…Most of the shoppers looking for Tiana dolls are African-American mothers, but Disney reports brisk sales of Tiana nationwide and not just at urban retail stores. But for the moms and aunts and grandmothers we met at this Target, we heard the same thing as Gwen Arnold told us: Tiana isn't just a doll; she's a symbol.

One baby-boomer aged woman looking for a The Princess And The Frog doll notes that when she was growing up, "[There] was just one type of doll, just the white dolls. That was it. So there wasn't any choice when I was growing up at all."

Another mom tells Raz:

I think the times have changed a lot. And for especially the younger girls, at 9 years old, you have your first African-American president, that's probably going to be all that they ever remember, not the things that I remember from growing up. And then to see their first African-American princess, that's wonderful for them.

Some years, the hot Christmas present comes with a lot of buzz: Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies. But none of those toys carry the historical weight Tiana carries with her, being Disney's first black princess. Whether the significance is apparent to kids — or is just something moms are aware of — is debatable. But you get the feeling that unlike toys which get forgotten or tossed, the Tiana doll will be a gift to remember.

The Symbolism Of Disney's Princess Tiana [NPR]

[Image via Toys 'R Us]

You will "save" if you buy right now! There must be someone in your life who needs a "Tower Of Treats." In my case, that person appears to be me.

click "full size" to enlarge

Aw, the Gingerbread Man is adorable. Wait: You have to take his head off to get to the treats? Hmm. I guess that is the fate of all Gingerbread Men and Women. More important: I spy yogurt-covered pretzels. Mmmm.

Look at the size of that chocolate chip cookie. Look at it. Then turn your attention to the true Christmas miracle: Peppermint bark.

Ignore the fruitcake and focus on the Cheesecake Party Wheel. Ask yourself this: Would you like to make a reservation for a party of one?

Fruit paired with cheese and crackers and then a side of popcorn, with cookies and candies for dessert? This is a full meal.

A Tower of Chocolates, however, has my name all over it.

Salty and sweet together really gets those taste buds going, Crunch goes so well with creaminess, and vice-versa. You can nibble, gobble, savor and… um, what were we talking about?

Damn. Forget what I said about fruit not being appealing. That pear looks juicy.

Harry & David [Official Site]

Earlier: Dean & Deluca Thanksgiving: Mouth-Watering, Wallet-Emptying
Mackenzie: Hot, Steamy, Scrumptious Food Porn

Related: Free People: Let's Pretend It's The Summer Of '69
Anthropologie's Hazy Shade Of Winter
Fetchdog, Drs Fosters & Smith: Howliday Humiliation For Dogs & Cats

All previous catalog posts

1. Hair Max Laser Comb
For: Your uncle with the receding hairline?
Because if there's one thing that can solve any problem on earth, it's lasers. Everyone knows that. This thing has NINE lasers, for nine times the pain efficiency! The $495 price tag is a drawback; you'd better have a lot of cousins who want to chip in.

2. Break-resistant Wine Glasses
For: Your Aunt Alkie?
Thanksgiving will be less embarrassing! But be warned: Auntie may experience a major drop in productivity, and you may have to drive her home.

3. X5 Hair Laser or Toppik
For: Your other Uncle with the receding hairline?
Notice how the dead forest of hair becomes a thicket? It's magic! And the spray-on hair is better than that toupee.

4. G Defy Sneakers
For: Your friend who just had a baby?
More energy, pain relief, etc. And the little sperm logo is just adorbs.

5. Remote-Controlled Tarantula
For: Your Goth niece?
The black widow will help her on her mission to frighten her parents in brand new ways.

6. Stainless Steel Wallet
For: Your tightwad brother?
He's obsessed with counting every cent, and he doesn't even know about radio-frequency hacking. Encourage — and manage — his paranoia.

7. Slanket
For: Yourself
Yeah, it's sooo 2008. Call me when you're cold and typing and wishing your blanket had sleeves.

8. Digital Notepad
For: Your BFF who's getting married?
She can scribble notes about seating charts, her gown and flower arrangements and then email them to a batch of people, 9 out of 10 of whom will hit "delete."

9. Forest Faces
For: Your own lawn. Sure, they're horrifying — and thus, they keep the neighborhood kids living in fear, far from your property.

10. Rock Lamp
For: Your sister who longs to be one with the earth and also smokes a lot of pot. The flame looks so cool when you're stoned.

11. CoverTiques
For: Your coworker who's always showing waaaay too much cleavage. Just leave it on her chair, with a note from "Secret Santa."

12. Litter Robot
For: The crazy cat lady in your life; bonus if she's a sci-fi fan. Kitty's going into space!

13. Peanuts Nativity
For: The aging hippie in your life, who'll think it's funny that Woodstock is the baby Jesus.

14. Head Spa Massager
For: Anyone you want to see looking like a fool.

15. King Tut Lifesize Sarcophagus Cabinet
For: Your mummy. Obvs.

16. The Inspirers Collection™ Portraits
For: Black people. Seriously, they should call this "stuff black people like." My Great Uncle Julius would move his Roots mural and hang these over his couch if he were still alive.

17. Happy Feet
For: Your Jimmy Choo-obsessed friend. Dare her to wear them out of the house.

18. Warm Whiskers Neck Wrap
For: Your nephew who wants to be Gunther Gable or either Siegfried or Roy when he grows up. Throw in something sequined; he'll thank you later.

No presents here… It's just that sometimes, we post a Photoshop Of Horrors and someone will ask, "why don't they just use illustrations?" Here's your answer: Some companies do! The results are terrifying.

Last, but not least:
19. No! No!
For: Honestly, I'm not sure who could benefit. But I do think it's interesting that the girly pink one costs $30 more than the manly red one.

Earlier: 8 Products From SkyMall You Can Use To Kill Someone
SkyMall: Shopping The Friendly Skies For Pointless Products
More SkyMall: The Mile-High Commerce Club

Oh, dear. When is this ever appropriate? Fur with fur rosettes? My, my, my. (Natural chinchilla stole with black cashmere and chinchilla rosette trim, $6,500)

So maybe they stole the padlock idea from YSL, but you've got to love that lock looking straight outta Home Depot; it's like a mix of common and posh, lowbrow and highbrow, working class and upper class. Or just, you know, shiny. (Furla satchel, $515)

Eh, not sure. The gray is nice, but top to bottom it's kind of like, fug, fugger and fuggest, especially at these prices. (Burberry "Shimmer Check" collection in cotton/Lurex with leather trim: key pouch, $95; mini doctor's bag, $295; tote, $395)

Oh, hey. Yeah, that's my boyfriend! Yawn, I see him like this all the time. (W Hotel robe, $125)

Yes to the tote bag and the ice cream maker; no to the ear muffs; ixnay on the Uicy-jay. (Harajuku Lovers tote, $68; Cuisinart soft serve ice cream maker, $99; Ugg ear muffs, $75; Juicy Couture gloves, $55)

Can even the most cynical among you admit that the Vera Wang Princess bottle is really kind of adorable? (Vera Wang Truly Pink, $87; Vera Wang Princess, $68; Vera Wang Eau de Parfum, $87)

New fashion trend: Florence Nightingale chic! (Ellen Tracy capelet sweater, $328; turtleneck, $298)

Dudes, a note: Chances are a $95 T-shirt, massage oil or cartoon-y messenger bag is is not what she wants. The bag is cute, though. (Tory Burch tees, $95; Agent Provocateur Ménage à Trois massage oil, $60; Tokidoki for LeSportSac bag, $160)

Juicy is such a fucking rip off. How do they get away with it? And it's one thing for Kim Kardashian to rock it, but when innocent children get involved, someone needs to step up and step in. (Juicy Girl hoodie, $110; pants, $92; long-sleeve tee, $62)

This woman appears to be constructed from a single tongue depressor. (Calvin Klein bra, $26; yoga pants, $49; robe, $75)

My boyfriend looked better in the Barneys catalog. (Spanish shearling jacket, $1,495)

Hey, black model! And hey, expensive jacket! (Lamb bolero with dyed fox trimmed sleeves, $13,000)

These Betsey Johnson pieces are delightfully tacky. (Necklace, $50; bracelet, $45)

"¿Donde estan mis pantalones?" (Free people hat, $58; scarf, $48; "snowed in" henley, $98; pompom socks, $28)

Earlier: Doctors Foster & Smith: The Crazy Cat Lady Catalog
J. Crew's "Very Merry Gift Guide"
The Vermont Country Store: For Old Alcoholics & The Kids Who Enable Them
Bergdorf Goodman: My Kingdom For A Fountain Pen
Barneys New York: Shiny Happy People & Crazy Expensive Clothes

R2-D2 Digital Video Projector (!!!!)
The pros: Freakin' awesome. Projects DVDs and iPod videos onto your ceiling or wall. You can also project jpegs or video games. Holy crap. As if that were not enough, the wireless remote is shaped like the Millennium Falcon. Genius!!!!
The cons: Price tag of $2800. D'oh! Santa needs a trust fund!

RoboPanda is terrifying. Seriously. Especially when you take into account that it sings. Look at the way it gazes into the panda with fur, as if to say, "You're more real than I am. I am feeling jealousy. I may have to kill you, even though you are not technically alive." ($149.95)

The iTower looks kind of weird and we're not sure how it sounds, but for those with limited space this is a great idea: Stick it in the corner, by the bed, in the bathroom, etc. Electronics with small footprints are your friends. ($179.95)

Light-up leash for dogs who go to raves! ($39.95)

Chargepod is not as elegant as Multipot, but it's still a good idea: all your crap gets charged in the same place and a little indicator lights let you know what's charging up. One problem is the crazy spider design which will never fit on a teeny night table. ($99.95)

AlcoHAWK is a personal blood-alcohol content screener. Is this encouraging drinking and driving? No! Because it says so, right at the bottom: Never drink and drive. But yeah, if you're worried about your next DUI, go ahead and invest. Also: If you receive this as a gift, someone is probably trying to save your life. There will be an intervention by New Year's, for sure. ($139.95)

So these Komachi knives come in different colors to prevent cross-contamination (one for meat, one for fish, one for veggies, etc.) but they're also just pretty, and, sometimes, that's enough. ($24.95 each)

Sharper Image

Santa's Helper is actually not a bad idea, since the type of guy who can afford to buy an $8,450 Oscar de la Renta gown (the first item on the Editor's Picks list!) probably doesn't have time to track it down. Still, for those women who consider themselves jealous types, the "helper" may seem a little too eager to please.

Santa's Helper [Net-A Porter, via Portƒolio]