A shopping blog of cool gift ideas

Yes I will admit it – I am a certified “Gleek.”  The show is cheesy, unrealistic and cheesy (worth saying twice.) And I love every minute of each episode!  Any show where the underdog gets to win AND sing is a show I have to watch. 

They all sound great in the soundtrack – better than they did at the World Series. But who cares about that because Glee doesn’t belong in the real world – it’s where we go to escape from the real world. And this new soundtrack does the trick in between episodes! It's a great little gift to surprise the music lover on your list. 

Glee: The Music Soundtrack starting at $11.55. 

After checking out the new DJ Hero game, I have to say that it will bring new life to “Last Night a DJ Saved my Life”. The DJ Hero turntable controller immerses you into authentic DJ culture allowing you to scratch, cross-fade, and beat match. Customize your mix with a variety of effects and samples transforming a face in the crowd into the life of the party. It features online and offline multiplayer competitive and cooperative modes.

Mix and scratch over 102 individual songs, highlighted in over 93 exclusive new mixes that blend genres of music, including hip-hop, electronica, R&B, Motown, pop, and rock. DJ Hero brings the hottest artists including: Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, Justice, Marvin Gaye, Beastie Boys, N.E.R.D, and more. Whether you’re a real DJ, want a new challenge different from RockBand or Guitar Hero, or just love music, you’ll be hooked on this game in no time. DJ Hero is guaranteed to be a hit among teens, college kids and young adults this holiday season. It’s definitely on my Top 10 Gifts for Teens and Hottest Holiday Toys for Teens lists.

DJ Hero Bundle with Turntable starting at $119.00. 

When it comes to kids' entertainment, there's only a handful of shows that both kids and parents can enjoy. So when you find a show like Yo Gabba Gabba, there's never a need to change the channel. This highly addictive and entertaining show combines teaching lessons to kids and hit music for adults. Gone are the days of Raffii and Barney, Gabba Gabba features the hottest musical acts in each episode so you won't mind it so much when your kid starts reciting all the songs. If you're already a fan of the show, then I have some great news for you. Yo Gabba Gabba just released their first soundtrack CD featuring all of their hit songs and favorite musical guests. 

The name says it all, "Yo Gabba Gabb: Music is Awesome", and I must say it was a big hit at the office. With catchy tracks by The Roots, Chromeo, and The Shins, adults will be pressing repeat as they sing along in the car. Daily chores like brushing your teeth and washing your hands get the funk treatment and will have your kids clamoring for the bathroom.  To kick off their fall, country-wide live tour, we're giving away two copies of this newly released CD to two of of lucky Giftrap readers. 

Want to Win? First become our Fan on Facebook, and post a comment telling us what your favorite Yo Gabba Gabba song is.  The contest period runs through 9:30 am on Saturday, October 31 through Tuesday, November 3 at 11:59 pm. One comment per person, multiple comments will be discarded. Click here to read the official rules.

Check here for the complete tour schedule, and click here to listen to one of our favorite songs, "Get the Sillies Out".

For the first part of 2009, Littlest Pet Shop for Wii was glued into our console. My daughter (7 years old) was addicted to unlocking all the LPS animals and conquering every mini-game. So you could imagine her reaction when I told her that a second LPS game for Wii was coming out.  Needless to say, in anticipation to the game’s arrival, I’ve seen a big improvement in her listening skills and her room has been quite clean.

She’s going to fall in love all over again with “Littlest Pet Shop: Friends” for Wii. The game is all new yet quite familiar. This time the game revolves around a party planning and preparation narrative.  Think about it, party planning with decorations, cake and ice cream combined with adorable LPS pets, the game’s a sure-fire hit. The game includes all new customizable pets, new mini-games and brand new LPS worlds that will keep her in LPS heaven for the foreseeable future. Now that may not seem like a good thing, but if used responsibly, “LPS Friends” could mean continued good listening and a clean room!

Littlest Pet Shop Friends starting at $36.99.

The ipod Nano has been my media player of choice for the past few years. I love its size and its versatility. So you know I’m very excited about Apple’s newly released update of the Nano. 

The biggest attention-grabbing addition to the new Nano is the player’s built-in video camera.  So now the ability to take quality video is as portable as you are. Another addition, which I love, is the Nano now has an FM radio! But it’s a little more than an FM tuner. With FM on the Nano, the songs and artists you’re listening to will show up on the Nano screen and you’ll also have the ability to pause the radio play and resume it if you have to take a break from the music action (kinda like pausing your TV w/ your DVD). And to top it off, you can tag a song you hear on the radio. So if you tag a song, once you re-connect your Nano, iTunes will remember the song you tagged so you can easily preview and/or purchase the track. Sprinkle in nine updated colors options in either 8GB or 16GB capacities, and I think you’ll agree, that many a music and media lover will find themselves the owner a new Nano come sometime in December.

Apple iPod Nano 8GB (5th Generation) starting at $139.99.

With the summer TV doldrums over, and the new fall line-up, I've found myself glued to the boob tube more than ever. And if your family has the same problem, you might enjoy celebrating National TV Turn-off Week. From September 20-26, families across the country are abandoning their TV sets for something I like to call "bonding" One of my favorite ways to have some family fun is good old fashioned board games.

We've championed Family Game Night before, and now that the holiday toy season is heating up, there are more games than ever to choose from. I've professed my love for Cranium before, and now they have a new Family Edition with bonus playing cards so you'll never have to act out the same thing twice! If you're unfamiliar with Cranium, it's a wonderfully wacky board game that involves drawing, molding clay, acting things out, humming and basically making a fool of yourself in the best possible way. It's perfect for all ages to enjoy, and don't be surprised if your TV starts gathering dust in the meantime. 

Cranium with Bonus 60-Card Family Pack starting at $24.97.

Some of my favorite books growing up are finally seeing the big screen and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is one of the best.

Whether they've read the book before, or not, kids are going crazy over this animated tale of food falling from the sky. It's a great gift for little bookworms and for the video-gamers, there's a cool new game so they can reenact their favorite scenes in the film. Be sure to see it on the big screen this weekend and watch the trailer here. 

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs starting at $11.01.

The Emmy Awards were last night, and among the usual heavy-hitters like 30 Rock, Lost, and Mad Men, there were some surprise winners as well. Neil Patrick Harris (aka Doogie Howser) killed it as the host and I found myself wondering how many amazing shows I've been missing out on. 

Shows like Breaking Bad and Damages took home some of the top awards so naturally I've made some changes to my DVR list. DVD sets are the perfect gift for that hard to shop for person or a great care package for college students or a get well soon pick-me up. There's tons of great shows out there for the comedy nuts and drama lovers. Check out the full list of winners and see what you've been missing. 

Damages Season 1 DVD starting at $29.49.

The Beatles made music that is still loved by all generations. Today the Beatles Rock Band game shares their discography with video gamers across the world in a whole new dimension.  Now you can BE The Beatles! 

Buy this for your niece, nephew, Beatles fanatic dad, or granddad. Even people who don’t play video games will have a blast playing and singing along to some of the most timeless tracks ever created. Experience their extraordinary catalogue as you journey through the legacy and evolution of one of the most legendary bands of all time. So tell us…which Beatle are you? I, personally, would be Ringo. 

Beatles Rock Band starting at $99.96.

The Emmy’s are just a few short weeks away, airing on Sept 20th on CBS. Lucky for me, the two top contenders (Mad Men and 30 Rock), just happen to be my favorite shows, which means I will definitely be watching!

What’s great about both of these shows is they started out with small followings and have finally hit the mainstream audience without losing any of their initial charm (let’s hope that continues!) So, in honor of the two front runners, we put together a few gifts from each show. For the Mad Men fanatics, this 2010 wall calendar will be the perfect addition to any bedroom or office, (martini set not included). For the comedy lovers, take a style cue from America's favorite page, Kenneth Parcell with this quirky 30 Rock 'Suit' T-shirt. Check out the rest of our hot gifts for the TV junkie in your life.

Mad Men 2010 Wall Calendar starting at $11.19.