Hearthsong has always held a special place in my heart, as it was a catalog that turned up in our mailbox periodically. Everything in that book was pure eye candy for me! Forget the Sears Wish Book, Hearthsong was the real deal.

I was feeling a little nostalgic last night and jumped on their website to see what they had for Valentine’s Day. As I expected, I wasn’t disappointed. If you are looking for something unique this Valentine’s Day, Hearthsong is definitely one of your best bets! Here are my favorite picks for everyone’s favorite lovey, dovey holiday .

How adorable is this Miniature Red Mailbox? Perfect for ‘mailing’ tiny valentines to the dolls, this little box contains 15 brightly colored envelopes, each of which holding a miniature valentine card with a full-color message of love. Moms can tuck them into lunch boxes; children love giving them to friends and for pretend-play. Another fun feature – you can use it as a bank after the holidays!

Price: $14.98

Made from a patchwork of printed cotton, felt and linen, the Daisy Deer is a fun, whimsical critter sure to brighten a child’s day!

Price: $16.98

Oh how I love this! The Fairy Heart Chime is gorgeous and makes a great decor item while serving as a sweet toy and source of comfort for your child.

Price: $9.98

As you know, we are big fans of the iPad and my girls use it on a daily basis for videos, games and as a school supplement. There is a slight problem though – we only have one. This can prove to be a problem when you are traveling in a vehicle for over 5 hours, which is why I have stopped travelling with it all together. If they can’t share, forgetaboutit.

When I saw the new iWood, I was thrilled! This neat little travel art case is designed by German design company Donkey Products. The case is designed to look like a laptop and instead of a track pad there’s a neat little rectangular slot for chalk.

Think of this as the 21st century Etch-a-Sketch. It’s sturdy enough to prop up on laps (perfect for travelling) and gives your kids a break from the screen. Sure you can’t listen to music or swipe to play, but it gives your child’s imagination a workout and at 40 Euros (approximately $53 USD) it is also considerably more affordable then the iPad.

The I-Wood is proving to be quite popular and won’t be available until late February due to high demand.

There are all sorts of fun ‘rocking animals’ for kids to play with these days, but none quite as realistic as The Rocking Sheep. While roaming through Etsy I cam across these handmade rockers from California which are made using Baltic birch plywood, reclaimed scrap wood and real sheepskin. The wood is then finished off with a low V.O.C. water-based polyurethane, making this as earth-friendly as it is charming.

The Rocking Sheep is a take on an original mid-century design by Danish Designer Povl Kjer, who is known for his incredible work at the Hans Christian Anderson Museum, Carlsberg brewery and LEGO. His fluffy black, brown, grey and pink rocking sheep are made from a varnished pine, padded with foam rubber and then upholstered in lambskin.

Max Tyrie’s version is a wholesome version of this and each and every prototype and design revision has been fastidiously test ridden by his 18-month old daughter, Rosie.

Price: $175.00 from Max Tyrie and Bright Star Designs on Etsy

There is something about saying the words cancer, and child in the same sentence that is heart-wrenching. Almost anyone would agree that imagining a child going through this is one of the greatest tragedies a family could face.

Many of you have likely heard of the Beautiful & Bald Facebook campaign started by Jane Bingham – a mother of one who is battling an incurable form of lymphoma. The campaign is targeted at Mattel, to create a Barbie doll that has no hair in order to both comfort young girls who are going through “cancer treatments, Alopecia or Trichotillomania” themselves, and for those whose mothers or other female family members are perhaps going through their own treatment.

Bingham recently received a You Tube video link from a friend sharing 11-year-old Miranda Finn singing a song titled, “Maybe I Can Change This World”. She reached out to Finn and and the song is now Beautiful & Bald Barbie’s theme song. Of the contribution Finn said, “I was so sad to hear about kids fighting cancer and going through so much, including losing their hair,” said Miranda Finn. “It makes me happy to think my song can make them smile.”

You can support the campaign via Facebook here and view Miranda Finn’s song “Maybe I Can Change This World” here.

She’s here! Let me introduce you to McKenna, American Girl’s new 2012 Girl of the Year®! McKenna is the latest doll to be welcomed into the family of well-loved American Girl dolls. She is a determined, energetic girl who loves gymnastics and shines on the balance beam, but undergoes challenges at school. When she falls behind, she must use her strengths to turn challenges into triumphs.

As always I appreciate how American Girl always uses books and literature to provide a story behind each doll, one that teaches valuable lessons about life and friendship. Through McKenna, girls will discover the power of believing in yourself and your potential to achieve great things.

McKenna is a beautiful 18-inch doll with long, caramel-colored hair and blue eyes. She arrives in a sporty striped dress with flutter sleeves, a dropped waist, and a pleated skirt. The set ($105) also includes teal leggings, purple cotton underwear, strappy slide-on shoes, and the McKenna paperback book, written by Mary Casanova. “McKenna, Ready To Fly,” is the second book in the series and can be purchased separately. Keep in mind, the Girl Of The Year is only available for one year!

In addition, American Girl will be premiering McKenna’s story in an all-new movie that will premiere on DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, later this year.

They have also launched a fun quiz for girls to explore their own special talents and upon completion, they will discover their top three strengths out of a possible eight categories: Music & Rhythm, Math & Numbers or Nature & Animals. To top it off, the girls will receive a trophy upon completion! For every trophy awarded, American Girl will donate 25¢ (up to $50,000) to Save the Children’s U.S.

For more information, to order, or to take McKenna’s Take the Challenge! strength-finding quiz, please visit americangirl.com/girloftheyear.

I just think this is the cutest! Brighton based designer Kyle Bean, has designed this adorable wooden toy style iPhone with removable apps. Each app is represented as a wooden block that can be flipped around and repositioned.

No word yet on the price, although you can contact Kyle directly by visiting his website.

Source: CielBleu

1. Perplexus

If someone were to ask me, what toy I would pick for “Toy of the Year”, the Perplexus would hands down be on the very top of that list. Available in 3 difficulty levels, this amazing maze game is composed of various challenging tracks with 100 barriers. The goal is to work with gravity to shift, flip and twist the sphere to guide the marble. It’s fun for the whole family!

Price: $24.99 (on sale through our affiliate Amazon.com for $17.00)

2. Razor BoGo

You know the infamous Razor Scooter? They’ve come out with their very own updated Pogo stick dubbed – the BoGo. Everyone’s favorite pogo stick has received a facelift with this new toy. Thanks to the patented bow-assist spring (a new innovation from Raxor) your kid will be bouncing for hours.

Price: $89.99 (on sale through our affiliate Amazon.com for $63.99)

3. Ultra Stomp Rocket

This toy was all the rage at the Chicago Toy Fair and for good reason. All your kid has to do is stomp on the launch pad and the foam tipped rocket is sent up to 200 ft in the air. It’s amazing to watch and super fun for everyone. No batteries, propellant or harmful chemicals are needed or used – just human-powered compressed air.

Price: $19.99 through Amazon.com

4. Syma S107/S107G R/C Helicopter

Just a little warning about this helicopter: If you do end up purchasing one, chances are your husband will be mighty jealous. My husband put THIS on his wish list this year. Nothing more, nothing less. All he wants is a radio-controlled helicopter.

Price: $129.99 (on sale for $27.94 from Amazon.com)

5. Beyblades

This could very well be one of the hottest toys of the season, according to the purchasing track record of parents. Read our full review on this toy here.

Price varies depending on the set. Available in most toy stores.

Beyblades are at the top of my 7 yr old son’s list this holiday season. From the first time he saw these he was hooked!

The tops themselves are very cool. They remind me of battle tops that my brothers played with when we were kids. It’s rare for toys today to call forth that nostalgia. The metal construction, precision nature and high tech launchers make me think of a time when more toys were made well. When quality mattered.

What I also like about Beyblades are the stories that go with. It’s not just a cool top. It’s the portal to another world.

I’ve watched my son get swept away by the world of fantasy before. He fell in love with his Pokemon toys and cards because of the stories and characters that went with. He’s not lacking for imagination in any way, but attaching a world, characters and stories to a toy opens up a whole new layer of play for him and his friends. Suddenly it’s not just choosing a top to spin – it’s engaging in a fantasy battle between two mighty opponents. They’re part of the drama being played out in the Beystadium. In their own living room. And I don’t think I have to say this, but I will: I’d much rather watch my son and his friend’s tops duke it out, than watch them kick the crap out of each other. Maybe that makes me a wimpy boy mom. But I’m taking baby steps. I’m fine with the battling now. As long as it’s the Beyblades doing it!

I should point out that the backstory is not needed for these toys to be fun. They are fun on their own. I’ve yet to watch any of the shows, but I too enjoy playing with them. The “rip” and “whrrr” of a speeding top are quite satisfying. I love to launch the Beyblades with the pistol launcher. There. I’ve admitted it! It’s kind of irresistible.

I’m pretty sure that my son will treasure his Beyblades collection forever. It’s something he’ll put away and pull out again over the years, and possibly show to his own kids.

For this reason Beyblades are high priority on our holiday gift list. Next up… a better case to store them in!

Price: Varies depending on the set. The Beyblades Metal Masters Triple Battle Set pictured above retails for $39.99 through our affiliate Amazon.com

*Company sent sample for review purposes.

Do your kids like to cook or play house? My girls are obsessed with any kind of make believe toy or miniature home items. As you know, I prefer wooden toys whenever possible, which is just one of the reasons why I fell head over heels in love with this beautiful all natural wooden baking set.

Complete with everything you need to “bake” homemade pies, bread and cookies, the set is a fantastic addition to your child’s play kitchen.

The set above comes with 18 pieces, a rolling pin, honey pot, honey dipper, mortar & pestle set, wooden box with scoop, 3 farm fresh eggs and 6 cookies, 3 of which have with wood burning detail (chocolate chip cookies anyone?)

All pieces arrive sealed with a homemade beeswax polish.

Price: Natural Kids & Toys on Etsy

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My nephews live far away from my small Ontario town across the country and over the border in Northern California. Birthday and holiday celebrations can be difficult when the distance gets in the way, but I have found myself a solution in the form a of a local toy store - The Wooden Horse Toys.

The Wooden Horse Toys is located in Los Gatos, California, and according to my Mother-In-Law, is the closest thing to a classic toy store as you can get. The best part for me however, is their online shop, loaded with tons of great gift ideas.

The products at this toy store stand out to me. They are different, and creative, and there truly is something for every kid out there.  My favorite parts are the Best Sellers and Staff Picskssection, which I frequent in order to see what the cool and fun toys are of the moment. This is helpful if you are clueless about certain age groups.

You can shop by age or by type of product, and the store ships to anywhere in the US. The customer service was superb (one staff member actually DELIVERED the gifts to my nephews because it was so close!) and the sheer amount of selection makes this online shop a worthwhile visit.

Visit The Wooden Horse for more details and to view their entire product line.