This Friday, December 1st is World AIDS Day, and Gap.com is doing its share to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Partnering with Bono’s (RED) Initiative, Gap has introduced (PRODUCT) RED, a limited edition line of clothing and accessories for men and women.

Items range from graphic tees made in Africa from 100% African cotton emblazoned with words like INSPI(RED) and DESI(RED), to the fragrant SHA(RED) candle, perfect for gift-giving. And just for your husband, there’s a white hoodie that says BO(RED)—the ideal uniform to wear when taking you shopping.

So get inspired and share the love. Half of the profits will be donated to the Global Fund to help programs for women and children affected by AIDS in Africa.

Playful toddlers and design loving parents will enjoy this sleek, gorgeous rocker!

In the playroom or the living room, Netto’s Polar Bear Rocker is a piece of art!

Friends from their college days, Elise Nappi and Eileen Schneidman worked in television production and marketing until the lure of motherhood called, resulting in five children between the pair. Sharing woes one night about neverending piles of laundry and minivans designating them as officially ‘off the market’ and partly inspired by Eileen’s need for kitchen renovation funds and Elise’s shopping addiction, they got to talking, and to laughing, and the idea of starting a business was born. The premise: moms like to laugh; moms like nice clothing — why not combine the two? With the tagline, ‘Apparel with an inside joke and you’re in on it’ Planet Mom delivers on both fronts. Read the rest »

• Planet Mom: Sharing Inside Jokes Through Clever Apparel
• Visit the Planet Mom Tshirts website.
• Nina and Tom: Give a couple a screen printing press; watch a business grow.
• Visit the Nina and Tom Family Fashion website.
• Start a Family Tradition (or Buy the Perfect Hostess Gift) with The Box Girls
• Visit The Box Girls website.
• Monogrammed Baby Gifts, Clothing and More…
• Visit the Mini Monograms website.
• Visit the O Yikes! website.

Download the Quicktime video.
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Previous Clever Parents vidcast episodes.

Mothers and daughters have been baking together for eons…but it’s never been this fun! Follow these easy tips for delicious holiday memories:

Talk it Up – Early that morning or for a few days beforehand, talk it up with your daughter. Tell her how much fun baking together will be, how much you are looking forward to your special time together. By baking time, her little fingers will be itching to get into the dough.

Mom: Chill Out – The most important preparation is for Mom to RELAX. Carve out time for baking where you are not multi-tasking. That means no phone, no eye on the news, no doing dishes, no laundry. This time should be all for her. Read the rest »

One thing I love to do is to every year is plan a Christmas cookie exchange party. They are so much fun…and a GREAT way to get a variety of cookies without a whole lot of work! I host mine at my Mom’s house every year two weeks before Christmas. We make two big pots of soup and everyone brings a dozen cookies for each person and a dozen to share during the party. Ours is with kids, but I have heard of adult-only parties which would be fun, too. Plan the date now…let people know that you’ll be having it. You can send official invitations when it’s closer to the party.

I usually invite around 12 people. Each person brings 13 dozen cookies. Each dozen is seperately packaged. Most people place each dozen on a plate and wrap w/plastic wrap. Others put each dozen in its own seperate tin. It really does not matter how its wrapped…just so that there is 1 dozen of each cookie for everyone to take home. We bring an extra dozen un-wrapped and we pile them on a big platter and enjoy them during the party! Read the rest »

What: Ahna Holder Christmas Stockings

Why: It’s time to deck the halls, but let’s skip the boughs of holly and decorate with something more modern—like Ahna Holder’s Christmas Stockings. Fabulous, fun and funky, each stocking features a mini frame for inserting the owner’s photo (a more subtle touch than the obvious engraving). The color combos and designs are chic (even the solids are interesting)–just like you and the rest of your home. This is definitely THE way to kick off the decorating season.

Price: $44

Find it: artebebe.com