Ideal Bite

Is your kid's Xmas gift looking like a no-show? Emergency cast a toy from the Planet Happy showroom. PH's got more than two dozen brands of playthings in a funky-living-room-type space (witness the hammock and the antique cooler-turned-birdcage), including Fremont-based Xeko's trading card game (recycled paper, soy-based ink) that introduces kids ages 8 and up to other countries' ecosystems and endangered species. There's also a button-making station ($1-$3, depending on the size) and ample room to test-drive toys, all of which meet at least one of PH's seven eco standards, such as fairly traded, organic, and/or socially responsible (read: no Bratz dolls). And, through Trees for the Future and 1% for the Planet, PH plants a tree for every $10 you spend. Props to you.