Chicago-based Sprout Home has been one of our favorite garden sites and stores for ages. They make gardening seem accessible and possible in even small urban spaces. They recently relaunched their site and we have to say the new and improved sprouthome.com has us counting the days until winter’s thaw hits. Now blogging from their outposts in both Brooklyn and Chicago, they offer fun, informative posts on everything from Venus Fly Traps to tips on how to choose the perfect house plant . If you’re looking for inspiration, click around their garden area for some of the gorgeous projects they have designed. And, if you’re thinking of planting something, check out their collection of mod containers, which will make even the brownest thumb seem mildly chic.

I secretly enjoy many of Isadora’s toys: The smell of Playdough. The soft comfort of a stuffed bear. The endless possibilities of a pile of wooden blocks. But one of her new toys has got me tinkering nonstop. It’s the MoMa Modern Playhouse, a clever kit that allows mom and kid alike to act out their mid century home dreams. It comes with six colorful cardboard nesting boxes, eight pieces of chic furniture and several rug or floor coverings. There are also some vinyl stickers that look like Eames clocks and lamps, but I had a hard time getting them to cling. No worries! A matching kit with a dress up family keeps our imaginations active. Created by the smart people at Chronicle books, $19. — Angela M.

I love it when one of my style constants becomes a trend, like leopard print this season. That’s why I have a great feeling about 2012. One of my favorite colors — reddish orange — has already been declared color of the year by Pantone. They are calling it Tangerine Tango, but lucky for me it looks exactly like the color of the Eames Eiffel chairs we splurged on for our dining room last year. So for the next year our dining room will be THE place to be! Hooray. Imagine the fabulousness when I wear my new Jcrew Minnie pants in Vibrant flame and my Kat von T lipstick in A Go Go red. Yes, friends, I already have all these Tangerine Tango-ish shades at home. I am all set.

If you are not already a orange worshiper like myself, perhaps now is the time to start. I recommend picking up a Pantone color of the year mug, $25, and starting a new tradition. In just a few years, you’ll have yourself a vibrant set. — Angela

Will you be adding Tangerine Tango to your life? Let me know.

Katie Donbavand: Mermaid bottle opener
My favorite part of any party is always the last few hours. Your shoes are kicked off, the dawn is peeking over the horizon, and everyone (and everything) is mellow. It’s the perfect time (if your host is game) for a hand of cards and one last beer. My standard hostess gift has you covered for the last, dwindling moments of the party. Combine these dazzling, silver playing cards from Kikkerland ($11) with this fantastic, cast iron mermaid bottle opener from Fishs Eddy’s ($19) and your hostess will always be ready to entertain those last few stragglers.

Becki Singer: Feather tray
If you’re planning ahead, these gold-plated feather trays from Vanillawood (a favorite local shop of mine) are my latest obsession. The tiniest size is just $32, and is one of those little luxuries she’ll treasure. It’s perfect for catching her jewelry next to the sink or on her nightstand. For the last minute, I read recently that Ina Garten frequently gifts her hostess a pound of coffee from a favorite micro-roaster and a bag of homemade (or bakery-bought) granola. I love the idea of not interfering with their serving plans for the evening, but instead making sure they have a delicious breakfast the morning after. Happy Holidays! –Becki S.

Ginny Figlar: Monogrammed mug
My go-to gift right now is Anthropologie’s Homegrown Monogram Mug for $8. I bought one for myself this Spring, and have since bought others as thank-yous and gifts for my daughter’s preschool teachers (filled with fleur de sel caramels … yum!). You can go with first name initial, last name initial or both, or spell out a word like “joy.”

Well, I think my holiday shopping may finally be drawing to a close: if I can’t find something worth buying from the more than EIGHT THOUSAND made-in-America holiday gifts that Retro Renovation’s Pam has hunted down, I think I’ll have to officially give up this year! Okay, Pam concedes that she hasn’t literally listed more than 8,000 gifts, but she has provided enough links to American-made goods that readers could find that many if they really try. So think locally (as far as the planet goes) and check out the enlightening list here. — Mary T.

Sarah Lyons: Doggie treats

Holidays can be stressful for our canine friends, with all the hustle and bustle and new people in the house. While I never forgo a bottle of wine for human hosts, for the canines in the home, I love to pick up gourmet doggie treats. As an added bonus, it keeps guests from feeding Fido party food. Always a good thing. — Sarah L.

Sarah Christensen: Slate cheese board

It may be having the best year ever as far as hostess gifts go, but even mainstream popularity doesn’t dissuade me from reaching for a slate cheese board every night the clock strikes party time. Available in red or black, the natural slate slabs are a chic way to display cheese and other nibbles on the holiday table. Each comes packaged in a cute burlap bag equipped with chalk for labeling by the savviest of hostesses. $28 for the 10” x 14” at Brooklynslate.com.

Mary Sheely: Tea infuser

I love getting a small tin of tea from Tuscan Tea Room, a local West Seattle shop. They aren’t selling online yet (but plan to), so think local and visit your nearby tea shop for tiny, colorful tins of yummy flavors. (I love Tuscan Tea Room’s creme brulee.) I usually sweeten the deal with a tea infuser as well, so my hostess has no excuse to not try the tea! I like this one by Tovolo a lot (and it comes with a built-in stand).

Okay, the holiday stress is getting to me, so I’m spending even more time online wondering, “Would my mom like that? Would my father-in-law use this?” I am a subscriber to “It’s the thought that counts,” so I try to get gifts that really fit a personality or are things that I remember that person talking about liking. Fred Flare has some fun stuff that isn’t bank-breaking, great for small gifts or to round out a mail-home package — most of these are listed as top sellers for good reason.

A log pillow is a perennial favorite that looks cute at Christmas or year-round, depending on how woodsy or how hip your gift recipient may be. If you know someone with a fireplace that’s inoperable, how cool would two log pillows look in there? Just $18.

My sister-in-law received Wreck This Journal from her family one year, and it was a huge hit. We helped her “wreck it” with some scribbles and comments on certain pages, so it became both a fun party game and a souvenir of the night. Fun gift from kids to parents or vice versa!

Now on to Garnet Hill, where I scored big points one year by purchasing oh-so-soft flannel sheets, $30-120, for my mom who is always cold! She still loves them.

For some useful charm, I love the shape and colors of this Bauer pottery, $13-88.

And that pottery got me thinking about Fishs Eddy, where the first thing to catch my eye was this four-glass “In Crowd” set of glasses, $16, with illustrations by cartoonist Roz Chast. If you have a friend with a New Yorker subscription, she would recognize these dopey folks in a heartbeat. And looky here: there’s an entire section devoted to Roz Chast’s work!

For the colorful modernist, how about some glassware with fish illustrations by Charley Harper? This Little Fish bowl is awfully cute, and just under $9.

Journal image via Destructive Therapy.

So first it seems like the holiday advertising is all too early, and then we go straight to “It’s right around the corner!!!” I haven’t exactly been shopping like mad, but I sure have been browsing online for presents. My most recent stop was Uncommon Goods, where there’s always a colorful array of super-affordable gifts. This year, the delightfully sleek-looking iPhone Alarm Dock, $40, caught my eye. With a simple, modern design that doubles as a docking station, this is just a tiny bit brilliant, no? Could be great for a certain husband who finally broke down and bought an iPhone that is now attached to him night and day.

Funny thing is, the husband himself pointed out this Face Mug, $18, to me. With that built-in cookie hole, it’s also pretty clever. Think I’m being gently nagged to provide more treats?

And now, of course, for the person who has (or is that wants?) everything: me. First, these crocheted headphones,$38, look comfy for those work days I need to block out the office chatter.

This Open Sesame! Password Reminder Book, $13, would also come in handy — I probably have 2,000 emails in my archives from different websites where I have had to reset my password.

Finally, the both of us in my house could use these luggage tags, $10, for our frequent travels to visit family. If only we could get a whole set that read “Nothing worth stealing in here.” — Mary T.

I’m not sure why I want it. I have no idea how much it will cost (unannounced). I don’t even know when it will be available (the site only says sometime next year, in beta). Still, I can’t help thinking how much fun it would be to print Onion headlines from my iPhone. Or 1,000 other equally silly but meaningful things. You, too, can get hooked on the little printer. Watch the video, then add your name to the mailing list for launch details — Sarah L.

Around the holidays, besides the focus on entertaining, gifting and shipping deadlines, my thoughts often return to where I want to spend my charitable dollars to help those in need. This year, I’m thankful to be working for a company that partners with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® in their annual Thanks and Giving® campaign which asks all holiday shoppers to “give thanks for the healthy kids in your life and give to those who are not.” It costs an incredible $1.7 million a day to operate St. Jude, and more than 75% of that funding is derived from public donations. Luckily, some of our favorite home retailers have answered the call again this year with an assortment of holiday goods benefiting St. Jude. From hostess-gift-giving to stocking-stuffing to holiday decorating, the Williams-Sonoma family of brands has us covered while donating 50% of the purchase price of the following products to this worthy cause.

West Elm
Mercury Glass Owls, $14-19
St. Jude Charity Mug, $10

Pottery Barn
Etched Mercury Spiced Vanilla Filled Votives, set of two, $19.50
Mercury Spiced Vanilla Candle Pot, $29.50
Mercury Rose Filled Candle Pot, $24

Pottery Barn Kids
Oatmeal the Bear, $20
Oatmeal Ornament, $10
Tartan Sherpa Throw, $59.50

PBteen
Sparkly Sequin Pillows, $25
Sparkly Sequin Word Pillow Covers, $29
Sherpa Stocking, $25

Not interested in product? The Williams-Sonoma family of brands will also donate $5 for the purchase of your eGift Card when you select the St. Jude option at West Elm, Pottery Barn, PBteen, Pottery Barn Kids or Williams-Sonoma.

To donate directly to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital®, click here.

– Sarah C.