Telling It Like It Is» hottest christmas gifts

Top 10 Christmas Toys for Kids – Affordable Christmas Gifts, Toys and Games for Kids

Lin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 19:05:00 +0000

Predictions by major toy makers of what toys for kids will make up the list of hottest toys for Christmas 2011 have been released. The most popular and highly sought after toys and games for kids of all ages, for babies, toddlers, tweens and teens, includes many deep discount Black Friday and Cyber Monday-type sales to help the family budget.

Finding affordable Christmas gifts, gifts for under $25 to $50 and even less than twenty dollars are available if you know where to look. Christmas shopping online, vs physically going shopping in stores and malls, is an extremely efficient and time-saving way of doing price comparisons and finding the absolute best deals on toys, gifts, Christmas wrapping paper, decorations for the home, etc.

Top 10 Most Popular Christmas Toys For Kids

Fijit Friends – Fijit Friends Interactive Toy by Mattel are going to be HUGE sellers for Christmas this year, with young girl’s clamouring for one of these cheerful, dancing, squishy friends that will chat, tell jokes and respond to the mood of your music. Girls can poke and squeeze Fijit’s soft supple skin that enables lifelike movements and fun surprises. Featuring voice recognition, beat detection capabilities, and includes her own original songs, can respond more than 100 built-in phrases and jokes, and perform different dance moves. Designed for children 6 years old and up.

Sesame Street Let’s Rock Elmo – Kids will have lots of fun rocking out with the new interactive Let’s Rock Elmo. Elmo takes the stage singing and making music for kids and preschoolers. Let’s Rock Elmo comes with his own microphone and two instruments, a tambourine and a drum set. Preschoolers can choose which instrument Elmo plays, and he “magically” recognizes which one you give him. Elmo also interacts with other LET’S ROCK instruments (each sold separately); he knows when you’re playing the LET’S ROCK Guitar, Keyboard or Microphone and plays along with you! Let’s Rock Elmo is an ideal Christmas gift for kids from 18-months to 4-years old.

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet – LeapPad Explorer is the personalized learning tablet just for kids ages 4 to 9 years. This popular interactive learning tablet for kids provides access to 100+ educational digital books, cartridge games, videos, flash cards and apps. A broad curriculum including reading, mathematics, science, geography, art, music, language and culture, health and more – skill levels automatically adjust the challenge to match each child’s pace and remember progress from game to game and book to book. The LeapPad’s built-in camera and video recorders, 5″ touch screen for use with finger or included stylus and 4 apps, allows kids to create animations and fun art to share with family and friends.

Moshi Monsters Talking Plush – Kids will enjoy cuddling up and listening to the Moshi Monsters Plush Talking Poppet Soft Toy. Cute and shy, Poppets are a lot more like adorable pets than the other Moshi Monsters. They love dancing, but only when nobody else is watching. Show this cuddly Moshi Monster how much you love her by giving her a cuddle, and you’ll her her talk, laugh and giggle. This soft toy friend also comes with an Adoption Certificate and a secret code that unlocks a special in-game item. Moshi Monsters Talking Poppet Moshi Soft Toy is a cute and adorable cuddly friend. Suitable for ages 4 and up.

Angry Birds: Knock On Wood Game by Mattel is a popular board game based on the on the best-selling Angry Birds phone app game. This fun and exciting skill and action game features three Angry Birds, green pigs, one slingshot-style launcher, structure pieces and mission cards for fun family time playing board games. Draw cards, build castles, and knock them down in this hands-on version of the touchscreen hit. First one to 100 points wins! The Angry Birds: Knock on Wood Game brings all the fun of the touchscreen app to a new, tactile playing field for two to four players. This game follows the same goals as the online version: launch the Angry Birds toward the egg-stealing pigs’ wooden castles to destroy them and advance to the next level. With three Angry Birds, four pigs, a variety of “wooden” pieces, and a bird launcher, you can now bring the same action to your living room. 2 to 4 players, five years old and up.

V-Tech Kidizoom Twist Camera – Designed for children three years old and up, the Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera comes with a built-in flash for indoor shooting as well as a twisting lens for easy self-portraits. A variety of wacky frames, stamps, and other effects will keep your budding photographer entertained. Durable and easy to use, this 2.0 megapixel camera lets kids take and edit photos, record digital video, and play games. The editing feature allows children to add colorful frames, stamps, and wacky effects to their photos. The Kidizoom Twist connects to a television so your child can view her work or play games on the big screen. PC and Mac compatibiility allows you to connect the camera to your computer for storing and sending photos.

Bob The Builder Construction Tower Set – Recommended for kids 3 to 6 years old, this Bob The Builder Construction Site by Fisher Price toy company allows kids to use their imagination in helping Bob the Builder build and construct the biggest project of his life. Kids can use the parts to build City Hall, then use the wrecking ball to knock the building down and start all over again. Transport materials using Manny’s dump truck. Roll the “crawler” crane along then remove the wheels to turn it into a crane tower. Load cinder blocks from the cement mixer into the dump truck and wheel barrow and transport them to the building site. Use the parts to build City Hall, and if you make a mistake, don’t worry – just use the wrecking ball to knock the building down and start all over again! Over 45 pieces including Manny, Rusty, Felipe and Eduardo figures plus a working crane with three attachments (wrecking ball, hook and claw), dump truck, cement loader, cinder blocks, wheelbarrow, shovel and more.

iball 3 Interactive Memory Game – Recommended for kids 6 years old and up, the iball3 is a colourful, exciting, cutting edge electronic interactive brain training memory game. The iball has 6 light buttons and a single LED display. The iball3 can easily be played with by children or adults. The object of the game is to turn on all the lights to the same colour within a specific time. Each iball3 is unique and has a pre-programmed registration number which allows you to compete on a World leader board on the iball3 website. The iball3 has two levels which reset after 90 seconds, which is plenty of time for practice games. The first level of the game (3 lights) must be completed within a time limit of 20 seconds before the iball3 moves to an automatic advancement sequence of 4 lights to level 2. Level 2 must be completed in less than 60 seconds if you want to have a chance of getting onto the World leader board. If the 4 light sequence is completed within 60 seconds you will be rewarded with a unique i-code that can be entered onto the World leader board.

Fur Real Friends Cookie Puppy – The Cookie My Playful Pup is the perfect plush toy pet for kids, and about as close to the real thing as you can get. She barks and wags her tail when you stroke her fur, replies in puppy babble when you tell her she’s been good and moves her head towards you when you squeak her toy bone. Give her cheek a little scratch and she’ll turn toward your hand to ask for more. When you tell her just how sweet she is, she’ll respond with puppy babble. When children put her toy bone in her mouth, she’ll make crunching sounds like she’s chewing it. Recommended for kids 4 years old and up, this soft, adorable cookie puppy is about 14″ tall and kids can either sit her up or pose her front legs so she’s lying down.

The Saturday Fashionistas – Barbie doll fashionistas is a mega-hit with young girls and tweens/teens, and the two-pack doll set including fashionistas Sassie & Sweetie makes the top ten list of hot toys for Christmas 2011. Barbie fashionista dolls are typically sold separately, but the 2-doll set of fashion Barbies is all about friendship and trying on different personalities at a great price. The Barbie doll gift set includes 2 Fashionista dolls and 2 wear and share best friends necklaces so the girl can wear and share with her best friend.

Still needing some inspiration on babies, toddlers and older kids Christmas gift ideas? Do what I do and browse the Best Selling Toys and games on Amazon, as well as the Hot New Releases in games & toys, bikes & scooters etc, for lots of great ideas on what to give kids for Christmas this year.

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Are Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets Toxic For Kids? 2009 Toxic Toy List

Lin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:58:37 +0000

Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets are selling out in stores all across the U.S. during the 2009 Christmas toys shopping season, and questions are now being raised about the safety of these adorable hamsters by the consumer watch group Good Guide (www.goodguide.com). Are Zhu Zhu pets toxic for children or are they safe?

Dara O’Rourke, co-founder of GoodGuide, tested Zhu Zhu Pets for chemicals with his group, and says Zhu Zhu pets have elevated levels of tin and antimony – a metal with potential health hazards. “If ingested in high enough levels can lead to cancer, reproductive health, and other human health hazards”.

Good Guide partners with other companies to rate the social, environmental, and health impacts of hundreds of products, which includes testing toys like the Zhu Zhu pet for, among other things, toxic chemicals.

Good Guide says the Zhu Zhu Pets stood out because of high levels of antimony. Attempts to reach representatives of Zhu Zhu Pets by phone were unsuccessful, as their office was closed at the time this article was created.

In its research study, Good Guide reported the federal antimony legal limit was 60 parts per million. Its study on Zhu Zhu Pets found 93 ppm in the fur and 103 ppm in the nose. The danger can come from when kids touch the toy and then touch their mouths, or even put the toy directly into their mouths.

“If these toys aren’t even meeting the legal standards in the U.S. then I would say that it isn’t worth the risk for me to bring it into my household,” said O’Rourke. “We’re not recommending that you throw them away,” O’Rourke said. “But if you’re concerned about it then we recommend that you call the company or potentially return the product if you feel it’s not safe enough for your kids”.

Zhu Zhu Pets are made in China, but the company, Cepia LLC, is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Good Guide’s founder said he was not calling for a boycott or recall. He wants parents to make their own decisions about the toys, but he does advise parents to hold on to the receipts.

Regarding questions being asked about a recall, Zhu Zhu Pets official website (www.zhuzhupets.com) says, “We have received emails and phone calls with questions about Zhu Zhu Pets™ at Walmart.Â There has been some miscommunication that the pets are being recalled, and we want to assure you the product is not being recalled.”

If you would like to contact Zhu Zhu Pets Corporate Office to ask questions about the safety of their product, or to get their official response to Good Guide’s study of Zhu Zhu Pets, please call 1-800-225-9319 during normal business hours (Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.), or email Zhu Zhu Pets at support@cepiallc.com. Read Good Guide’s Zhu Zhu Pets Product Ratings here.

Update: Response from Russ Hornsby, CEO of Cepia, LLC regarding Good Guide’s claims:

Cepia LLC, manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets, says the popular Hamster pets are “absolutely safe and has passed the most rigorous testing in the toy industry for consumer health and safety.”

“We are disputing the findings of Good Guide and we are 100% confident that Mr. Squiggles, and all other Zhu Zhu Toys, are safe and compliant with all U.S. and European standards for consumer health and safety in toys,” said Russ Hornsby, CEO of Cepia LLC.

“All our products are subjected to several levels of rigorous safety testing conducted by our own internal teams, as well as the world’s leading independent quality assurance testing organization, and also by independent labs engaged by our retail partners,” Hornsby said. “The results of every test prove that our products are in compliance with all government and industry safety standards.”

“We are contacting the Good Guide people at this moment to share with them all of our Mr. Squiggles and Zhu Zhu Pet testing data so we can get to the bottom of how their report was founded,” creator Russ Hornsby said. “We want to assure everyone already enjoying Mr. Squiggles or other Zhu Zhu Pets, and those planning to purchase Mr. Squiggles or another Zhu Zhu Pet this holiday season, that the toy is 100 percent safe and in compliance with all U.S. and European toy safety standards. I have been in the toy industry for more than 35 years, and being a father of children myself, I would never allow any substandard or unsafe product to hit the shelves. That’s why we always test to not only meet but also exceed safety standards.”

Toxic Toy List for 2009

The words “toxic” and “toys” don’t belong in the same sentence, nor does Trouble in Toyland, but parents and consumers need to keep themselves aware of potential health risks in products we purchase and that includes toys for kids of all ages. What does toy safety mean to you as a parent?

Parents, did you know that some children’s toys carrying the Barbie and Disney logos have turned up with high levels of lead in them, according to a California-based advocacy group? The Center for Environmental Health tested about 250 children’s products bought at major retailers and found lead levels that exceeded federal limits in seven of them. Lead can cause irreversible brain damage.

Among those with high lead levels include the Disney Tinkerbell Water Lily necklace; Barbie Bike Flair Accessory Set; Dora the Explorer Activity Tote; TKS girl’s sandals from Sears; Walmart kids poncho; Walmart Faded Glory girl’s shoes; and Cherokee boys belt.

HealthyStuff.org, an organization that researches toxic chemicals in everyday products, said that due to consumer pressure, there’s been a 67 percent decrease in the number of toys exceeding the current Consumer Product Safety Commission limits for lead in toys. But one in three products tested still contains high levels of lead and other dangerous chemicals like mercury, cadmium, arsenic and bromine. Searching Healthy Stuff for any mention of Zhu Zhu Pets brought no results, so far.

Toys are much safer this year than they have been in years past, but parents and consumers must be diligent in staying informed – there are still lead and hazardous materials found in many toys today, and some are still found on store shelves.

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Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets Black Friday Madness – Where to Find Zhu Zhu Pets

Lin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:10:14 +0000

Wondering where to find Zhu Zhu Pets? Is Toys R Us sold out yet? As was expected for Christmas 2009 and Black Friday this year, the Zhu Zhu Hamster pets have Black Friday shoppers going crazy and wondering where they can find Zhu Zhu Pets. These adorable little hamsters are listed as one of the hottest Christmas gifts for 2009 and shoppers are beginning to find stores are selling out fast.

Thank goodness stores like Amazon.com are stocked full of Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets Mr. Squiggles, Pipsqueek, Num Nums and Chunk. The Zhu Zhu Pets Funhouse and accessories are selling fast and furious, so get your fill of hamster pets while they still last. There’s no need to stand in long lines at Target, Walmart or Toys R Us stores, especially since Christmas shoppers can easily buy Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets online at Amazon.

Toys R Us press release ensures the Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets would be in stock and fully available, but many shoppers are already finding stores reported to be offering these toys are already out of stock.

“Zhu Zhu Pets ALERT! Toys”R”Us Stocks Stores for Black Friday
Determined to make one of the biggest shopping days of the year enjoyable for customers, Toys”R”Us has big plans for Black Friday shoppers seeking a Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster, one of the hottest toys of 2009. The first 100 customers in line at their local Toys”R”Us store on Black Friday will each be given a ticket for the opportunity to purchase a Zhu Zhu Pet (with a limit of one per household).* With thousands of additional Zhu Zhu Pets being made available in Toys”R”Us stores throughout the day on Friday, and thousands more of the highly coveted Zhu Zhu Pets arriving regularly throughout December, gift-givers will have the best chance of finding the precocious little hamsters at Toys”R”Us.”

A lot of people are having trouble finding Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets because they’re spelling these toys as “zuzu pets” instead of Zhu Zhu Pets. Buy the Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets at Amazon before they’re all sold out there too!

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