Toys R Us and Walmart have been advertising that they have limited quanitites in stores only but this morning Walmart has a few online. They are also available at amazon and ebay but prices might be inflated.

Don’t fight the crowds, pick up Zhu Zhu Pets online now!

Zhu Zhu Pets have been nominated by the Toy Industry Association for Girl Toy of the Year and Innovative Toy of the Year. Winners of the Toy Awards are announced in February, 2010.

The Princess and the Frog opens nationwide tomorrow but the toys have been selling already and some are sold out. With classic Disney animation, a great new African American princess, settings in New Orleans, music by Randy Newman, there’s a lot to like about this movie. We’ll hear from the Moms and kids tomorrow.

The most popular of the Princess and the Frog toys are the Princess Tiana dolls.  Tiana wears her bayou wedding dress. Prince Naveen also wears his wedding suit.  There is also a Princess Tiana doll in a sparkling blue gown that lights up with firefly lights.  She is nominated by the Toy Industry Assocation for Girl Toy of the Year.

The Princess and the Frog Tiana’s Cookbook with recipes for kids is a fun and inexpensive gift at just $8. It includes recipes for Tiana’s Beignets, Swamp-Water Smoothies, Ray’s Mud Pie and Banana French Toast.

There is a colorful Disney The Princess and the Frog Princess Tiana Cooking set which would be a lot of fun to combine with a kids play kitchen for Christmas.

Finally, Disney Princess & The Frog Bedding makes for great room decor in fun colors. Your kids will love to go to bed in their fun new sheets and comforter.

Pick up the popular Princess and the Frog toys now as they are selling out quickly!

Find where to purchase the best deals on the Play Kitchen Toys in this post.

The pretend play kitchen toys are usually designed for toddlers and preschoolers. Although we may think of them as girls toys, the boys often like to play with kitchens as well. I found that my daughter used her kitchen indoors and out (we moved it around) for a few years. It was definitely a toy that was played with over and over again.  From time to time, we updated it with inexpensive new pots and pans or pretend food. Here are some of the great kids toy kitchen deals available right now:

Little Tikes Side by Side Kitchen – This is a corner design kitchen with small sink, refrig, oven and storage. With a smaller footprint and price, it is a great value. On sale now at Walmart for $49. At this price, it won’t last long.

Step2 Lifestyle Custom Kitchen – Another great plastic kitchen with lots of features. It has refrigerator, oven, stove, and lots of storage.  Walmart has the Step2 Kitchen bundled with a 101 piece play food set for just $79. Another bargain that is hard to beat.

KidKraft Large Play Kitchen. If you’re looking for a wooden toy kitchen, KidKraft has the best. The large play kitchen has a refrigerator, freezer, oven and microwave with doors that open and close.  Note the wood kitchens are made with particle board and we don’t recommend outdoor use. But if you’re planning to keep it indoors, this should be a great pretend play experience. The KidKraft Large Play Kitchen is $139.

If you have the space, there are several other larger play kitchens with more play options.  I particularly like the new Step2 Market-Fresh Kitchen which combines kitchen with cash register, scanner and shopping made bag of recycled material.

Find these great Play Kitchens and more.

Black Friday sales have already started. Target and DiscoveryStore had good coupons that expired today. New offers start tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Day – Target has online only sales, find more info here: Black Friday Toy Deals .  This is followed by a 2 day sale on 11/27 and 11/28.

Walmart has several toys on rollback prices including the Step2 LifeStyle Custom Kitchen, several Power Wheels Ride Ons, the Step2 Fantasy Vanity, and the Leapster 2. On Friday, two new Power Wheels Jeeps go on sale for just $88. – the Fisher-Price Power Wheels Hot Wheels Jeep Ride-On and the Fisher-Price Power Wheels Barbie Jeep Ride-On.  Find a huge selection of Battery Powered Ride Ons.

Amazon has reduced the price on some popular toys including the new Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid. Find these Bakugan Toys and more.

Kazoo Toys has specialty toys not often found at larger retailers. For the first time ever, they have coupon codes that are good through the holiday season. Pick up the Kazoo Toy Coupon Codes now.

DiscoveryStore will have several popular toys on sale starting on Black Friday, some up to 70% off. Check out the DiscoveryStore toy deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Smart Cycle Extreme has been reduced in price at all major retailers. Last we checked it was available for $69.97 with free shipping and no taxes. Find the best deals on Smart Cycle and other new PreSchool Fitness Toys.

Spend time at home with family rather than in the malls, shop online for convenience and best prices. Some items will be in short supply this year as retailers try to keep down inventory and costs, so if you want, pick it up this week-end.

Happy Holidays.

The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio usually focuses on award winning toys but this year Stephanie gave a quick segment on the Today Show of the 5 hottest toys for the season.  We agree with her choices but think it’s going to be frustrating for parents that 2 of the hottest toys are only available from 3rd party sellers at highly inflated prices.

Find links to purchase the Five Hottest Toys for 2009.

Zhu Zhu Pets – These cute furry hamsters were popular when the G-Force Movie came out and have been hard to find ever since.  Mr. Squiggles has been one of the top selling toys at Amazon and has dropped out of the top 10 because of the high prices.  Originally listing for $10, he is now up to $64.99. Walmart, Target, and ToysRUs all still list Zhu Zhu Pets on their website but they have been out of stock since summer and store look ups are disabled. Bah Humbug on Zhu Zhu Pets this year.

Mindflex Game by Mattel – The Mindflex game was still available in early November but has been out of stock at all major retailers for about 2 weeks now.  Walmart had the lowest list price at $59.97.  Some specialty retailers were selling Mindflex for $99 but they are all out of stock as well now. EntertainmentEarth and Hammacher are indicating inventory will arrive in February, 2010. If you want it now, it is available at Amazon and ebay for inflated prices of about $165.

Disney Princess & The Frog Just One Kiss Princess Tiana Doll – Yes a product that is in stock! $24.88 at Walmart, available other retailers as well. The movie comes out in December and demand is expected to be strong, so grab one now!   Find links to purchase the Princess Tiana Doll and other great Princess and the Frog toys.

LEGO Star Wars – There are a ton of LEGO Star Wars toys made popular by the TV Clone Wars Star Wars show. The one that Stephanie mentions is the Star Wars Anakin’s Fighter. It is a bit hard to find.  The Venator class Replublic Attack Cruiser is a top seller at Amazon and still in stock. Find a huge selection of Star Wars Toys – in stock now for the holidays.

Matchbox Rocky the Robot Truck – An interactive dump truck! He speaks over 100 prases and tells jokes. He’s a best seller at Amazon and available in traditional retail packaging as well as the Amazon Frustration-Free packaging for $59.99. Rocky is also at DiscoveryStore for $79.95. He is out of stock at the other major retailers, so you might want to grab it now!

Find the Oppenheim Five Hottest Toys and other great award winning toys for the holidays.

Reference: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and view the Today show clip.

Excitement is mounting for the New Moon movie opening tonight! Part of the Twilight Saga, Twilight and New Moon gifts will be popular for pre-teens and teens this year. 

Find great deals on the Twilight, New Moon Games and Gifts.

Right now the Scene It? Twilight Deluxe Edition is a best seller at Amazon. It features clips from the Twilight movie and comes with tips for planning a Twilight Party.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon – The Movie Board Game – is an inexpensive board game for ages 10 and up.  It’s a trivia game with challenges from the Quieleutes to the Volturi. Reunite Bella and Eward to win. The original Twilight Board Game is also available but the reviews are not so good.

Mattel has produced a couple of cool Barbie Twilight dolls – Edward and Bella. You can purchase them individually or as a set.

The Twilight New Moon Calendar for 2010 is an inexpensive Christmas gift with beautiful pictures.

Amazon has an exclusive jewelry replica set with New Moon Cullen Crest. It’s a pre-order with release date of Nov. 30, 2009.

Find Twilight Gifts and great deals on toys for the holidays. Shop early, some items will be in short supply this year.

The Target Toy Catalog was in the paper last Sunday (Nov 8).  It came with quite a few coupons that can also be used online.  If you didn’t save the toy catalog, we have many of the Target Toy Coupons here with links to these popular toys. Note, these coupons expire on 11/25/2009. That is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. So shop now if you want to take advantage of these deals. Some of the top selling toys include:

Fisher Price Handy Manny’s Repair Shop – Many preschool boys love Handy Manny! The repair shop gets high reviews at Amazon!

Playskool Kota & Pals Monty Rex – A soft and snuggly dinosaur that responds to touch. He walks, roars, chomps, and plays tunes. For ages 3 and up.

LeapFrog Zippity High-Energy Learning System - Learning system from LeapFrog and Disney that combines movement with games. The Disney characters will be sure to appeal to the girls.

Fisher Price TRIO King’s Castle – Build a cool castle with easy to follow instructions for several designs.  Once built there are plenty of accessories for creative play.  Designed for ages 5 to 9.

Magic Reveal Chef’s Oven – Inexpensive play oven with pot, food, fork and spoon. Put your food in the oven and it comes out cooked. Ages 3 and up.

Mattel D-REX Interactive Dinosaur – Updated for 2009, this popular dinosaur combines robotics, sensors and reptilian like skin for a lifelike appearance and behavior. He walks, chomps and roars. You can even teach him tricks. Ages 8 and up.

There are many more Target Toy Coupons, take a look now before the sale is over!

As reported by the AP, Scared retailers create shortages of hot toys. It’s all because of the economy, retailers don’t want to get stuck with too much inventory.  Mindflex is one of those hard to find toys for the holidays. Even with inflated prices by third party sellers, Mindflex remains as a top selling toy on Amazon, number 14 at the moment.

We have located options to purchase Mindflex.  They are not perfect but if you really want it, we have options.  Amazon has inventory from 3rd party resellers.  Likewise, you can find Mindflex on ebay and there is one game site that has doubled the price. A couple of retailers are taking back orders for delivery in late November and early December.  There is a risk that this stock will not arrive. There is also a risk that you will overpay and when the stock does arrive it will be cheaper at Walmart.  It’s a gamble. If you want this mind control game, pick it up now!

 Besides Mindflex, there is also a fun Star Wars Force Trainer that uses mind control to levitate a ball. This Jedi Mind Control game is in stock at the moment. Check out Mindflex and other popular Mind Control and Brain Games now.

The DiscoveryStore, part of the Discovery Channel, has educational toys for all ages and really excels in educational toys for the pre-teen set (typically ages 8 and up).  They released their top 5 toys for the holidays, some are new some have been around a few years, all are highly rated toys. Here they are:

Discovery Joebot is new this year and exclusive to the Disocvery Store. With advanced robot technology, Joebot can walk, talk, dance, and interact and is very funny.  He’s for ages 8 and up and lists for $99.95.  Shop early with a coupon.  Find Joebot here:  Discovery Toys.

The Discovery Macro Microscope is a quality kids microscope with micro and macro settings.  It can magnify from 40 to 400 times with clear images. Lenses are interchangeable with most standard research-quality microscopes.  It comes with all the accessories shown in the picture. The Discovery Macro Microscope lists for $79.95. Pick up the Discovery Microscope for a great gift.

The Discovery Ultimate Pottery Wheel has been around for a couple of years and is a popular arts and craft toy. It has 3 speeds and is great for all skill levels, however is recommended for ages 8 and up. It comes with clay and instructions and you may want to pick up some extra clay. The pottery wheel lists for $79.95. Take a look at the Discovery Pottery Wheel.

The Discovery Liluminated Ant Gel Habitat is a fascinating ant farm.  It is a complete, self sustaining habitat and does not require food or water. The ants are shipped directly to your home. You might want to open the box and order them before Christmas.  Just $29.95 and for ages 8 and up.

The last of the top 5 toys for the holidays is the Discovery Sky & Land Telescope.  This is a 70mm, refracting, short barrel telescope. It is designed to be easy to use for kids and adults and can be used for stargazing or observing nature.  This is a quality, hard working telescope and lists for $159.95. You will only find this telescope at the DiscoveryStore.

Find all these great toys and more at Discovery Top Toys.

TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure is a DVD release for 10/27/2009.  With some great actors doing the voices – Kristen Chenoweth, Pamela Adlon, Lucy Liu, Anjelica Huston and more, and the Disney characters, this is a fun movie for kids.  The release scheduled so close to the holidays assures that the Tinker Bell toys will be on the wish list for Christmas!

Disney Fairies Tinker Bell Talking Cafe Play Set

This is a magical playset for the preschool set. The cafe says, “My name is Tinker Bell. I’m glad you could meet me here at the cafe.”  The faucet makes water sounds, the cash register beeps, burners make cooking sounds and the oven door opens. It comes with 16 accessories including a baking sheet, teapot with cups and sauces and food items. Lots of pretend play here! The Tinker Bell Cafe is for ages 3 and up and sells for $99.95.

Tinker Bell Dolls

There are several TinkerBell dolls available. The newest is a fluttering tinker bell doll that flutters her wings when you touch her. She is an 11″ doll dressed in a classic Tinker Bell fairy costume with wings.  There is also a gift pack set with 5 Disney fairy dolls – Tinker Bell, Silvermist, Rosetta, Fawn and Iridessa. These are smaller 6″ dolls all dressed in fall themed costumes with fairy wings.  From last year we have the WowWee FlyTech Tinker Bell which is a remote controlled Tinker Bell that flies! Shes designed for indoor use and girls can fly her around their room!

Pick up the TinkerBell DVD and toys now!