About the World Food Programme Feedbag

The World Food Programme Feedbag

Today I'm breaking from the topic of children's toys to talk about something I consider to be very important - feeding the poverty-stricken children of the world.

There is something that I would like to make more people aware of, that is the World Food Programme Feedbag.

Here's what it's all about: Lauren Bush (daughter of Neil Bush, niece of the US President, George Bush) has teamed up with the UN World Food Programme and Amazon.com to create a great idea - it's a brown burlap and white canvas (reversible) shoulder bag with pockets on the white side - very sturdy and very useful.

What happens when someone buys one of these bags? One child in poverty is fed in their school for an entire year!

The cost of the bag is about $60, and with each purchase $20 is donated to this fund. It's available exclusively @ Amazon.com and in my opinion is quite a worthwhile purchase.

There are more details about this program, and I've created an entire web page on this subject. 20% of the proceeds from that page go to the "Action Against Hunger" fund - thereby donating even more to the cause of child hunger in the world. You can view that page here:

Visit the World Food Programme Feedbag Page

Note: This post is being made the day before Christmas Eve - I would like to wish everyone a warm and merry Christmas!

New Webkinz

New Webkinz - Late 2007

2007 is drawing to a close. Some new Webkinz have recently gone onto the shelves (and the online stores) and some more on the way.

I will likely be creating more posts in the future with a similar theme to this, with updated info as time goes on.

Anyhow, here are the 5 new Webkinz Pets that have recently been released (it sometimes takes a few moments for the slides to come up...):




#1 is the Charcoal Cat. It's Special Item is "Paw Print Fireplace" and it's Special Food is "Roasted Mousemallows". Some favorite activities of this little Webkinz are spending time in the Arcade, and in the Kinzville Academy in Webkinz World.




This sweet little Webkinz Collie is #2. It's hard to find a face that precious, except on a real live Collie dog.

It's Special Item is "Ossilily Plant" and it's Special Food is "Collie Lolly".

Since Collie's are herders by nature and so naturally love groups, this one loves to hang out in groups in Webkinz World.



#3 Release is Webkinz Penguin. He is a waddly little critter who loves to have adventures and fun. It's Special Item is "Icy Fishing Hole" and it's Special Food is "Fishsicle" - because he (or she) just loves fish!




#4 on our list of new release Webkinz is a Lil' Kinz, and he is a Koala bear. Koala's are known for their "lounging around" and love of sleep, but this one is always up for an adventure in Webkinz World. Special Item is "Wacky Eucalyptus TV", and it's Special Food is "Tasty Eucalyptus Pastries".


#5 - and last on our list of new releases is also a Penguin but is a Lil' Penguin - a Lil' Kinz Penguin that is.

He's very much like his larger counterpart and is just as much fun and waddly. Special Item is "Ice Fishing Hole" and Special Food is "Fishsicle" - just like the bigger Webkinz.


To get more options on shopping and pricing of these new Webkinz, you can visit my "Webkinz - New Releases and Coming Soon" page - info also available there for the ones to be released in the near future, along with links to pre-order them, in case you want to get them as soon as they are released.

Thanks for visiting!

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Want to see ALL of the Webkinz - new, existing and retired?
Click Here to Visit my All Webkinz Website

Where to Buy Russ Shining Stars

Shining Star Toys by Russ Berrie, U.S. Gift.

If you're a fan of Webkinz, there's a good chance you'll like Russ Shining Stars.

They're absolutely adorable, and they have a quality that no other plush toy has, and likely never will - the ability to name a real star after the pet.

If you're not familiar with these toys, you can get the review on the Shining Stars Site.

Okay - where to buy? There are a number of places that you can check out for pricing but the best prices I've seen on them so far have been with eBay and Amazon. But as always prices can fluctuate based on demand and competition between resources, so here you go:

Click Here for Shining Stars @ Buy.com

NEW Resource!
Kimmy Shop has Shining Stars on Sale:

Click Here to Find Shining Stars @ KimmyShop

A word about Russ Shining Stars - These are possibly the most unique virtual pets I've seen due to the "name a star" aspect. International Star Registry is a service where anyone can actually buy a right to name a star and have their chosen name entered into the register. It's a really neat idea for a gift but even better when it's for a child.

That's my two cents. :)

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Click Here for a List of Shining Star Pets

New! Visit My New Shining Star Toys Store!

Visit the "Russ Berrie Shining Stars - The 'Name a Star" Pets Page

Name a Star at StarRegistry.com

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More Great Toys by Russ:

Check Out Russ Puppets @ Squidoo

Top 10 Toys for Kids

The word is out! Toy Wishes magazine has published the top toys of 2007 (and part of 2008) - these are predicted to sell out during the Christmas Holiday season this year.

For each toy listed, links will be provided for you to do a bit of price shopping. These are places I researched in terms of having the best prices at this writing (Oct., 2007). Note: I won't state outright which online resources have the best prices, because the prices are subject to change based on competition and demand.

The best prices I found online were at Amazon.com, eBay.com, Buy.com and WalMart.com -- so without further delay, here they are:

(Drumroll....)

#1. American Idol Talent Challenge

Pricing Links:
American Idol Talent Challenge - Amazon aStore
American Idol Talent Challenge on eBay

#2. Aqua Dots Super Studio
(Note: This toy has been recalled as being potentially dangerous for children.)

#3. Barbie Girls

Pricing Links:
Barbie Girls on Amazon aStore

#4. Eye Clops

Pricing Links:
Eye Clops on Amazon aStore
Price Eye Clops on eBay.com
Price Eye Clops on WalMart.com

#5. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Pricing Links:
Guitar Hero III on Amazon aStore
Guitar Hero III on eBay.com

#6. Hannah Montana Singing Dolls & Pop Stage

Pricing Links:
Hannah Montana on Amazon aStore
Price Hannah Montana on eBay.com

#7. Nerf N-Strike Disk Shot

Pricing Links:
aStore: Nerf N-Strike Disk Shot
Nerf N-Strike @ eBay.com

#8. Rubik's Revolution

Pricing Links:
Amazon aStore: Rubik's Revolution
Rubik's Revolution on eBay.com

#9. Fisher-Price Smart Cycle (and Video Games)

Pricing Links:
aStore: Top Ten Toys - Fischer-Price Smart Cycle
Fischer-Price Smart Cycle on eBay.com

#10. Spotz

Pricing Links:
Spotz on Amazon aStore
Spotz on eBay.com

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You can also visit:

Top 10 Toys For Kids @ Squidoo
Top 10 Toys for Girls
Top 10 Toys for Boys
Top 10 NEW Toys for Boys on HubPages.com

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Thanks for visiting my Top 10 Toys for Kids Post - I hope this helps you with your Christmas (or other) toy shopping!

Special Post: About Retiring Webkinz

What does it mean when a Webkinz "retires"? That means it goes out of production. There is a sort of a "game" that goes on along with the retiring of the Webkinz - it's a guessing game, with the question, "Which ones will be retired next?"

Let me explain...

There are basically two types of Webkinz fans:

1. Those who collect them, play with them and make use of them as stuffed plush animals and virtual pets.

2. Those who purchase them and keep them like new in hopes that they will retire, and that the price will go up and they can sell them at a profit.

Either way, these people are very curious about which Webkinz will be retiring - the collectors hope that they get them before they cost too much and the sellers buy them in hopes that the price will go up!

But Ganz doesn't announce which ones will retire, so it tends to be a bit of an unsure situation.

There are various resources online, however, that make predictions on which ones will retire, and the ones who are reliable sources are almost always correct. It appears to be possible then, to figure out at least most of the ones that are in the retirement lineup.

There's been quite a bit of "noise" about this amongst Webkinz fans, so I wanted to share some information I've come across. If you're curious about this, I've written a full article on the subject, and you can check it out: Click Here to View the Retiring Webkinz Page.

If you have some input on retiring Webkinz, or if you would just like to make a comment, feel free to submit a comment on this blog - I'd love to hear any info you have to offer!

Where to Buy Power Tour Electric Guitar for Kids

About Power Tour Electric Guitar

Attention Parents - is your kid an aspiring rock star?

Well, Hasbro and Gibson guitar have teamed up to create the "best invention since the wheel" as far as learning the electric guitar is concerned.

It's called "Power Tour Electric Guitar" and is kind of a mixture of a toy and the real thing. It's the best instrument I've ever seen for learning to play the guitar - which is not exactly an easy thing to learn.

Here's why I think this product is so great: If you've ever attempted to learn to play the guitar - whether successful at it or not - you probably know that there is quite a steep learning curve involved. There's a lot to figure out right from the start, including what the notes are and where they are compared to the other notes, where to press the strings to make the right tones, how the fingerboard works, how to strum with and without a pick - all at the same time, and that's really just the beginning.

What the guitar does is undercut the difficulty and simplify the learning process quite a bit, drilling the child where to put fingers to play the right notes and strumming and does this all with touch sensors. It also helps the child to slow down on the playing until he/she has it right before moving on. It's a gradual learning process, without throwing it all into the same "learning pot" at the same time. Pretty cool. For full info on what it is exactly and how it works you can go here:

Visit the Power Tour Electric Guitar for Kids Review

The Guitar was released in September of 2007 and - in my opinion - is the most exciting thing to happen in the music toy market for a long time. If you have a child between the ages of about 9 to 13 or so who is interested in the electric guitar, I think you might agree. :)

Where to buy it:

The best prices I've seen are WalMart.com and Amazon.com. The guitar (as of this writing) runs between $60 and $70, and there is an amp you can buy as well, which sells for around $40. I have seen the prices fluctuating somewhat in both of these places and I expect that they will continue to change, at least some.

Price it at WalMart.com: Power Tour Electric Guitar, Black

Price it at Amazon.com: Power Tour Guitars and Amp

As a note, I'm excited about the release of the power tour guitar, and quite impressed with the amount of thought and detail that went into it. It's truly a great idea, and I believe that it will be very popular once people catch wind of it!

Where to Buy Webkinz

This is a fairly common question: "Where to buy Webkinz?"

There are a number of answers, but generally speaking they're
not very easy to find. You can't just drop by your neighborhood Wal-Mart or Target store and expect to find them -- at least I haven't been able to, and believe me I've looked.

There are local specialty stores that carry them, especially in larger cities, but the easiest and most cost-effective way to get them is on the web.

Webkinz, as of this writing, are THE most popular toys and are a collection item for many adults as well.

The best places to buy them that I have found are Amazon and eBay. In both of these places, you will likely find the best prices available, and the products are great. (Just make sure to check out the ratings and/or credentials of the sellers.)

Click here to view Webkinz on Ebay

Click Here to View Webkinz on Amazon

New! Webkinz Have Just Arrived at Buy.com!

If you have trouble finding what you want there, or if you just don't like buying from those companies for some reason, you can try HomeTeams.com. They have a great selection of Webkinz, and have decent prices as well:

Click Here! New Webkinz Shipment Just Arrived $9.99 & up.


Now for those of you who are aware of the fact that several of the Webkinz toys have been "retired" (gone out of production and have become collector's items) you might know about the popularity of an adorable creature called "Cheeky Dog". Of all the retired webkinz, this one is the most in demand. I've created a web page on the subject of where to find him, and you can view that here:

Webkinz Cheeky Dog Center

I will be writing more on the subject of Webkinz in other places, and as time goes on I will keep this post updated.

Happy Webkinz Hunting!

Tonya B.

September 2007 Update:

Here's a great place to find the entire Retired Webkinz line, with full pricing information and online shopping for the best prices available:

Retired Webkinz - Where Are They Now?

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Related Links:

Webkinz Cheeky Dog For Sale

Webkinz Online Review

What Are Webkinz?

Webkinz Cheeky Monkey by Ganz

Retired Webkinz - Where are They Now?

Squidoo Lens: Retired Webkinz

Introduction to Best Toys for Kids Online

Hello and welcome!

My name is Tonya, and I am both an internet marketer and
work-at-home mom.

Being a mother, I have decided to specialize in reviews and
affiliate marketing for children's toys, since this is definitely
a subject where I am "in the know".

In my work, I constantly seek out the best prices for the
best and most popular toys being sold online today, so
decided I should share that information with other parents
and toy-buyers here.

Feel free to make comments on this blog, and also feel free to share
information in the comments that might be beneficial to
others.

I hope that you find this information helpful - that's what
it's here for!

Thanks for visiting!