2. Compartmentalized container (like this one from Organized Living, but also available at most craft stores), decorated by your child and filled with pens, paper clips, rubber bands, push pins, etc. A lot of teachers will tell you that homemade gifts are the best. Then again, a lot of teachers won’t.

3. A teacher can only have so many shower gels, desk calendars and coffee mugs. And any teacher will tell you that apple-shaped gifts should be outlawed. Why not give the gift of charity? Donate to a charity you think the teacher would appreciate, or donate books or software to the classroom in the teacher’s name. You might also ask the teacher what supplies you can donate to the class, since many teachers spend a lot of money out of their own pockets for classroom supplies.

4. Give a “movie night” theme gift. Pair a theater gift card or a short-term Netflix subscription with some specialty popcorn or candy.

5. If the teacher seems to like plants, buy a small plant and attach a drawing or note from the child telling the teacher what she means to him. At the bottom, write “Thanks for helping me grow.”

Be sure to check our other Gift Lists.

2. Sock Monkey Slippers ($14.99, Target)

3. Gift Box of 10 Sock Monkey Cards ($25 at Etsy)
Choose from the SockMonkeyCards store’s numerous designs. (If the gift box isn’t available, contact the seller–they will likely relist it for you.)

4. Sock Monkey Dreams: Daily Life at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter ($10.17, Amazon)
Humorous account of the life and times of various sock monkey characters

5. Original Sock Monkey Toy ($14.99 at ThinkGeek)

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

1. Dirty Dancing Wall Calendar ($11.19, Amazon)

2. Facts of Life: Complete First and Second Seasons ($19.99, Best Buy)
Did you know? Kim Fields, the actress who played Tootie, wore roller skates the entire first season to give her height–she was much shorter than all of the other girls. Did you care? No? Well, then, this box set–which comes in a collectible lunch box exclusive to Best Buy, a store too lazy to put an actual picture of said lunch box on their Web site–is not for you. But it may be for your sister, girlfriend, wife, neighbor (if your neighbor happens to be Mindy Cohn), etc.

3. Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice by Maureen McCormick ($17.13, Amazon)
Poor kid. Thrown out of Romeo and Juliet. . . hit in the nose with a football. . . made false promises to book Davy Jones for the prom. . . and that was just in front of the screen.

4. The Cure: 4:13 Dream ($11.49, Amazon)
OK, in all honesty, my sister probably hasn’t even heard of The Cure. The point is, everything old is still old, but releasing new CDs. (Kids, back in the day, we called them “albums.”) Other resurrected acts: AC/DC, Manheim Steamroller, John Mellencamp, and Metallica.

5. Puzzle Cube Alarm Clock ($19.99, Think Geek)
They have to call it “puzzle cube” instead of “Rubik’s cube” because of copyright issues. Kind of like when you buy generic cough syrup, and it’s just called “Tussin.”

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

2. Desert Inspirations Ponytail Palm Bonsai Tree ($49.99, FTD.com)
A tiny little tree. Unfortunately, no tiny little coconuts. This is either a really good idea or a terrible, terrible idea. I’m going to go with “entertaining conversation piece.” It’s just this feeling I have.

3. Zingerman’s Superior Scone Sample ($35, Zingerman’s)
Six scones (two each of three different flavors), plus little jars of preserves and honey. ‘Cause, you know, there’s no place like scone.

4. The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss ($29.70, Amazon)
Coffee-table book filled with stunning photos of creatures living six miles below the ocean’s surface. Or, you could buy them a really fancy submarine.

5. A personalized photo book from Snapfish
You pick the prints and the layout, add captions, and Snapfish will deliver a professional-looking book starring your parents’ loved ones. (Hopefully, one of them is you.) Starting at $4.99 with abounding options: a leather-covered 12×12 book, for example, starts at $49.99

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

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.

1. Magnext 100 Count MagnaCase 360 ($14.99, Amazon)

2. LEGO Pink Brick Box ($14.99, Amazon)

3. Fantasy Blocks From Haba ($36.99, Oompa)

4. Tinkertoy Classic Jumbo Set ($19.99, Amazon)

5. Eames House of Cards ($25-$35, MomaStore.org)

6. LEGO Creator Mini Jet ($4.99, ToysRUs)

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

1. Xbox 360 Cooling Station ($29.99)
For avid gamers who never give their system a break, this cooling station will keep your console properly ventilated. And it glows a really cool green color.

2. Rock Throne Drum Stool ($29.99)
For the Rock Band or Guitar Hero superstar in your life, this drum stool will keep them jamming in comfort. Also consider the Rock Band Drum Silencers ($19.99) because that tap-tap-tapping can get kinda annoying.

3. Boompod Audio Chair (on sale now at Target for $35.00)
This gaming chair has a “rounded bottom for multi-directional tilt” and ports to plug in your gaming system and/or iPod / mp3 player / CD player. It’s kinda like sitting on an exercise ball – work on your balance and your abs while you game!

4. If you have a female gamer on your gift list, head over to Jinx for a large selection of gaming-themed T-shirts. There’s also a great selection of T’s for men, as well as keychains, stickers, hats, and even, um, panties.

5. Etsy also has a number of gamer-themed gifts. Check out some of these stocking-stuffers:

• For the old-timer, Space Invaders Fridge Magnets ($9.99)
• Playstation 3 Controller Tree Ornament ($25.00)
• Xbox 360 Necklace ($15.00)

Of course, you can always just get a game for your gamer. And we’ve got two to give away! Two lucky commenters will win Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals for Nintendo DS. Just leave a comment below. If you want 2 extra entries, subscribe to our RSS feed – and be sure to let us know in your comment that you subscribed!

This contest is now closed.

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

1. Middle School is Worse Through Meatloaf: A Story Told Through Stuff ($10.18)

2. Cool Stuff Exploded ($16.49)

3. In Your Face 3D: The Best 3-D Book Ever ($13.57)

4. Paper Fashions Fancy ($14.93)
For the aspiring Project Runway champ, your budding fashion designer can use the stencils included with the book to design their winter collection–then bring their art to life with the decorated paper, beads, and sequins. There are even tiny little hangers for preserving each masterpiece. (Not included: Tiny little Next Top Model.)

5. Monsterology: The Complete Book of Monstrous Beasts ($13.59)
Following in the footsteps of previous “ologies” (Pirateology, Dragonology), Monsterology takes readers deep into the fantasy world of griffons, sea serpents, unicorns, and more. Written as a journal of the fictional Dr. Ernest Drake, the book is filled with sketches, maps, observations, and the ology-trademark secret treasure-filled flaps. Readers will find gems, “unicorn mane,” and even textured patches of “monster skin.”

Check out our complete list of Gift Lists here.

1. My Big Pink Book of Everything ($9.99)

I gave this to my 3-year-old niece yesterday, and she exclaimed, upon opening it, “This is just what I’ve been wanting!” I’m pretty sure she’d never even seen the book, but the sentiment was there: she loved it.

2. Stuff on My Cats Presents: Cats A to Z ($6.99)
Pretty self-explanatory. Cats paired with a different item, one for each letter of the alphabet. Because cats really, really love having their pictures taken, especially if you dress them in a sweater first.

3. Goodnight, Gorilla Gift Box ($16.65)
As a clueless zookeeper puts his charges to bed for the night, his primate pal lets them all loose. A hilarious tale with a little plush gorilla for cuddling.

4. Once I Ate a Pie ($12.99)
Beautifully illustrated book of poems told by the point of view of dogs: the chihuahua who can’t understand why everything he owns is so small (when he, of course, is huge), the rescued dog snug in his bed with his owners, and yes, the pug who will eat anything, including pie. All the fun of having a puppy. None of the doo-doo.

5. Jobs People Do ($15.63)
Follow along with Tessa the Teacher, Fred the Firefighter, Vicky the Vet, Daisy the Doctor, Frank the Farmer, and Sam the Chef as they go about their daily work. The stories are fun and engaging and the clay fimo figures are just really cool.

Check out our complete list of Gift Lists here.

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.