Green Bee 3-pack Reusable Shopping Bags w/Pouch
$9.99/free shipping eligible at Amazon.com. Accompany with a gift card to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or any of the slew of non-hipster grocery stores in the world. 
The classic Ker Plunk game updated to include those unabashedly adorable aliens from Toy Story. The strategy is simple; the game, addictive: Players take turns removing sticks from the “rocket ship” and try to avoid the kerplunkety action of the little plastic aliens tumbling to the floor. Whomever is responsible for the fewest fallen little green men is the winner.
Toy Story Ker Plunk Game, $18.19 at Amazon.com.
First Act makes some really nice instruments for the pint-sized Picasso. (That sentence would have made sense if Picasso was a musician and not a painter, but it sounded good.) I’m partial to the Band in a Box, which includes a harmonica, egg shakers, a tambourine, a wooden kazoo, and more.
The kazoo even comes with a 34-page instruction book. Perfect for the aspiring professional Kazooer. Kazooist? Oh, who am I kidding? That’s not a real job.
Band in a Bucket Holiday Edition, $19.99 at Toys R Us.
Also shown: First Act Percussion Pack, $29.99 at Toys R Us.
It started with Mo’s Bacon Bar–part novelty item, part inspired marriage between sweet milk chocolate and salty bacon. It’s not an everyday snack, but it’s got a curious breakfast-esque quality about it. That, and it’s so indulgent, I get a little thrill from the eating it, like I’m breaking some draconian food law.
Vosges chocolate was at the forefront of the ongoing (and wonderful) bacon renaissance, and they continue to innovate. This year, there’s bacon chocolate chip 
mix ($12), bacon caramel toffee (also $12), a flying chocolate pig ($8), and a $62 gift set. Original Mo’s Bacon Bars, in milk and dark chocolate, are $7.50. Mini bars are available for $2.50. Mix and match 6 bars for $12.50. Stack ‘em, wrap ‘em in a ribbon, and give them to your foodie friend. Sweet.
If you’re a a parent, you probably know that this year’s unlikely must-have toy is the Zhu Zhu pet imitation hamster, a toy rodent that zooms around in a plastic fun house. The hamsters themselves go for less than $10 in stores–but good luck finding them. Retailers underestimated the popularity of Zhu Zhus and supply has simply not kept up with demand. Compounding the problem, some say, is that third-party sellers on Amazon and Ebay who snatch up inventory and sell it at a huge markup. So, you can have your hamster, but you might pay more than $60 for it. Ditto for the Fun House and the add-on accessories. That’s right. $60. For a toy hamster. For $60, you could buy, like, 10 real hamsters and start your own hamster army.
My suggestion? Be patient. I came across the pets by accident in Target one day; CVS is known to have them from time to time. You’ll get one eventually, even if it’s GASP after December 25.
Now, I don’t usually do giveaways, but these are dire times, and I happen to have 1 Zhu Zhu Pets Fun House. I don’t have a hamster–you’re on your own for that.
How to Enter:
Leave a comment telling me which of the other items on Present Professor you’d like to receive as a gift.
Extra Entries: Do any or all of the following and leave an extra comment for each letting me know:
Follow PresentProf on Twitter and retweet my “I’m giving away a Zhu Zhu pets Fun House” tweet. (If you’re already a follower, just do the retweet.)
Become a fan of “Present Professor” on Facebook.
E-mail me at CarliATpresentprofessor.com and ask me a gift-related question.
Guess the name of the real hamster I had in college. (Hint: She was named after a Buddy Holly song.)
Write a 7,000 word annotated research paper with the topic: Mesocricetus auratus and the Downfall of the Roman Empire.
Open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends at 12:01 a.m., EST, Sunday, December 6
Good luck!
Disclosure: No product nor compensation was provided to me in exchange for this post.
When I was a kid, I wanted a dog. . . like, really badly. My mother saw this and decided to pretend she was allergic to dogs until I was 18. She also bought me a plush dog every birthday, which I guess was supposed to make me feel better but was really just, like, “Here, little Present Professor. Let me pour a little hydrochloric acid into your paper cut.”
Maybe if she’d given me this i-dog Plush Puppy speaker, I wouldn’t have been so upset. It’s cute and cuddly and will play music from an ipod, CD player, or most any music source. The sound isn’t fantastic, but it’s decent enough for a kid’s room.
I bought this for my 7-year-old niece for Chanukah. I hope it’ll be a nice accessory for her new ipod. And if not, I’ll take it. It’ll go well with the dozens of other stuffed dogs I have, floating on a river of tears and resentment.
