A trip to a live show makes a great gift for a child: The experience will be a memory they won’t soon forget, and you keep yet another toy from clogging your home. To find when Bob the Builder is coming to a city near you, check out this TicketMaster Web site.

And if Bob’s not your thing, there are many other “ticketed” events to that make great gifts, from rock concerts to Broadway shows (Telecharge.com), to ice shows to Monster Truck shows to hockey games to. . . well, you get the idea. Not only does your loved one get treated to live entertainment, but they’ll get to spend some quality time with you. And after all, isn’t that the greatest gift?

And hey, a giveaway! We have two tickets to Bob the Builder Live! Spud’s Big Mess on May 30, 2009 at 2 p.m., at the Beacon Theater in NYC. To enter, leave a comment below and tell us the best live event you’ve ever seen. Good luck!

The sweepstakes has ended. Congratulations to winner Jackie H.!

Then there’s this awesome Ultimate Pepsi Super Bowl Party Pack! And thanks to Pepsi, one lucky winner will have it in their hands in time for the Super Bowl. To enter to win, leave a comment below and tell us who you are rooting for – Pittsburgh or Arizona? (GO STEELERS! -Ed.)

The Party Pack (valued at $250) contains:

• 1 football
• 1 beverage pail
• 1 snack helmet
• 2 key chains
• 2 hats
• 2 t-shirts
• 5 Pepsi 24 pack coupons
• 5 Frito Lay coupons

This sweepstakes is now ended. The winner will be announced shortly.

Disney Sing It lets your little (or not so little. . . I have to admit I love the Disney pop music) Disney Channel fan rock out with the likes of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, the High School Musical cast, Jesse McCartney, the Cheetah Girls and even a Billy Ray Cyrus song. And no, it’s not Achey Breaky Heart.

You’ll hear the actual artists singing their tunes (unlike many karaoke games) along with movie and concert clips. You sing along while the lyrics play at the bottom of the screen, along with a scale of bars and an indicator to let you know if you’re hitting the right pitch.

Available for the Wii, Playstation, or Xbox ($59.99 bundled with microphone) at Amazon.com and most gaming and retail stores.

Want it? You can enter to win it (for Playstation 3). Right here. Because The Present Professor rules. Embrace it. And then leave a comment below telling us who your child’s (or your) favorite Disney pop star is. We’ll choose a winner at random on Saturday 12/20 at 11:59 pm ET.

Contest is now ended.

We don’t have “family game night” in our house, but we do have a regularly-scheduled “let’s fight about what game to play because our kids are 6 years apart and never want to play the same thing” night.

Here’s where the Green Eggs and Ham Speedy Diner game comes in. One person is the “chef,” calling out the orders of each dinner guest (the fox, the goat, and the mouse). The object of the game is to keep the fox from eating the goat and the goat from eating the mouse at any cost. Hey, it’s a fox eat goat eat mouse world out there, and kids need to learn early.

Wait, stop. That’s not this game at all. In the real game, players (”waiters”) have to choose the proper items based on food, color and shape, and deliver them to the guests. The web site describes it as “fast-paced, frenetically fun” and, um, yes, frenetic is the right word.

At first play, my 4-year-old dissolved into tears because her 10 year old brother got all the food items faster than her and she didn’t get a chance to deliver anything. But being the (cough, cough) master of conflict resolution that I am, we worked it out by letting my daughter be the chef. Even if your child can’t read, she can easily call out the guests and food items. The rest of us had a blast rushing around as the waiters.

One note: There is no specific “winner” in this game. It’s a team effort and the goal is to be as fast as possible. My 10-year-old was initially annoyed by that, but soon got over it because the game is just pretty dang fun.

The other “I Can Do That” Games look just as fun. Buy a game and add the corresponding Dr. Suess book and you’ve got a great gift. And to get you started, we’re giving away the Horton Hears a Who – You to the Rescue! game. Just leave a comment below to be entered to win.

And wait, wait! Want to earn 2 extra chances to win this game? Just “Ask the Present Professor” about your gift-giving challenge! That’s right–here’s your chance to test out the Professor’s skills in finding you the perfect gift for your child, parent, piano teacher, piano tuner, little man who lives inside your piano, etc. If you email the professor with a gift-giving question, then leave a comment here, we’ll give you two more chances to win this game! It’s a win/win situation. . . which totally makes up for the whole “no winning” in the Green Eggs and Ham game.

This contest is now ended.

In honor of this new feature, and in honor of it being Monday, we’re having a GIVEAWAY! The giveaway is an item that I haven’t featured on any of my lists–in fact, it’s hard to find anywhere. This week’s giveaway? Two Bakugan Starter Packs. (You can read my review of Bakugan here. You can read more and watch a video here.)

To enter, browse our new Gift Lists. Then leave a comment on this post saying which item you’d most like to give or receive this holiday season.

But wait, there’s more! I just know there are folks out there in Cyberland who need gift-giving advice. And here I am, a Professor of Giftology, a goofy title I egotistically bestowed on myself, twiddling my thumbs. So this week, if you ask the Present Professor to help you find a gift for your aunt or son or imaginary friend or secret pain or your brother, you’ll get an extra entry into our giveaway. And if I answer your question, you’ll get a third entry–so make ‘em good!

Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

OK, that sounds a little more forced than “Happy Howlidays”–a title I still intend to use on any upcoming dog-toy post. But for now, let’s talk about cats, shall we?

Specifically, let’s talk about that bizarre attraction most of them have to that most potent of herbs, catnip. Give ‘em a taste of the good stuff, and they’ll roll around the floor as they drift away to the kitty equivalent of Margaritaville.

Yeowww! catnip from DuckyWorld is the best dang catnip I’ve ever tried. . . well, the best ‘nip my cat has ever tried. When you sniff a Yeowww! toy, you can tell you’ve found the Dom Pérignon of the kitty happy plant.

And now, for some human happy: We’re giving away three Yeowww! catnip toys! Just in time for the meowlidays, er, holidays, one lucky kitty will win a catnip candy cane, Christmas tree, and Chanukah toy. Just leave a comment below. And hey–one entry each. I know all about you cats. Cheetahs, every last one of ya.

Yeowww! catnip toys from DuckyWorld; under $10. Visit DuckyWorld for store locations and Web sites.

U.S. residents only.

Hi. Shannon here, Professor of Marketing at The Present Professor. I’d like to ask for your help in getting the word out about Present Professor. And I’ll offer you a chance to win a Zune for your time.

The gift-giving season is upon us and we want the world to know about all the unique recommendations the Present Professor has to offer. So here’s the deal:

• Write a post on your blog talking about the best – or the worst – gift you ever received.
• In your post, please mention and link to The Present Professor, http://presentprofessor.com
• Come back to this post and leave a comment with a link to your post.
• Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog!

Here are the entries we received. Please check them out and vote for your favorite!

1. Gift-giving season is upon us (A Roller Coaster Ride Called Life)
2. Best Christmas EVER! (Crunchy Green Mom)
3. Link Love: New State, New Life Edition (scroll down to “miscellaneous” section) (Green Your Decor)
4. …The Present Professor (I Heart)
5. My best Christmas present (The Merry Meyers)
6. My Favorite Christmas Gift (Everyday Life on the Farm)
7. My best Christmas present ever (Not Born in the USA)
8. The Worst Present Ever… Sibling Rivalry (Elizabeth’s Blog)
9. With Christmas on the Way I want to find out the best and worst gifts (Little Kiwi)
10. The Worst Present Ever (The Dana Files)
11. Baring My Soul for a Zune (SAHM Ramblings)
12. Best Christmas Ever! (Goebelski)
13. The Cheese Wheel That Came Too Late (Young Mom in the Big World)
14. Is there Such a Thing as a Bad Xmas Gift? (The World According to Candes)

The winner will receive a Zune 80GB Digital Media Player (color: black), retail value $229.99.

Thanks so much, good luck, and Happy Holidays!

Contest open to US citizens only.
This contest has ended.

Lip balm (and lips) not included. $5 each + shipping at lavenderlizard’s Etsy shop.

Please leave a comment below for a chance to win a set of 3–one for you, one for a friend, and one to fill with applesauce, because now that we’ve planted the idea in your head, we know you can’t resist.

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.

When I’m writing with a standard ball-point pen, there’s nothing. No chemistry. No zing. Sure, it’s functional, but where’s the personality?

Enter, the Kooky Klickers. (Mine is named Myron.) He smiles. He’s got Koosh-esque hair. He’s a klicky pen. And each style is a limited-time release, making them kollectible. (Yeah, I’m really sticking with the whole “k” thing.)

When I write with Myron, we’re a team. The words flow through my brain, down my arm, into his willing body and out onto the page. Art? Prose? Grocery list? It’s hard to tell the difference.

$2.99-$4.99 for one, “Krew” packs of 6 ($19.99) also available. (Break ‘em up and use them as stokking stuffers!) Klick here for stores.

Hey, you, with the no Kooky Klicker. Wanna win a Kooky Klicker? Wanna win 6 of ‘em? Leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win Kooky Krew 29–a sextet of pens all decked out for Halloween.

Stay Kool.

Stay in Skool.