<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4149076188/" title="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2638/4149076188_decda6a7b1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>

While I was doing research for this gift guide, I came across some rather original suggestions, ranging from the cute and unique to the downright strange.

One suggestion in particular was, I think, smart thinking. <a href="http://ttownmoms.com/">Leave it to the head mom over at Ttownmoms.com, Trisha Swindle</a>, to come up with a clever, cost-effective way to shop with local vendors this holiday season without breaking the bank. Her idea? <a href="http://philbrook.org/">Shop for stocking stuffers at the gift shop in Philbrook Museum</a>.

<!--more-->

<p style="text-align: center;">[adrotate group="2" banner="8"]</p>

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4148316621/" title="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2698/4148316621_98eaa6fd7f.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>

Wow. Look at all of these doo-dads. Each seems guaranteed to cause the kiddos to flip out on Christmas morning. After all, these aren't your run-of-the-mill, good-for-Christmas-morning-only type of gifts. They're engaging, they're educational and they're great for skill building - all really, really good things if you're one of those who'd prefer not support your children when they're 32 1/2.

Plus, when you buy from the gift shop at Philbrook, you're benefitting the museum, not some large corporation offering rock-bottom prices, endless up-selling, free shipping and a gold-plated toilet seat, just to get you to buy some worthless piece of junk.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4148316783/" title="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2567/4148316783_9d8b39b933.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>

At the Philbrook gift shop, you can spend little, or you can spend big. Either way, there's something for just about everybody on your shopping list - even your friendly neighborhood robot geek.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4148317005/" title="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2681/4148317005_a568b18c86.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>

My husband nearly broke his jaw asking me so many times if we could buy this little sucker. Of course, I refused - not because I didn't want it, too (takes a robot geek to know a robot geek), but because I have to play hard to get from time to time. 

Life isn't always fair.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4149077036/" title="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/4149077036_73fb15b0d5.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>

The Philbrook gift shop could also serve as your one-stop Tulsa book shop this season. 

Easy, peasy, I say.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4148317333/" title="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2787/4148317333_8903cfff1c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>

See? Yet another reason to kick Ama-who.com to the curb.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tashadoestulsa/4148317521/" title="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop by Tasha Does Tulsa, on Flickr"><img alt="Philbrook Museum Gift Shop" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2519/4148317521_548ac32bcd.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>

Speaking of <a href="http://philbrook.org/">Philbrook Museum</a> and <a href="http://ttownmoms.com/">Ttownmoms</a>, <a href="http://ttownmoms.com/data/assets/boards/ttownmoms/showthread.php?p=3073#post3073">all Ttownmoms members get in free at Philbrook this Thursday from 6-8pm</a>. If you're a member of the site and you mention that fact at the front door, they'll let you on through, no questions asked. 

Guess what you'll see. Dozens of beautiful, expertly decorated trees and gingerbread houses, that's what. Plus, the iconic Philbrook garden will be lit true to the season. It's all part of <a href="http://www.philbrook.org/support/events/2009_festival_of_trees.cfm">the 25th annual Festival of Trees, a Tulsa tradition that benefits our very own world-class museum</a>.

By the way, <a href="http://ttownmoms.com/register">if you're not registered at Ttownmoms.com, then you're missing out, friends</a>. I like to call it the Facebook for Tulsa-area parents. When you sign up, you get your very own profile (complete with status updates), a blog, a place to show off all those photos of your kids - all of this, plus the resources and camaraderie that go along with being part of a community of parents. And, access to members-only, free events that kick royal butt, like this one.

Check out the gift shop at Philbrook Museum this year for all of your stocking stuffing needs and more. And, if you buy the robot, please consider having me over for Christmas morning. I can make a mean stack of pancakes.

<b>Philbrook Museum</b>
2727 S. Rockford Road
<a href="mailto:philbrookshop@philbrook.org">philbrookshop@philbrook.org</a>
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10am-5pm; Thursday until 8pm; Sunday until 8pm November 29 through December 31
(918) 748-5304