Never too early for Christmas shopping

Looking for a present for that hard-to-please child? What could be more delightful or expressive of your esteem than a gift of toothpaste? That appears to be the concept behind the Children's Gift Set from Tom's of Maine's online store. I'm a fan of Tom's of Maine and have been using their toothpaste for years, but I have to admit, it never occurred to me to wrap up a couple of tubes as a kiddie gift. The gift set includes a book on the making of toothpaste, a tube each of strawberry- and orange-mango-flavored paste, and a bottle of shampoo. Boy, won't you just be popular if you present this to a tot in place of the latest Toys 'R Us rage. While you're at it, why not gift the grown-ups on your list with a Toothpaste Sampler, with five small tubes of various flavors, or Tom's Gift Tote, a canvas bag filled with toothpastes and tonics. People may berate you for your peculiar taste in presents, but at least their breath will be fresh when they do.