YoYo – YoYo.com is the toy store you’ve wished for – helping you save the day with last-minute birthday gifts, pointing you to toys that teach and entertain and giving you ways to strategically tackle your holiday gift list.

Bloesem – The weird-named blog network is Irene Hoof’s sophisticated and elegant source of “ideas for design, for leisurely pursuits, for creating soul-soothing interiors, for love of the handmade, for vintage appreciation, for the art of traveling.” Relish in large doses of beauty and creativity via Bloesem, and find inspirations for the home, your kids, your next trip and many other in-between life moments.

I loved browsing through Irene’s design finds and ideas, and even though I don’t necessarily plan on making any purchases soon, there’s no harm in some hardcore window shopping. Here’s one particular post on vintage ceramics I adored and wanted to share (by Stig Lindberg):

Animal Jam – National Geographic Kids has come up with a brilliant idea to bring in young followers and nature learners. Animal Jam is essentially the animal kingdom with all its glory and engagement, wrapped up in a kid-friendly interface that’s beautiful and engaging. The result is an interactive game that teaches little ones about the wonders of nature with lots of fun and color.

Once your child has signed up (parents also receive an email concerning content), he or she can choose their animal character and name it (mine was Countess Snowyflower). Animal Jam then takes your child to the vast animal world via several different locations, each filled with short games, animal videos and fun facts. I wish I had this when I was a kid…

Toy Design Served – Another beautiful creation by Behance Network, Toy Design Served focuses on the amazing and captivating design of, well, toys -for both kids and child-at-heart adults. The focus here is on gorgeous design and innovation, and you will find these two characteristics in abundance on Toy Design Served.

Explore the gallery and vote for your favorite designs. Here are two examples of what I wish I had had as a kid.

Glueless Paper Toys by Claudiu Stefan

Luli Bunny’s Momiji Book Club dolls

Klowdz – Remember the cloud game we used to play as kids? Imagining animals and other objects in the skies, in the form of clouds is all about that nostalgic childhood creativity. Now with Klowdz you can, for old times’ sake, tap into the cloud-form game and let your imagination run wild. Once you enter the site you’ll be asked to pick out a cloud (there are eight pages to choose from). Next you pick out your sketching tool and start drawing whatever you see ‘hiding’ in the cloud. Here’s my creation, titled Happy Worms.

Can you draw the Internet? – Who do you think has a greater chance of creatively showing what the Internet represents – a talented graphic designer or a 10 year-old kid who has never known a world without computers and the Internet? This intriguing project by Saint (London) brought out some amazing creative metaphors children have in their mind about what the Internet means for them.

The result? It will blow you away. Here’s a screen shot of the project’s homepage. Explore the unexpected and mind-blowing interpretations, and vote for your favorites!

Everything Mom – Being a mom who juggles family and work can be quite a challenge, even if there’s a caring husband or partner to help out whenever possible. First-time moms in particular can find the entire situation daunting, which is why Everything Mom is a delightful blessing.

According to their About Us page, Everything Mom has created “a place for busy moms to kick back for a few minutes, communicate, share and learn. Empowering and inspiring moms to be the happiest they can be while nurturing their families and selves.” Everything Mom truly is a comprehensive source for everything related to womanhood and motherhood. It’s a fun and inviting environment for mothers across the nation to interact, share and draw self empowerment. Get information on meal plans, pregnancy and ovulation, download useful printables for house (and kids) organization, and make use of many other resources. My favorite feature is creating your own listing on the site for free!

Paul Frank Planned Pines – What happens when a brand wants to reach out to the online community? It launches an interactive and fun campaign that includes a myriad of content and information for users to engage in. That is what Paul Frank Industry, the super cute fashion accessories company has created in order to reach out to larger audiences online.

The Paul Frank Planned Pines is a fun place for people of all ages, and you’re bound to find something here to keep you busy. Some of the attractions you will find on Planned Pines include the Galaxy Theater, featuring a number of “Julius and Friends” cartoons; the Fun Zone with its beautifully designed arcade games; the Museum’s Art Gallery (showing users’ versions of the brand’s trademark monkey character); and a Rec Center where users create their version of Paul Frank that is later added to the Art Gallery (see my creation below).

Planned Pines is a bundle of cartoon joy. By the way, this campaign is a finalist in the nomination for the 2010 Pixel Award in the Animation category, which totally makes sense. Congrats, Paul Frank Industry!

The children’s much anticipated holiday of candies and costumes is just around the corner, and we wanted to give you the heads up and suggest some interesting ideas. I honestly believe Halloween can be just as fun for grownups as it is for kids. For this reason, I would like to suggest our Halloween Mini Faves page, an all-in-one resource for the trick-or-treat holiday.

The Halloween Mini Faves page offers everything you could possibly need to make this holiday special and unforgettable; the most popular costumes people are searching for online (again, suitable both to children and adults), recipes in the holiday’s spirit, some great shopping deals, and of course, wonderful horror and scary games to check out! My personal Mini Faves pick is Jibjab’s hilarious Halloween site…

We would love to see what you have planned for Halloween 2010! Visit our Facebook fan page and post a photo of your costume for this year, or share with us what you plan on doing on October 31. In the meantime, here is a quick glance at the Halloween Mini Faves page.

MOCpages – In 2003 the avid LEGO fan Sean Kenney decided to create a community site for LEGO fans all over the world, celebrating the classic children’s toy brand. The concept is simple; fans create unique objects and artwork using nothing but LEGOs, and they post their creations on the site. Simplicity and creativity are always a good combination. I invite you to explore the site and the vast collection of artwork made by fans worldwide. By the way, just in case you wondered what the MOC stands for, it’s My Own Creation. See a couple of amazing original creations below.

By SoftaRae

By MOODSWIM

Weirdo Toys – This unusual blog was a smashing Weekly Blog a week ago, therefore it scored a Weekly Fave spot last week. According to the site’s About page, the anonymous creator started this blog so it will serve as a site “dedicated to showcasing the quirky, neat, bizarre, sometimes forgotten and downright ugly toys that I’ve stumbled upon.”

I just love the nostalgic premise and the oddity that infuses Weirdo Toys, and it’s so unique I just keep coming back for more. See the photos of some of the obscure toys you will find on the site, along with the stories behind them.

thredUP – You buy your 5 year old kid an entire wardrobe. A year later nothing fits. We’re all familiar with this scenario. But before you head for the mall or your favorite retail store, consider this idea: clothing swap. thredUP is a great time and money saving solution for families looking for the right size of apparel items for their growing children. Although the swap is for used clothing, they’re all in good condition. You only pay for the shipping costs and you must provide a box of clothes your child has outgrown. This exchange is a terrific concept and I sincerely hope it will catch on. After all, it saves time, money, and it’s all about good intentions. thredUP is a win-win situation.