When I met Baby Zambi at Toy Fair (video), I was captivated by his antics and also by his message.

Zambi’s ears are decorated with a design by the children for whom he is an ambassador.  And he comes with a bracelet so your child can show support for this important cause.  Please consider inviting these children into your hearts this season.

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WANT IT: Zambi the Baby Elephant (Furreal Friends) ($45)

WIN IT: Hasbro is giving away one Baby Zambi to a Mamanista reader to spread the word about Project Zambi.

• Required Entry: Please visit Project Zambi (especially the “Talking With Kids” page) and leave us a comment on this post sharing one important thing you learned from the site.
• Additional Entries (up to three): You can receive up to three additional entries by linking to and/or sharing our Hottest Holiday Toys Guide (see rules at the bottom of the guide) and leaving separate comments on this post for each mode of entry.

Contest on Mamanista.com ends December 2, 11:59 PM EST. Open to U.S. Shipping Only.

And when I say “fell in love with” I mean that I actually play “Project Runway” with it at night when my daughter is sleeping.

It is a simple and creative toy that any future fashion designer will love.  You simply drape fabric around the mannequin and then press the excess into the rubber “style lock system” with the stylus.

Reuse old fabrics, add stickers, photograph and share your design–this is a toy that never gets old and your child will not outgrow until the kid is ready for a first sewing machine.

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WANT IT: Harumika sets start at a grab-bag, stocking-stuffer, or one night of Channukah budget-friendly $11.

WIN IT: For our 12 Days of Giveaways, Harumika is generously offering a package of their: I Heart Harumika Style Starter Set, Paris, Scene Queen Style Starter Set, France Designer Dress Form Set, Jewel Tone Style Accent Set, School Days Style Accent Set (ARV $50).

• Required Entry:Leave us a comment on this post letting us know about your child’s design inspiration.
• Additional Entries (up to three): You can receive up to three additional entries by linking to and/or sharing our Hottest Holiday Toys Guide (see rules at the bottom of the guide) and leaving separate comments on this post for each mode of entry.

Contest on Mamanista.com ends December 1, 11:59 PM EST. Open to U.S. Shipping Only.

We host frequent play dates at our house and the Step2 kitchen has been a real hit.  The children really love the cook top with lights simulating flames and realistic boiling and frying sounds. Another huge draw is the cash register.  Even the babies like to use the scanner and credit card to ring up purchases.  The plastic holster that holds the scanner has a tendency to pop off of the register but this does not hinder the kids’ play in any way.

We love the attention to detail–there is a water dispenser in the refrigerator door, a light under the vent hood, and even a reusable green shopping bag for your purchases.  The Fresh Market Kitchen comes with plenty of play food and the toddlers enjoy taking things in and out of the stove, refrigerator, and microwave.  The playgroup moms appreciate that there are plenty of places to be busy, minimizing conflict and encouraging cooperation. The kids are really drawn to this kitchen which looks just like mom and dad’s, with faux “stainless steel” appliances, columns, and colorful sticker trims.

All of the stickers are attractive but I would have preferred a see-through oven front and a toy phone over the appliques.  My husband found assembly to require a lot of patience and either some strength or a few electric tools but the enjoyment the kids get from it is well worth the effort.

The “L” shaped set-up really encourages 360 degrees of play and lots of interaction between the older kids.  With the addition of a marketplace to the traditional play kitchen format, children will be inspired to role play shopping for, cooking up, and sharing a delicious home cooked meal.  My kids like to pull a chair up to the other side of the kitchen counter and enjoy their creations with their guests.

Check out our video demonstration of the Step2 Fresh Market Kitchen (embedded below).

Kids like to mimic adult activities.  If they show an interest, why not cook with your children?  Even small kids can decorate cookies, help kneed play dough, or add ingredients for a blended smoothie.  Older kids will learn about following directions, measuring for recipes, and even about chemical reactions. Their participation in the family activities will enrich their play and their play will give them confidence in their every day efforts.

Future foodies, restaurateurs, and hosts extraordinaire are going to love the possibilities of the Fresh Market Kitchen from Step2.

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WANT IT: The Step2 Fresh Market Kitchen ($200) is available, along with other play kitchens in a range of prices, at Step2.com. Not sure which Step2 Play Kitchen is right for your family?  Try the play kitchen selector!

WIN IT: We’re kicking off our 12 Days of Giveaways with a fabulous contest, courtesy of Step2.  One Mamanista reader will win the Step2 Fresh Market Kitchen ($200 ARV).

• Required Entry:Leave us a comment on this post letting us know what your child enjoys doing in the kitchen AND sharing one Step2 toy you’d love for your child (besides the Fresh Market Kitchen).
• Additional Entries (up to three): You can receive up to three additional entries by linking to and/or sharing our Hottest Holiday Toys Guide (see rules at the bottom of the guide) and leaving separate comments on this post for each mode of entry.

Contest on Mamanista.com ends November 30, 11:59 PM EST. Open to U.S. Shipping Only.

Even More Ways to Win from Step2 and Frigidaire! I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to test out the Frigidaire Gallery Appliances this fall.  While we aren’t able to give away a new suite of kitchen appliances (wish we could!), we are excited to tell you that Frigidaire and Step2 have teamed up to offer an amazing Creative Kids in the Kitchen Giveaway from both companies.  Even if you are not in the market for new appliances or a play kitchen, there are some great tips about getting creative in the kitchen with your kids. (Please note that you must go to the Step2 Contest Site to enter the Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest)

On Wednesday, Deb announced the launch of Bloganthropy.org during an expert panel at the second annual Child’s Play Communications Bloggers Brunch.  You can read the whole press release here.

Bloganthropy.org combines the power of social media with the resources of corporate giving. Its goal is to connect companies and bloggers in order to address societal needs.

We know companies are eager to connect with bloggers. And we know bloggers are excited to get involved with genuine campaigns that allow them to use their talents and influence to make a difference.

Inspired by the energy and compassion we saw in our fellow bloggers, Bloganthropy, a non-profit organization, aims to facilitate and amplify their efforts by teaming social media users with corporate giving and PR departments.

The JAR Group, an interactive marketing agency based in Brooklyn, NY, and Child’s Play Communications, an agency specializing exclusively in publicity and marketing communications for products and services targeted to moms, are providing online marketing and public relations assistance respectively, to assist in the creation of this non-profit organization.

We will be announcing the first Bloganthropy project on www.bloganthropy.org and on @bloganthropy in time for the holidays.

We are challenging our fellow bloggers to pledge their time and skills by volunteering and sharing these efforts with their community. Bloganthropy.org is actively recruiting volunteers ready to use the power of their blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks, to give back this holiday season and throughout the year.

Baby Jaeli, has a rare genetic condition and will not tolerate formula. Her mom is breastfeeding and pumping but it is not enough. What baby Jaeli needs is time and calories and that is what donated breastmilk will give her.

But her mom’s state Medicaid will not cover the banked breastmilk and Jaeli’s mom was faced with the heartbreaking possibility that her baby might starve.

Then Ange England said, “No she won’t.” Rallying behind Baby Jaeli, an entire network of tweeters and bloggers echoed Ange’s cry.  They asked themselves, their friends, and anyone who would listen, “Will you feed this baby?”

We contacted our friends at Medela, who then donated a Symphony hospital grade breastpump and sponsored lactation consultation.

Moms, dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other caring people also answered the call and donated what they could to buy milk for baby Jaeli.

Visit Ange’s Baby Jaeli page for updates and to find out how you can help, too.

And we are going to have an announcement soon with more about how social media and corporate resources can join together to make the world a better place.

Coming soon: Unfortunately I can’t giveaway a brand new kitchen here on my blog–but watch in the next couple of days for a chance to win a play kitchen for your kids!

My thoughts about the Frigidaire appliances:

These are very stylish appliances with lots of room and neat features for keeping even me relatively organized.  The refrigerator is particularly well designed so that I don’t have to hunt around for ingredients (which in the past often resulted in me dropping and spilling or breaking things).  I do wish the water dispenser on the door was a little deeper and that the ice dispenser was calibrated a little better–but with some practice I can get ice and water with one hand (holding the baby with the other).

The pedestal drawers under the washer and dryer are also great for storage if you have limited space.

There are also a number of one-touch options that make it easy to set the appliances.  Although I only use a few of these buttons, it is nice to have them.  I appreciate the quick pre-heat on the oven because I don’t have to wait any longer than necessary for fresh-baked cookie.

Speaking of the oven/range, I really like the concentric circles on the cook top–it means that I can use the burners for different size pots and pans and still cook evenly without heating more of the surface than necessary.

There are a number of energy and time-saving efficiency features that I am really enjoying.  The dishwasher gets dishes very clean and cuts down on my hand-washing.  Also, the dryer takes approximately as long as the washer if you use a comparable cycle–which means I don’t have a back-up of loads on a big laundry day…which, face it, with kids that’s almost every day!

Overall, I have been really pleased with the look, performance, and features of the Frigidaire appliances.

Come take a tour through my new kitchen with me?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions you have about the appliances!

It’s well-known that immobilizing the arms of your infant by swaddling them helps them sleep better–but that’s sometimes easier said than done! Newborns are surprisingly strong, and attempting to swaddle with just a blanket can be challenging to say the least. Never mind that once you finally manage to successfully “burrito” your baby–after repeatedly re-wrapping because her arms keep squirming out–it is inevitably time to change her diaper again. Which brings to mind another excellent feature of the Halo SleepSack–it zips open from the bottom. This not only provides you with easy access for diaper changes, it also prevent her from unzipping it at the top and having the material cover her face.

There are two pieces to the SleepSack Swaddle–the sleeveless gown/sack with zipper, and the blanket/wrap piece. They are securely attached to each other with velcro in several places so that the blanket/wrap doesn’t scoot up over her face if she wriggles around in her sleep.

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WANT IT: The review product that was sent to me was made of plush Velboa, lined with a soft jersey knit. It’s unbelievably snuggly! You can buy the Halo SleepSack Swaddle in Velboa, Micro-Fleece, or Cotton for $29.95, and in Organic Cotton for $34.95. Find it on Amazon or on their website at halosleep.com.

When I saw tweets flying back and forth that you could “Tweet Your Trip” and win a vacation from Voyage.TV I thought this must be too good to be true. But then I noticed that Liz @Mom101 (and Cool Mom Picks editor) had actually won (and gone on) a trip to Barcelona. How exciting!  I tweeted and won a trip to Lisbon, Portugal.

You could win, too! @VoyageTV is still giving away vacation packages to select luxury destinations on Twitter.

Voyage.TV is not paying us to tell you how cool they are.  But if you won a vacation, wouldn’t you want your friends to have a chance to win, too?