Not sure what to buy for your family members or friends this year. If you want to play it safe, click the links below for lists of the most popular items purchased on Amazon as gifts.

1. Toys & Games

2. Video Games

4. Books

5. Most Gifted Books for Teens

7. Movies & TV

8. Music

9. Computers & Accessories

10. Cameras & Photo

11. Portable Audio and Video

12. Cell Phones & Accessories

Good luck with your holiday shopping!

See also:
Best Holiday Gift Posts Compilation
Why a Kindle Fire makes the Best Holiday Gift 
SensoGlove - Best Golf Gift under $100

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Parents are always looking for fun, safe, educational online communities for their tweens in an effort to keep them away from Facebook. I have recommended many in the past (see bottom of post), and have found two newer websites to recommend for tweens now.

ZuZee.com

Launched just a little over a month ago, Zuzee is a creative online community where girls can design with photos and connect with friends in a safe website just for tweens. Zuzee was develped to inspire tweens to create and share and assure parents of their safety and privacy. Zuzee membership is free, with a All-Access "Z" Pass available at $4.99 per month.

What do tweens do while on the Zuzee website?

• Design: They turn pictures into dazzling displays by uploading, selecting a book, card or collage project, and getting creative.
• Explore: Zuzee regularly adds new design templates covering popular themes. There are also interactive quizzes, virtual gifts, icons, and more.
• Share: Connecting with friends is part of the fun. Members can share, collaborate, and comment on projects and designs.

Zuzee Safety
Parental controls allow parents to fully monitor everything their tweens do on the site. Friends can't be added and projects and photos can't be shared without a parent's permission.

GalactoKidz.com

GalactoKidz is an interactive and educational gaming website for both boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 13. It is a social and safe virtual world with spaceships and alien avatars. Kids and tweens can play games by themselves or with others, through a moderated chat feature. Parents can see what games their kids are playing, view their friends and chat logs and block players if needed.

The game world is outer space where players explore the Mother Ship and space together. Participation earns online money. Players also learn about social networking through the ability to make friends and send messages and virtual gifts. The games teach math, science, reading, creative writing, logic, keyboard skills, and art.

Membership in GalactoKidz begins at $5.99. There is no free membership, however, the website is advertising-free.

See also:
KidzVuz - Tweens Create Video Reviews on Their Own Online Community
3 New Safe Social Websites for Tweens
Yoursphere Before Facebook for Tweens and Teens
Social Websites for Teens and Tweens
Tweens are Everywhere: Five more websites for Tween Girls

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Beth Blecherman, me, and our new friend

I recently became part of a wonderful new family. We are a group of 18 tech bloggers, all moms, and are called the PlayStation Family or #PSFamily for short. We are helping PlayStation get the word out that they have just as much to offer families as they do to hard core gamers.

Foster City Meeting

Since we are all spread out geographically, Sony PlayStation flew us to their Foster City headquarters for a short, yet very productive day of meetings, to get to know each other and learn more about PlayStation. We were all thrilled to meet Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony computer Entertainment of America. He was our first speaker and was extremely engaging. He discussed the history of gaming and PlayStation, and then focused on the PS3.

The PS3 is a 3rd generation product, launched in November 2006. Usually each product has a shelf life of 5 years. However, Tretton said the the PS3 is future proof and can last longer. It has a built-in hard drive, a Blu-ray player, Hi-def 1080 gaming and movies and Wi-fi Playstation Network. PlayStation 3 is the most used device for Netflix streaming.

PlayStation is made up of:

• PS3
• PlayStation Network (PSN)
• PlayStation Suite Mobile Devices
• PlayStation Vita - You can preorder now and it will be shipped on February 22, 2012. If you order the PlayStation Vita First Edition Bundle, which includes a 4GB memory card, a limited edition case and Little Deviants, it will be shipped on February 15.

The PlayStation Network
Even if you or your family are only moderate or even light gamers, you will more than get your money's worth from your PlayStation through the PlayStation Network. Through it, you can access movies, TV shows, sports and music through one easy platform.

At this outing, we were given the PlayStation games, Carnival Island, Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest, Little Big Planet 2: Special Edition, and EyePet & Friends. I will be reviewing them all soon. However since I have already played them all with my family (except EyePet & Friends) I can already say that they are so much fun. Carnival Island is perfect for a family to play together and Little Big Planet is probably the most creative game I've ever seen.

Meet the PlayStation Family. I couldn't have chosen a better group of women to be associated with.

Amy Heinz http://usingourwords.com/

Ana Picazo www.bonggamom.com

Kris Cain http://littletechgirl.com

Jennifer Wagner http://www.connectwithyourteens.net

Gina von Esmarch http://www.bowllicker.com

Beth Blecherman http://www.techmamas.com

Christy Matte http://quirkyfusion.com

Elise Crane Derby http://elisesramblings.blogspot.com/

Glennia Campbell  http://glenniacampbell.typepad.com

Grace Duffy http://formerlygracie.com

Heidi Leder http://www.coast2coastmom.com/

Lori Cunningham http://WellConnectedMom.com

Leticia Barr http://www.techsavvymama.com/

Stacy Libby http://ltvmom.com

Michele McGraw http://scraposfmygeeklife.com

MJ Tam http://chicagonista.com/

Sarah Auerswald http://www.SarahAuerswald.com

Yvonne Condes http://yvonneinla.blogspot.com

Full Disclosure: PlayStation played for all travel, lodging and food expenses for my trip and has given me all video games to review. However there is no monetary payment for anything that I am doing and my thoughts are all my own.

See also:  
12 Video Games for Teens - Holiday Gifts 2011 
LittleBigPlanet 2: Most Creative Video Game For All Ages

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DK Eyewitness Travel app

There is no theme for the apps that I am recommending below. The only things that these apps have in common are that they are new and they are very cool.

1. Aurasma

Aurasma is unlike any app you have ever seen. It is the world's first visual browser, bringing the physical and virtual worlds together. The Aurasma app is free and available for the iPhone 4, iPad 2 and 2.2 or higher android devices. The only way that I can explain it is that when you point your screen to anything with an Aurasma in it (magazines, newspapers, posters, websites with an A logo) the picture or object will become a 3D video and appear to come to life before your eyes with movement and audio.

The only way to understand Aurasma is to see it in action. You can watch the video below and/or see the demonstrations on the Aurasma website. Because it is still relatively new, it is still difficult to find many Aurasma's to use your app with. However they are adding more everyday.



2. DK Apps

Many of you are aware of DK's stunning visual reference books. Now you can read and watch many of them on your mobile devices. These are some of the most colorful, educational and beautiful apps I've ever seen and would make great gifts. The current DK apps available are:

• The Human Body app - Groundbreaking look into the human body. iPad only. $13.99.
• Quick Cook app - DK's Quick Cook makes everything from choosing the recipe to cooking the meal, fast, fun and hassle free. iPad only. $5.99.
• My First Word Play app - Perfect for pre-school children who are just learning to engage with words. iPad and iPhone. $3.99.
• Pregnancy Day by Day app - This app will show you exactly what is happening to you and your baby during every single day of your pregnancy. iPhone and iPod Touch. $6.99
• DK Eyewitness Travel - The acclaimed travel guide books are now award winning apps. Available for Paris, Rome, NYC, London and Washington D.C. iPad only. $13.99.
• DK Top 10 - Travel guides to the 10 best of everything to see, eat and do in Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Florence, San Francisco, London, NYC, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome. iPhone, iPod Touch and Android. $4.99

3. Savvy.com

The Savvy app, by Pricetector, Inc, eliminates the common problem of post-purchase price reductions. Do you ever make a purchase and then agonize that you should have waited because the price will probably go down? Or do you wait for the price to go down and then forget to go back to the store? Savvy will solve those problems for you. Once you download this free app on your iPhone (soon to be available on Android), you just snap a photo of all of your receipts and the Savvy app will check all price adjustment policies and price drops for you. Right now the Savvy app works with approximately 40 major retail partners and is adding new partnerships weekly.


I hope you enjoy these cool new apps. Please share any cool new apps that you  find with us.

See also:  
LEGO Life of George Combines Digital and Physical Gaming
4 Mobile Apps for Parents of Teens and Tweens
8 Back to School apps for College Students
 

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It was only a matter of time before we had a children's book that reflected the technology and gadgets that kids are growing up with. Goodnight iPad works perfectly as both a parody for adults and teens to enjoy and a real video or book for children.

Watch Goodnight iPad here:


The video says that the book is available in hardcover or as an eBook, however it appears to only be available hardcover. I checked both the Kindle and ibook store and Goodnight iPad with not there. Just another joke.

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If you have more than one gadget that needs to be charged, then the Powerbag is for you. Just charge the bag each night and then plug all your gadgets into the bag and they will charge on the go. You can charge up to 4 items at a time in your Powerbag.

What does a Powerbag look like? It comes in many shapes and sizes. They are available as backpacks, briefcases, slings, cross-body messenger bags, tablet bags and wheeled travel bags. They don't look any different than other bags. The charging system and all connectors are seamlessly integrated within.

Check out this Powerbag video:


I was given a Powerbag backpack for free to review and it arrived the day before I was leaving for a trip to the West Coast. I charged my Powerbag that night and then plugged in my iPhone and iPad in the morning. I also packed my laptop into one of the heavily padded sections of the backpack. I was set for the trip.

The Powerbag backbag, as well as their other bags, has many compartments and a great deal of room. I can't think of a better gift for a teen, traveler or techie.

You can shop Powerbag products on their website by Messenger bag, Backpack and Briefcase or you can see all products at once and get a discount at Powerbags on Amazon. And if you are a traveler or a techie, you might just want to buy one for yourself also. If not, you might wind up borrowing the one you buy for your teen.

See also:  
SensoGlove - Best Golf Gift under $100
Best Holiday Gift Posts Compilation
Most Popular Gifts Holidays 2012

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I've already written lists of books, video games and useful holiday gifts for teens. I was about to start my list of electronic gifts and realized that I needed to break it down further.

Here is my recommended list of speakers and headphones for teens for holiday gifts 2011:

1. SRS iWOW 3D - Fantastically immersive sound for your music and movies

The SRS iWOW 3D™ is an audio enhancement accessory for the iPad™, iPhone®, iPod® and even the iPod nano®. It attaches seamlessly to these devices via the 30-pin Apple connector and features a female jack to attach headphones. With just the touch of a button, the iWOW 3D delivers fantastically immersive sound from all music, videos and games–elevating the entertainment experience to the next level.

There are just a few simple steps.

1. Plug the adaptor into the iPad, iPhone or iPod.
2. Plug headphones into audio jack pigtail on the adaptor.
3. Press the center button of the iWOW Adaptor to turn SRS iWOW processing on and off.
4. To further enhance the listening experience, download the free SRS iWOW App, available on the iTunes App Store.

2. House of Marley - Earphones, Headphones and Speakers

All products sold from The House of Marley are based on Bob Marley's principles, which are centered around love. The three guiding principles of the company are:

1. Superior Quality
2. Eco-Friendly
3. Cause Minded - 1Love was created to put Bob Marley's beliefs into action. A portion of every sale goes to the charities it supports.

The collection of products includes three lines, Jammin, Freedom and Destiny. Each line is available for each type of product. The Jammin is the lowest priced and most teen friendly.

Earphones - The prices range from $29.99 to $99.99. They are all small and compact, yet prepared to take on the heaviest bass.

Headphones - Prices range fro $59.99 - $299.99. High quality comfort and sound.

Docks and Speakers - A wide range of $49.99 to $599.99. Share your music in a variety of ways, from a dock that fits in your pocket to some that look great in your living room.


3. ETY-Plugs - High Fidelity Hearing Protection

Great gift for any teen that goes to concerts, listens to loud music, or is in a band. ETY•Plugs® are the world’s highest fidelity non-custom earplugs. They reduce most noise to safe levels while preserving the clarity of speech and the richness of music. There are a variety of types, some with earphones, some just for protection, as when going to concerts.


4. Jawbone Jambox - Wireless Speaker

Portable speaker with great sound. Your teen can carry it in a backpack or a purse, yet it has an output capacity of 85 decibels and it gets smarter with time. It also has a microphone and is available in a variety of colors. It retails for $199.99 but is cheaper on Amazon depending on the color Jawbone Jambox you choose.

Stay tuned for the rest of my electronic gift picks for teens for the holidays. .

Full Disclosure: I received a free lower priced version of the SRS, Marley earphones and ETY Plugs to review. I did not get a Jambox, but I did see one demoed at a CNET event that I was invited to.

See also:  
Most Popular Gifts Holidays 2012 
Best Holiday Gift Posts Compilation

 

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A LiveOn Memory

Thank you to LiveOn for this sponsored opportunity to blog about storing and sharing my most important memories with those closest to me. Although story ideas were provided, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

My photo albums have always been so precious to me. Both the old print albums and now online bring back such memories. However, LiveOn does so much more. LiveOn is actually a memory album, in which you not only input photos and videos, but record memories, milestones and feelings and create time capsules for the future.

When I look over my parents and grandparents old photos, I wish I knew more about some of the people in the pictures and where they were and what they were doing. LiveOn can do that for the next generation. This is what I love about LiveOn. No more faded memories.

Using LiveOn, which is free (with premium upgrades) you can:

• Add Memories - Name, date and describe the memory. Upload pictures or video or record video from your webcam. You can also add music.
• Add Milestones - Just like memories, but less involved.
• Answer Life Questions - There are many questions on the site that will help tell your story, such as "What are your top 5 favorite moments in your life".
• Create Time Capsules - Create a time capsule for somebody for a specific time in the future, such as your daughter on her graduation or your spouse on your 50th anniversary. It can be delivered on a specific date or a Milestone. It is similar to creating a memory except you can add a few memories, photos and videos all into one time capsule and it will be sent to the recipient at the selected time.

LiveOn is a social network, however the only people that can see any of your memories or anything you share are those in your tribe. I am limiting my tribe to family only. You can share your own memories on Twitter and Facebook if you want, but you can't share those of your Tribe. So you don't have to worry about tribemate's sharing anything you don't want public. You can find all the answers to any questions on LiveOn's help page.

LiveOn also has another service called LiveOn Rewind. It makes it simple for you to send in your photos and/or VHS tapes and have everything digitized. You evaluate the number of pictures you have and they will send you an estimate. Choose the online kit size you think you will need and they will send it to you. Load all your media in the postage paid kits. LiveOn Rewind will scan, enhance and convert it all and send the original and new digital media back to you. Why go through the time and trouble to do it yourself when it is  this easy. And if you use the coupon code cgc18 for LiveOn Rewind you will get 20% off.

Thank you again to LiveOn for sponsoring this blog post. Please go to LiveOn to learn more about storing and sharing your most special memories. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

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Just because teenagers might not want to stay home and watch It's a Wonderful Life or White Christmas doesn't mean that they aren't interested in Christmas movies. Here are a few Christmas or holiday related movies that teens should find enjoyable. Below there are some Chanukah TV episodes and Adam Sandler videos that are great fun also.

1. A Christmas Story - AOL's number one Christmas Movie of all time, it is a comedy about 9 year old Ralphie, who wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. This film is usually aired frequently during the holidays.

2. The Nightmare Before Christmas - Tim Burton.

3. Die Hard - A company Christmas party on Christmas Eve and Bruce Willis as Detective John McClane in the first movie of the series.

4. March of the Wooden Soldiers - A 1934 classic starring Laurel and Hardy. I watched this on television growing up and it is actually too scary for young kids. Although it takes place in Toyland with fairy tales characters, there are bogeymen, and characters being dunked with a dunking stool and banished to bogeyland. I think that teens would get a kick out of this.

5. Bad Santa - A con man poses as Santa in this screwball comedy produced by the Coen brothers, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Bernie Mac and John Ritter (in his last movie role).

6. Elf - Will Ferrel thinks he's an elf in this comedy directed by Jon Favreau. Also starring James Caan and Zooey Deschanel.

7. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Written by John Hughes and starring Chevy Chase, this is the third in the Vacation series.

8. Scooged - A comedy starring Bill Murray based on A Christmas Carol.

9. Trading Places - Takes place during the Christmas season, one of Eddie Murphy's early breakout roles as a homeless street hustler who crosses path's with Dan Aykroyd's upper class commodities broker. A modern take on the prince and the pauper. One of my favorite movies. Also starring Jamie Lee Curtis.


And for those celebrating Chanukah or Hanukkah we have (There are no fun movies, but we do have some TV episodes and songs):

1. South Park - Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo. Kyle sings "It's hard to be a Jew on Christmas".

2. Rugrats Chanukah Special

3. Adam Sandler's Original Hanukkah Song, the Hanukkah song Part 2,  and the Chanukah Song Part 3 below:



Happy Holidays and enjoy your movie, TV and video watching!

See also: Top Best of 2011 Entertainment and Tech Lists

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Books always make great gifts, even if your teens won't admit to it. Throw a few books in along with some bigger gifts, and your teens will appreciate them, if not right away, eventually. 

Here are some suggestions of books to get your teens for the holidays this year:

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor) - A Best of 2011 Editors' Pick and the only Young Adult book on Amazon's Best Books of 2011 list. A mix of fantasy and reality.

2. Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey (Bob McCabe) - A Deluxe 500 page Coffee Table book for the Harry Potter generation.

3. The Underdogs (Mike Lupica) - An inspiring tale of a 12 year old and his dream of playing football by bestselling sportswriter Mike Lupica.

4. The Maze Runner Trilogy (James Dashner) - Best for teen boys. The 3rd and final book of the trilogy, The Death Cure, was published in October 2011.

5. The Hunger Games Trilogy (Suzanne Collins) - Any teen, age 14+ should read this series before March 23, 2012. Why? Because that is when the movie based on the first book of the series, The Hunger Games is set to premiere, and it should be of Harry Potter and Twilight proportions. I think it will be even better. Watch the official movie trailer and see if you agree.

6. Boxed Sets of your Teens Favorite Book Series

Are there any good books that you would recommend for parents to buy for their teens for the 2011 holidays?

See also:  
3 New Inspirational Books for Holiday Gifts
Most Popular Gifts Holidays 2012
Best Holiday Gift Posts Compilation 
18 New YA Books for Teens in 2011 
4 Fun Nonfiction Books For Teens and Tweens

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Thank you to Wikets for introducing me to this iPhone/iPad app. You can download Wikets from the App Store.

App
Wikets is a social recommendation app, available on my two favorite gadgets, the iPhone and the iPad. It is a free app that has a great deal of value to all parties involved.

Social
As someone that loves recommending her likes to others (one of the reasons that I have this blog), Wikets gives me another outlets to recommend products and places to friends. And if my friends aren't using Wikets yet (which they should be), I can share by Wikets recommendations on Twitter and Facebook with one quick tap.

Product Recommendations
Making a recommendation is extremely easy. To recommend a product, you go to a page with little store widgets for stores such as Amazon, iTunes, App Store, Best Buy and more. Choose the store and type in the name of the product. Once you find it, you can just click submit and be done, or add a few words as to why you are recommending it. You can then share your rec on Facebook and/or Twitter.

There is another simple way to make product recommendations. If you have the product's barcode, you can just scan it in and you are ready for the submit step.

When you get a product recommendation and tap it, you will be taken directly to the website that it was selected from so that you may purchase it or download it (in the case of an app). Very convenient.

Place Recommedations
When recommending a location you can search by name or type and then enter a location, such as "current location" and all nearby places of that name or type will come up. Don't limit yourself to restaurants. Recommend all types of fun places.

If you want more information about a place recommended to you, you will be taken to either Yelp or FourSquare and you can sign up for the app if you don't already have it.

REWARDS and Promo Code

Here is where we get to something that everyone loves. Even if you don't care about giving or receiving recommendations, everyone likes receiving money. Every time you do anything on Wikets you get points. You get 200 just for signing up. As a promotion, since Wikets just launched on November 7, 2011, if you sign up use my promo code connectedteen and you will receive an additional 200 points. Double points starts at $500 in one month.

Once you reach 2500 points you get a $25 Amazon gift card. This is much easier than you think. I already have 829 points and all I have done so far is sign up and recommend about 15 or so items. Each recommendation took less than a minute.

Why Download Wikets?
Is there any reason not to download the Wikets app if you have an iPhone or iPad? It is free. You can make money for doing almost nothing. You are recommending things you like to friends, something most of us do anyway. You will get recommendations from others on Wikets that you choose to follow. It seems to me to be a win-win-win situation.

Thank you to Wikets for sponsoring this blog post. Please go to Wikets at the app store to learn more about the app. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own. #CleverWikets #spon

See also: Cool New Apps!

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I have been trying to convince many people to read the YA Book Series, The Hunger Games, for some time now, with no success. Yet everyone that reads it absolutely loves it. I just watched the first official trailer for The Hunger Games movie, based on the first book of the series. I dare anyone to watch this Hunger Games trailer and not be enthralled and want to immediately see the movie, read the books or both.



For more information, see my earlier blog post, Hunger Games for Beginners: 25 Things to Know. If you think you don't have time to read a three book series, you do. These are very quick reading books, especially since once you reach the middle of the first book, you can't put them down.

See also: 30 Movies for Teens 2012

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By Justin Wagner using Poser 3D Software

3D is everywhere. Movies, television, video games and art. This Fall, Smith Micro Software, Inc. released Poser® 9 and Poser® Pro 2012, new versions of its intermediate and professional Poser® Poser 3D art software.

“Poser has become essential for digital animators, illustrators, designers and 3D content developers across the globe, with an enthusiastic base of hobbyists and artists,” said Steve Cooper, Senior Product Manager, Productivity and Graphics for Smith Micro Software, Inc.

My son, a graphic design major in his senior year in college, tried out the professional 3D program. His review:

The program was very easy to use after learning what each tool does and where they are each located. Once familiarizing yourself with the
toolbar, you can easily begin to think up the ways you
can construct your 3D Model.

The program comes with a Library of preset models, of humans, animals, and props. It also comes with a camera and lighting settings. You can edit each of these or make your own from scratch, which may be more work, but gives you complete control over your model.

Animating is just as easy, and is done by simply moving your models the way you want in different frames on the timeline. In just a few minutes, I was able to pull up some models from the Library, edit their positioning to my liking, and then move them over a course of a few frames to make it look as if they were walking. This program is great for both modeling and animating, and allows the user to work with any amount of professional file types that they need.

Smith-Micro also makes a beginner software in addition to the intermediate and professional. You can purchase the Poser software directly on the Smith-Micro website and download it immediately with a 30 day free trial. There are Poser 3D art tutorials on the website that are very helpful.

Full Disclosure: I received a free download of Poser 3D software, which I passed on to my son, to review. 

See also: ArtRage - Create Digital Art That Looks Real

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Having many relatives in Florida, we tend to spend many of our vacations there. We always try to incorporate a trip to Orlando with our family visits to inject some excitement into our vacations. When the kids were younger we would head straight to Disney World. However, once they became teenagers, Universal Orlando was where we found ourselves spending most of our time.

Why Universal Orlando for Families with Teens?

1. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - The hottest ride in town and its at Universal Orlando!

2. The Thrill Rides - If you have teens that like exciting or thrill rides, Universal has many more of these than its compeititor. In fact, my husband and I have to sit out some of them, which we don't mind because we get to rest, and we love to see how happy our sons are.

3. The Rides based on Movies or Characters - At Universal, many more of these rides tend to be based on movies or characters of a more teen appreciated and less kiddie nature. These rides include:

• Jaws
• Men in Black
• Revenge of the Mummy
• The Simpsons Ride
• Terminator  2: 3-D
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• The Incredible Hulk Coaster
• Jurassic Park River Adventure
• Storm Force Accelatron

3. The size of the complex - The 2 theme parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Advenure), the 3 on-site hotels, and CityWalk (the night life area), are all within walking distance to each other. If your teens are old enough that you trust them to be on their own, they can get anywhere in the complex easily on foot.

4. The Hotels - One of the 3 hotels is a Hard Rock Hotel with music playing under water in the pool. But the best reason for staying in one of the on-site Universal Hotels is the amazing benefits - at every ride in Universal, you show your room key and you go to a special express entrance. They sell these to people not staying at the hotel for $87 a person per day. You get this free for everyone in your family for the entire length of your stay. It doesn't pay not to stay in a Universal Hotel! We felt like royalty. Also, you can get into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter one hour early.

5. CityWalk - In addition to restaurants and bars, there is a giant multiplex and tons of shops that teens will love.

6. Everything looks new and fresh at Universal.

My sons are now in their early twenties and we are trying to plan a trip to Universal Orlando because we are all dying to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We also haven't been on a few of the other newer rides. We are planning on staying at the Hard Rock this time. Last time we stayed at the Loews Royal Pacific, which we loved, and is the most reasonably priced, but we want to listen to that underwater music this time.

I can assure you that if you take your teens to Universal Orlando, unless they don't like action or thrill rides, they will have the time or their lives.

I have no connection to Universal in any capacity and I am writing this only to share my experience. 

See also: 
 Family Vacations for Teens and Parents
Christmas Movies and Hanukkah TV and Video for Teens

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When shopping for holiday gifts for teenagers, a safe bet is always video games. However choosing among the thousands of video games can be difficult. Below are all new video games that teens will enjoy. Make sure you check the age rating at the end of each description. The letter is the official rating. What you see in the parentheses is my opinion.

1. Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One - PS3. 4 player cooperative gameplay, 10th game in series. E for Everyone. (All ages will love this, great for family play).

2. Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics - Wii, 3Ds. Newest game in the longest running video game character line. Launches 11/15/2011. E for Everyone. (All ages will love this, great for family play)

3. Batman Arkham City - PS3, Xbox360, PC.  Authentic and engrossing, critically acclaimed, 3rd person action adventure game. 3D. T for Teen. (For mature teens and adults)

4. Kinect Sports Season Two - Xbox360.  Have fun with tennis, golf, American football, baseball, skiing and darts with the help of the Kinect sensors. E for Everyone. (All ages will love this, great for family play)

5. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 - PS3, Xbox360. Launching 11/15/2011, battle with the best of Capcom and Marvel heroes and villains. T for Teen. (Great for teens and parent comic lovers to connect)

6. Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure - All systems. E for Everyone. See review at Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Video Game Integrates Real Toys - Trailer (More for younger teens and tweens because of the figures that come with it, but fun for anyone)

7. Rayman Origins - PS3, Wii and Xbox360. See description at 3 Ubisoft Video Game Holiday Previews Ages 10+ (All ages will love this, great for family play)

8. Rocksmith - PS3, Xbox360. See description at 3 Ubisoft Video Game Holiday Previews T for Teen. (Only buy for teens or older that want to learn how to play the guitar. You need an electric guitar to use this game).

9. Twister Mania - XBox360 with Kinect. Pop Culture game of the past now made into virtual game through the Kinect. Your body is now not only the game piece but the spinner too. E for Everyone. (All ages will love this, great for family play)

10. Ubisoft's Just Dance 3 - PS3, Wii, Xbox360. Great features, great songs (including my favorite, Forget You by Cee Lo Green). Ages 10+ (All ages will love this, great for family play)

11. ABBA You Can Dance - Wii. Have fun dancing to the greatest hits of ABBA. Anyone who has seen Mama Mia knows just how danceable their songs are. Ages 10+ (All ages will love this, great for family play)

12. EveryBody Dance - PS3. See description at PS3 Dance and Sports Games for Family Fun and Exercise T for Teen. (Not for tweens because of some of the song lyrics. Great for teens and parents)

Updated to add:
13. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Wii. One of the top gaming franchises in history, now the Wii controls add extremely realistic sword combat. Ages 10+

Will you be buying video games for teens as holiday gifts?

See also:  
LittleBigPlanet 2: Most Creative Video Game For All Ages
Meet PlayStation Family
Most Popular Gifts Holidays 2012
 

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This post was underwritten by BMO Harris Bank, which offers a matching $25 on a new savings account opened for your child through their Helpful Steps for Parents program. Learn more at bmoharris.com/parents.

One of the most important things that you need to teach your kids, especially once they reach their tween and teen years, is the value of money and how to spend and save it wisely. If their parents don't teach them, who will.

Usually when I write an advice article on a topic that I am not an expert on, I need to spend some time researching the subject. This time, I started by going to our sponsor BMO Harris Bank's Helpful Steps for Parents web page, and I did not need to go any further. I honestly couldn't imagine a better approach to teaching parents and kids about money.

First, all of the advice was divided into four different categories by the ages of the kids:

• ages 5-6
• ages 7-8
• ages 9-12 or tweens
• ages 13-15 or teens

Each age group category has a page for parents and one for the kids.  The parents page consists of advice in the form of:

• articles
• videos
• "At This Stage" - What your kids should be learning about money at this age.

I love the kids pages also called "The Zone".  This is BMO Harris Bank's message to your kids:

"Consider The Zone your latest hangout for games and activities. While you’re here, spend some time playing and learning about money and how to make it work for you."

Each age group has its own age appropriate games to learn about money. I am a very big proponent of learning through games, as the more fun you are having, the more you'll continue to play and the more you will learn. I was very impressed with "The Zone". 

Here is an example of a piece of advice for parents of teens and a game from the teen Zone:

• Parents - Budget basics for teens.
• Teens - Clock in at your virtual job and see how much you can earn by pay day.

The most important thing that I can tell you from my experience is to start money lessons as early as you can. Don't wait until they are already overspending or having other financial issues. The BMO Harris Bank website starts its advice tips at age 5; why not begin your advice then also?

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about BMO Harris Bank, visit their website http://bmoharris.com/parents.

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It isn't easy raising teenagers. We get by with help from friends, common sense, and maybe some online advice. However, there are some areas that we need the advice of experts. Here are two books that give us needed advice that can help us with teens; one in the area cyberlaw and the other in adolescent psychology.

Cybertraps for the Young

Everywhere you look, you see another article or book warning you about the dangers of technology for your kids and teens.Cybertraps for the Young is not that book. In Cybertraps, attorney Frederick S. Lane warns parents about the potential legal dangers your teenagers are exposing themselves to when they think they are doing nothing more than sending simple texts or publishing articles.

"The real problems arise with the three C's of technology: communication, capability, and convergence. More and more often, we're handing our children remarkably powerful devices long before they have the wisdom or maturity to understand the consequences of misusing them."

There is a great deal that parents need to know about the laws relating privacy, copyright, plagiarism, harassment, cyberbullying, hacking, obscenity, sexting and more. Cybertraps for the Young will see you through everything you might possibly need to know in very easy to understand language.

The book is organized into 4 Parts:

1. The Technology - This is where Lane explains all of the technologies that teens use and all of their methods of communication. Very tech savvy parents can probably either skip or skim this section.
2. The Cybertraps - The chapters in this part are the real meat of the book. This is where you will learn for possible legal problems that your teens can fall into and the implications.
3. The Solutions - Don't worry, there are many, which include, first and foremost, don't stop educating yourself.
4. Resources and Tools - This includes a guide to Electronic Monitoring Software, a glossary, and a brief guide to online safety resources.

Cybertraps for the Young takes the approach of the worst case scenario. However you need somebody to point out to you might happen when your teens (or even you) do certain things, even if they are not very likely to happen. Technology is changing rapidly and the law cannot keep up with it and right now judges often have to decide cases without concrete guidance. Anything can happen. Be prepared.


The Complete Idiot's Guide to Child and Adolescent Psychology

This is the book that you wish you had if you ever took a course in psychology. You will still learn everything, but in a more interesting, easier and quicker read.

Not only are there sections for different age groups, of which I was only interested in the 12-18, but there are also chapters on mental disorders, learning disorders, the digital child, family therapy and more. There are many helpful resources and a glossary in the back of the book.

We need to understand the psychology of teenagers, because if we do, we won't get as angry at them and will be able to help them when they do something wrong. You will read that teens brains are physically wired so that strong emotion gets in the way of logic and reason throughout their teenage years. This is why they are impulsive and make immature judgments. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Child and Adolescent Psychology is here to help.

Understand your teenagers and the potential psychological problems and cybertraps that they may fall into.

See also: Unique Advice Book For Moms of Teenage Daughters

Disclosure: I received a free print copy of one book and an electronic galley of the other to review.

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Amazon is very smart. I've been very happy using my iPad as an ebook reader with the Kindle app. Then all of a sudden Amazon launches a new plan to allow free ebook borrowing for all Prime members (which I am). However, it only works on a real Kindle, not on an app. Now, I finally agree that there is a very good reason to actually own a Kindle, even if you already have a tablet, such as the iPad.

There already were good reasons to own a Kindle anyway, even if you had an iPad, mostly for the fact that the Kindle is much smaller and lighter, making it easier to carry around. Also, you can read the Kindle outdoors in any sunlight, something that is extremely difficult to do with the iPad. And now, if you are a member of Amazon Prime (more on that below) you can borrow one book a month for free.

You can purchase a Kindle eReader for anywhere from $79 to $149, but for $199 you can get the Kindle Fire, which goes on sale November 15. The Kindle Fire is basically a multimedia tablet, yet still smaller and lighter than the iPad. Other features are:

•     Millions of movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books
•     Thousands of popular apps and games
•     Free cloud storage for all your Amazon content
•     Vibrant color touchscreen
•     Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows

All Amazon Prime members get the free instant streaming of movies, but only with the Kindle Fire can you watch them on a mobile platform.What is Amazon Prime? It costs $79 a year (free for college students) and you get:

• Free 2-day shipping on everything with no minimum purchase
• Unlimited instant streaming to over 10,000 movies and TV shows on your computer or Kindle
• Kindle owners lending library

So while the Kindle has been a big hit for holiday gifts during the last few years and the Kindle Fire was already predicted to be huge, I think the addition of the free ebook borrowing will make the Kindle and Kindle Fire the big holiday gift by far this year. And if you are trying to get your teens to read more, what a great way to do so.

See also:  
Amazon Kindle ebooks as Gifts - Email Required, Kindle Optional 
Most Popular Gifts Holidays 2012
Simple Touchscreen Computers for Seniors from Telikin
Best Holiday Gift Posts Compilation 
LiveOn Stores Memories Forever
 

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To make it easier for those of you looking for help in finding holiday gifts for teenagers, tweens or family members, I've collected all of my best gift posts from 2008 through today in one place to make them easy for you to find. As I continue to write additional holiday gift articles, I will update this post.

The list of holiday gift posts are chronological from earliest to most current:

• Gifts for Teens to Help Family Connect

• Top 20 Holiday Gifts for Teens

• Make Customized 3D Photo Gifts, Cards and More

• 15 Best Video Game Holiday Gifts for Teens and Tweens

• Best Holiday Gifts for Teens

• Amazon Kindle ebooks as Gifts - Email Required, Kindle Optional

• Charitable Gift Ideas for the Holidays

• Tech Gifts for the Holidays

• 3 Ubisoft Video Game Holiday Previews

• 3 Websites To Buy Gifts for Book Lovers

• 5 Useful Teen Holiday Gifts 

• Why a Kindle Fire makes the Best Holiday Gift

• 12 Video Games for Teens - Holiday Gifts 2011

• Best Books for Teens for Holiday Gifts 2011 

• Most Popular Gifts Holidays 2012
•  
• Holiday Gifts for Teens - Speakers and Headphones

• SensoGlove - Best Golf Gift under $100  

• LittleBigPlanet 2: Most Creative Video Game For All Ages

There will be new gift posts added as soon as they are posted.

See also: Christmas Movies and Hanukkah TV and Video for Teens

 

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Would you like to give your teenager a gift for the holidays that is something different than the usual video games, music players and other electronics. How about surprising them with something completely different, that will get them outside and is fun? The Rockboard Scooter would make a great gift for both teens and tweens.

The Rockboard Scooter is actually two scooter in one. It incorporates a revolutionary power drive chain, which makes the scooter go faster, the faster the kids rock up and down. The Rockboard can then be switched to an old-fashioned kick scooter for a change of pace.

You will see how the Rockboard Scooter works in this short 30 second video:
 

If you have younger kids in your family, Rockboard also makes a scooter for kids 5 and up, Called the Rockboard Mini. The Mini is for kids up to 90 lbs, whereas the regular Rockboard Scooter is for teens and tweens ages 8 and up and up to 200 lbs.

The Rockboard Scooter is tons of fun and enjoyable for any age. And it is incredible exercise. Unlike a regular scooter, when used in the new rocking up and down mode, you will build up a sweat very quickly. But believe me, your teens will be having so much fun, they won't even realize they are exercising.

The Rockboard Scooter is sold at both Amazon.com and Target. The regular size scooter is $199 and the Rockboard Mini is $159. But think of all that outdoor exercise and the surprise on the surprised faces, and it might be worth it. And since parents can enjoy this also, the Rockboard Scooter can be a fun way for you to connect with your teens.

Full disclosure: I received a Rockboard Scooter for free to review. However my opinion of the scooter is my own. 

See also:  
Most Popular Gifts Holidays 2012
 Nanoblocks for Teenagers and Adults

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