It’s the most wonderful time of the year again! Every year, I struggle a bit to find the best toys for my kids! This year, they are all a bit older and so the two older ones made out their letters to Santa.

We have been bombarded with commercials telling us what the hottest toys are for this holiday season 2010. After talking to a few kids (my own, plus neighbor kids and much younger cousins), here is what I gather to be the top 20 hot toys for Christmas 2010!

1. Pillow Pets — Not just sold on TV! These plush and cuddly pillows are in the shape of animals. It reminds me of the pillow people of my generation.
2. Silly Bandz — Rubber bands that come in various shapes and sizes can be the perfect stocking stuffer! My oldest is simply silly for Silly Bandz!
3. Lego (anything) — Legos are back and better than ever! As your kids build their tall castles, houses and vehicles they are also building their imaginations!
4. Disney Princess dolls — Tiana, Ariel, Belle, Aurora, Jasmine, Snow White, Cinderella and the gang sit in their pretty boxes just begging to be played with!
5. Toy Story 3 — I don’t know about your kids… but mine are just crazy about Buzz, Woody & Jessie! There will certainly be Toy Story 3 stuff under our tree this year.
6. Leap Frog Leapster Explorer — A new generation of Leapster is here to rock the world!
7. Imaginext — Great toy sets that are sold in different settings (Batman, Dinosaurs, Toy Story, etc.).
8. Harry Potter — The latest Harry Potter movie will be sure to have your kids (young and old) begging for Harry Potter stuff to grace their Christmas tree!
9. Xbox Kinect — For your gamer! The Xbox Kinect allows for increased interactivity in online and regular game play.
10. Playstation Move — Similar to the Xbox Kinect.
11. Dance Star Mickey — Move over Elmo! Mickey is here to rock your socks off!
12. Sing-A-Ma-Jigs: Think Furby.
13. Zhu Zhu Pets — Hot toy last year is still hot this year!
14. Board Games — That’s right. Family fun night is a popular night among children of all ages! Find some great board games for your family fun night!
15. Thomas & Friends: Follow Me Thomas Train — Cute toy! Thomas follows the flashlight!
16. Squinkies — Tiny little squishy toys that come in the form of little squinkie people or squinkie pets!
17. VTech Mobigo Touch — Rivals the Leapster game system! Hours of fun!
18. Kid Tough digital camera — Cute cameras with a tough exterior! Great for little ones who like to take pictures!
19. Baby Alive — The Baby Alive doll is sure to please your little one and spark imaginative play! My daughter asked for this just last week.
20. Scooter — The scooter is back and hotter than ever!

So that’s it folks. My top 20 toy list for 2010. If you have anything to add, be sure to comment!

I need a vacation.  It doesn’t have to be anywhere super expensive.  Heck, even a trip to the bathroom uninterrupted would be great.  I just need to go someplace where my kids can’t find me for an hour. And maybe I can find some great weight loss supplements while I am at it. And if you throw in a charm bracelet, I will be your best friend forever.

Thanks a million.

Love,

Me

The holidays always seem to be the worst time for dieting. If you work in an office, then you know that you are bombarded with holiday treats from other office members or vendors. You are staring down 30 days (or more) worth of cookies, nuts, candies, and other yummy holiday treats. You probably aren’t even thinking of your diet or purchasing some kind of adipex diet pill. I know I don’t.

But keeping the holidays in perspective is important. Which is why, i’m going to invest in an electric roaster. I think roasting your turkey (as opposed to frying it) is a good way to keep your bird moist and flavorful without all of the extra calories.

How do you cook your Turkey?

I am in the process of gathering all of my holiday decor. I want to be fully armed and fabulous with some new Christmas decorations! I am looking for some holiday area rugs for the kitchen and dining room area.

Today, I found the cutest snowman decoration at Dollar General. I love to shop there because their holiday decorations continue to get better and better! Last year, I found a cute little Christmas village. This year, I am hoping to find a nativity scene!

How do you decorate for the holidays? Do you have a theme (ie, snowmen, everything in certain colors, etc.)? Or do you just go with the flow?

The time has come to start ordering your Christmas cards.  I have to admit that I love picking out Christmas cards!  The card designs seem to get better and better and the selection to choose from all the more wider. One of the most popular things to do is to get pictures taken and then have holiday photo cards made for friends and family. It’s a good way to create a time honored holiday tradition keepsake!

Do you have holiday cards made or do you buy them from the store?

I am so excited to see that fall has moved in on us like a lion. The leaves are at their peak color and everyone seems to have a yard that overflows with these colorful reminders of the season. Pretty soon, we’ll be turning our clocks back and thinking about pumpkin pie and pilgrims. The fall season always moves fairly quickly because of the activity. It starts with back to school and then ends with Thanksgiving.

Christmas however, is a whole different thing. Cookies, trees, presents, holiday jingles and colorful lights brighten our days (and our waist lines). When I was a little girl, I can remember picking out our tree from the great wide open of our farm. The trees we picked looked a lot smaller outside than they did when we tried to get them into the house. Now, I am citified and my family and I purchased an artificial christmas tree. It’s not that bad actually and the best part is that I don’t have to clean up after dry pine needles or worry about it starting on fire. I have to admit that I can’t wait to get it out in a month!

Do you have a real Christmas tree or an artificial one?

Man, I LOVE this time of year! I got my Halloween decorations out early (to which husb is endlessly teasing me about. He thinks our neighbors are going to freak out about the shrunken skeleton heads hanging on the porch!).

I love the smell of fall, the cooler weather, the beautiful colors, the holidays…. especially the holidays!

I have started the family tradition of baking up a storm during this time of year. One of my favorite desserts is pumpkin pie! Although, I do like sweet potato pie as well!

What kind of pie do you prefer during the holidays?

The nights are getting cooler and the days less scorched.  Pretty soon, it will be time to think about Halloween costumes and Christmas invitations. I don’t know about you… but I don’t feel quite ready for the season yet. No… I take that back. I feel ready for autumn because I absolutely LOVE the time of the year. What I am not quite ready for is the snow that seems to come down in buckets over here in this state.

As beautiful and enticing as fall is to me, there’s something just a bit sad about the fading of summer.