My sister @lillyoz rocks. She's having her first baby (a boy!) in December and has come up with a kick-ass nursery theme: the London Underground. Her husband is from England so it's cool way to get his heritage in, plus it's way more exciting than baby blue and teddy bears.

She's found some great wall graphics and a few themed elements, and her best best best idea is a "Mind the Gap" sign hung over the changing table. Did I mention my sister rocks?

It's a tricky theme though. I thought I'd pick the brains of the creative minds in the Kaboodle community for your ideas.  What else might go in a London transport-themed nursery? What wall color works with the bold red & blue?  This proud auntie is dying to help her get set up!

My one-year-old son is obsessed with spinning things, but it’s nothing compared to my obsession with buying him a Busy Zoo. I saw this toy at a consignment shop for $15 and thought it would be perfect for him since just about everything on in can be spun or flipped. But it didn’t go on sale until the next morning, and when I arrived there was a crazy lottery system so a lady ahead of me ended up with it.

Turns out the Busy Zoo sells online for over $100, and while I like it and all, it’s not worth that much. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I starting checking Ebay & Craigslist all the time. There was one on Craigslist for a decent price, but it was a bit far from where I live. Superstar stellastylista offered to pick it up for me, but lady sold it before she could arrange a purchase. (Thanks for trying!!) Really my son doesn’t need any more toys, so I tried to let it go. And it almost worked.

Then yesterday while cruising the aisles of Target I spotted one for less than half of what it was selling for online. We two Target gift cards for his 1st birthday so it was easy to justify.

My son really likes his new Busy Zoo, though I must admit I am way more excited about it than he is!

I'm a huge board game* nerd, but luckily so are many of my friends so party games are usually in full effect at my social gatherings. And while Cranium has its charms, humming a tune and sculpting things with clay gets pretty old after a while. In my quest for games of more substance I've complied a list of games that require a bit more skill but are still easygoing enough to enjoy after a few too many after-dinner drinks.

The best games have few rules but endless room for strategy. I recently played The Game of Life with my 7-year-old niece and man is that game a mess! We had to consult the (very long) rule book almost every turn and I was counting the seconds until the game finally ended. Quite the opposite experience was Blokus, a deceptively simple game where players take turns placing Tetris-like pieces on the board. Of course you're trying to lay out as many of you own pieces as possible, but the main action is to screw over other players, which is awesome. And addictive.

Card-based games tend to be light on rules but full of action, like Bohnanza, a German game based on bean planting and harvesting. Sounds bizarre, and it is, but even crazier is that you can't rearrange your hand during play. Trying to figure out your best move when you have to play the next card in your hand no matter what is odd, but since everyone is in the same boat it all works out. If bean farming sounds a little too out there, than Saboteur might be more up your alley. In this card game some players are happy mining dwarves and others are nasty sabotaging dwarves, so you can't be sure who's on your side. It's easy to learn and fast to play, perfect for the casual gathering. Plus the good dwarves are called Gold Diggers, and who can resist that?

* When I say board game I mean any game that comes in a box that you play with people in real life, even if a board is not actually involved. If you disagree - congratulations, you are a bigger board game nerd than me. Advance directly to Boardgamegeek.com.

Presents are great. But more presents are even better. I think that's what makes an advent calendar such a gleeful experience. For the uninitiated, it's a box with 24 tiny numbered compartments, each holding a little surprise. Starting on December 1st you open one each day in a build-up to Santa's main event. Sure, each present waiting for you behind the little door is small, but with your expectations properly sized even a waxy-tasting chocolate snowman is a big treat.

Advent calendars have apparently come a long way from the flimsy cardboard box filled with crummy chocolates that I loved  as a child. Now you can get an entire Lego or Playmobil set, parceled out one piece at a time. But why should kids and bloggers have all the fun? More retailers are getting into the act, like the red Starbucks advent calendar above (sadly filled with candy instead of coffee beans like I'd hoped).

Of course to really do it up right you need to fill an empty calendar yourself. That way you really keep 'em guessing. A few jelly beans one day, a compass ring the next, maybe one those cool parchute men - the joy would be boundless!   A Kaboodle search for advent calendars turns up plenty of unique designs. I'm hoping Santa brings me that green wooden tree. If only I could sucker someone into filling it for me each year...

When I think of IKEA it's usually because I have a need for furniture or meatballs. Lately, though, everyone's favorite Swedish megastore has been impressing me with its handy kitchen gadgets. I've already gushed about my nifty cheese graters. But I rarely go a day without using these bendy cutting boards. Kinder on your knives than glass and easier to clean than wood, these thin plastic sheets are the ultimate cutting surface. The best part is how they flex so you can neatly transfer your chopped bits into a boiling pot or a mixing bowl. They tend to get scratched pretty quickly, but at $1 a pop they're practically disposable.

Another impressive kitchen item is this cool bread knife with an angled handle. There's bread baking in our office all the time, and before this knife the sliced loaves usually resembled a fresh-baked massacre. This knife makes it easy to cut neat little slices, plus it's fun to wield.

My latest discovery is this curved herb chopper. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but it looks like a very nice to way to mince tiny foods. In truth, my knife-wielding skills are nothing to brag about. I'm hoping this device might encourage the use of fresh herbs and help spare the tips of my fingers.

Any other indispensable kitchen gadgets you'd recommend?

I recently reconnected with a friend from elementary school who dreamed of being an artist for a living. He was always doodling in class, sometimes getting in trouble for it, but he always kept at it. We lost touch after high school, but now through the magic of Facebook we've had a chance to catch up. And he made good on his dream. He's an illustrator for 3D animated films, with credits in movies like Shrek and Ice Age. I love that he was able to avoid the well-meaning but pessimistic voices who told him drawing cartoons was no way to make a living.

In addition to the film work he also illustrated these two beautiful children's books. These will definitely be going on my son's bookshelf, not just because they are lovely to look at but because they symbolize the what can happen when you follow your passion with all your heart.