PHOTO ESSAY

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2009

Text by Sarah Rufca

December 01, 2009 at 12:00 AM

The holidays are here again, and CultureMap has got just the thing for every giftee on your list. We've scoured local stores and online sources for things that are interesting, fun and unique: sometimes frivolous, sometimes functional, from stocking stuffers to splurges. Check all our lists (twice!) to see what goodies abound to give... and receive.

Coach's new Poppy line is all about patent, logos, sequins, even feathers—in a word, pure fun. No wonder the Manhattan princesses on Gossip Girl have been spotted carrying them. $198-$368, at Coach. Whether you've mastered your fake guitar skills or you're just tired of playing Metallica songs, it's time to give your inner DJ (and the turntables) a spin. $120, at Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, Barnes & Noble. Build this fully-functional robotic arm and your kids will be as powerful as Darth Vader (probably better not to tell them they're learning science, too). Star Wars Darth Vader Robotic Arm, $30, at Toys 'R' Us, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, amazon.com. A classic returns—your kids will wonder how you got so good. Super Mario Bros. for Wii, $50, at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Toys 'R' Us, Gamestop. Give your little sprout a flowering head band. Pea's Bows & Accessories, $16 to $32, at Mint Baby (bears sold separately). Of all the PHST—that's Paris Hilton-started trends—Lisa Freede's understated huggie earrings in myriad adorable shapes are by far our favorite. $40-$70 at Material Girls, Katia, The Houstonian, K Renee Spa. The Mysterious Benedict Society series, with a quirky foursome drawn to adventures, is the perfect intellectual heir to Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling. $17, from Barnes & Noble, Borders, amazon.com. Catherine Michiels silk bracelets and pendant charms are a little bit hippie and a little bit glam. Each one, from Le Lotus, which represents enlightenment and a higher spirit, to Assam, an elephant bearing luck, wisdom and loyalty, has its own special story and significance. $90-$1,000, at Abejas, Katia. Every year it's the same old story—you buy an expensive present, the kids spend all their time playing in the cardboard box. Upgrade their hideaways with a colorful, easy to store tent from Just Ducky in Montgomery. There's a pattern for every kid personality; we love the pink-accented zebra print. $135-$155, at Just Ducky, justduckytents.com. Whether for dress up, dance, or just wearing around the house, every princess-in-training will love the custom fluffy tutus, pettiskirts and dresses from Houston's Kinderbloom. $30 to $145, at kinderbloom.com. The Legend of Zelda, one of the first and best Nintendo game series, releases Spirit Tracks, its much-anticipated 15th installment Dec. 7, just in time to make it under the tree. $35, at Toys 'R' Us, Gamestop, Costco, Walmart, Fry's Electronics, amazon.com. In honor of the 40th anniversary of children's classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar come the first-ever pop-up edition. $30, at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Borders, Barnes & Noble, amazon.com. Is it ever too early to teach kids to dress like Brooklyn yupsters? We think not. Of course, these designs are so cute, fully grown fashionistas (like French first lady Carla Bruni) are squeezing into the larger sizes. Stella McCartney collection for Gap Kids, $14-$128, at Gap Kids, Baby Gap. The author of Coraline and Stardust is back again with another intriguingly dark (but still kid-appropriate) tale. Not convinced? It just won the John Newbery Medal for Children's Literature. $18, at Barnes & Noble, Borders, amazon.com. How to introduce a teenager to the classics? Start with Wuthering Heights (if desperate, mention it's Bella and Edward's favorite read) and buy these gorgeous Penguin Classic clothbounds—trust us, tortured Romantics speak to every teenage soul. $20, at Brazos Bookstore. Let teens tag like Banksy using a glowing temporary UV spray light, without those pesky criminal mischief charges. Glow Graffiti, $50, at thinkgeek.com. Teens don't have to be social outsiders with a love of show choir to be nuts about this musical comedy. Prepare to hear each tune sung into a hairbrush by your resident star-in-training. $12 each, at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, amazon.com. Whether you prefer Triceratops, Diplodocus or T-Rex, these lamps are the ultimate guard against the bogeyman, and the kids get to build it themselves. D.I.Y. dinosaur lamps, $20, at thinkgeek.com. Don't tell us you won't find any excuse—especially an adorable one like these animal earbuds—to avoid hearing the Jones Brothers CD again. $13, at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, fredflare.com. Take accessories cues from the girls at Constance Billiard Academy with decorative head straps for any occasion. From left, band with studded emblem, $72; silver and gold metallic strap, $75; bronze bow, $72; at Abejas. These rocking chairs are sure to become your child's best friends. Beautifully handcrafted and hand-decorated wooden pieces with varying sound effects, arm toys, and more! $140-$200, at Bliss on 19th. Forget the overpriced status dolls—these handmade wonders are funky, fab and totally unique. $18-$29, at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Move over, Barbie. Girls these days want the Hannah Montana Malibu Beach House. $268, at the Disney Store, Target, Toys 'R' Us, amazon.com. How now, bouncy cow. Buckaroos as young as 3 and up to 220 lbs. can take a bounce-filled ride on Howdy. $35, at amazon.com. Whether the game is space invaders from Mars or laser tag, the Zero Blaster is the futuristic weapon of choice. Safe and non-toxic, it's a ray gun that shoots smoke rings up to 14 feet. $20, at amazon.com, thinkgeek.com. Help her channel her inner Miley, Avril or Siouxsie Sioux with Hello Kitty guitars in kid and adult sizes that prove you can be a girlie girl and still rock out. Squier Hello Kitty mini strat, $150-$220, at musiciansfriend.com, amazon.com. Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster, $200-$350, at Guitar Center (in stores by special order or at guitarcenter.com), musiciansfriend.com, amazon.com. Charles and Ray Eames, masters of the mid-century modern aesthetic, designed this sleek yet cuddly elephant in 1945. It's finally been mass produced in five colors in kid-friendly plastic. Eames Elephant, $290, Sunset Settings, Design Within Reach, eamesgallery.com