Holiday Gift Ideas -- Fun Gifts for the Whole Family from Knock Knock (Review)

I love it when company's that I have never heard of reach out to me, and see if I want to review their products.  This is what happened a couple of months ago when the folks at Knock Knock contacted me regarding my holiday gift guide.  After checking out their website, I requested a few of their items to review.  And, after receiving and trying them out, Knock Knock has become one of my favorite online stores to shop for gifts, as their offering is so diverse and fun.

As I was browsing their selection, I couldn't help but chuckle at some of their gag gifts, as I could instantly picture family and friends who I would give the items to for the holidays.  For instance, the Parenting Flashcards I received (retails for $10.00), I shared with my best friend who was expecting her first child.  Being an only child, she didnt' have any siblings to ask about raising children.  And, when I told her all her questions would be answered with this deck of cards, her eyes lit up.  "Finally," she said.  But, as she began reading the cards, she began to laugh, and then realized that these were not real parenting tips.  As we sat together going through the 50 cards, I shared some of my stories with my young girls, just to give her a glimpse at what she had in store, good and bad.  We both liked these terminology cards, which if you are a parent you will know what they mean.  Take for instance the following --

• Poo Finger
• Blowouts
• Binkies
• Diaper whispering

Did you know what they meant?  

How about these ones?

• Babymoon
• Swaddle
• Toddler harness
• Nipple Confusion

Aren't sure?  Then, you will have to pick up this deck of Parenting Flashcards from Knock Knock to brush up on your parenting lingo. Just be prepared to laugh when you read what each term means.

The item I reviewed from Knock Knock was their pad of "All Out Of" grocery checkoff notepads, which retail for only $6.50.  I don't know about you, but even after the girls were born, I never really seemed to get rid of the mommy brain.  I find myself forgetful at times, using the wrongs words when I am trying to describe, or not remembering simple words, forget to turn off the sink water after the dishes are done, or worse, leave my keys in the refrigerator when I go to put bottles away.  Do you suffer from the say thing?  Maybe it is because I haven't slept more than 4 hours straight since July 2010.  Well, from what other parents of older children tell me, this will not change, until they are off to college, and then you stay up worrying what they are doing.  So, I guess I should try and adjust and remember to check the refrigerator for my keys, the oven for shoes :-) and make sure I have this handy check off pad on the fridge where I can check off what I need to pick up at the market.  I can't tell you how many times I have gone to make a dish, only to find I am out of olive oil, aluminum foil, eggs, etc.  And, I don't have the luxury or stamina at times to get in the car and head to the market to pick these items up.  But, if I check what I am out of off, then I can simply tear the sheet from the  pad on the fridge and take to the market the next time I go.  Now, I just have to remember to check out items right when I notice we are out of them, or I will forget to go back and do it. :-)

Looking for a fun activity book that both parents and children will enjoy working on together?  Then, you will want to check out "This or That," an activity book of choices, for only $14.00.  Remember those choose your own adventure books?  Well, this activity book is just like them, but instead of choosing a direction a story takes, you choose from two things and share why you went with this option.  It is nicely put together with a spiral binding, and includes fifty fun pairs of colorful, quirky illustrations, along with over 100 stickers.  This activity book makes you think about things and list out explanations for your choices.  Here are just a few examples:

• Rate it!  Cupcakes or Cookies? -- Which is your favorite?  Based on a 5 star scale where 5 is the best and 1 is the least, rate how you feel about each. You place the stickers on the star outlines to choose your favorite.
• Mind Reading or Flying?  Would you like to be able to read someone mind, and if so, list five people you would most like to read?  Or, would you like to fly, and if so, where would you go if you had wings?

Aren't these fun, thought provoking questions?  Children and adults will love thinking about their responses to these "This or That" questions.  This book would also make for a great ice breaker game, game to play with the family and learn about how each member of the family thinks, and for game nights.  I enjoyed completing these "This or That' questions with my husband and learning things I never knew about.  Take for instance, he chose that he would rather tame a lion than swing on a trapeze.  I thought he would have choose the trapeze one as he likes roller coasters and crazy rides.  And, there was one "This or That" which made you choose either a circle or square, and then you had a to write a poem about your choice using the letters of the word (i.e. S, Q, U, A, R, E).  Now, my husband is not one for poetry, but he came up with a pretty good poem.  I can see picking this book up for that person who has everything, as well as for people going through cancer treatment.  I remember when I went through treatment, I was given puzzle and mind games to keep my mind sharp with the chemo treatment.  But, I know I would have had fun choosing "This or That." :-)

And, the final product from Knock Knock that I was sent for review was their popular bird-o, the bird stuffed toy, which retails for only $25.00.  This unique toy comes with zippers, so you can take apart segments of the body and add other clump-o-lumps to them.  

You can make them tall, short, whatever your heart's connect.  

 

But, however you stack them, they are so soft and huggable, you will not want to put it down.  I will definitely have to pick up a few more Clump-o-Lumps to try adding to our bird.  But, in the meantime, Arabella enjoys snuggling with her Bird-o the Bird Clump-o-Lump, while Savannah practicing her zippering skills. :-)

So, as you can see, Knock Knock offers a wide array of products that will not only entertain, but engage people of all ages.  And, with the holidays only a couple of weeks away, you should check out their product offerings.  You will be surprised at all the cool items they offer. Just be warned, that you will find yourself getting lost in their offering, and wonder where the time went. :-) But, when you are done, you should have been able to find a gift for every person on your holiday, including yourself.  Now, how is that for one-stop-shopping?  What are you waiting for? Head on over to Knock Knock today -- http://www.knockknockstuff.com/ -- and learn about a store that will become a favorite, as it has become one of mine.  :-)

Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.