House Calls: The Home and Food Blog at iVillage.com

The New York International Gift Fair offered a trove of innovative and stylish home organization products. Establish order in your abode with these clever items.

This new dry erase wall panel is real bamboo and comes with a cup, two hooks, a magnetic strip, magnets and a dry erase pen. It makes an ideal family command center. (Seattle Dry Erase Channel Panel: $100 large, $70 small, ThreebyThree.com).

The new Vinea line offers a full array of office and kitchen organization products. Don't be fooled by its delicate look, these accessories are made of industrially stamped steel.

This elegant flip top notebook looks like it would hold cherished memories and brilliant musings. Even if the pages are filled with to-do and shopping lists it will look like something important lurks beneath the notebook's cover. The pad comes with perforated pages for easy tearing out of pages. ($12, RussellandHazel.com)

Make the 'grocery shop once a week' dream a reality with this handy pad to keep track of what needs restocking. (Shop (till you drop) List Pad: $7, BobsYourUncle.com)

— Erica Policow

photos (top to bottom): ThreebyThree.com, DesignIdeas.com, RussellandHazel.com and BobsYourUncle.com

Walking around the booths, it was clear it was the animal kingdom that ruled at this year's Gift Fair. Fauna from cows to foxes graced everything from plush pillows to wall clocks. Check out some of our favorites:

The classic Flensted Mobiles come in several animal-shapes, but our long-time favorite is the Olephant Mobile—redesigned just last year using only circles and sections of circles to form each elephant.

Semaki & Bird's brightly colored notepads are perfectly sized for your pocket and come adorned with Garth Williams-like [the illustrator of the original Charlotte's Web] sketches of farm animals.

We've seen these Areaware animal pillows look sophisticated in a living room and add whimsy to a child's bedroom. Their new petite size makes them perfect as pillows or playthings.

Bring the wonder of the sea to your little one's room with Wee Gallery's removable underwater-themed decals for their walls.

The folks at Present Time have set this little kitten to stare right out at you from his perch on this adorable wall clock.

After drawing nature-inspired images, artist Liz Saintsing hand-prints her designs onto brightly colored dishtowels.

—Erica Policow

photos (top to bottom): Flensted-Mobiles.com, Semaki.com, Areaware.com, Weegallery.com, Presenttime.com and Liz Saintsing

These sweet Loofah-Art sponges are as strong as they are adorable. They will outlast most traditional scrubbers and are 100% biodegradable. ($3.99 each)

Wouldn't sweeping up the crusty Cheerios and dust bunnies be more fun with this cheery nautical dustpan and brush from Alice Supply Co.? The nautical line also includes a garden hose, garbage bags, gardening tools and more.

These pretty-patterned Swedish Dishcloths from Cose Nuove make it easy to kick the paper towel habit. They are surprisingly absorbent and durable, and can be washed in the washing machine to be used again and again. m

—Kelly Alfieri

photos (top to bottom): Loofah-Art, Alice Supply Co. and Cose Nuove

To quote Trader Joe's, "Is framing the bag and hanging it on the wall reusing or reclycling?" This slogan often haunts the best of us—that is, until now! Spotted at the NY International Gift show this week, collage artist Kim Smith has taken the brown paper bag to a whole new art form. One that we'd be happy to hang on the wall.

Here's what Smith & Co was debuting:

Trader Joes Collage

Trader Joes Collage on an orange envelope

Safeway Brown Bag College


—Sarah Newell

photos: Sarah Newell

Saving for retirement can be a challenge, but it's important to contribute as much as you can to your company's retirement plan. Some companies also offer a Voluntary Retirement Account that can be rolled over into a Roth IRA after retirement. If you're lucky enough to have that option, CNBC personal finance expert Carmen Wong Ulrich recommends taking advantage of it. The best part about this is that the money you roll into the IRA should be post-tax dollars, so you won't have to pay taxes as you withdraw it. Watch the video to see Carmen explain.

The British influence at this year's NY Gift show was unmissable. From sofas to signs to fabrics, manufactures are showing designs with roots from across the pond. The popular "Union Jack" caught our eye and we're reveling in it's graphic appeal. Here are just some of our favorites:

Design Legacy's entire corner for the Queen.

Halo Styles Union Jack tufted ottoman.

Home Economics with vintage transit route signs, linen pillows, and totes. (Contact britishroutesigndesigns@gmail.com for more information)

Vagabond Vintage's Union Jack wall coverings made from vintage saris.

Natural Curiosities line drawings.

—Sarah Newell

photos: Sarah Newell

Even if you're not a fan of lace in your wardrobe, the delicate design may still make its way into your home. Popping up all over the New York Gift fair were housewares boasting textile-inspired patterns. From ceramic serving platters to large metal lanterns, here are a few of our favorite finds:

The durable stoneware from Terrafirma Ceramics uses a fabric-themed "tapestry" pattern to add a delicate contrast to the design.

Line your front steps with these pretty Moroccan-style lanterns from Not Neutral and cast a lacy shadow across your front stoop.

The doily-esque design of these rubber coasters from Jansen+Co could make any drink look proper.

These pretty petals from Molla Space can be linked together to form countless floral, lace-like decorations for your home.


—Erica Policow

photos (top to bottom): TerrafirmaCeramics.com, NotNeutral.com, Wabnitzeditions.com and MollaSpace.com (2)

It's hard not to smile at the quirky designs of Jonathan Adler, and now the king of happy-chic decor is giving us more to beam about: the launch of Jonathan Adler Junior. Lucky fair-goers got a preview of Adler's first children's collection at the New York International Gift Fair, which ends today in New York City. The new line includes furniture, pillows, rugs, lighting and wallpaper featuring Adler's signature ceramic menagerie and fruit themes. Wool pillows and name rugs can also be customized to make any child's room their own.

The complete collection, including giraffe wall sconces, zebra rugs and more will be available in stores and online at jonathanadler.com in late spring 2010.

Here's a sneak preview of Jonathan Adler Junior.

Hand-loomed wool lemon pillow, $98,

Junior Addison Chair, $995 (as shown), and Junior Lampert Sofa, $1,950 (as shown). Adler re-imagines these furniture favorites in a smaller scale, in light pink and ice blue.


Kissing Giraffes Needlepoint Pillow, $165

Lacquer Apple Mirror, $295

Lacquer Elephant Clock, $98

Baby Alpaca Letter Pillows, $98, Available in the full alphabet, these super-soft initial pillows come in pink or blue. Colors reverse on opposite sides.

photos: courtesy of Jonathan Adler

You may have heard that you're entitled to a break on your taxes if you've been laid off or had to take a pay cut. If you've been paid by an employer who took taxes out of your check for you, you've probably paid the government the right amount, says CNBC personal finance expert Carmen Wong Ulrich. However, any losses that you took when you cashed out investments or stocks after losing your income are tax deductable. Watch the video to see Carmen explain.

Want to know what I was thinking as I walked up and down the rows at the New York International Gift Fair? Man, there's a lot of snarky stuff out there. I saw more than a few notebooks and letterpress cards boasting serious attitude. With punchy sayings that border on the insulting, it's clear we're way beyond the saccharine Hallmark sayings of years' past. Is the current state of the economy responsible for this cynical streak? While I did get a good chuckle out of many, I had a difficult time imagining to whom I would send such daring sentiments.

No sweet-faced bears or pretty flowers spreading birthday cheer here. Say what you really mean with this bold birthday card from BoldFaceCards.com.

Daily worries got you lying awake at night? Pass the time scrawling your thoughts in a journal studded with pithy quotations and a cynical description of sleepless nights on the cover. ($17 at KnockKnock.biz)

I'm not sure what occasion calls for an in-your-face card with a sarcastic quip, but here it is if you want it. ($3.50 at SeltzerGoods.com)

—Erica Policow

photos (top to bottom): BoldFaceCards.com, KnockKnock.biz, SeltzerGoods.com