Although I haven’t done much shopping yet because that’s what happens when you get distracted by Silk Egg Nog, I know what I’ll be buying for almost everyone. If you’re still looking for ideas, here’s a peek at some of my favorite products this year:

For tweens, teens and kids of all ages:

1. Wii U – Nintendo continues to innovate with this new idea in game play. Used as a stand-alone unit or for group-play in person, or online, Wii U adds a whole new level to at-home gaming. You can even video chat! I am mostly looking forward to playing Sing Party with my daughter and her friends, because embarrassing her is a gift to myself.

2. Nintendo 3DS XL – Since its introduction to our house a couple of years ago, we haven’t seen a day go by that the 3DS wasn’t played. My kids love it (and to be honest, so do I). This year, the 3DS XL was released with a screen that’s 90% bigger, which means the adults in our home can play without our reading glasses! What? Old people like Mario too.

3. GrooveBook – GrooveBook is a free app that lets you pick up to 100 photos from your camera roll and turn them into a 4.5″ x 6.5″ photobook. The photobook is mailed to you monthly and you pay $2.99 for shipping. That’s it. You just pay shipping. And, for Momo Fali readers GrooveBook has offered the first month’s shipping COMPLETELY free! Just use promo code MOMOFALI2012.

4. Duracell Instant USB Charger – This small charger lets you add extra hours of use to your iPods, iPhones, Blackberrys and more. It’s a great solution for a problem everyone has. I can toss it in my purse and have instant access to more battery power!

Gifts for her:

1. Vegan Cuts – If the “her” is me, which means she eats vegan, anything from this site makes a great gift. Really. Anything. *cough*

2. Mark and Graham Touch-Screen Cashmere Gloves – I’ve worn fingerless gloves each winter since I got a smartphone, but being able to use your fingers on a touchscreen AND keep them warm? Brilliance. Also, cashmere.

3. Cuisinart Mini Food Processor – Slice, shred, and MAKE HUMMUS in this handy, little food processor. It’s easier to clean and store than it’s bigger counterpart, too. I’m saying this like I own this little beauty. *cough again*

4. SEPHORA by OPI gelshine™ At-Home Gel Colour System – I love to have painted nails, but I hate how the polish starts chipping off the very next day. The last time I got a gel manicure though, the polish stayed on for three weeks. I have no idea if this home system works, but the online reviews say it does. For the woman who gets frequent manis, this seems like a pretty cool concept.

5. Twiztt Cookware by Joan Lunden – Yes, that Joan Lunden. It turns out that her Emmy Award-winning journalism career created a passion for health issues. She has served as “…national spokesperson for campaigns with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the American Lung Association, The American Red Cross and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and has spearheaded campaigns on colon cancer prevention for the Colon Cancer Alliance and Amgen, and on type II diabetes for Eli Lilly.” Her new cookware line is not only attractive and practical, but also PFOA and PTFE-free, making it eco-friendly and healthier for cooking. Put that in your pan and fry it!

Gifts for him:

1. The Ultimate Heroes Collection from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment – This set contains DVDs of Fantastic Four, X-Men, Elektra, and Daredevil. Need I say more?

2. Cargo-Logic – Have a dog? Check. Have messy kids? Check. Have a husband who likes to use the family SUV to drag rotting bags of wet leaves to the curb? Check. Cargo-Logic is a stain and moisture-resistant barrier that protects your cargo area from the hazards of family life and the smell of moldy yard waste.

3. Stemless Wine Glasses from Mustache Attack – Because wine drinking needs more testosterone. Period.

4. DryCASE – My husband is a fisherman and this vacuum-sealed case offers full touch-screen functionality and is waterproof to 100 feet. It’s perfect for skiing, kayaking, or even rainy-day football games. Also, drunk canoeing.

5. Major League Baseball 2K12 – Any guy who likes baseball has envisioned himself hitting one out of the park during the World Series®. This is about as close as he’ll ever get. No offense, fellas.

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People always ask me how I can work from home during the summer, when the kids are out of school and underfoot all day. I always reply that the interruptions of summer don’t even come close to what I deal with during the school year.

I don’t know about you, but at my house THERE IS A LOT GOING ON. Sports practices, Cub Scouts, fundraising, volunteering, school plays, homework, dances…and OHMYGOODNESS the laundry. Summer laundry never has socks. Flip-flops rule!

The school year isn’t easy and if it weren’t for color-coded calendars, strict rules about homework (my daughter gets a break after school, but my son doesn’t…because that is what works, so I’m sticking to it), and carpooling, I don’t know how I’d get through it.

Both kids have to empty their backpacks when they get home, wash their hands, then have a snack. It’s a well-oiled machine over here! Just don’t look at my desk, or my to-do list. They can choose from fresh fruit, a cheese-stick, or if they’re really lucky, on chilly days I’ll have something warm for them. My son likes to have tea, my daughter likes to have Tyson® Any’tizers®.

And, in addition to being one of my daughter’s (and her friends’) favorite snack foods, Tyson® Any’tizers® has a “School Year Survival Guide” on Facebook; with tools to manage your schedule (including downloadable calendars), to rejuvenation tips for mom and dad. Yes, please.

Check out their great tips and share your own, oh and while you’re there don’t forget to sign up for promotions and events.

Trust me, your kids will thank you.

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When I was a kid, my cousins used to have marathon sessions where we played board games for hours. We would carefully set my grandmother’s dining room table with the board, pieces, and/or money. We would stack cushions on her wooden chairs so we could be assured a soft spot for the entire afternoon, tossing pillows as we went if it got to be too soft.

We also spent many days outside playing. Entire days. From morning until night, we ran, climbed trees, rode our bikes and had many a snowball fight in the winter.

These days, my kids don’t do much of either of those things.

Gone are the days when kids sat around the kitchen table and played board games all day; there are just too many distractions and kids are too impatient. And, to be honest, it’s not safe to let kids do the type of things that I did when I was young. It’s a different world. They get exercise with organized sports, but sometimes that is more work than fun.

That’s where Wonder Forge games come in. I recently received two of their games to try out and they provided active entertainment for my son. We moved, we didn’t get bored. We played like I was a kid again!

He has long been a fan of Jake and the Never  Land Pirates (he’s literally watching it on the computer as I type this) so I knew he would be excited to try the Never Land Challenge Game, but what I didn’t realize is that he would have fun while getting some gross motor skills! Okay, I did too. When was the last time YOU tried to balance something on your head? How about crab walk? That’s what I thought.

We also tried out the Dr. Seuss Fun Machine Game Tiles, which pair with an app for memory and matching challenges for 1-4 people. I won’t lie. My son had a hard time getting this away from me. I’m 41, but I’m a kid at heart!

Wonder Forge has won more than 100 awards for excellence and has many great games to choose from (I JUST noticed their MythBusters game – my daughter is a HUGE fan – and it has 5 star reviews). Check out their site and see for yourself; they are a great resource for family friendly games.

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When I used to go to the salon to get my hair dyed it drove me crazy that I had no where to go but home afterward. It seemed a waste of a good coiffing.

Since we’re being slowly suffocated by medical bills over here, I’ve been dying my own hair. In case you haven’t tried this yourself, you should know that ALL THE BOXES AT THE GROCERY STORE LIE. Despite the untruths, I colored my hair today.

I wasn’t about to let my supposed-to-be-blond-but-really-turned-out-orange hair go unnoticed, so I went to the thrift store. Because nothing lifts you up after dying your hair in your half bathroom quite like looking through other people’s cast-off clothing.

To be honest, I’ve always been what I refer to as “a good shopper” even when I didn’t need to be. I love a good deal. This is evidenced by the huge increase to our bug spray and sunscreen collection…in October. I cruise the end-caps at stores and scope out the off-season bargains because it pains me to pay full-price when I know I could have bought it six months ago for half the cost.

I look at the thrift store like I’m getting hand-me-downs; hand-me-downs that I keep closed tightly in a plastic trash bag until I have the time to wash them in scalding hot water.

Today I scored:

Banana Republic sweater dress for $1.99

Gap winter coat for $3.99

Evan Picone sweater for $2.99

Old Navy long-sleeved t-shirt for $.99

I also bought another sweater, a sweatshirt and a very pretty belt. I spent $20.00 total.

Then I went to Target for toilet paper, razor blades and hearing aid batteries and spent $64.00.

And, THAT right there? Is why my hair will stay orange.

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