San Diego, CA
San Diego Moms: Easter Gift Guide 2025
Overview:
Scrambling to find unique and fun Easter basket gifts for your little one? Check out our annual guide.
Easter is a few weeks away and you may be thinking about how to fill your kids’ baskets with unique and fun items. Check out our annual guide for affordable gift options that will keep your little ones smiling and busy.
For the littlest bunnies
For the youngest Easter fans, we love the offerings from GUND. The brand offers snuggly cuddle toys that are also fun to engage with! Check out the Peek-a-Boo Flappy the Elephant, an animated plush elephant, with floppy limbs for on-the-go fun, the Oh So Snuggly Cow, a premium-soft plush with a quilted security blanket and the Disney Knit Collection that are perfect for any fans. We also love GUND’s Sustainably Soft Ring Rattles.
Bring warmth to your little one this Easter with Warm Pals. These clever plushies feature internal packs that can be either warmed or chilled to provide soothing comfort for achy days. Simply snuggle up with a refreshingly cool Warm Pal to instantly calm bumps, bruises, fevers, and insect bites on summer days.
For the school-aged bunnies
Hop into spring with the new Littlest Pet Shop Springtime Fun. Choose between the sweet Bunny or the charming Rooster, or collect both for double the fun! Each set includes one adorable pet with their signature bobblin’ head. If your little one loves the “surprise fun” trend, check out the Mini Surprise Plush Pets. Open up to reveal one of 12 snuggly pets, including a Panda, Cat, Pig, Cow, Bunny, and more.
A Moriah Elizabeth fan? Check out the Limited-Edition Easter Plush Collection. There are 6 different characters to collect, including Easter Pickle, Easter Derp, Easter Cathy, Easter Lemon, Easter Chicken Chicken, Easter Poopy! Each plushie comes in a blind box for surprise unboxing fun.
Get interactive with the Knotz Animal DIY kids’ toys. Unwind the yarn-ball blind capsule to find everything needed to create 1 of 12 soft pals with lots of personality. Follow the included step-by-step instructions to knot, twist, and style a cute animal out of bendable faux fur stems and accessories.
The endless fidgety fun Lite-Brite Touch Mini is a portable twist to last year’s award-winning Touch! This compact Lite-Brite lets you light up your imagination with just a simple touch – featuring 25 light-up buttons in seven different colors.
The new Bluey Hide and Seek Game makes finding lovable Bluey a challenge and that’s all the fun. Start a lively game by hiding Bluey anywhere inside and starting the “Hide and Seek” timer. Every few seconds, kids hear Bluey’s voice giving them clues and giggles as they race to reveal her hiding place.
Get up and be active with Skip It. This revamp of the 90s toy has all the fun of the original – but with the addition of sounds, lights, and a digital counter! Slip the padded ring around the ankle. Flip the on switch and press the button to start a new game.
Encourage imagination with SpinMaster’s new CrystaLynx Dragons. Inside each crystal mystery egg is an articulated dragon with stunning colors & highly flexible joints that make it easy to twist, bend and pose it in various shapes like a fun fidget toy. Plus, you can mix & match joints from other dragons to create your very own unique creature.
Get those young brains moving and grooving with a quality puzzle! Mudpuppy offers an assortment of fun puzzles to engage little minds. We love the Springtime Puzzle To Go, Bunny Bouquet 48 Piece Scratch & Sniff Shaped Mini Puzzle and Garden Bunnies 25 Piece Floor Puzzle with Shaped Pieces. Also, check out Mudpuppy’s Bow-Wow Bunny Board Book.
The Master of Disguise Kit is your passport to a world of secret identities and endless fun. With over 40 accessories, you can create countless unique disguises and let your creativity soar.
Inspired by latte art and designer cookies made in stylish coffee shops and social media videos, Art Café introduces this pour & pull paint technique to arts and crafts. Beautiful designs emerge in magical transformations with this simple pour and pull technique.
Embark on a delightful bidding adventure with Strawberry Shortcake, a lively card game filled with charm and excitement. Engage in fun bids for cards featuring beloved characters and items, and use straightforward placement rules to craft lucrative collections! Fun for the whole family!
The Rainbow Mini Pack from CONNETIX introduces STEAM learning through a vibrant selection of magnetic tiles in various shapes and colors. This pack enhances creativity and building potential, allowing users to create a wide range of designs, from rockets to mandalas, while benefiting from stronger magnets and a signature bevel design.
For the tween and teen bunnies
Flipslide is a fast-moving, electronic handheld matching game! Master the moves to beat the blocks in this addictive, fast paced puzzle game of skill. Flip to find the color and slide to match the lights.
Based on The New York Times bestselling Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, the Worst-Case Scenario Card Game is perfect for a game night among family or friends. Players must ask themselves how they would compare living through a pandemic to being chased by a gorilla, losing your memory, or being lost at sea.
Bring some affordable adventure to your kid’s world with Sky Viper drones. The Sky Viper Dash Nano Drone is a 2-inch compact sized drone that is great for flying indoors. This ultra-durable drone features auto launch and land, and one-touch stunts. Or, light up the room with the Sky Viper Aura Drone, which features eight pulsating LEDs on its spinning frame to project kaleidoscopic light patterns on the ceiling and the floor at the same time.
Have an artist? The Buddha Board is a long-lasting gift that will inspire creativity. Or bring some more color to your artist’s world with the POSCA markers and Uniball pens.
Snag some great puzzles for your tween or teen with Galison. The brand offers an assortment of quality, engaging and truly beautiful puzzles. We love the Michael Storrings Easter Candy Shop 500 Piece Puzzle, Michael Storrings Easter Egg Hunt 1000 Piece Puzzle and Michael Storrings Easter Parade 500 Piece Puzzle.
Do you have a content creator? Check out the Podcast & Vlog Kit from Studio Creator, which brings your video and audio quality to the next level. The kit includes everything you need: a fold-up tabletop tripod with a smartphone holder, LED light, and microphone. The compact design makes it so easy to record digital content at home and on the go!
Finally, welcome Spring with Everyday California’s collection of vibrant outdoor essentials! The local brand offers the perfect Sundaze Towel for beachside picnics or poolside gatherings and other springtime adventures.
Have a suggestion for the Easter Gift Guide? Tell us about it in the comments section.
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San Diego Moms is published on Saturdays. Have a story idea? Email hoaq@timesofsandiego.com and follow her on Instagram at @hoawritessd.
PACIFIC BEACH (CNS) – Two San Diego police officers who were on foot in a Pacific Beach intersection were struck tonight by a car operated by a wrong-way driver who was believed intoxicated.
The crash occurred at 8:25 p.m. Saturday in the intersection of Thomas Avenue and Mission Boulevard, San Diego Police Department Officer Anthony Carrosco told City News Service.
The suspect’s Honda Civic was eastbound in westbound lanes when it struck the on-duty officers, Carrosco said. It was unclear what the officers were doing in the roadway.
One officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to a trauma center, he said. The other officer was not injured.
The man driving the Honda was arrested for suspicion of felony DUI, Carrosco said. The man’s name and age were not immediately released.
The intersection was closed for the investigation, he said.
Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.
Sez Me …
We should have known better. I’m an idiot for not guessing that making sense out of the College Football Playoffs would be about as pleasurable as getting a colonoscopy with a rusted rake left out in the snow.
As far back as I can remember — and those of us over 50 know this Unsocial Media’s Generation’s memory goes back a week — I’ve been shouting from the rooftops that we must have a college football playoff.
(Although I will admit to not spending much time on rooftops lately, now that TV antennas have gone the way of the carburetor.)
A four-team tournament was a good start, but obviously not large enough. When it went to 12, it appeared to be the ideal number. Those who bitched over not making the final four now were going to get a chance to prove themselves on the field of play.
The big deal today is Notre Dame being left out of the top 12, with James Madison and Tulane getting in because the system allows conference champions. Notre Dame is independent, thus no conference — in football only.
This is a real shame.
As you know, I’m no fan of the Irish. Up to this minute, they’ve been privileged beyond belief. Both ND and Miami finished with 10-2 records, but the Irish lost to the Hurricanes in the opener, and by the time the selection committee made its final list, it took head-to-head into account. Which is the way it should be, when both teams finish with the same records.
Pouting Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, whose school has chosen not to appear in a menial (for them) bowl game, says few schools ever have had a more successful run than ND.
The programs the Irish beat in that 10-game span had an overall record of 55-65. Historic.
Despite all that, ND was one of the few teams that seemed capable of winning the national title. It certainly belonged in over Alabama, but the SEC has special powers.
The Irish will be in it soon enough. I suspect the tournament will balloon to 16 teams. The problem now is that with NIL and rampant portal transferring, we have parity as we’ve never had it before. And that’s not a good thing. It will be much harder for the James Madisons of the world to make it.
But this isn’t basketball. It doesn’t deserve to be in.
The Dukes lost 28-14 to Louisville, their only power conference opponent (and not a good one). And they’re a three-touchdown underdog to Oregon in the tournament. Notre Dame and Oregon would be close.
But that’s just too damn bad. …
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti is the most dour head football coach at any level I’ve seen. You can sit this guy down in front of “Blazing Saddles” and he’s watching “Camille.” …
Curt isn’t winning the national title, but he’s done a helluva job at Bob Knight’s school. Come to think of it, he’s Bob without the chair. …
The Eagles’ Nick Sirianni, who is leaning at the tape as the worst head coach to win a Super Bowl, worked all week with the Philly offense. Jalen Hurts had a 31.2 passer rating vs. the NFL Team That Used To Be Here on Monday night. Smokey Gaines, where are you? That’s 31.2 more than a dead man. …
Daiyan Henley tackling Tony Jefferson after his overtime pick vs. the Eagles was wise. But because it was OT, even if Jefferson had fumbled it away and Philly recovered, the game would have been over. No extra possessions allowed in OT. …
Philip Rivers, 44, who last played football in 2020, should stay as far away from the NFL as humanly possible, perhaps have another child. Alas, he can’t help himself. …
Philip has been signed by the Colts, moving his Hall of Fame eligibility up five more years — which could mean a few more kids. …
But he’s going to play. Probably Sunday. You know that. …
In fact, I’m certain Philip eventually will become the first great-grandfather to play in The League. …
Philip has to be in better shape than Justin Herbert, no? …
Jim Harbaugh is right. Herbert is a superhero. …
Patrick Mahomes is a great quarterback. But he is a lousy quarterback under pressure. Always has been. Except there’s more pressure now. Still, if the Judases give him time to throw Sunday, adios J’s. …
With that offensive line protecting Herbert the way Sarajevo cops guarded Archduke Franz Ferdinand, it remains a wonder the Judases can win a game. But it’s December, when defense matters. …
Told you. Joe Burrow is Andrew Luck waiting to happen. …
The only games the NFL should play on Christmas Day are the ones the athletes and coaches bought for the kids to open. …
Todd Bowles, we know you can cuss. Try coaching better before driving the bus over your players. …
Bill Johnston, for 39 years publicist for the NFL Team That Used To Be Here, and serving for the last nine with the Padres, is retiring. He learned from the best, Rick Smith, a bulldog, and Bill had that attitude as he battled relentlessly beside wife Ramona through her two-decade battle with Huntington’s Disease. One of the finest men I’ve known. …
Sherrone Moore has been fired as Michigan’s football coach because of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Sherrone then lost it and got thrown in stir for stalking and home invasion. Lane Kiffin still has time to change his mind and go to Ann Arbor. …
The Michigan job is near the top. Great history. Unlimited resources. …
USC’s Makai Lemon was the best receiver I saw all year. So he won the Biletnikoff Award. Amazing. Others agreed with me. …
The Padres have signed reliever Daison Acosta. Now there’s one with some teeth. …
The Padres and Diamondbacks will meet in Mexico City April 25 and 26? Why? Plenty of Mexican food here, and Richardson’s in Phoenix is the best Mexican in America. OK, international games are stupid. …
Now in his second year in the Fox booth, Tom Brady is getting better as he tries to earn all of that 10-year, $375 million salary. It’s what happens when Bill Belichick tells him what to say. …
Happens every week. During Steelers-Ravens, the officials screwed the Ravens into Fort McHenry. …
Officials finally got something right. They called 19 accepted penalties on the pathetic Falcons Thursday night vs. the Bucs. Atlanta still won. …
Hey, Bicycle Mayor and His Ham & Eggers: Have you taken a ride south on Kettner toward the I-5 South onramp, featuring the Rick Schloss bump? Hope you have four-wheel drive. What a disgrace. Welcome to San Diego, rental car users. …
Jeff Kent was a good baseball player. I never considered him a Hall of Famer. Still don’t. …
Army-Navy. Fastest game. As though Randy Jones were pitching. …
I was at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, which, I believe, makes me eligible for the FIFA Peace Prize. …
How can whistles be that clean?
San Diego, CA
San Diego State Edge Plans to Enter Transfer Portal After Rob Aurich Takes Nebraska Job
Nebraska’s defensive line overhaul under new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich is already appearing to create potential landing spots for veteran defenders across the country.
Less than a week after news broke that Aurich would be Nebraska’s next defensive coordinator, San Diego State junior and former three-star edge August Salvati announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens in January.
While it instantly creates a potential connection between the soon-to-be senior and his former coach, Salvati becomes a name to watch for a Nebraska program that is believed to be taking an aggressive approach to shoring up both lines of scrimmage over the offseason.
For the veteran defender, the move comes after his most productive collegiate season to date. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about the Clearwater, FL native
In 2025, Salvati totaled six tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one interception during the regular season while helping Aurich boast the nation’s No. 7 total defense for the year. His snap count was modest, but the production still stands, as Salvati’s sack total would instantly become a team-high on Nebraska’s squad during the same timeframe.
To put in the context the stark contrast between the Husker’s and Aztec’s ability to affect the passer, Salvati’s 3.5 sacks raked fifth highest on his team this fall. Three other San Diego State defenders totaled more than 6.5 sacks alone.
With that in mind, Salvati’s role under Aurich in the Golden State was situational, and he appears to be looking to parlay his success this year into a more impactful one in 2026. For a Nebraska program that needs all the help they can get, the veteran defender likely becomes attractive to Matt Rhule’s staff.
Salvati’s career mirrors that of many players in the modern era of college football. Out of high school, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound defender took his talents to Kilgore College in Texas. There, his first season of collegiate ball became a resounding success. Salvati totaled 29 tackles, 7.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery on his way to earning SWJCFC honors.
He then transferred to Florida Atlantic in 2024. In his lone season in Boca Raton, Salvati appeared in one game without recording any stats. After the season, that is where his timeline connects him to Aurich. Entering the transfer portal around this time last year, the, at the time, junior moved across the country to join Aurich’s Aztec squad, and the rest is history.
Under Aurich, San Diego State took a tremendous jump. In a season that saw the Aztecs go 9-3, Aurich oversaw a defense that allowed just 266.7 yards per game while holding opponents to 12.6 points on average.
His group slashed its yardage allowed by more than 154 yards per game en route to shutting out three different opponents on the year. The Aztecs also excelled in the area that Nebraska’s defense struggled in this fall. The Huskers totaled 19 sacks in 12 regular-season games, compared to the Aztecs’ 32. San Diego State also recorded the best red zone defense in all of college football, whereas Nebraska was slotted second-to-last.
On paper, the hire appears to be one in which Rhule struck gold. Every stop that Aurich has been, his teams have improved, and players have developed into all-conference level athletes. That’s yet another area the Huskers have struggled at in recent years. But from Aurich’s addition and impending announcements regarding Nebraska’s defensive line coaching position, the Huskers seem to be attempting to turn the page in that regard.
Whether Salvati does indeed end up in Lincoln next fall, or is just another name potentially linked to the Huskers’ program, Nebraska’s defense seems to be in good hands moving forward. Aurich has repeatedly proved himself to be resourceful and now has the resources needed to make an even bigger jump. Believe it or not, the Huskers are significantly more aligned in the NIL and revenue-sharing era of college football than any of their new defensive coordinator’s previous stops.
While that doesn’t mean the Huskers now have an unlimited budget, it does mean Aurich will not be limited while making additions over the coming months. He’s shown he can turn role players into NFL Draft picks, and now he’ll be asked to do the same at Nebraska.
For now, Aurich gets himself adjusted to Lincoln, but before you know it, he’ll be adding his first wave of reinforcements to his squad. The transfer portal opening date is just under three weeks away; expect more news to be had as soon as it hits.
More From Nebraska On SI
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