Top Pick Christmas Gifts for 2009

All American Mommy has had the pleasure of reviewing the products listed below. These companies and products have been awarded the All American Mommy award and are rated top pick gifts for this Christmas. Check them out!

The Bucklette is a hands-free fashion accessory, made for women who don't always want to carry a handbag but need the essentials - perfect for a night on the town, a kids' play date or a day of shopping. There are two versions: a belt buckle that comes with a belt and a compact clip-on. Both versions are designed to hold a lipstick, key, credit card and ID. The Bucklette is sharply designed, made in the USA, crafted from recyclable, lead-free metal and comes packaged in a reusable jewelry bag. I love the Bucklette because it's functional fashion! The Bucklette is available for purchase at select retailers and online at www.bucklette.com.





Honestech offers several products for unlocking your memories that are stored on older formats. The products are easy to use and include everything you need plus technical support and instructions so anyone can do it! You'll also learn how to make your own movies or mix your favorite music.
VHS to DVD Deluxe 4.0 converts VHS/BETA/Other analog video to DVD through your PC. The new 4.0 version supports 1080p HDTV, Blu-ray DVD burning and High Resolution video editing.
Audio Recorder Deluxe 2.0 converts LPs, Cassettes, etc. to MP-3 and Audio CD, also converts audio formats.
The New FOTOBOX is a USB device solution which supports the creation of multimedia slideshows from photos, videos, music, and narration. FOTOBOX features a USB 2.0 interface, with an integrated memory card reader, and imbedded PC software within FLASH memory which automatically runs on a PC without software installation. Pictures taken by Digital Cameras with a memory cards can be easily loaded to create slideshows by inserting memory card into the card reader slot. FOTOBOX retails for $79.99.
For more information on Honetech products please visit www.honestech.com!







WHIMSY interchangeable bead rings offer a whole wardrobe of choices in one ring. Graceful detailing showcase striking, collectible Murano glass beads. All rings are compatible with Pandora, Chamilia, and Trollbeads. The WHIMSY collection is expertly created using only reclaimed sterling silver and 14-karat gold with gem-quality diamond accents. Crafted with uncompromising attention to detail, each ring is hand-finished and each diamond is hand-set. For over 30 years, celebrated artist R. Craig Whitten has developed one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces for discriminating clients. From coast to coast, his museum quality pieces are designed to showcase each clients individuality. Please visit www.WhimsyWorldwide.com for more information.

ROSA LOVES sells shirts with awesome designs and best of all, it’s a gift that gives back! ROSA LOVES is a not-for-profit t-shirt company based out of St. Augustine, Florida, that designs t-shirts to help individuals in need. Every t-shirt is sold to meet a specific financial goal to which ROSA LOVES uses to fulfill a particular person's need. These needs, whether it's a walker for Glenda, a boat for a Indonesian fisherman, or bikes for local folks who do not have means to their own transportation, each are met with profits from t-shirt sales. Every t-shirt has a story of whomever its benefiting, which is printed on the inverse of the t-shirt as well as a creative, artistic design on the front. Once each of the goals are met, those particular designs are retired, making them a limited edition. This process repeats itself and we're continually creating new t-shirts. You can find out more information at www.rosaloves.com. T-shirts are priced from $18-25.

Every kitchen needs this! Slow Cooker Mate® is the ONLY 3 chamber slow cooker that cooks an entrée and 2 separate side dishes at the same time. Slow Cooker Mate® helps the everyday Mom or Dad put a real meal on the dinner table while allowing them to spend as much time with
the family as possible. Imagine coming home to a meal that is chicken with a mushroom sauce, buttered green beans and 3 cheese potato casserole. Yum! The patent pending insert featured in Slow Cooker Mate™ makes this quality stainless steel slow cooker the most versatile slow cooker on the market. Now, you can have a real meal prepared when you arrive home and not just a
one pot dish. Please visit www.slowcookermate.com for more information!




iHome Sound Systems design portable and home audio products for iPod, iPhone and MP3 players. iHome audio products deliver superb sound and have many choices to fit any budget. This is the perfect gift for at home entertainment! iHome Portable and Home Audio products can be purchased at the Apple Store, Best Buy, Target and other retailers, or by visiting www.ihomeaudio.com.






The Sharper Image is entering a new era as it undergoes an exciting transformation, from a popular retailer to a cutting-edge retail brand. The Sharper Image will be available at leading retailer nationwide. Sharper Image offers products for health and wellness, beauty, home, recreation, fitness, travel and more. Our favorites include the electronic wine chiller and products for home. You can find many of these great products at Bed Bath and Beyond and other retailers or at www.sharperimage.com.




In these demanding times, people are yearning for a way to put more stability, balance, and meaning into life. With simple tools and easy steps, Comfort Living guides you in creating physical surroundings and routines that transform the way you experience each day. Learn how little it takes to introduce positive change into day-to-day living. A pocket-sized booklet, The Comfort Living Journal, a working companion to the book is also available. I think the book and journal make a great gift for a group of friends to do together! Comfort Living is written by Christine Eisner. Christine Eisner, a designer, consultant and writer has shared her creative vision with thousands of people including corporate professionals, interior designers, real estate agents, homemakers, empty-nesters, design students and teens. Eisner's expertise grows out of three decades in New York, London and Atlanta in lifestyle marketing, communications and design for Polo/Ralph Lauren, Sotheby's International Realty, and in private consultation through her firm, Lifestyle Design. Please visit lifestyledesign.org for more information!

Learning Resources Count and Seek Pet House Game Giveaway

Count & Seek Pet House™ Game

These pets are counting on you for care. Count, add and subtract your way around the house, gathering items your pet needs. The fastest owner wins. Activity Guide offers 4 levels of challenge. Includes 4 pet pawns, 3 math dice, 20 matching cards and 4 house cards. For 2-4 players (Parents, too.). Board measures 19"L. Ages 4 and above. Please visit www.learningresources.com for more information.

Features:

• Count, add and subtract your way around the house, gathering items your pet needs
• Includes 4 pet pawns, 3 math dice, 20 matching cards and 4 house cards
• For 2-4 players
• Use with wet-erase markers

Giveaway: Post a comment telling me who you'd like to win this for. Please be sure to leave your email address. Ends December 15, 2009.

Learning Resources Number Knockout Electronic Game

Number Knockout™ Electronic Math Game by Learning Resources

Haley has really been enjoying Number Knockout! It's a game that makes math fun and it's great to take along for long car rides! Check it out at www.learningresources.com.

Slug your way to the heavyweight math title in the Number Knockout Electronic Math Game! An electronic dice roll gives you a target number, and kids (or parents!) race to add or subtract the light-up numbers 1-9 at their station. Once you’ve used all your numbers, you’ve scored a knockout! You can also train for matches in solo mode. The announcer’s voice, starting bell and roaring crowd send fighters into the ring ready to rumble. Features volume control and automatic shut-off. Includes Activity Guide. Ages 7 and up. SRP $42.99.

Top Pick Books from Viva Editions

Viva Editions publishes gift and inspiration books. They offer several titles that are perfect for anyone on your list this year. Below are some examples of books that are offered. Viva Editions are books that inform, enlighten, and entertain.





The Frugal Foodie Cookbook {Waste-Not Recipes for the Wise Cook} is written by Lynette Rohrer Shirk and Lara Starr. Together, they have cooked up a recipe-filled guide to eating better than ever for less. While the budget crunch means that we all have to cut back on expenses, it doesn't mean foregoing gourmet food and a balanced diet. You will learn how to creatively and cleverly use ingredients and leftovers to produce wonderful meals for any occasion. Whether you want to make a nutritious family meal for less, or produce fab food to entertain friends without breaking the bank, you'll find what you need to know in this book. With hundreds of delicious recipes and expert advice to help you save both your wallet and sanity, The Frugal Foodie Cookbook will help you and your family live well - and eating even better! $15.95. Click here to purchase this any other great titles!




Living Life as a Thank You The Transformative Power of Daily Gratitude is written by Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons. This book is a guide to cultivating gratitude everyday, told through stories of people who have been transformed by the power or thankfulness in their lives. It includes gratitude practices, a gratitude toolkit, and inspirational blessings and quotes to motivate readers into action. What is given is a gift, even the most difficult experiences and circumstances - which can be wake-up calls. Living as if each day is a thank you can help transform our fears into courage, our anger into forgiveness, and our isolation into belonging. Saying thank you every day will create feelings of love, compassion, and hope. Giving thanks makes us happier and more resilient, strengthens our relationships and reduces our stress. When we give thanks, we feel more connected to the flow of life, and less alone in our struggles and fears. $15.95 available at www.vivaeditions.com.





Random Obsessions Trivia You Can't Live Without is written by Nick Belardes, Foreward by Brad Listi. Did you know Thomas Jefferson's grandson was an ax murder? Would you delight in knowing that some dinosaurs were teeny tiny as hens? Wonder what it's like to live in Hell Town at the End of the World? How about an ailment so surreal it's names after Alice in Wonderland? Historian Nick Belardes has dug into the raw source material found in historical archives, scientific studies, and libraries the world over. He has devoted his life to poking around the peculiar and perplexing. Truly trivia you can't live without, Random Obsessions is filled with facts, lists, definitions, and astonishing information guaranteed to provide you with the best cocktail conversation for many years to come. Explore the unknown stories behind why the nation's capital didn't stay in Philadelphia and why some fossils are smiling. These real-world facts are outlandish enough to sharpen your brain and occupy your mind for hour of reading. This book is so fascinating and fun, you become obsessed too! $16.95 available for purchase at www.vivaeditions.com.

Energizer Giveaway

All American Mommy had the opportunity to review the new Energizer Rechargeable AA Batteries and Compact Charger. PLUS, we have a charger and battery package to giveaway to a lucky winner! Every household should have the charger and rechargeable batteries, especially for all the kids Christmas toys that require batteries! The Energizer Rechargeable batteries are both economical and environmentally responsible.

Answering the call for an improved battery from value-conscious consumers, Energizer introduces its new and improved Energizer Rechargeable AA battery. As a result of advances in rechargeable technology, Energizer has increased the capabilities of its widely-used AA rechargeable battery. Consumers will see the benefits in increased charge cycles and longer charge retention while holding capacity at a high rate – all without an increase in price.

The improved Rechargeable AA now can be charged up to 500 times, up to 150 more charging cycles than previous Energizer® 2450mAh Rechargeable AA. The new battery will continue to last up to four times longer than Energizer® Max® batteries in digital cameras, but now holds more charge at 6 months than previous Energizer Rechargeable AA. These improvements make the new Energizer Rechargeable AA battery ideal for high drain devices like digital cameras and also a good solution for use in low drain devices, such as remotes and flashlights.

Energizer® 15-Minute Charger

• Quick and Easy to Use
• Charges one to four AA or AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries simultaneously
• in 15 minutes
• Uses energy from a power outlet in your car or AC wall outlet
• ENERGY STAR®-certified
• Compact, lightweight design
• MSRP: $32.99

Energizer® Family Charger

• Family-Friendly
• Can charge up to 8 batteries at once
• Charges all battery sizes (AA/AAA/C/D/9V)
• Easy-to-read LED charge status indicator
• ENERGY STAR®-certified
• Super safe – will only begin charging when the lid is closed
• MSRP: $29.99

Keeping its MSRP of $11.99 for a four-pack, the Rechargeable AA is now available at Target and at other major retailers nationwide. Click here for more information!

Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive the Compact Charger and 4 pack Energizer AA Batteries! Post a comment telling me what you like best about Energizer Rechargeable Batteries. Please be sure to leave your email address. This contest is open to US and Canada residents. Ends 12/30/2009.