Looking for great holiday gifts for the extreme sports junkie in your life? Daddiesboardshop.com has all you need to fulfill any adrenaline fix! From snowboards and skateboards to boots, bindings, trucks, wheels and more, this one-stop boarding shop has it all at discounted prices.

Shop now to take advantage of their pre-season snow sale and take 15% off 2008 inventory. With free UPS ground shipping on all orders, how can you possibly resist?

Don’t be alarmed if you suddenly find your kids voluntarily taking out the garbage, doing the dishes, cleaning their rooms, or actually listening to what you have to say. No, they haven’t been secretly replaced by do-gooder replica robots. They’re simply building up a little insurance.

You see, children around the world are making their lists and checking them twice as they try their best to stay off the naughty list. The way they see it, a holiday without Barbies, video games or LEGOs would be no holiday at all.

When the time comes to reward your kids’ good behavior, there’s only one place to go—FAO Schwarz—the legendary toy haven of fun. Not only does the whimsical retailer have the best selection of dolls, games, gadgets and customizable toys, it also has a handy gift finder and staff picks to help you choose the perfect present. Plus, you can save with FREE shipping for the holidays on all order over $75. Or, check out their close-out deals and online outlet to save even more money!

For many people, the most frightening thing about Halloween is finding a new costume. A trip to the dentist, scaling Mount Everest or accomplishing world peace all seem less daunting than deciding what to don come October 31.

This year, save your fear for horror films and haunted houses, and let CostumeManiacs.com take care of your costume worries. From sexy costumes to silly costumes, kids’ costumes, pet costumes and more, CostumeManiacs.com has what you need—at below-retail prices!

Besides providing shoppers with already reduced prices, this one-stop Halloween shop offers money-saving deals and clearance specials, plus a hassle-free return policy that lets you shop with confidence.

Once you’ve decided what to wear, why not order a few decorations and props to throw a Halloween party or two. After all, isn’t showing off your new costume what it’s all about?

Ping, pong, rally’s on! Maybe it’s the fast-paced action; maybe it’s the musical sound the ball makes as it hits the table; or, perhaps it’s the simple fact that players of all ages and abilities can have fun doing it. Whatever the reason, table tennis (a.k.a. Ping-Pong) is a beloved pastime of many. In fact, the sport is so red-hot, Hollywood has gone so far as to make an entire movie about it.

Balls of Fury>

Whether your matches take place on the silver screen, in your parents' garage, or at the Olympics, let’s face it, you gotta have the right gear. Not sure where to shop for the best stuff at the best prices? Never fear, the Table Tennis Superstore has got the equipment you need—from tables and rackets to practice balls, replacement nets and table tennis robots.

Founded in 1997, the specialty retailer offers a 110% price match guarantee, no restocking fees, free shipping specials and daily sales, providing you with the best deals online or on the streets!

The friendly retailer understands the difficulty of purchasing products “sight unseen” and works to do all it can to make the process as fast, easy and painless as possible. Check out their customer testimonials to see what others have to say.

So, the next time you’re in the market for a Stiga Flash Table Tennis Racket or a Robo-Pong 540 Table Tennis Robot Upgrade kit, you know where to shop. The Table Tennis Superstore, 275,000 customers served…and counting!

U-G-L-Y…You ain’t got no alibi…You are so on the ball, you saw ugly coming a mile away. Ugly is the new black, and you love it dark. Anything you deemed ugly, is now your new beautiful. From TV shows such as Golden Globe winner, Ugly Betty, to your tabloid obsession with train wreck conductor, Britney Spears, unattractive is undeniably in. The eye-sore aesthetic has even raised its ugly stick towards the cute and cuddly world of toys. Step aside Elmo, the Ugly Doll is moving in. For an unbeatable selection of these oddly appealing dolls, and other toys to make your kids swoon, visit Stewarttoys.com.

Established in 2001 out of founder David Stewart's spare bedroom, Stewarttoys.com has everything a kid or kid at heart could want, from plastic swords and guns to Hello Kitty karaoke systems, whoopie cushions, musical instruments and all the dinosaurs a budding paleontologist needs. Plus, if you are not completely satisfied with your order, the friendly online retailer will promptly issue a full refund.

At Stewarttoys.com discover friends like Cinko, IceBat, Little Target and Little Jeero. These guys may be homely, but each one is soft, squeezable and full of personality. If personality is not what you're after, browse Stewarttoys.com's super assortment of Sesame Street dolls, balls, play tents, ride-on toys, games and more. Embrace your inner U-G-L-Y and start shopping!

-Jenni T.

Oprah's favorite things are cool, but Store Appeal's favorite things...save you money. As 2006 comes to a close, Store Appeal reflects on some of the wonderful stores we have profiled for you over the past year. We have featured a wide variety of merchants selling everything from cigars and sunglasses to flip flops, wetsuits and Disney Halloween costumes. We hope that you have enjoyed Store Appeal, and will continue to remain loyal readers of our newsletter. Your responses to our blog entries have been both gratifying and informative. We encourage you to continue writing to us with your comments, ideas and criticisms. The new year will bring more blogs dedicated to your specific interests, and our usual casting of the widest possible net, to discover the web's freshest, hottest and most unique stores. We now present, Store Appeal's favorite online stores of 2006:

Favorite Electronics Store:

Tigerdirect.com

Favorite Clothing & Accessories Store:

eLuxury.com

Favorite Baby Store:

Strollers.com

Favorite Outdoors Store:

REI.com

Favorite Toys & Games Store:

eStarland.com

Favorite Home & Garden Store:

Factorycard.com

Favorite Pet Supplies Store:

Chimpfeet.com

Favorite Food Store:

Trufflemarket.com

See you next year!

The most anticipated video game systems in the last 5 years have just come out. “It’s the only thing in life we’ve ever wanted, and we’ll just die if we don’t get the new Nintendo Wii or PlayStation 3,” your kids scream. Your parental response, “no problem.” Unfortunately, you don’t have the time or energy to wait in lines for hours on end, and you don’t have enough money to pay the homeless to do it for you. So, what do you do?

Do you buy them a sweater instead and tell them that they made it onto Santa’s naughty list? Or do you try and explain to your seven-year-old the subtleties of supply and demand economics? If neither of these options sound good to you, don’t worry, there’s a third option: eStarland.com.

At eStarland.com, you can avoid the holiday lines and pre-order the Nintendo Wii, as well as highly rated Wii games like Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Fair warning though, Nintendo Wii stock is extremely limited. But even if you can’t score the Wii, eStarland.com has plenty of other options, like Guitar Hero II for PlayStation 2 or a Nintendo DS portable game system.

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess

As one of the world’s leading sources for video game hardware, eStarland.com sells both new and old game consoles, ranging from the Xbox 360 to the Sega Dreamcast. They’re stocked with all the new releases as well as hard to find items from Japan and Europe. So, if you’re in the market for video games or video game consoles this holiday season but can’t stand the thought of waiting in lines, just head online to eStarland.com. You’re guaranteed to be your child’s hero.

-Andrew W.

With the holidays fast-approaching, I am at a loss at what to buy my boyfriend for Christmas. A self-declared electronics buff, he smiles coyly when asked what he would like for Christmas. “Well, I did just get a new Sony TV and was planning on buying accessories for it,” he explains. He already owns a home theater system with wireless speakers, Sling box, and Tivo so that could only mean one thing: video games.


There are now more choices than ever when it comes to video games, video game consoles, and video game accessories. Having read the news, I am aware that we are in the middle of a gaming revolution, and I am excited. The last generation of consoles topped out with the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo GameCube, and I cannot wait to see what the next generation will bring. Already underway with last year’s release of the criminally under-produced Xbox 360, the next generation is moments away from welcoming the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 3.

The next question is, where to purchase all of this great stuff. Gameasylum.com is your video game Valhalla. With one of the world’s largest selections of video game accessories for over 45 video game systems, GameAsylum.com is the world's leading source for video game hardware. They also carry almost every imaginable part that you would ever need for any type of game system you may have even if it's 25 years old. Check out cool Xbox 360 games such as Tiger Woods PGA ’07, boasting a 16-year history and priced around $40. The virtual player design is so detailed that we can practically play ourselves as wee tee-off against Tiger! Find controllers, cables, power supplies, cheat devices, hacks and more. Discover game repair tools, video game t-shirts, game speakers, and every type of game console on the planet.

They are the leading distributor of Dance Dance Revolution games, and their extensive inventory includes items such as Dance Dance Revolution DisneyMix Plug and Play TV dance pad and PS2 Pop’n Music Controller2 for PlayStation 2. They even feature cool links to retro video game TV commercials, video game demo scenes and a history of video games with links dating back to 1958!

With Christmas right around the corner, I need to think fast and smart about what to buy. It looks like I could definitely use a Brain Age! No matter what, gamers are definitely going to come out on top this year with the development of cutting-edge technology in virtual form. And with all of the new games available, there is sure to be something for everyone.

-Mara P.

Like every kid in the Midwest, I lived for snow days. 5 or 6 times a year, snow blanketed our neighborhood, falling so hard and fast, that our school bus could no longer climb the steep, windy hills into my neighborhood. This meant one thing...no school! Me, my brother and our friends spent those glorious days sledding, ice skating and bunching up pillows of white bliss to be used for snowball fights. Eventually, chill set in, forcing us indoors where we flipped on the tube, checked out the Brady Bunch and fought over who got first game in Space Invaders. That game rocked.

I can just imagine the fights kids must have now with the Xbox, PlayStation, GameCube and other game consoles. Remember the smell of Silly Putty, and Play-Doh? We loved that stuff. Especially my brother, who occasionally ate some for fun! Snow days also meant that Christmas was close, and my life’s work was to score the newest Crissy doll. Even our fat little dachshund joined the fun, as we would dress her in dog clothing. Not sure if she enjoyed it. We did. She waddled through the house, sniffing around the oven, probably hoping for a black angus, when she really smelled freshly baked Shrinky Dinks.

Today, I miss having a dog and all the old toys and fun. My current habitat does not allow pets. However, when thinking of pets and toys, my mind did wonder as to where I could find the coolest new toys roaming planet earth. While checking out the National Geographic Channel, I saw the coolest combo of pet and toy…the Roboraptor. My jaw dropped when I discovered what this electronic toy could do. It has “artificial intelligence”, with realistic motions, 3 distinct moods (hunter/aggressive, cautious/nervous, playful/friendly), and traits, which are actually a few steps ahead of some of the guys I’ve met lately! How cool would it be to have a pet like that to greet you at the door?

This remote controlled pet moves his head and neck with realistic biomechanical action and also has a whipping tail that sweeps back and forth. This would be an awesome gift for anyone. You can find it at several stores including, Sharperimage.com and KlearGear.com.

I don’t think kids understand how amazing toys are today compared to what we had in the 1970s. I mean, we thought Sea Monkeys and a Rubik’s Cube were the most freakishly amazing things we’d ever seen.

Now we have the T.M.X. Tickle Me Elmo with incessant giggling and life-like movements that are honestly, impossible to resist. And don’t be surprised if your kid’s 2006 Christmas list includes things you’ve never heard of, or don’t understand, or can’t afford. This year, I might ask Santa to bring me a Roboraptor and some Silly Putty. Keep it simple. Old-school.

-Erin P.

This Hallows'Eve, fear not the most recognized name in Entertainment. The Walt Disney Company's online store -- disneyshopping.com -- features an enormous assortment of halloween costumes and accessories.

Inspired from their more current theatrical hits like Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, Aladdin, and Beauty & the Beast as well as treasures from their vaults, like Snow White and Cinderella, Disney costumes are more than just a walk down like Main Street.

Disney Halloween costumes and accessories are an opportunity to peer through the looking glass and into the fantasy land that makes Disney and it's lovable characters so appealing.

And there's even more to love about disneyshopping.com. You can often take advantage of sales and clearance promotions as well as offers for free shipping (on orders over $75) and dollar-off (up to $15 on orders over $60)!

-David W.

When the chips are down, go all in. Texas Hold’em? Not the Lone Star State’s detention center you’re thinking of. A royal flush works wonders in the bathroom, but even better at the tables.

Big blind, small blind…either one is fine, you’ve got dough, and you’re in the game. If you know what we’re talking about, then take your hand straight to pokernstuff.com and buy-in to their full house of poker and gambling accessories. Poker is serious business these days, and there’s no-limit to the amount of fun to be had and money to win. Sharks such as Joe Hachem and Annie Duke have combined for more than $12,000,000 in winnings playing poker. And celebs such as Mimi Rogers, Ben Affleck, and James Woods have all logged major hours and won serious dough at the tables. The World Series of Poker is cool and features a Leading Lady Tournament where the ladies get paid! Aside from the top dollar, Hollywood, high stakes, hoopla, the most fun you can have playing poker is the same way Tony Soprano does it… a few friends, a living room, a poker table and chips, and a few bottles of your favorite drink. Pokernstuff.com carries everything you need to host your own poker party. If you’re not quite ready to show your hand in public or your poker face only fools the cat, then try online poker sites such as partypoker.com, pokerstars.com or paradisepoker.com and hone your skills in private. Remember, be kind to your dealer, they have the best stuff.