She may be too young for the subtle messages of Albert Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon, but these helium sculptures (from $160) are bound to blow her away.

Unlike regular balloons, Clementine Henrion’s ‘helium eternal’ balloons will last forever and ever. The illusion is created with shiny fabrics and kapok stuffing. The balloons are soft like a pillow and can decorate a bed or a chair, or simply hang from the ceiling.

Just imagine, a party that never ends.

Available at Kol Kid, 674 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-681-0368, www.kolkid.ca or Etsy.

One minute she’s pristine, and the next she’s covered in paint, porridge and marinara sauce.

Designed and made in Toronto, the adorable leggings, ($26) hoodies ($54) and tees ($30) at mini mioche’s first Canadian store tick every parent’s wishlist – local, organic, and as easy to wear as they are to wash.

Beyond the effortless duds are witty gift cards, natural crayons ($8) and warm bobble hats ($32) knitted by the designer’s mom.

Now, if only they designed for big girls, too.

mini mioche, 795 Queen St. W., Toronto; order online at www.minimioche.com

When you have kids, shopping for them can be over-the-top exhausting. Here are six holiday presents you can order online to make your gifting season easier.

Craft-time gets creative with kid-friendly do-it-yourself bath and body products from Kiss Naturals. Kids can create soap, bath fizzies, lip balms and solid perfume (from $14.95) using all-natural products free from dyes and synthetics. Now that’s good, clean fun!
www.kissnaturals.com

Kids in grades 4 and 5 can ski for free-ish ($20 administration fee to sign up) with the Canadian Ski Council’s Snow Pass, entitling them to up to three free ski passes at 93 ski areas (from Bromont to Tremblant!) in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
www.snowpass.ca

Pre-order the Harry Potter Signature Edition 7, scheduled for release on January 12, 2010 ($66.47). This will give you (and your little one) just enough time to re-read the entire series before the final movie is released in July. At Amazon.ca

Kids bouncing off the walls? Let them jump both indoors and out on this padded Kids' Safety Trampoline that folds flat for storage. Energy busting and good exercise, nap time is just around the corner. Now that's a gift. $99 at www.gosafetrampoline.com

For our little doll, we’re ordering a custom-made Raplapla doll, (starting at $130) created in Quebec from washable cloth. www.raplapla.com

There’s nothing that says Christmas like a bicycle under a tree. We’re ordering the Wishbone bike from Babybot.com to grow along with our little tyke. From $249, www.babybot.com

While you would love to dress your children in Parisian frocks everyday, that might cut too far into your own clothing budget.

But thankfully for us, there's Emilie. A French native who worked in lingerie in Paris, she is importing impecible pre-loved French baby clothes (think Petit Bateau and Jacadi) sourced by her mother in markets around Lyon as well as designer samples at 40 per cent off. Specializing in small sizes (i.e. before they are old enough to walk and wreck their clothes), the styles are classic, high quality, often organic, and in mint condition.

A Lili Gaufrette silk/cashmere cardi for $21? A Petit Bateau sailor striped sweater for $15? Et voila.

Beautiful bébé, and beautiful mama!

Shop the store www.apricotculotte.com

Between thank you cards, birth announcements, and the holidays, you might as well be running a small publishing business from your dining room.

And the golden rule of small business? Outsource!

The gals at Vancouver's Haute Note offer new photo cards for Christmas (we love this subtly retro Collage design) with your precious family snaps ($55/25 cards).  

Because Facebook can't be propped on the mantle. 

View styles and place orders at www.hautenote.ca

Your youngster caught you watching a KISS documentary and now all he wants to do is wear black and white makeup and bang on a drum all day. To keep the peace, trade rock for blocks.

With ShapeMaker blocks and a little imagination, he can still build a replica of Gene Simmons’ painted face (or another wild thing from the animal kingdom). Designed by award-winning Miller Goodman, a UK twosome who creates kids products for the Tate, the 25 block set is made of environmentally friendly rubberwood and hand-printed with non-toxic paint.

Block on!

$112 at Walrus, 3408 Cambie St., Vancouver, 604-874-9770, www.walrushome.com and £29.95 at www.shhhop.com

You spent months agonizing over the perfect baby name.

And with this season's collegiate trend, monograms are de riquer. From cotton blankets emblazoned with initials ($115) to monogrammed cable knit baby jumpers ($49.99 with embroidery), these customized knits will do little Liam and Ella proud.

And when you look back at the pictures 20 years from now, there's no mistaking who's who.

www.younameitbaby.com

Sure your kids have tried to convince you that candy is the fifth food group.

But in order to stave off a Hallowe'en dinner of Smarties and Twizzlers (with the attendant sugar crash two hours later) we suggest filling the kids up with these ghost-shaped stuffed pastas called sacchetti, tossed with lemon zest, olive oil, parmesan and fried capers.

Boo!

In Vancouver at Bosa Foods and Italian grocery stores nationwide.

Decorating the house for Halloween needn’t be a headache. Just put your heads together.

A couple of Crystal Heads that is. The premium vodka brand owned by Dan Aykroyd and made in Newfoundland multitasks. The super smooth spirit within spikes the punch and the skull-shaped glass bottle you’re left with displays your candy corn in a goth way.

It’s a graveyard smash.

$54.99, find retailers here.