You’re all starting to think Christmas, right? Local artist/art therapist/creative guru/friend, Susanne of Art and Soul Express, recently sent us some of her unique and custom creations, which I think are perfect for one-of-a-kind gift ideas.

Lucy is drowning us in art. Perfectly wonderful, creative, show-worthy art, but a lot of it. I know many of you have the same problem. While I contain much of it in a binder, on our fridge and in Lucy’s room, as wrapping paper and cards and gifts for proud family members, it’s still everywhere. And so hard to decide what to keep and what to throw away.

Behold Riff Raff Giraffe. Send Sus your child’s art (either via mail, or a high-quality digital image), and she transforms it into magnets! Perfect for gifts, perfect to preserve kids’ art without, well, preserving the art itself. We had a bunch of Lucy’s stuff done, and she’s just tickled to see it permanently displayed. RRG’s tagline — We make memories stick! — is exactly right.

You can also get funky magnetic letters to spell a name or saying, or the entire alphabet in a cool stainless steel tin that sticks right on the fridge.

Sus does a ton of other stuff: Beautiful prints — like this pregnancy one, right — cool t-shirts via Get Real Designs (you can make custom onesies at a baby shower!), Christmas ornaments, pregnancy belly casts, and workshops at her studio in Courtice (there are upcoming, all-day ones in December just for Moms). She also runs Wee Piggies and Paws, creating custom-framed shadow boxes and casts of little hands and feet.

Check out all her ventures on her website, and email or call (905-440-4351) for workshop and other details.

Want your product reviewed on Durham Region Baby? Email info@durhamregionbaby.com for more details.

Way back in the summer, when I snuck away with my sweet CP for a girls-only weekend, I purchased one thing to bring back home. And of course it was for Lucy.

I brought her back this neat dress-up doll from a fun toy store in the town we stayed in. I hmmed and hawwed over various dolls (do you all know the Groovy Girls? Almost got one of those, and would still like to, one day…), but fell in love with Maggie Leigh, by Melissa & Doug.

I like that she wears normal, not-too-revealing, yet funky clothes. Lucy loves to mix and match the articles of clothing.

I like that she has intricate parts and pieces, which Lucy has always been drawn to. She likes detail-oriented toys such as these. Everything is magnetic, so the clothes and shoes stick to the doll.

I like that she’s wooden, and the neat packaging. Do wish there was a snap-on lid, though, to hold it all together.

I like that it’s — I know, bor-ing! — educational. Maggie develops fine motor skills, and is a great tool for teaching matching (finding the pairs of shoes and socks).

Best of all: I like that Lucy likes it. No better review available!

Retails for around $10-$13, available all over. Pipsqueak Toys in Brooklin carries tons of Melissa & Doug products, as does Mastermind Toys and Scholar’s Choice stores.

Growing up, I used to not like my name very much*. Carly was rather unusual among the Jennifers and Amandas and Sarahs.

To a child whose biggest life problems included getting the latest Archie comic book and trying to hit the flagpole at the local park with my shoe, I always found it frustrating not being able to find things — pencils, mugs, stickers — with my moniker on them. Therefore, whenever my parents or sister DID find something (usually custom made at a craft or trade show, like the Strawberry Shortcake door hanger I still have), I cherished it.

So when the fine ladies at Stuck on You wanted me to review their labels — and offered to send some with not just Lucy’s name, but mine, too — my heart skipped a few beats and I just about fell over the keyboard pounding out our mailing address. At almost 30, I got that same childhood excitement all over again.

Let’s do the math: Sticker lover + indestructible labels with our names and funky shapes and funky colours = True love.

My fuchsia flower circles are on my cellphone, SIGG bottle, date book, bookmarks and favourite pen. Lucy’s are in her shoes, on her SIGG bottle, sunscreen and diaper rash cream, inside her clothes and reusable cloth bags.

They’re awesome for stuff you send to daycare. All of those items have been washed or dried or wiped down or picked at for weeks, and still look brand new. They’re dishwasher and microwave safe.

And just like me all these years later, what kid — no matter what their name is — wouldn’t love a set for their subject books or pens or bracelets or backpack? For, ahem, bigger kids (aka, us Moms), they make kitchen labels for glass, plastic, ceramic and metal containers. Ooo, and notepads!

Cool text, awesome colours. We love them.

Check them out here. Shipping is free!

(*love it now, Mom&Pa, and thank you always for it…)