I love to write this post every year. Out of the nearly 1000 (!!) products I've posted about in 2011, here are my absolute favorites. I hope you love them, too. And check out past yearly favorites from 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007. Many of these products are still available.
1. Favorite New Store: C. Wonder. I am still smiling from my visit to this new Soho shop last week; it is chock full of every gift and accessory that I love.
2. Favorite Baby Gift: Uncommon Goods Birth Announcement Pillow. The sentimental birth announcement pillow gets an update for the 2010's.
3. Favorite Toy (mom's opinion): Perler Beads. How did I not know about these before?
4. Favorite Kids' Toy (kids' opinion): Happy Nappers. Thanks to my sister, my kids both have favorite new bedtime buddies.
5. Favorite Letterpress Stationery: Pink Orchid Press. Thick cardstock + fun designs + pretty colors= one of my favorites.
6. Favorite Site for Kids' Clothing: Lil Swanky. I've bought my kids a bunch of great clothing--including Appaman and Ouch!--from this NYC mom-owned online boutique. Everything arrives beautifully wrapped, too.
7. Favorite Kids' Book: If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond (Peter Pauper Press). This one's a tearjerker. Have some Kleenex ready.
8. Favorite Personalized/Custom Gift: Silkscreened House Portrait Pillow by Not Without Merit. I gave this to my parents for their 45th wedding anniversary and it was a hit.
9. Favorite Photo Gift: Erin Condren Photo Gift Labels. These made our holiday gifts look fantastic this year.
10. Favorite Party Favor: Upcycled Crayon Party Favors by Etsy shop Zee Bree. Bye bye, cheap plastic toys. These crayons--made from discarded crayon fragments--will actually be used and enjoyed post-celebration. And they're affordable, too.
11. Favorite Stationery Newcomer: Double Bravo Designs. A newcomer at the National Stationery Show, Double Bravo Designs combines two of my favorite things--letterpress stationery & baby keepsakes.
12. Favorite Trend: The British Invasion Continues. Inspired by William & Kate, all things Anglophile make us happy.
13. Favorite NYC-themed gift: MTA Articulated Bus. My son's beloved NYC "fun bus" makes it to toy stores.
14. Favorite Gift for Mom: Red Envelope Jewelry Tree. Finally, my jewelry is untangled.
15. Favorite Personal Post: Little Swimmer. When your child has special needs, hitting a milestone is the Best. Feeling. Ever.
16. Favorite Trade Show: New York International Gift Fair. I was honored to be selected as a Judge of the 2011 Baby & Child division, and I'm happy to report I've been asked back as a Judge for this January as well. Stay tuned for my 2012 picks.
17. Favorite Post I Wrote Elsewhere: "Don't Sweat the Wedding; it's the Marriage That Counts". If I ever remarry, I'll do so at City Hall; this explains why.
18. Favorite Wall Art: "Man on the Moon" Upcycled Dictionary Art Print from Stay Gold Media. It's the perfect finishing touch in my son's space-themed room.
19. Favorite Blogger Event: Mastercard's "Priceless" Event at FAO Schwarz. Even without my kids in tow, visiting FAO Schwarz off-hours was a truly magical experience.
20. Favorite Shopping Tip: Join Amazon Prime. You'll read a lot of my other money-saving tips via that link, but by far I've saved the most money (both in lower prices and free shipping) with Amazon Prime. Trust me, it'll pay for itself.
Nice post! Happy new year :)
ReplyDeleteDoing the perler beads while reading this (saw your post about them before and ordered them for Christmas!) They're really cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks- Happy New Year to you, too!
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