Gifts That Give, Part 2: Sea Life

If you know someone who feels strongly about a cause, consider giving a gift that is put out by a charitable organization. You could just make a donation in their name, or you could buy something tangible that will remind the person of the organization or cause. Here are a few ideas for people who care about wild animals and nature. I would love to get these, and I bet any other animal lover would too! (You may want to do your own research to choose an organization you think is particularly worthy of your donation. )

Dolphin Communication Project Adoption -  This organization is dedicated to research and education around dolphins. You can choose to sponsor one of 23 dolphins. You get an adoption certificate, photograph, biography of your dolphin, a DVD about dolphins, and more. You can keep track of when your dolphin was last seen, via their website. Adoption costs $35.

Dolphin Research Center Adoption - This will be particularly exciting to you if you live near, or often visit, Grassy Key, Florida. The $50 "Dolfriend" adoption option gets you free admission for two people to the facility for a whole year, plus a guest pass, as well as the usual adoption certificate and dolphin information and photo. You also get to access their Members Only section of the website. Also, if you pay a little more money, you can do wicked cool things like hug a sea lion, play with a dolphin, or swim with dolphins!!! I wish I lived in Florida!

Loggerhead Marine Life Center Gift Shop - Really cool turtle-themed gifts for everyone. I really want the hatchling snow globe. 

Marine Mammal Center Gift Shop -  They have tons of cool gifts here, including sea animal adoption packages, toys, clothes, jewelry, and books.

National Marine Life Center Adopt An Animal - For $35 you can adopt a patient at the National Marine Life Center! You can choose who you want to adopt. Will it be a beautiful sea turtle or an adorable seal?

Oceana Adoption Program - You can adopt a shark, seal, whale, dolphin, penguin, octopus, clownfish, ray, or puffin. For $50 you get a stuffed animal and an adoption certificate!

Pacific Whale Foundation Adoption Program - This organization works to protect whales, dolphins and turtles in the Pacific ocean. You can choose to adopt a whale, dolphin or turtle for $75. You'll get an adoption certificate, the story of your sea animal, map of where it was last seen, a stuffed animal, and a tote bag, You can choose the specific animal to adopt. If you want to shell out $750, you can even name a future animal! It has to be a nice name though.

Pacific Whale Foundation Eco Cruise - If you are going to Maui, surprise someone you're traveling with, by signing up for an eco cruise! These cruises only take a few hours. You'll get to watch whales or dolphins!

Pacific Whale Foundation Gift Shop - This gift shop has something for everyone! Tons of stuff to choose from!

Sea Turtle Adoption - For $30, you'll get an adoption certificate, a Sea Turtle Conservation Guide, a membership window cling, a sea turtle sticker and bookmark, a hatchling magnet, and a one-year subscription to STC's membership publication. You can go on the website and track where your turtle friends are traveling! You can also choose to name a new turtle.

Sea Turtle Patient Adoption - When sea turtles get sick or injured, where do they go? Hopefully, to the Loggerhead Marine Life Center in Juno Beach, Florida! Turtles who end up there get state-of-the-art veterinary care. You can adopt a turtle patient and help pay for his treatment... because turtles don't have jobs and cannot pay for themselves! For $50 you get a stuffed turtle, a tote bag, a "Proud Parent" sticker, a photo of your turtle, and educational information about sea turtles.

Shark Angels - This organization works to protect sharks and educate people about them. For $50 you get a shark puppet, adoption certificate, photo, a shark sticker, and your name on the website! They also have a lot of cool things in their online gift store.

Gifts That Give, Part 1: WIldlife

If you know someone who feels strongly about a cause, consider giving a gift that is put out by a charitable organization. You could just make a donation in their name, or you could buy something tangible that will remind the person of the organization or cause. Here are a few ideas for people who care about wild animals and nature. I would love to get these, and I bet any other animal lover would too! (You may want to do your own research to choose an organization you think is particularly worthy of your donation. )
Bat House Kit - For the person who loves bats and wants to have them in his yard, here is a kit that has everything you need to make your own bat house. It is designed to be easy enough for children as young as 6 to do. Proceeds go towards Wildlife Forever, an organization dedicated to conservation efforts and the education of children about conservation. $32.95.

Bluebird House Kit - This simple kit allows you to put together a blue bird house. (By the way, bluebirds are different from blue jays. And they don't kill other birds.) It is designed to be easy enough for children as young as 6 to do. Proceeds go towards Wildlife Forever, an organization dedicated to conservation efforts and the education of children about conservation. $32.95.

Born Free - This program allows you to adopt either a species of animal, or a specific animal living in one of their sanctuaries. This is a monthly payment program for 2.50 pounds (or $3.79 US dollars) per month. You get a stuffed animal, photo, adoption certificate, the animal's story, a magazine subscription, and a window decal.

Defenders Of Wildlife Species Adoption - This site has 32 animals to choose from. The adoption fees vary by animals, but for $30 to $50 you get a stuffed animal, animal fact sheet, photo, and adoption certificate. 

International Animal Rescue - This site is a little more expensive... you can pay $6 monthly or $72 for a year. For this site you are helping to sponsor a specific animal that is living in a sanctuary... animals that have been injured (often by humans) and cannot take care of themselves in the wild. You get a stuffed animal, adoption certificate, framed photo, and animal fact sheet. You also get to log onto the site whenever you want to view members-only information about the animal you are sponsoring, such as updates on his welfare. Your choices for adoption are orangutan, sloth bear, or slow loris.

National Wildlife Federation Species Adoption - This is another site with a ton of choices of animals to adopt. For $30 you get a stuffed animal, an 11X14 color poster of the animal, and an adoption certificate. For the same amount, you can adopt a wild animal baby, and get a stuffed animal, adoption certificate, and story card with information about the animal.

National Wildlife Federation Gift Store - The store has toys and games,  clothes and accessories for kids, clothes and accessories for adults, home decorations, and gardening and birding gifts. These are for all different prices. They also have magazine subscriptions, including Ranger Rick and Ranger Rick Jr.

One Special Rhino - This is a children's book, actually written and illustrated by fifth graders, about the true story of a rhino born in captivity, how the species is in danger, and how children can help to save the rhinos. Proceeds from the $13.00 book go to the International Rhino Foundation. 

Silver Rhino Pendant - A sterling silver rhino pendant handmade in Indonesia. It is only $25, and the money goes to support the International Rhino Foundation.

Sierra Club Species Adoption - This adoption program has 17 choices of animal species that you can adopt. For $39 you get a stuffed animal, a sticker of the animal, an adoption certificate, and a booklet with animal facts. For $79 you also get a backpack.

Sierra Club Membership - It looks like you can join the Sierra Club for as little as a one time $15 donation. You become a member of your local chapter, and can participate in member-only outdoor adventures. These include worldwide trips, and local day trips such as hikes. You also get a magazine subscription and a messenger bag.

Snow Leopard Trust - All sorts of gifts... clothes, toys. home decor, books, accessories, pet products and more... that support this organization that is dedicated to protecting snow leopards. 

Tigers Forever -  "National Geographic photographer Steve Winter spent a decade in search of wild tigers, devoted to capturing their magnificence and telling their story. Tigers are in trouble, and his quest for photographs became his way to address the plight of this magnificent cat. His goal: to reinvigorate global concern--while there’s still time." This book is full of both information, and beautiful photographs of tigers. 10% of the proceeds go towards Panthera's Tigers Forever program.

Wolf.org - A gift shop with clothes, jewelry, toys, books, and more. Proceeds support International Wolf Center, which works to educate humans about wolves and to dispel the myths that often cause people to hate and fear these beautiful animals.

World Wildlife Species Adoption - Symbolically adopt or "sponsor" an entire species! For  $55 you get a plush animal, an adoption certificate, a photo, a "species card" with information about the animal, and a gift bag to put it all in. They have a ton of choices of animals, from elephants to butterflies to aye aye aye lemurs. You can even adopt a "sniffer dog," a dog whose job it is to sniff out illegal animal products such as bones and tusks in airports.

World Wildlife Games, Clothes, Etc. The gift shop includes a cool tiger puzzle, a couple of kids' games, T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and more. The price of each of these is a $55 donation.

Zoo Animal Adoption - Your local zoo (or the zoo that is local to the person receiving the gift) most likely has an animal sponsorship program, with added bonuses that other sponsorship programs can't offer. For instance, Brookfield Zoo's Share The Care Program gives you, for $50, a stuffed animal, photograph, window decal, animal fact sheet, and an invitation to a special event... plus, you actually get to see "your" animal in person when you go to the zoo! If your local zoo doesn't have such a thing, or if you don't live near a zoo at all, you could try the Audubon Institute's adoption program. For $50 you get an adoption certificate, photo, fun facts sheet, and stuffed animal. The Smithsonian National Zoo offers a similar package for $65.

Dalmation Vet Kit

Dalmation Vet Kit
Ages: 2 and up
For the child who loves animals and wants to care for them, this toy Vet Kit is one of the best I've seen for the money! It contains a stethoscope, brush, syringe, thermometer, bowl, tray, pair of tongs, mirror, hammer, blood pressure meter, pair of scissors, ear examiner,and tweezers. It also comes with a stuffed Dalmation. Of course children could use this kit with any of their own stuffed animals, but the Dalmation is included to help them get started in their pet care play right away! (The medical instruments are TOYS, remember, so they do not really work. On Amazon, a few reviewers were disappointed by this.)

Heatable Hooty

The following info was originally published on my blog Diary Of An Alien.


At Marshalls, I found this really cool thing that I wanted to get for my nephew, which is a stuffed animal that can be microwaved to make it warm, and it has a calming scent in it. Only then I remembered that my brother and sister-in-law don't have a microwave! I thought maybe they could put it in the oven instead, but my mom said it would probably catch on fire that way, so I decided to forgo getting one for Squeak for the time being. But the stuffed animals were so adorable! And you know I have a soft place in my heart for stuffed animals. I also have a soft place in my heart for things that smell good. I am a very sensory-seeking person. So I ended up getting one for myself! Meet my new Heatable Hooty! 

Bringing Hooty home

Hooty warming up

I popped Hooty in the microwave for 90 seconds, as directed by the box. When I took him out, he was all warm and smelled pleasantly of lavender! It is really cold in my house, and even though I am wearing wool pants under my jeans and also a fleece sweatshirt, I was still really cold, so I was glad to have Hooty to warm me up! I am planning to heat him up again right before I go to bed, so I can put him on my pillow and he can help me fall asleep. I was thinking to myself that he'd probably also come in really handy whenever I have an earache, or a headache, because I can just lay right on him and let him relax my muscles.

Hooty comforts me and keeps me warm!

This is not a sponsored review... obviously, seeing as how I just told you I bought Hooty at Marshalls with my own money a few hours ago... but I thought I would post about him anyways because I like him, and some people might appreciate interesting ideas for holiday or birthday presents for kids. 

When I was looking at some of the Amazon reviews, a few people worried that this would be a really dangerous toy to give a kid. So I just wanted to point out, Hooty is not necessarily meant to be a toy. He's more of a comfort item. He'd make a nice stuffed animal even if you didn't heat him up. But definitely, if he's going to be heated, an adult should do the heating. If Hooty gets too hot, and your child cuddles him, obviously there is a burning risk. So make sure to follow the directions for microwaving, and don't put him in there for too long. I put him in for a minute and a half, and he was nice and toasty. If you're microwaving him for a child, make sure to test him to make sure he's not too hot. His stomach seems to get the hottest, so pay special attention to that area. I also shook him around a little to mix up the material inside so there wouldn't be any super "hot spots." 

Okay, now you can mock me for being like a little kid and getting a stuffed heatable animal! You know you would enjoy one too. He smells so nice, even now that he's cooled off, and he's so soft and squishy!

Another thing I just thought of... I like the smell of lavender, but not everyone does. I think the company chose lavender as the scent because it is a naturally calming aroma. A lot of baby lotions made with natural ingredients use lavender, especially those meant to help the baby fall asleep or be comforted. But if a child hates the smell, or is really sensitive to it and gets headaches or something, it won't work! So you might want to check before you get this as a gift for a child you don't know well.

Worry Eater

Worry Eaters
I deal with alarmingly high levels of anxiety. I have experienced this since I was a little kid. I don't think a Worry Eater would cure my anxiety, but it really might help! It is a little stuffed monster with a mouth that can be zipped open and shut. You can write your worries down on a piece of paper, "feed" it to the monster, and then zip it shut. This is a great way to symbolically set aside your worries for a while. The visual and kinesthetic experience can help children learn to manage their anxiety. There are eight of these monsters to choose from: besides Schnulli, there is Polly, Saggo, Enno, Flamm, Bill, Betti, and Flint.

I did find this kind of humorous disclaimer on the Haywire website: DISCLAIMER: The toy does not take away the worry, literally. The phrases “we eat your worries” and “worry eaters” are not used in the literal sense to indicate that the worry will be taken away. The phrases are used in the non-literal sense to be rhetorical or whimsical. The toy will not eat the child’s worry. The worry will not be gone forever. The toy is not a replacement for sound and compassionate psychological support by a professional or a trusted adult. 

Keep that in mind, folks.  

Organs

You've seen stuffed doggies, stuffed kitties, stuffed teddy bears... but what about a stuffed heart, a stuffed brain, or a stuffed gallbladder? These were created to be lighthearted gifts for people who were ill. Imagine your grandfather just had a heart attack, and you bring him the stuffed heart! It would be good for a chuckle, and a lot more memorable than a bouquet of flowers or a mushy card! However, kids and adults who are interested in anatomy will also love these weird plush toys.
Besides the stuffed heart, you can get a brain,  gall bladder, pancreas, colon, lungs, appendix, spleen, bladder, intestines, liver, and even a rectum or a uterus! Who could have imagined?

Cloud b Night Light

This is another thing I wish I had. Many people with various special needs have trouble falling asleep at night. Our minds tend to go to quickly, or our bodies have too much energy, or both. It is a good idea to do as much as you can to create a calming, pleasant sleeping environment. I love the idea of a Cloud b night light. They are meant for children as young as birth, but can definitely be enjoyed by people of all ages. Here are some of the different types they have available.




Tranquil Turtle
This turtle projects an underwater effect around the room. It also has a sound machine that can play either a lullaby, or the sound of ocean waves.



Twilight Buddies
These animals project constellations onto the ceiling and walls. They come in many different options, including alligator, bunny, hippo, ladybug, horse, pegasus, unicorn, blue turtle, mocha turtle, and purple turtle. Some of them are cheaper than others. The least expensive one I found was the ladybug, which was just under $27. The most expensive one was the original, the mocha turtle, which was $56. I don't know why... they all seem to do the same things!

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Twinkles To Go Octopus
This is a smaller, less expensive, more portable version of the Twilight Buddies. It projects stars on the ceiling and walls as well. You can also buy it in pink.


Stay Asleep Hedgehog
This hedgehog does several things.  First of all, unlike a regular night light, you can snuggle with it. At night, it glows with a calming amber light and plays a lullaby. It has a timer to shut it off after 45 minutes. Throughout the night, it can be reactivated if the baby wakes up and starts to move around. In the morning, it glows green and plays a cheerful "Wake up" song. Very awesome!


Twinkling Firefly 
This one is another snuggly nightlight that can get in bed with you. It's belly twinkles! It has two sound options... rain with crickets chirping, or a lullaby. You can also choose to turn the music off and just have the twinkling lights. It also has a timer to shut itself off after 45 minutes.


Glow Cuddles Bear
This one may be my favorite, and not just because I have a soft spot for teddybears. This bear has a heartbeat! (You can also put it on vibrate instead.) He  glows softly. The heart can be removed so that you can machine wash the bear. There is a bunny version as well. LOVE IT!


Twilight Sunshine Owl
I don't know why this has the word "sunshine" in it, because it is really for night time. It projects stars onto the walls and ceiling, cycling through the colors blue, green and red.

Whichever one of these you choose, it will be sure to help provide a comforting night of sleep!

Smanimals

Smanimals Scented Stuffed Animals
Ages: 3 and up
Aaaaaaah! I need to stop finding things that I love! Why didn't they have these when I was young? Is it too late for me to ask for one of these>
A Smanimal is a stuffed animal filled with scented eco-friendly ceramic clay beads. The scent is guaranteed to last at least two years! Each animal is about six inches tall, and comes in it's own egg for you to "hatch." 

There are a whole bunch of animals, each with their own scent. I wish I could smell them through the computer! Besides the one that is listed above, there are...
A chipmunk that smells like mint chocolate 
A llama that smells like pink lemonade
A dinosaur that smells like sour apple
A kangaroo that smells like rootbeer
A crocodile that smells like pickles
A bear cub that smells like strawberries
An orangutan that smells like oranges
A cockatiel that smells fruity and
A panda that smells like pears. 

Somebody send me one of these! Uh... so I can give it to a little kid. Yeah. A kid. 

Weighted Stuffed Animal

Children with autism, ADHD, and various other special needs are often calmed and centered by holding, pushing, or being covered with a heavy object. Kristi Samson, the owner of Peace Weighted Products and also the mother of two children with special needs, makes weighted stuffed animals and other things for children. She started her store in order to provide weighted products at a more affordable price than many of the other stores out there sell. I had the opportunity to review one of her products recently (which I will be adding to my other blog soon) and my opinion is that her products are high quality, durable, and loveable.

The weighted stuffed animals she makes include a cow, a monkey, a pig, dogs, cats, a dinosaur, a giraffe, a ladybug, teddy bears, a lion, and a tiger. These stuffed animals look just like a regular stuffed animal you'd find in a toy store, with sweet faces and soft fur. They are weighted with bean bag pouches filled with nontoxic aquarium gravel. Stuffing is then added around the bean bag pouches, so they are still soft and cuddly instead of crunchy!

Kristi suggests many ways that a weighted stuffed animal can be used by a child. For instance, a child can carry his stuffed animal while going on an errand with his family, such as to the grocery store. The heavy object in his arms serves to help him stay calm and grounded, while also keeping his hands busy and less likely to touch random objects. It can act as a transitional object that the child can bring with him from home, to school and other places.

 You can read more about the stuffed animals, and about her ideas for their use, here. 
To see all of the stuffed animals that are currently available, and to purchase one, visit the Peace Weighted Products website.

Space Monkey

NASA Space Monkey
Ages: 3 and up
Did you know that, before there were people in space, there were monkeys in space? It is actually kind of a sad subject because most of the monkeys either suffocated on their way to space or died on impact when their rockets crashed. But lets not tell little kids that. To them, this is just an adorable stuffed monkey in a space suit! He's about 11 inches tall, and includes a removable helmet and backpack. Okay, full disclosure... the Amazon link sells it for $45. which I think is a little steep for a stuffed monkey. You can find it for $19.99 at the Kennedy Space Center online store.