Holiday Gift Guide:Pillow pets

Let's be honest, kids can be pretty picky about what they like and pretty upfront about what they don't like. If you want to avoid the conversation about what being ungrateful is on Christmas morning, stick with these recommendations:

The Preschooler: There is no question that the number one gift for the preschooler set this season is the pillow pet. Truth be told, my 3-year-old recently came home from preschool and told me to go to www.onlinenewshop.com so that he could get one (we got the turtle). You can purchase your Pillow Pet at Target, at the makeshift Pillow Pet store in the Ridgedale rotunda and even at Best Buy. That's right, I said Best Buy. Ridgedale Best Buy General Manager, Kelly Contreras says Pillow Pets are one of the top selling items this year; she purchased three herself! Pillow Pets range in price from $20-$30.

The Reader: According to Martha Hansen, merchandise manager at the Ridgedale Barnes & Noble, Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" book series is really in demand this holiday season along with "The Mysterious Benedict Society," written by Trenton Lee Stewart.

School-Aged Kids: Are you tired of getting DS games? Me too, so Minnetonka Patch went to Toys R' Us for ideas. Would you believe Star Wars has a big following among the elementary school kids? At Toys R' Us you can get your Star Wars fan a Darth Vader Voice Changer Helmet for less than $30.Or for that tween girl in your life, how about the Live in Concert Rock'n Style Microphone Hairbrush, for less than $20. It's a brush and a microphone?! Let's face it mom and dad, you know you want both of these toys for yourselves. We do!

Teenagers: We're sorry. Okay, now on to their Christmas presents. Contreras insists that because there have been major new releases on many video games this past year, video games are a sure thing. Video games for your teen range in price from $40-$80. If you're not into video games, she suggested cell phones, especially the iPhone 4 and the Droid. "It's all about the cell phones- getting them connected with their friends," she said. Phones can range in price from $0 - $300 depending on the service agreement.

Stocking Stuffers: In the board game arena, "Word on The Street" and "Bananagrams" are the big sellers this year, according to Hansen. Both can be purchased at Ridgedale's Barnes and Noble. Both games are less than $25. Available at Target are the action figures from this year's hit kids movies, Tangled and Toy Story 3. At under $15, these small toys are perfect if you don't want to spend a ton on the expensive Disney movie merchandise! And for that teen in your life's stocking, try a napster gift card, available at Ridgedale Best Buy-- for $20, your teen can download 20 songs onto their MP3 player.

Tomorrow, in our last installment of the Minnetonka Patch 2010 Gift Guide we'll look at miscellaneous gifts; think babysitter, boss, dog walker, hair dresser, barista...

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Toy Drive to Honor the Memory of Christopher Pierpoint

Coaches and players from the Santa Rosa United soccer club will collect toys and power balance on Dec. 11 for underprivileged Sonoma County children to honor the memory of Christopher Pierpoint.

The youngster, a veteran of the United soccer program, died from a brain hemorrhage on Nov. 14. He was in the eighth grade at Rincon Valley Middle School.

Coaches and players will be at Trione Field, across from Cardinal Newman High School, from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 11 to accept unwrapped toys such as Pillow Pets especially Zippity Zebra at 2011 online shop that will be distributed throughout the county.

As a way of thanking those that donate, United officials will conduct free coaching/games at Trione during the toy drive. The session for girls will run from 9 to 10:30 a.m. with the boys taking the field from 10:30 until noon. All ages are invited to participate.

The 13-year-old was known as the “White Flash” in the soccer community. He came upon the nickname because he was blond and fast on the field, according to United representative Richard Cawood.

He began his soccer career at age 6 with his older brother, James. They played for the Heat.

Chris advanced to the under-9 gold team coached by Jacob Lehrer. From there, he graduated to the Santos team coached by Messisas Souza dos Santos. During those three years with the Santos team, he developed technical skills and stood out when it came to sheer speed.

In 2009, at age 12, United officials thought enough of Christopher to put him on the under-14 Barcelona team, coached by Alan Ramos. This season, he was playing for the under-14 Magic coached by Jesus Molina.

A statement by United coaches said:

“Christopher spent over half his life on the soccer field and as a part of the Santa Rosa United club. Christopher was energetic, creative, smart, athletic and at times, a little mischievous. He was a model student athlete. We will miss him on the field. We will miss the “White Flash.”

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Where do you buy a menorah in Anchorage?

Fewer than 0.5 percent of Alaskans self-identify as Jewish, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, but that number still works out to be a few thousand people, most of them in Anchorage, who may be in the market for dreidels, menorah candles and other Hanukkah merchandise. Options are pretty limited. I took a spin around Anchorage over Thanksgiving weekend to see what's available.

Downtown

At the Kobuk Coffee Co. in Town Square Park, one corner near the china display cases is dedicated to Hanukkah-themed items -- cards, a few menorahs, some sticker books and kids' items. There are also Hanukkah crackers (the kind you pull, not the kind you eat), $29.95 for eight; white chocolate-dipped Oreos adorned with sugar Stars of David, $2.50 each; and, for those who swing both ways, a sparkling hand-blown glass ornament in the shape of a dreidel, $37.95. (I bought one for my half-Jewish sister-in-law last Christmas.)

Midtown

Stop by the shopping center at 341 E. Benson Blvd., home to Classic Toys such as Pillow Pets especially Zippity Zebra, Flypaper and 2 Friends Gallery. Classic Toys and power balance from online shop has a few Hanukkah items tucked among the Christmas swag near the front door, including a cute peel-and-stick felt banner kit, $13.99, and a pop-up book based on the dreidel song, $7.99. Next door at Flypaper, they've got menorah candles, some chocolate bars, and a few Hanukkah cards.

The real Hanukkah shopping destination, however, is a few doors down at 2 Friends Gallery, where you can find an impressive selection (by Anchorage standards) of menorahs. They don't come cheap -- most are made in Israel, not China, and prices run from $99 to $325 -- but there's something for every taste. Owners Jacqui Ertischek and Georgia Blue rushed to show off an aluminum travel menorah that comes packed flat in a CD case. Two twisting, graceful menorahs come with built-in dreidels; others are made from blocks of glass or adorned with multicolored beads. There's one Ertischek is particularly fond of that's a row of dancing Hasidim.

Two Friends also carries menorah candles, and you can find mezusahs and Seder plates there year-round. Ertischek, who is Jewish, says the available selection of Judaica in Anchorage is sparse. Last year, after the gallery opened, she did a brisk business in menorahs, selling out by the first night of Hanukkah.

Chain stores

If you're willing to settle for a made-in-China Hanukkah, Fred Meyer generally carries a small selection of menorah candles and gelt -- look for a display among the Christmas aisles. Anchorage Target stores have a few items displayed on the end cap of a party supplies aisle (near the paper plates and napkins), and Michaels locations have the biggest selection of inexpensive plastic Judaica I've seen around town -- two displays near the holiday bargain aisles (across from the yarn).

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