of having five different remote controls for everything? Then this top-rated baby is the solution.  Even better is that he will be so enthralled with this gift, he won’t realize it isn’t just for him, technically.  You know, like when he buys you a  KitchenAid stand mixer.  Sure, you love it, but you won’t be the only one eating the results.

Logitech Ultimate Ears 700 Noise-Isolating Earphones

Does he do a lot of traveling?  Work in a noisy environment? Or does he just have some really annoying neighbors?  His ears will thank you forever.

How to Be A Gentleman

Do you have a certain younger male relative who constantly mistakes family gatherings for frat parties? Then this short, quick, and to the point handy dandy guide is just for him. Gently given advice, but sometimes greatly needed.

Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap

Does he want to be the ultimate man?  Of course he does! Then get him this soap!

It seems the majority of you are into wrapping with just paper, with 50% taking this approach.  19% go all Martha Stewart-y on us, and 7% do the gift bag thing.  2% go eco-friendly and 2% don’t really wrap at all. And 19% say it depends on who they are giving the gift to.  I am a complete convert to the gift bag for adult gifts.  Every year Costco (yes, I am not ashamed to admit I love Costco) has a box with a couple dozen or so gift bags that go well beyond the simple.  They usually have clever designs (i.e. designed to look like a purse) beaded handles, marabou trim, and always some sort of 3-D element.  I adore them.  But for kids, it’s gotta be wrapping paper.  Although this year my one year old had more fun tossing the tissue paper out of the bags than she did ripping the paper.  That will change next year.

Today, I want to know how you are doing.