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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Last year, when I was looking for items to feature on Present Professor, I came across an Etsy seller named Lisa who makes fabulous handmade soaps and puts spells on people where they want to keep buying the soap to the point that if someone handed them a bar of Zest or Irish Spring they [...]

Measuring cups posing as nesting dolls? It’s just like identical cousins. Wait, it’s nothing like identical cousins. In fact, I’m not really sure identical cousins is possible. No, I’m pretty sure it can’t happen. But you know what can happen? You, making tasty cupcakes, with adorable measuring cups who will hold your flour and sugar [...]

Recycled LED Motherboard Menorah, $19.99 at Perpetual Kid

Is there anything as classic as a set of hand-crafted wood building blocks? No bells, whistles, batteries, LEDs, CFLs, or PAM*s required. Just an imagination and a desire to build things. And then to knock them down and build again.
The set of 24 blocks in walnut, maplele, and cherry comes boxed and ready to give. [...]