travel companions | car ride

We love pets -- honest. They're loyal, they're happy when you walk through the door and they never look at you and ask, "You're wearing that?" And every child in the world wants one.

But maybe your child is allergic, or maybe you don't feel like cleaning up the inevitable mess. Or maybe you still haven't emotionally recovered from watching "Old Yeller" back in the day. Simple solution: Get your kid a Hugga Pet.

Hugga Pets are soft, cuddly animals that instantly convert into a functional pillow. There are 16 different Pets, and not only do they make 10-year-old girls go "Awww ..." but they're great travel companions. Instead of leaving Fido in a kennel, your child can take his or her own pint-sized companion to snuggle with while on a plane, train or car ride.

For about $20 this holiday season you can buy cuteness. Go wild with a butterfly or hippo, dinosaur or giraffe, zebra or lamb ...  and more. Find them at such places as bedbathandbeyond.com, Amazon.com and directly from the manufacturer.