GIFT HERO is on Facebook. We created a page to share GIFT HERO news with our customers and friends. We will be posting about new products, great gifts and special offers for our “fans.” We will update you on our charity programs and will share information on giveaways we do with some of our blogging friends.

If you are on Facebook, please become a fan of GIFT HERO today!

I just had to share one of my favorite stores. Owned by Phoebe Cates (yes, that Phoebe Cates) and located at 1283 Madison Avenue in NYC (91st street), Blue Tree is a gem of a shop. Phoebe and her team have incredible taste and they have collected a fabulous selection of clothing and gifts for women, men, kids and home.

I especially adore the selection of jewelry. From vintage gold items to unique silver, beaded and other special necklaces, to hard to find charms and more, I could spend hours browsing the selection. It has become one of my sources for unique teacher gifts. Last year, I bought a necklace with a pendant of the old Rainbow Room Restaurant logo for one of Benjamin’s teachers (the class was called the Rainbow Room). This year, I found jewelry for all of his teachers – each item feels like it was custom made for her.

If you are ever on the Upper East Side, you should stop in. Phoebe will probably be there. If not, her wonderful staff will treat you like their best friend and help you find that perfect gift for anyone on your list (or for yourself). They are also online at bluetreenyc.com.

I’m in need of comfort food today. The cold misty weather is bringing me down. Plus, my son has less than a week left of nursery school and I’m sad that this wonderful, warm, nurturing part of his education is ending and he’s going on to kindergarten in the fall.

What better comfort food than milk and cookies? Reminds me of after school snack – and family time. Sitting around the table with my mom or dad, talking about my day at school. Funny, I don’t give milk and cookies to Benjamin as an after school snack very often…probably because I don’t think it’s “healthy” enough!

The Milk & Cookies Game from Peaceable Kingdom Press is a calorie-free gift! It is an award-winning, simple game for boys and girls ages 4 and up. Kids set up the board, spin the spinner, move their cookie jar marker and collect cookie tiles. Whoever has the most cookies at the end wins. There are two ways to play – basic game or challenge game. Kids can play it alone or it is a fun game for family game night.

I think in my house, we will have real milk and cookies this afternoon (mini black & whites are our favorite). I want to hear all about Benjamin’s day and make this final week of school last as long as possible!

I posted a few weeks ago about puzzles as gifts for 3 and 4 year olds. At GIFT HERO we believe that age-appropriate puzzles make wonderful gifts for all children. Puzzles build physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills. Teachers frequently recommend puzzles as great educational toys – have you ever been in an early childhood classroom that didn’t have puzzles?. Lisa and I both like to give puzzles and appreciate when our kids get puzzles. It’s just the right combination of play and learn…and is good for independent play or for group (especially family) activity. Plus, puzzles tend to be a very affordable gift – at GIFT HERO, our puzzles range from $10 – $17.

Mudpuppy makes fabulous puzzles for 5 and up. Their 63-piece puzzles come in colorful canisters with a rope handles – a terrific looking presentation. They measure 18″ x 14″ when assembled. 5 year old girls will love to put together the Let’s Go Shopping Puzzle which depicts two girls shopping for clothes and accessories. It is adorably illustrated by Kelly Tunstall. If the girl on your list isn’t a shopper, we also offer the Princess Garden Puzzle and the USA States Puzzle (USA States is also fun for 5 year old boys…as is the Pirates Cove Puzzle).

It’s officially summer. I am wearing white jeans and using my new white purse. I’m also figuring out our schedule for the long weekend. We will be at our weekend house in Amagansett, NY which is my paradise. Once we brave the traffic on the LIE and Montauk Highway, we get on Town Lane and my whole body just decompresses.

In addition to gardening and running around outside, we will go to the beach, ride our bikes, barbeque, maybe play some tennis and relax. The pool is open and we will definitely go swimming (at least Benjamin and James will…even with the heat on, it’s probably still too cold for me). I took this underwater photo last August when the pool was almost 90 degrees which is my kind of temperature. I used the Aquapac Camera Case and just put my small digital camera inside – very cool.

I think the boys may go “camping” in the backyard, sleep in their tent and look for constellations. I will be inside soaking in my tub, reading magazines and watching some chick-tv.

Wishing you and yours a fun holiday weekend and a wonderful summer…

This weekend I am going to plant flowers in my backyard. I will probably put them around 2 trees to add some color — maybe impatiens and begonias or something else that is sturdy and will spread (feel free to post any suggestions in comments).

Benjamin loves to help me garden. He brings out his tools and we get digging…the dirtier we get the more fun it is (for him at least). Gardening is a great activity to do with kids. There is something very satisfying about turning dirt, water, and seeds or seedlings into something alive and beautiful.

The Kid’s Garden Tote with Tools from ToySmith makes a wonderful gift for any child. The canvas tote has front and side pockets and comes with a hand rake, shovel and spade, plus plenty of room inside for lots of other stuff. Even if the child doesn’t have a backyard or access to outdoor space, all they need is a planter or pot, some dirt and seeds and, of course, the “right tools” to grow flowers, herbs, or even some vegetables.

One year we planted little hot red peppers in our apartment. They grew like crazy and added a little spice to our cooking all summer long.

Just in time for the holiday weekend, we got in this incredible OgoSport Copter Dart Set. It comes with a portable case and is perfect for the beach or backyard – even indoors! This is a great game the whole family can play, and makes a great hostess gift when you are visiting another family.

OgoSport is a pretty new company located in our own backyard here in Brooklyn, NY. They make really unique toys that can be used for indoor or outdoor play. I first encountered the copter darts at a birthday party Maya attended earlier this year. The kids were having a blast! We will be selling more OgoSport products, so check back on GIFT HERO soon!

Finally, a gorgeous day in New York. I am so excited for the long weekend and the official start of summertime. Memorial Day weekend automatically puts my family in summer mode and we can’t wait to get outside and run around and play.

I know the first toy Benjamin will pull out to play with in the backyard this weekend is his stomp rocket. This is his go-to outdoor toy. He loves to stomp (or jump!) on the launching base to send the foam darts up into the air. When Lisa and I were figuring out what to include in our new outdoor gifts category, the Slam Shot Rocket from ToySmith was top of my list. These rockets can fly up to 70 feet high and kids enjoy chasing them (almost) as much as launching them.

The Slam Shot Rocket is a great gift for boys and girls ages 6 and up. I promise, it will keep them entertained for hours…you may even want to buy two sets so the adults can get in on the action too.

Today I accompanied Maya’s Kindergarten class on a trip to the Museum of Natural History to see the live Butterfly Conservatory. It is a picturesque day here in NYC, and we strolled through Central Park to get there.

The children have been learning about metamorphosis – they have caterpillars in their classroom and are watching them transform into butterflies.

It was so wonderful to watch the children’s faces light up as they watched with delight the colorful butterflies. There are more than 500 live butterflies! Maya and her friend sang a song, accompanied by hand motions, they learned in class about butterflies.

Hurry if you want to check out the Butterfly Conservancy – the exhibit closes after May 25th!

Everyone loves ladybugs. They are the prettiest insect in the garden. But their beauty is more than skin deep. Gardeners and farmers love ladybugs because they eat aphids which destroy crops. Kids love ladybugs because they are colorful, gentle and easy to catch.

GIFT HERO loves the Remote Control Ladybug from KidGalaxy. The wings flap back and forth as the lady bug “flies” forward or spins around. The light-up lightining bug remote is perfect for small hands. This is fun for a picnic in the park, or your backyard. It is the ideal “first” remote control toy for ages 3 and up…and it is especially appealing to little girls for whom remote control toys aren’t often designed.

Nearly all cultures believe a ladybug is lucky. Bring some luck to a child on your list…or perhaps to her parents who will be lucky to find some quiet time while their daughter plays with her Remote Control Ladybug!