Author Profile: Carli Entin

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Bag Lady
By carli
Posted in featured gifts on 15 December 2009
Stats: and 3 Comments

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. 

A Game. No, It’s Not a Video Game. It’s a Game Game. Yes, They Still Exist. Yes, They’re Still Fun.
By carli
Posted in Movies/TV/DVD/Music, games, kids (3-9), toys, under $25 on 10 December 2009
Stats: and 7 Comments

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 [...]

Band in a Bucket, Okay in Berlin
By carli
Posted in featured gifts, kids (3-9), toys, under $25, under $50 on 10 December 2009
Stats: and No Comments

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 [...]

Mo’ Bacon, Mo’ Fun
By carli
Posted in Valentine's Day, food/cooking, for her, for him, housewarming/host, novelty, stocking stuffer, under $10, under $25, under $50 on 9 December 2009
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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 [...]

Zhu Zhu’s Pet-als
By carli
Posted in featured gifts on 29 November 2009
Stats: and 24 Comments

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 [...]

There Will Be Blood
By carli
Posted in Geeks and Gadgets, for her, for him, novelty on 28 November 2009
Stats: and 2 Comments

Do it yourself blood-typing test kit.
Just add blood.
Yes, really.
$8.99 at Think Geek.

I-Dog. You Human. But We Can Be Friends, K?
By carli
Posted in Movies/TV/DVD/Music, bedroom, for her, kids (3-9), novelty, toys, tween, under $25 on 28 November 2009
Stats: and 5 Comments

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, [...]