Hottest 20 Holiday Toys!

Courtesy of www.TheToyInsider.com

Here’s an age-appropriate list of which toys experts predict will be the hottest for the holiday. Click on the icons and get shopping!

Weird Celebrity Beauty Secrets

Provided by StyleList.com

Teri Hatcher suggests hanging on to left-over wine and pouring it your bath to soften up your skin. Somerville says: "Wine contains a plant-chemical, resveratrol, that is known for its internal health benefits, especially for the heart. As far as in a bath, wine does contain polyphenols and antioxidants (more in red wine) which do fight free radicals.

When she's in a pinch, Catherine Zeta-Jones apparently uses strawberries to whiten her teeth. According to Somerville, "The juice or pulp of strawberries contains malic acid which serves as an astringent and can lighten surface stains.

Cindy Crawford keeps her skin super-moist by mixing some milk in with the water she spritzes on her face during the day. Somerville says: "Milk is rich in proteins, vitamins, amino acids and minerals. The special property of milk protein has unique characteristics to soothe, hydrate and calm.

Debra Messing uses a Kate Somerville eye cream that contains a certain kind of snake venom to keep her alabaster skin firm and glowing. Somerville says, "This ingredient sounds scary, but it does slow the muscle response in the areas around the eye.

Jennifer Love Hewitt allegedly uses this old wives' remedy: toothpaste to dry up a pimple. Somerville's verdict? "There isn?t any science to support this, but it does work -- to an extent.

Sandra Bullock claims she learned this secret on the set of 'Miss Congeniality 2': She uses hemorrhoid cream under her eyes to reduce puffiness and wrinkles.

Halle Berry allegedly mixes coffee grinds into her body wash to keep her rear looking smooth and firm. Somerville says, "Theoretically, this could work. Caffeine is a stimulant and diuretic and when applied to skin it increases blood flow, thus detoxifying and breaking up cellulite-causing toxins and fatty deposits.

We hear Julia Roberts soaks her nails in olive oil to keep her cuticles and her hands soft. Somerville concurs: "Olive oil is rich in fatty acids, specifically, omega-9. It also contains vitamins E and K.

We hear Eva Langoria uses an expensive facial cream that contains placenta protein to keep her face radiant. However, Somerville says, "Placenta cream is fairly controversial. Placenta extracts contain highly active enzymes, proteins, vitamins, anti-oxidants and amino acids important to skin regeneration.

The Most Popular Toys This Holiday Season

Provided by MarketWatch.com

Each holiday season, Toy Wishes magazine tests thousands of toys and predicts which will be the most popular during the crucial holiday season.

American Idol Talent Challenge.

A DVD karaoke machine based on the popular television show.The unit connects to a television, comes with a working microphone and mixer and 12 songs to test your talent.

Compete with friends, who rate you using the DVD remote. You'll hear reactions to your performance from "American Idol" judges Randy, Paula and Simon.

Retail price: $49.99. By Tech2Go.


Aqua Dots Super Studio

Use the translucent, multicolored beads to create designs. Follow the included templates, or create your own. When you're finished, spray with water, and the dots adhere.

Can be used to make decorations, light catchers and other crafts.

Retail price $24.99. By Spin Master.


Barbie Girls

A Barbie toy that interacts with online worlds. The Barbie Girls unit is an MP3 player that connects to a computer and unlocks a virtual world where girls create an avatar -- or virtual character -- and design their own "room," shop at a mall, go to the salon, play games, hang out and chat live with other girls. Add-on packs unlock more content.

Retail price: Device: $59.99. Fashion Pack: $9.99. Deco Pack: $9.99. By Mattel Inc.


Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

The latest in the series of hard-rocking video games that were among the first to use established video-game platforms in a new way. It hooks up the guitar peripheral to a PlayStation, Xbox or Wii.

The new version includes tracks from Alice Cooper, Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, Heart, Kiss and many more.

Retail price: $99.99. By Red Octane.


Hannah Montana Singing Dolls and Pop Star Stage

The Hannah doll, based on the popular television series, sings songs from the teen sensation. The fold-out Pop Star Stage is the setting for a concert. Hooks up to any music player.

Retail price: Doll: $19.99. Pop Star Stage: $59.99. By Play Along, a unit of Jakks Pacific.


Nerf N-Strike Disk Shot

A target game that builds on the classic Nerf brand. Load the foam disks into the disc launcher, and load your blaster foam darts.

A wireless remote that attaches to your blaster lets you control when to send the disks sailing at different heights and angles to create all kinds of challenges.

Test your speed, distance and accuracy. Retail price: $49.99. By Hasbro Inc.


Rubik's Revolution

Six addictive electronic games. The games get tougher as each level completed unlocks a new one.

Retail price: $19.99. By Techno Source.


Smart Cycle

An exercise bicycle that powers games on your television. There are different levels of games, developed around preschool concepts like letters and numbers. It comes with one software package, and others are sold separately.

Retail price: Unit: $99.99. Additional Programs: $19.99. By Mattel unit Fisher-Price.


Spotz

An activity toy geared for "tween" girls using the Internet as a source of creativity. Pick a picture, put it in the Spotz Maker, and you'll get a cool collectible to show and share your style. Refills and accessory kits are also available.

Retail price: $29.99. By Zizzle.


Swypeout Online Battle Racing

Connect the USB scanner, go to the secure Web site and swipe your collectible trading cards to power up for all kinds of races. Play with friends around the corner or around the country.

Retail price: $19.99. By Spin Master.


Transformers Arm Blasters & Transformers Movie Ultimate Bumblebee

The Transformers Movie Ultimate Bumblebee is half-Camaro, half-robot. The Transformers Arm Blasters convert right on your arm from Autobot or Decepticon into full-force, soft-dart blaster.

Retail price: Bumblebee: $89.99. Blasters: $29.99. By Hasbro

The Cheapest Days to Buy Stuff

From SmartMoney.com

Airplane Tickets
When to Buy: Wednesday morning.
Why: "Most airfare sales are thrown out there on the weekend," says travel expert Peter Greenberg, a.k.a. The Travel Detective. Other airlines then jump into the game, discounting their own fares and prompting further changes by the first airline. The fares reach their lowest prices late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Cars
When to Buy: Monday.
Why: "Car dealers live for the weekend, which is when they make most of their sales," says Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. "On Mondays, the low foot traffic makes it seem like the weekend will never come." That dealer desperation, paired with fewer consumers on the lot, give you more negotiating power.

Clothing
When to Buy: Thursday evening.
Why: That's the day when stores stock their shelves for the weekend, and when many retailers start their weekend promotions, says Kathryn Finney, author of "How to Be a Budget Fashionista."

Department-Store Wares
When to Buy: Saturday evening.
Why: Department stores have a lot to mark down for their Sunday circulars, so they frequently start the process on Saturday evenings before store closing.

Dinner Out
When to Buy: Tuesday.
Why: Most restaurants do not receive food deliveries over the weekend. "Sunday is the garbage-can day of the week," says Kate Krader, senior editor at Food & Wine magazine. "No doubt, they're cleaning out their fridges. Tuesdays, they're starting fresh."

Entertainment
When to Buy: Wednesday.
Why: Plenty of movie theaters, amusement parks and museums offer extra discounts to consumers who visit midweek.

Gas
When to Buy: Thursday, before 10 a.m.
Why: The price of oil isn't the only factor influencing costs at your local pump. Consumer usage plays a role, too — and weekend demand is high, says Jason Toews, co-founder of GasBuddy.com, a price-monitoring site. Prices usually swing upward on Thursdays as travelers fuel up to head out the following day. By hitting the pump before 10 a.m. (when many station owners change their prices), you'll beat the rush and the price jump.

Groceries
When to Buy: Sunday — or Tuesday.
Why: Maximize savings by combining store sales, which run from Wednesday to Tuesday, with the latest round of coupons from your Sunday paper, says Mary Hunt, publisher of Debt-Proof Living, a money-saving newsletter. "It's a smart idea to wait until you have those in hand to match up with the week's sale items," she says.

Hotel Rooms
When to Buy: Sunday.
Why: There are two kinds of hotel managers, and the kind that won't give you a discount on your room rate has Sundays off, says Greenberg. Call the hotel directly, and ask to speak with the manager on duty or the director of sales. These employees are open to negotiation, he says. They'd rather have a booked room at a discounted rate than an empty room.