The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: Breast-Feeding Essentials

You’ll Love It Because: High-quality information and products are what The Care Connection is known for—the experienced staff will help you choose the supplies and equipment you need, and they’ll keep following up to make sure your breast-feeding experience is a smooth one.

Check This Out: Everything you could want to help you breastfeed is on this site (think: nursing pillows, bras, swimsuits, covers and more), but don’t miss the Medela pumps and accessories—top-of-the-line products that are safe and comfortable for moms and babies. Rent or purchase a range of pumps, from those for occasional use to hospital-grade ones, to suit your situation.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: Classes galore. If you’re in the Western New York area, you can take one of the classes from The Care Connection, which features Infant & Child CPR, Return to Work/Pump for Success, Language and Learning Together, Childbirth Education, Infant Massage and more.z

Contact: www.careconnectiononline.com, 877.639.0300

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: Bedding For Boys

You’ll Love It Because: Little girls used to have all the luck when it came to bedding—pinks and frills and lace, oh my!—but after one grandma discovered the dearth in quality options for boys, she launched Just Boys Bedding. Now the little rascals can have style and durability surrounding them as they sleep.

Check This Out: The tween bedding. Guys limboing between boyhood and teendom can be tough to buy for, and figuring out what kind of bedroom theme will suit your not-so-little-but-still-kind-of-little boy is a challenge. Thankfully, Just Boys Bedding has amassed a nice collection of bedding that will suit, the 10-, 11- or 12-year-old you’ve got running around. It’s worth looking at this section if you have younger boys, too, as you may be able to snag something that will take his bedding from elementary to middle school with ease.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: It’s all pretty cool, but some of the standouts are the bolder prints, like the Soccer Boys Quilt and Pillow Sham Set (the vibrant green is fun and inspires us to want to go out and run a couple of laps) and the Pirate Treasure Quilt Set (ahoy, matey!).

Contact: www.justboysbedding.com, 407.687.8802

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: the green things you need for a sustainable lifestyle

You’ll Love It Because: Dragonfly Eco Goods researches all its products, asking the tough questions about how the items were made to be sure it was in a sustainable, minimally impactful way. They take that ethos into their own office as well, using post-consumer recycled paper for printing, copying, packaging and shipping.

A Gift Worth Giving: Sevya Scarves Silk x Wool in red and brown. On first glance, this is a dazzling scarf for winter—what you may not be able to see is that it’s made from sustainably harvested silk, allowing the silkworm to live in and leave its cocoon before it’s taken and spun into something new. Proceeds support need-based development programs for women in India.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: The wide variety of eco-friendly items for the home. The EcoArt Pillow collection makes for a fresh, modern living room with the simple throw of a pillow or two and the bamboo kitchen supplies make being green look ever so easy.

Contact: www.dragonflyecogoods.com, 720.542.9795

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: monogrammed gifts

You’ll Love It Because: Designed by fashionista Paige Hackett for “fashionable, busy, happy” people, Dottie G.’s products can be monogrammed at no additional cost, adding a touch of personalization to an already fun present. Many of the same fabrics are used throughout the line, so you can build a matching collection of bags, décor, accessories and more.

A Gift Worth Giving: The Tennis Tote. If you know a mom who likes to hit the courts for anything from casual rallying to a serious game/set/match bout, she will love this tote (just as much as she’ll love her opponent staying at the score “love”). Made in the USA, it can hold two rackets, sports a side pocket for a can of tennis balls or a water bottle and features double straps for balance on the shoulder.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: The Cosmetic Bags come in a variety of floral, striped and spotted patterns, giving moms a pretty-meets-practical way to store their makeup, receipts, pens or anything else they can dream up. Add a free monogram on the decorative ribbon so there’s never any question to whom it belongs.

Contact: www.dottieg.com, 513.834.5666

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: family organization essentials

You’ll Love It Because: Created by a mom who needed a system of keeping track of family and work tasks, these well-designed planners give you the structure you need to plan your time, along with the flexibility to doodle and jot down whatever you want.

A Gift Worth Giving: Give her the gift of time (the more organized you are, the more free time you seem to have!) with a BusyBodyBook planner. The weekly grid format helps provide a clear view on where everyone needs to be and at what time, helping moms avoid double booking. Or, use the columns for personal goals, work commitments, dinner plans or anything else you need to keep track of.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: The Wall Calendar can go front and center in your kitchen or another high-traffic area, ensuring that everyone’s on the same page with their schedule. A 4-inch pocket on the inside back cover holds papers or coupons you want to keep, while a key contacts section gives you one gathering place for all the essential info you need to access.

Contact: www.busybodybook.com, 978.829.2520

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: pajamas with a personality

You’ll Love It Because: The perfect PJs for snuggle time, these bedtime comfy-makers are created in Snug As a Bug’s Toronto neighborhood as part of its commitment to local, sustainable business practices. There’s a pair fit for everyone—moms, dads, kids, babies, teens, grandparents, and even cats and dogs.

A Gift Worth Giving: Seeing her family in matching PJs for the holidays is something any mom can get behind—think of the photo ops!—and Snug As a Bug has a ton of options on that front, from red snowflake and navy snowman to Christmas plaid and merry reindeer. Comfy, cozy and coordinated—it doesn’t get better than that.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: Moms can get in touch with their inner child with a pair of footie pajamas, which feature the exclusive Sticky Feet® non-skid bottom. After all, kids shouldn’t have all the fun!

Contact: www.snugasabug.com, 800.539.9517

10% off with code FamilyGroove10

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: gifts for trendy moms

You’ll Love It Because: Not only can shop over 900 designer diaper bags and "the world's largest collection of personalized handcrafted jewelry," according to the site, plus other mom-faves like frames and photo albums, but the site is chock-full of baby must-haves (and want-to-haves), including nursery décor, toys, baby Santa suits and more.

A Gift Worth Giving: Family Birthstone Silver Mothers Ring. The finger bling sparkles with the hand-engraved names and Austrian crystal birthstones of mom’s whole brood. Packed with sentiment, the ring will attract attention wherever it goes.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: Uh, we think this bears repeating: Bliss Living offers a selection of over 900 designer diaper bags. This one-stop chic-pot (as in chic depot) carries diaper bags so cool (or beautiful or classic or hip or preppy or fill-in-your-adjective-here) that you just might find your latest carry-all in the mix—even if Baby is now out of diapers.

Contact: www.blissliving.com, 888.983.2229

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: handmade items you won’t see anywhere else

You’ll Love It Because: The focus at Beehive Co-op is on revolutionizing the retail experience to provide greater value for customers, connecting designers with their local community, and showcasing exceptionally crafted handmade or independently designed goods at accessible price points. They attain all that and more, making their online shop a great place to browse for fun finds.

A Gift Worth Giving: The Nature Girl Designs belts are handcrafted in a barn in Connecticut and made to last forever. You’ll want to wear yours approximately that long when you see how gorgeous the buckle design is.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: Pretty much everything—whatever mom’s style, you can find something that works for her here, from LML Designs’ gemstone-based earrings to RobbieMoto’s embroidered wallets to mint eucalyptus soap from Lidareme and ceramics made through the process of deconstruction from Jocelyn Braxton Armstrong.

Contact: www.beehiveshop.com, 914.218.8700

10% off with code HOLIDAYGROOVE

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: personalized, hand-stamped jewelry

You’ll Love It Because: The hand-stamping on the necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more is exquisite, as are all the pieces offered. If you don’t see something you like, describe what you’re looking for—Bella Merce will give you a quote on your one-of-a-kind item.

A Gift Worth Giving: The Family Circle of Love Birthstone Hearts Hand-Stamped Necklace. The name may be long, but the necklace is simple in its elegance. This sterling silver beauty features names of your choice etched along a circular perimeter, with Swarovski crystal birthstone hearts hanging in the middle. It’s a precious gift for a proud mama.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: The Family Love Ladder Bracelet. This versatile stunner dazzles up everything from an LBD to a t-shirt and jeans. The hand-stamped sterling silver ladder bars showcase your loved ones' names and a funky design of your choice. This piece masters sentimental-meets-sexy-meets-cool—just like mom does!

Contact: www.bellamerce.com

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: the robe of your dreams

You’ll Love It Because: You know when you go to a spa or a nice hotel and get those soft, luxurious robes that you wish you could sneak into your bag and take home? You can get one just like it—at an affordable price, to boot—online from Luxury Spa Robes.

A Gift Worth Giving: The Terry & Microfiber robe in creme. There’s a reason classics are classics—this timeless robe is just what comes to mind when you envision a high-end robe to lounge in. A heavy double weight gives it a substantial feel, while the terrycloth interior makes it as cozy as can be.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: The Black Kimono robe, with its understated grace, is perfect for those in warmer climates or anyone who likes a lighter feeling. The silky fabric dries fast, doesn’t wrinkle and is great for traveling.

Contact: www.luxurysparobes.com, 877.886.3830

Discount: 10% off with code GREENGROOVE

The Place to Scoop Up the Best In: eco-chic gear for the whole family

You’ll Love It Because: The Ultimate Green Store is truly a one-stop shop for all the fun, hip, quality products you need for you, your home, your kids, your office and even your pets. The world’s leading designers of sustainable products are represented, so you always have a cutting-edge collection of green goods to choose from.

A Gift Worth Giving: For the tech-savvy mom on the go, nothing is more essential than a way to keep everything running smoothly. Enter a solar charger. Throw it in your purse along with your cell phone, camera and MP3 player, and you’ll have one less thing to stress about while you run to and fro.

Something Else You’ll Think Is Cool: The English Retread line of handbags. High fashion marries low impact in these vehicle-inspired bags handcrafted from reclaimed truck inner tubes in Boulder, Colo. They’re totally vegan, totally chic and totally awesome.

Contact: www.theultimategreenstore.com, 800.983.8393