Oompa has a huge selection of gift items you won’t find at major retailers or even smaller specialty shops. And while these types of toys can cost a pretty penny, there’s an ample selection of  great gifts under $25. (I especially like this Soft Puppy Stacking Toy by Rich Frog, $21.99.) The site also offers very reasonable shipping rates:  $5 flat-rate shipping, with orders over $65 delivered for free.

A great site for anyone looking to escape the clutches of Hannah Montana and Optimus Prime–who, by the way, I hear are dating.

The set of 24 blocks in walnut, maplele, and cherry comes boxed and ready to give. And as with every purchase made from Little Sapling Toys, a tree will be planted for every purchase made. Your day to water it is Tuesday.

Block set from Little Sapling Toys, $20+ shipping.

*Parental assembly meltdown

1. Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of the Rolling Stones ($13.99, Amazon)

2. Taggies Clickety Twist ($13.99, Amazon)
Texturally stimulating rattle makes fun “clicking” noise when baby twists one of the three colorful sections.

3. Baberoo Organic Cotton Socks ($12.55-$13.99, Amazon)
In a variety of styles, including ballet slipper and nautical stripe. (Some styles in very limited quanities.)

4. Le Sac Baby Igloo 500 ($116-$136 based on size, Land Of Nod)
Cozy insulated fleece sac keeps baby warm and cozy, while you brave the wind and the cold and the rain. Babies have it goooood.

5. Diaper Dude Mini Diaper Bag ($36, Amazon)
Worn on the waist or as a messenger bag, the Mini Diaper Dude holds two diapers, wipes, and bottles for dads on the go.

Be sure to check out the rest of our Gift Lists.

2. Eco Dog: Healthy Living for Your Pet by  Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich demonstrates the everyday dangers in traditional cleaners and pet products–then shows you how to make your own safe, natural foods, flea treatments, and toys. There’s even instructions to recycle your old sweaters into a felt blanket for Sparky. Here’s an idea: Make one of the recipes from the book (but don’t get it dirty!) to present with the gift.

3. The Green Bible: Understanding the Bible’s Powerful Message for the Earth, $19.99, highlights more than 1,000 verses pertaining to the earth’s beauty and our responsibility to protect it. There are also essays by scholars and religious leaders as well as a “Green Bible Trail Guide.” The bible itself is made from recycled paper, with soy-based ink, and is a New Revised Standard Version of the good book.

4. A gift from Oxfam, the international relief and development organization. For $50, you can donate a lamb or a goat in a friend’s name. Heck, they might even name the goat after your friend. (What you’re really doing is donating the cost of a goat for Oxfam to use as needed, such as training farmers to work with goats or helping women start their own businesses.) Your friend receives a nice card from Oxfam with a coat on it, and never has to clean out a stall. Gift is tax deductible.

5. Organic Monkey Ring Stacker for babies, $32.99 from Toys R Us (and available only online). Made form organic cotton with no chemical treatment.

And it was an epic fail:

What does this story tell us? Never try anything, ever. Trying breaks your heart.

Oh, wait. That’s not what I meant to say. Keep trying, kids! Reach for the stars! And do check out this wooden Domino Race kit from Haba. It’s got more than 200 pretty little rectangular prisms, some with adorable animals faces. Not only will they help little hands and minds master dexterity and patience, let’s face it: dominoes look cool falling down.

And let’s all think good thoughts for our Dutch friends, who will once again take a shot at the record on November 14. Go get ‘em!

$54.95 + shipping, available at Oompa.com.

Engagement party for a couple that didn’t register as far as I can tell. They are both more creative types and have a wacky sense of humor, so the typical kitchen gadget/place setting won’t fit well.

Check out this recycled bottle lamp. Not only can they customize it with their favorite bottled beverage (Grape Nehi, anyone?) but it’s sure to be a conversation piece as well as a lesson in conservation. Jazz it up with a six pack of suds or soda. And don’t forget the bulb. Or the straws.

$39.99 + shipping at PerpetualKid.com

Etsy (rhymes with “Betsy”) is, in their own words, “an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade.”

What can you find on Etsy? Soap, candy, jewelry, woodwork, t-shirts, purses, quilts, sweaters, candles, ceramics, pottery, calendars, music, quilts, pet beds, toys, purses, cuff links, and so much more.

You’ll also find a community of artists who, as a whole, care about their customers and their products. Think about it: At a big box store, you can buy an item made in a factory by someone who will never use it, shipped across an ocean to a store selling 90,000 other doohickies, and sold to you by a disinterested cashier who has no vested interest in whether or not you buy it. And that’s not to say that an afternoon at Target isn’t totally enjoyable. But there’s a special kind of connection when you’re in direct contact with the person who crafted the item you’re using. Etsy has made the Internet the world’s largest neighborhood craft fair, sans the deep fried Oreo stand.

Shopping on Etsy is a delight. You can search through traditional categories, such as “doll” or “scarf,” or see what other users have chosen as their favorites. You can also see what’s available locally and what items sold most recently from among Etsy’s 100,000 + shops.

I’ll be writing regular posts about my ETSY finds, both because of the unique selection of gifts available through the site, and because I think it’s important to support individual artists.

To start, I’d like to recommend Savor. Savor is the creation of Lisa, a computer tech and soapstress in Northern Cal who’s managed to fuse her love of cooking and her mastery of glycerin to create some really fabulous soap products. Like so many Etsy members’ products, Lisa’s soaps are free of harsh detergents and alcohol.

Lisa’s créme frâiche ($11) is a jar of creamy whipped bath soap available in delicious varieties such as Marshmallow Fudge and Amaretto Honey Oatmeal.

Her traditional bar soap ($4.50-$6.50) does not disappoint. My current favorite is “My Boyfriend’s T-shirt” which has a fresh, comforting smell. “Punk,” Lisa’s take on pumpkin pie, is spicy and sweet and perfect for autumn.

Flat-rate shipping for up to 8 bars is $5, so you can stock up and always have a quick gift handy.

And for those of you patient enough to read this far, a giveaway! Leave a comment below to be entered to win a bar of soap of your choice from Savor. And stay tuned to Present Professor for more Etsy profiles. Happy shopping, people.

But I’m not bitter. In fact, I even bought them this recycled glass serving plate from uncommongoods.com. It’s great for cheese and crackers, fruit, candles, etc. Or so my sister has told me. . .

$18 + shipping at uncommongoods.com. Sibling resentment optional.