Meet Ms. Chimp, the latest hand-sewn addition to La Maison de Lola's line of soft, stuffed Portuguese pals. According to Ms. Chimp's bio, she's a an avid sunbather who enjoys her massages (thankyouverymuch), but her diva disposition is belied by the humble, homespun look of her soft wool tweed fur. And in case she gets lonely in the animal pile, La Maison de Lola has a whole line of creatures, each with an equally distinct personality. Collect them all!

We can't stop gushing over Hilly Chrisp's collection of girls' skirts. Made of 100% cotton and trimmed with grosgrain ribbons, the three-tiered skirts mix delightfully clashing florals, polka dots, plaids and pinstripes. The result is a look that's a little bit vintage, a little bit country, and all girl--yet the sturdy fabric and comfy elastic waistband make them suitable for active (or, ahem, messy) play. Who says you can't wear more than one pattern at once?

Staying cozy is important in merry old (but very cold) England. The NooNoo Lady Bug comfort blanket does double duty, keeping your little one warm while giving her a soothing tactile experience. Made with felted lambswool and organic cotton, each Lady Bug is freehand embroidered with a three-year-old's original drawings, then studded with felted blossoms and nubs for babies to explore with their fingertips. The blankets can even stand up to your washing machine, and are available for personalization. In short, they're brilliant, in both the British and American sense.

It seems the Italians' belief in the healing properties of good food extends beyond their kitchens. Paglieri Profumi's Cleo line of yogurt-based soaps, bath foams, and lotions are blended with sweet, natural extracts like cocoa, apricot, and strawberry. The yogurt softens and soothes the skin while promoting elasticity, and the added extracts have moisturizing and astringent properties. Best of all, they smell as delicious as they sound--and won't cost you much more than your usual drugstore go-to.

This week, our editors have combed the globe to find their favorite international products. If you're craving something with a handspun feel, cozy up to these Moroccan pillows from Tazi Designs. The San Francisco-based retailer special orders the beautiful linen cases all the way from Africa, where local craftsmen hand-embroider the designs in pure silk.

In our ever-changing world, let your child express himself with a Shout Out! T-shirt. Each all-cotton shirt comes with a complete set of reusable letters, numbers and symbols that stick to the fuzzy center, then detach when you want to change the message. What better way for a kid to profess his love to a different crush each week of the year?

Yellow school buses, apple-picking, and long pants are looming on the horizon, but that doesn't mean we don't have a few more sticky days in our immediate future. Take a swipe at sweat (while leaving your makeup fully intact) with Neutrogena Shine Control Blotting Sheets. Made from a moisture-wicking flexible polymer, they're considerably more absorbent than their paper counterparts. And the cheerful sky-blue hue lets us mentally hang on to summer just a wee bit longer.

Now there's no need to use those clunky, germ-ridden restaurant boosters; the Little Beetle Baby Chair can fit in your purse or diaper bag and go anywhere with you. The lightweight fabric chair folds into a small pocket. Unfold it, and your child over 6 months can be strapped snugly onto most regular chairs. The beetle is even machine washable. If only they made strollers this easy!

Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle's Bear books have been teaching kids to read for four decades. The last of the set from the winning team, Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?, releases today in same spirit, with bold collages and simple, rhythmic stories. And in case your child is new to the series, a 40th Anniversary edition of the first Brown Bear and a gift set with all four books was also just released.

Far be it from us to improve upon the classic birthday candle, but these Colored Flame Birthday Candles from MoMA's design store were too cool to ignore. The candles contain organic salts and metals, meaning they burn with multicolored flames to match their waxy stems. (Not to worry; we're assured they're completely non-toxic.) We're betting the kids won't want to blow them out.

Though it's billed as the ultimate homework tool, Leapfrog's FLY Fushion Pentop Computer just may revolutionize your own note-taking system. The sleek little pen boasts a calculator, MP3 storage, and even a Spanish dictionary. To use it, just jot down ideas, notes, and reminders on the special FLY paper. Write down a math equation, and you'll hear the answer instantly. Write out an English phrase and you can hear the Spanish equivalent. And once at home, plug that guy into your USB port, and your notes convert automatically to an email or a searchable word document. Meet George Jetson...

Desperate to ditch the monstrous diaper bag? Try this handy, stylish diaper clutch from joyababy. The nylon and vinyl clutch has pockets for two or three diapers, wipes, and a roll-up changing mat -- plus, it comes in 12 designs that don't scream "baby on board". It wipes down easily too, and after use, the whole package can fit back in your purse or just hang from your wrist.

For kids, the pain of a broken bone is somewhat tempered by the glee of wearing a cast their classmates can sign. Now, with Ouchies Make Your Own-Ages, you won't have to go to the emergency room to get in on the fun. 20 pink, blue, purple, orange, and yellow bandages and three markers come packed in the tin, so that the kids can entertain themselves decorating while you swipe on some bactine. We can't promise distraction to the point of no tears, but the resulting badges of courage will be much more personal.

Time for your kids to sit at the big kid table? You can get The First Years booster and anything else you order for 15 percent off; the discount code is cookiemag. For more advice on great boosters, check out our road test.

It's not impossible to get organized; maybe we just need the right organizer to make us want to do it. Just in time to coincide for your kid's annual September clean slate, Busy Body Books' Back to School planners are perfect for whipping your engagements into shape after the lazy days of summer. The graphic patterns make us smile, and their unique five-column grid lets you organize not only your own busy schedule, but also your hubby's, your kid's, and maybe even the pet's. Don't laugh; with a system this easy, you might just want to.

Just say no to plastic. Sigg's water bottles, long considered the go-to favorite for the fashionable environmentalist, marry Swiss design with a myriad of pretty colors and patterns. Made from single-sheet aluminum, the bottles are crack-resistant, effective against leeching, and impossibly lightweight; they also protect against residue build-up for easy cleaning. As a result, drinking filtered water from a Sigg vessel is actually healthier than spring water bottled in chemical-laced plastics--for you, your kids, and our landfills. Any questions?

Not your average party decorations, these imported Gummiwerk balloons from Balloon Lovers Corner are perfect for a party that's a little more whimsical. A welcome break from the over-exposed Dora the Explorer, the amorphous clowns, martians, and bunnies feel sweetly nostalgic, and slightly reminiscent of your favorite old Dr. Seuss characters. Order in bulk, and your guests can take floating friends home as party favors.

We all know that newer isn't always better; these days, people are paying through the nose for fatigued vintage t-shirts over 30 years old. Alternative's tissue-soft tees are made from an ingenious cotton blend with the exact same well-loved feel (and minus the pilling under the arms.) The shirts come in a number of styles and sizes for both children and adults; we're partial to the argyle design.

In an ironic nod to the quick fix, this Yellow Pages Booster by Modern Tots is lightweight, portable, and pretty cute with your kid plunked on top of it. Made from foam and suggested for kids 3 and up, the seat is far less slippery and unsightly than a real stack of yellow pages (and in our internet age, it's probably more useful, too). Click here for more of our favorite boosters.

We're always up for shopping for a good cause. Right now you can go to Bluefly and shop their Super Saturday aftersale. Top designers donated items to be sold at 30 to 50 percent off; all the proceeds go to The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

Has your tot grown weary of the pot-and-pan method of music-making? Try these ingenious color-coded Handbells from Groth Music. Each metal bell in the set is marked with its note and number to denote pitch, and with a wide variety of teaching books and other accessories, your child can learn musical concepts such as melody and harmony in no time with a play-by-color method. Sure beats the clamor in the kitchen (and they're pretty, too).

If average mouthwash has you wondering "What does this stuff really do, anyway?", GoSMILE>Rinse might be for you. That "greater than" sign is no typo--the alcohol-free rinse contains both fluoride and the antibacterial agent CPC, making it both anti-cavity and anti-bacterial. It is also the only mouthwash ever to contain natural antioxidants derived from French maritime pine trees and blueberries, which makes each swish a bit like treating your mouth to a day at the spa. >Rinse is just the first in a series of "greater" GoSMILE products. Why settle for less than superior?

Pack any sack lunches lately? The lunchtime garbage generated by just one child reaches roughly 67 pounds each year -- and keeping your house in sandwich baggies can cost a good amount, too. Just in time for back-to-school, Lunchopolis has a solution. The lead-free insulated lunch box comes with four reusable plastic containers and one bottle, which all fit snugly together in an upright position (no more smashed sandwiches!) for easy packing and taking. The bottle even has a wide enough lip to hold ice cubes, meaning it can double as a cold pack for any perishable food.

Le Creuset's long-beloved family of products now boasts a whole new line to love. Their Stainless Steel cookware line has a pure aluminum core housed within premium stainless steel, for all-over even heating. The saucepan pictured has a lipped rim around the circumference of the pan for easy pouring, and the inside is edged with smart capacity markings that render measuring cups unnecessary. The line also includes a sauté pan, pasta pot, braiser, and frying and chef's pans in a variety of sizes. 

Released yesterday, Ribbit!: Flip and See who Froggy Can Be is a fun children's book by Bender & Bender, a group of photographers, digital artists and prop stylists. They started with a photograph of a real frog and, with a little computer magic, dolled it up to create different (forgive us) "froggynalities," including Cowboy Chad, Gorgeous Greta, and Brave Ben. Then they sliced the pages in thirds, allowing you child to try Chad's head on Greta's torso.