A shopping blog of cool gift ideas

Looking for a hot gadget gift this holiday season? Our very own Gift Guru Dan T. breaks down the hottest holiday gadgets on the Digital Trends podcast. There's unique tech gifts for the whole family.

If you’re curious to know the coolest gadget gifts under $150 listen in on Dan’s podcast and check out his list too!  

So what is a Whatnot? A Whatnot is one of the zany-looking Muppet extras you have seen in Muppet productions for years. And thanks to the Muppet Whatnot Workshop, exclusively at FAO Schwarz, you can design and produce a custom-made, one-of-a-kind, Muppet Whatnot of your very own.

For so many years, Muppets have entertained, inspired and taught both young and young-at-heart alike. Now with a Whatnot, you can have a little Muppet magic in your own home. Bottom line: A Muppet Whatnot is a unique and creative gift certain to be a hit. Win it to gift it or win it to get it!

Visit our Gift Giveaway page to enter and view official rules. And check out the Muppet Whatnot video here. 

Are you or someone you know hungry to bite into the next Twilight movie? You’re in luck because there are loads of licensed products that will bring Twilight into every aspect of your life from backpacks and everyday accessories to collectible Twilight action figures and cardboard cut outs. 

We have found the coolest gifts for anyone who has Twilight fever. Don’t forget, the new movie comes next Friday!  See more Twilight gifts and gifts for Teens.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon Board Game starting at $14.97. 

It's finally November, and you know what that means? It's officially toy shopping season. While most of us are busy preparing for Thanksgiving and putting off our Christmas shopping, your kids are getting googly-eyed over all the toy catalogs arriving in the mail. Lucky for you, toy retailers are waging an all out price war and you and I get to reap the benefits. 

Shopping for toys can get overwhelming very quickly, and you want to find the perfect gift that won't get left on the shelf after Christmas morning. Look no further than our Holiday Toy Guide for the hottest toys of the season.  You can search by age, interest, price, you name it. Also check out our Award-Winning Toys Guide, for products that have been given the gold seal of approval by parents, kids and industry experts. And while we all love to procrastinate, toys will be flying off the shelves faster than you can say Tickle Me Elmo. Why not spend Christmas Eve with your family than panicking at Walmart, and let the Gift Guru's help you wrap up all your holiday shopping needs. 

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. 

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.

Last week, we were lucky enough to attend the Time to Play holiday toy showcase and needless to say, there is some pretty exciting stuff coming out for Christmas this year. One of my favorite things at the show was the Crayola Crayon Maker.

What household doesn't have a million half-broken crayons lying around? This ingenious toy let's kids melt together their broken crayons to create all new ones with crazy swirly designs. Not only is this a great toy for creative kids, but it's eco-friendly too because you don't have to constantly buy new crayons. Kick off your doodling activities with this special code from Crayola that allows you to print out your favorite family photos and turn them into instant coloring pages! We printed out our Yankees game group shot for the office.

For all our loyal GiftRap readers, go to crayola.com/colorme, sign up, and use the code PR24QCHT for free print-outs for 24 hours. You can also add tons of fun clip art and backgrounds for more coloring possibilities. Also check the back of any Crayola boxes you buy for additional codes and let the coloring begin!

Crayola Crayon Maker starting at $29.97.

Who didn’t love playing with LEGO's when they were younger? Well now teenagers, and even some adults, who can’t shake LEGO madness have an amazing outlet to feed their addiction to those classic and stylish little blocks. My personal favorite is this LEGO digital camera. 

It’s perfect for throwing in your bag and taking your next Facebook profile shot. At 3MP, we’re not looking at gallery quality, but what it doesn’t have in technical prowess, it definitely makes up for with style. This camera and all of it’s LEGO electronics counterparts make amazing gifts and will keep just about anyone young at heart. 

Digital Blue LEGO 3MP Digital Camera starting at $59.99.

Before Pixar became a household name, you may have remembered a little movie called Toy Story. Featuring the beloved duo of Woody the cowboy, and space commander Buzz Lightyear, the movie became a classic for kids today. 14 years later, Toy Story is back on the big screen and in 3-D! Starting today you can relive the adventure all over again with a double feature re-release of Toy Story 1 and 2. 

And what better way to bring the fun home, then these interactive Buzz & Woody Figures. With over 100 phrases and sound affects, these figures banter back and forth or can be used for solo play. Also check out all their old sidekicks like Slinky, Mr. Potato head and the rest of the gang. Check out a teaser here, and you better hurry because it's only in theaters for 2 weeks. 

Disney's Toy Story Interactive Buzz and Woody Dolls starting at $99.50.

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.