Holiday Gift Guide - For Anyone: Om Nom "Cut The Rope" Plush Toy

His name is Om Nom. If you haven't seen this cute little guy around, you might want to download his game, "Cut The Rope". It is available on iPhone and Android phones and is quite addicting! I hadn't heard or seen this guy prior to him landing on my porch some weeks back. This little guy came wrapped in adorable packaging. He is sweet, soft and super cute! There seems to be a craze of certain popular app game plushies going around, and little Om Nom sure makes his own statement. Om Nom plush toy was released in September 2011 by ZeptoLab and is available with different expressions, including one where he looks to be quite sad. Cut The Rope is such a fun game! More about the game:

"A mysterious package has arrived, and the little monster inside has only one request…CANDY! Help get the candy to Om Nom, the lovable star of the game, in this highly innovative and addictive puzzle game. Combining outstanding physics, devilishly tricky levels, and bright colorful High Definition visuals, Cut the Rope is one of the most original and fun-filled games on the App Store"

Cut The Rope is quite a fun game, I'm always playing it now when I'm in waiting rooms, I'm so glad I found it. Om Nom is an absolute cutie pie and the Om Nom was released in September 2011 and would make a great Holiday Gift for kids and adults if all ages. He is available, with different expressions, on Amazon for as low as $6.99.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway - CN: Punch Time Explosion XL Video Game

One gift that doesn't seem to be losing popularity any soon is videos games. RPGs, First-Person Shooters, Action/Adventure, etc. I am a huge fan of video games and would be quite embarrassed to even begin figuring out how many hours I've put into them over my 23 years of life. A lot..I can say that much. I got the exiting opportunity to receive and review the Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL video game  for the Xbox 360. I am a big Cartoon Network fan, have been since I was small. I love Power Puff Girls, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Dexters Laboratory, Fosters Home of Imaginary Friends and more! Its exiting and so fun to see the characters from my favorite shows (and others) come together.

Punch Time Explosion XL has a story mode in which the narrator takes a day off to watch his favorite shows only to find mass chaos and confusion in the sense that all the shows, characters and their worlds are mixed up. You begin as Ben Tennyson (from Ben 10) who sees and tries to find his arch-enemy, Vilgax and end with... Dexter (thats all we'll say for now, I'd hate to ruin the ending!). I love the co-op story mode that lets you play with up to 4 people. The game is great! It has 26 playable characters and battle arenas AND 4-player battles. I love the battle mode, as they are very reminiscent of Super Smash Bros. (SSB) and I use to play it a lot. I won the majority of time lol. As in SSB, you can pick up random items to help beat the other players, the game certainly has a lot of re-play value!

Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL is available for the XBOX 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. It retails for $29.99 - $39.99, depending on which platform you want it for. This is definitely a great game to have wrapped up under the Christmas tree! :)

Want to win a copy of Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL Video Game? Click "read more..." to enter the giveaway!

Holiday Gift Guide - For Anyone: Light-Up Snow Man & Candle Set - CVS

We all know those people who prefer more practical gifts during the holidays, as opposed to lavish big-screens and whatnot. CVS Stores provides great gifts at low-costs for those who like the practical gifts. We got the chance to review just two of many many great gift ideas available at your local CVS.

Light-Up Snowman is available at CVS for a low $9.99 ($20 value). The Snowman is adorable, at 14.5" tall is comes with a handy button to turn on its gorgeous light. The fading light is very soothing and looks wonderful. We managed to stick him in our foyer and everyone has complimented it. Its very inviting and even during the daylight, he is fun to look at. The only thing that drew me off a little was the excess glitter that I've had to vacuum up around the area he is.

Sarah Peyton Flameless Candle Set is available for a low $9.99 at CVS. This great set comes complete with genuine river rocks, custom wood tray, batteries and includes 3 flameless candles. Right out of the box and plastic, you can feel that the candles are made of real wax. Its vannilla scent is not mentioned on the box, but is quite pleasant. The flameless candles are safe to use, and made a great centerpiece during out Thanksgiving get-together. They have a handy on/off switch on the bottom and when "on" you can blow on them to turn them off. They flicker, smell good, feel real and are very realistic.

The Light-Up Snowman and Sarah Peyton Flameless Candle Set are just two of many great gifts at great prices available at your local CVS Stores.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Holiday Gift Guide - For Kids: Nintendo Wall Graphics & 9" Figures

I think its fair to say that we ALL have been fans of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. at one point in our lives. I lived and breathed the Super Mario Bros. game since the original Nintendo console. And yes, I still own the old cartridge games, and the console. The days of Nintendo's 8-bit Super Mario are long gone. The Super Mario franchise has been revamped, this can be seen in the NEW Super Mario Bros. video game for the Wii and all those proceeding it. Here are two great gifts for all Nintendo fanatics!

Up first is something that needs to be displayed as if it were a trophy. The Super Mario 9" Figurine is officially licensed by Nintendo and is something that will brighten anyones holiday! They are made of vinyl, 9" tall and have moveable arms and head for posing. The Super Mario 9" Figures are a great gift idea! Mario, Luigi and Yoshi are available to be purchased.

The Super Mario 9" Figures retail for $12.99 at ThinkGeek.com. We received a little Mario Figure to review and can not count how many friends have been instantly gravitated to it. I have him placed near my video game collection, rightfully next to all the Super Mario games. He get a lot of attention and enjoys being played with. Its very sturdy so you don't have to worry when little kids manhandle him. :)

Next up is truly a gift that all Super Mario fanatics would die for! Nintendo Wall Graphics are great for those who have wall space to show off! They would be wonderful in play rooms, kids bedrooms or even yours! We received the Nintendo Wall Graphics in the New Super Mario design and placed it in my younger brothers room. Its a shame I didn't take a picture, we decided to remove them for the time being until the room can be painted. They came off as easily as they went on. They don't leave sticky residue and didn't loose their stickiness. The New Super Mario design looks amazing on the wall!

The Nintendo Wall Graphics retail for $49.99 - $69.99 at ThinkGeek.com and are available in the oldschool 8-bit Super Mario Bros, the 3D-rendered NEW Super Mario Bros. or Donkey Kong. All three are completely different sets and you can set them up in whatever manner you'd like. This is a gift they will treasure!

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Holiday Gift Guide - For Men and Women: Spock Cookie Jar & Bathrobe

If your parents are anything like mine, they are Star Trek fans. Not BIG fans, like I am, but they use to watch the show in Nicaragua when they were younger and enjoyed it. My mom seems to think my infatuation with Spock was cute, but little by little she took a better liking to him. These next two ideas are great for the Star Trek fans, men or women, in your life.

Star Trek Bathrobe. Is there anything better than waking up and throwing on a Captain Kirk, Scotty, Uhura or Spock bathrobe and making a cup of coffee? I think not. We received the Spock Bathrobe, it is blue, adorable and has a Star Trek Enterprise embroidered insignia and the rank on the sleeves. It looks great and will definitely spark interest and questions from those who catch you in it :) They will ALL want to know where you got it!

The bathrobe, officially licensed by CBS, is quite long, at 5'7" it reaches halfway down my legs. The Star Trek Spock Bathrobe retails for $59.99 at ThinkGeek.com and is available in Gold (Kirk/Captain/Commander), Red (Scotty/Operations/Commander) and Blue (Spock/Sciences/Comander). There is also an Uhura Bathrobe in Red, which is shorter than the others, meant for women and retails for $39.99. This is a great example of a present for those who have everything. They are warm, soft, and wonderful to show off!

Next up is the Spock Cookie Jar. You will certainly have people asking questions about it when they see it in your kitchen! This officially licensed SStar Trek collectible is made of ceramic to hold your tasty treats. Cookies (store bought or or home made, Spock won't question it), granola bars, and other treats comfortably fit inside. The wonderful thing about it is that you can put almost anything inside, food, pet treats, crafts, money, etc.

The cookie jar is very well made. If its not hand painted, it would've fooled me. All the beautiful facial features that make Spock Spock are very well molded, from his sexy pointy ears, to his high cheek boned and wonderful eyebrows. The Spock Cookie Jar retails for $49.99 at ThinkGeek.com and needs to be under a lot of trees this Christmas! Its just one of those gifts that you can give and expect to get a "Whoah, what, really? Amazing!" from the recipient :)

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Holiday Gift Guide - For Men: Multi-Color LED Flashlight & Shock Ball

I find that men are sometimes the hardest to chose gifts for. Sure, a video game, console or big T.V. does the trick most of the times, but what about those who like the fun quirky gifts? What then? You think outside the box. My dad loves practical gifts, and gifts that will provide him entertainment, so here are two that he has been enjoying:

A Multi-color LED Flashlight with 10 different LED colors; red, green, orange, turquoise, purple, yellow, light blue and violet. The flashlight is simple to use, one click on the buttom located on the bottom and the white LED automatically comes on. At the click of a smaller black button on the side you can toggle between the 10 different LED colors AND the last two settings are flash and fade modes. The output is quite bright, a 3W and takes 3 AAA batteries.

My dad used this to light up a hanging witch on out door during Halloween. It was green and we got a lot of compliments on the scary hanging witch! He mostly uses it to go do work on the outside of the house when its dark and surprisingly enjoys it to flash in peoples face, lol. The Multi-Color LED Flashlight retails for $24.99 at ThinkGeek.com This is one practical gift any father who enjoys flashlights that actually work and don't have a yellow-tint light :)

Next up is a fun little Shock Ball. Ever play hot potato? This is a fun new way to play, without the burns... or the potato lol. The Shock Ball is a novelty toy, not meant for children under 14. From the name of it, I'm sure you guessed its purpose. The Shock Ball is meant to be used in place of a hot potato when playing hot potato. The ball doesn't want you to win, so as you pass it around to your friends, it will emit random electrical shocks. The person who holds it the most without screaming out in agonizing pain laughter (from the random shocks) is essentially the winner.

The random electrical shocks are not painful, they will most likely cause you to yell out in laughter than pain, but it is still not meant to be used by children under 14 or people with electrical devices like pace makers. My dad LOVED this gift, he has always been a practical joker, but he sure is mighty good at the game. Along with the electrical shocks, the ball lights up so make sure to play in the dark! The Shock Ball retails for $13.99 at ThinkGeek.com. GREAT. GIFT. IDEA.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Holiday Gift Guide - For Anyone: Debbie's Rugelach Pastries

Fruitcakes, Holiday decorated cookies and... Debbie's Rugelach. I like to think outside the box when it comes to gifts, and food always is well received. If you're asking what a Rugelach is...

"...a traditional Eastern European pastry. It’s name comes from the Yiddish word “rugel”, meaning “royal”. Contemporary Jewish-American rugelach descends from this tradition, using a wide variety of fillings. There is no other Jewish sweet that has become more mainstream than rugelach. Delicious for dessert with your coffee or tea, or even as a tasty snack!"

We received Debbie's Rugelach in all 3 varieties, Traditional Currant Walnut, Decadent Chocolate Chip, and Very Apricot. One thing they all have in common is their delicious flakiness and cinnamon and sugar topping. Its almost hard to believe how limited the ingredients list for these little pastries is! Now, I had never heard of Rugelach pastries before, but I like sweet treats. They smell fantastic, but the taste just takes the cake. 

The Very Apricot rugelach is "moist, tart dried apricots with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar for a not too sweet indulgence". The little chunks of dried apricots mixed with the flaky pastry is delicious! I also found the Traditional Currant Walnut irresistibly great. They were both my favorite. The Decadent Chocolate Chip was favored among my little siblings, who described it as "mmm chocolatey" lol. Debbie's Rugelach will maintain their glavor and texture for several months in the freezer, but there was non left over to save this time around.

At $9.95 for a pack of 8, Debbie's Rugelach is certainly a great gift idea for the foodie friends you have. Also, at $19.95 for a pack 18 they are a wonderful idea for Holiday parties. Debbie's Rugelach also have a special promotion where you get a FREE 8-piece assorted bag with the purchase of $25+ or if you refer 2+ friends! Treat your friends and family to some Rugelach! :)

Debbie’s Rugelach will maintain their flavor and texture for several months in the freezer. They can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated in an air tight container for at least a couple of weeks. They are great warm, too. You can take them straight from the freezer or at room temperature to the microwave for 30-40 seconds.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Student Saving Bucks - Holiday Gift Guide + Review/Giveaways

With the holidays coming around there is NO better way to stay on top of hot gift ideas than people's gift guides. I say this because people have great ideas for hot gifts, and they all have different opinions, that is why I enjoy visiting a good number of different gift guides! For the month of November I will share with you all reviews and ideas on some GREAT gift ideas for the women, men, kids, dogs and trekkies in your life! This will be accompanied by some giveaways.