As seen this morning on The Early Show (CBS) – Regina discusses the latest high-tech back to school supplies.

Breaking up may be hard to do in the real world, but it can be even harder online. Regina stopped by The Early Show on Saturday Morning with suggested web sites, apps and tips to help purge your ex from your online life. Click here to read the full story.

This week on Wall Street Journal Radio we are talking about fitness sites – sites for those who are active and like to get moving, as well as sports sites for those who'd rather sit back and take in the action from the comfort of their living room.

Challenge Yourself in a Triathlon
www.TriFind.com
The running craze may have peaked several years ago, but now people are trying something even more challenging – triathlons. They are very popular during the warm summer months, on into the fall. If you think you could never do a triathlon, don't think about the extreme Ironman triathlons you see on TV ... those are mostly for the hardcore or seasoned veterans. Entry level or beginner triathlons are called "sprint" triathlons and normally cover distances in the neighborhood of a 300 meter swim, a 12 mile bike ride and little more than a three mile run to finish it off.


If this interests you, log on to web site www.trifind.com where they have races listed by state and include links to official race web sites. The site also has lists of recommended books and related sites for triathlon beginners and veterans alike, as well as training tips and links to triathlon clubs and coaches in your area. Adventure races, duathlons and aquathons are also listed, so there's something for everybody.

Lace 'em up & Log on
www.MapMyRun.com & www.MapMyRide.com
Whether you are training for a race or just like to stay fit, handy web sites like MapMyRun.com and MapMyRide.com (for biking) can help you create local training routes based on how many miles you want to cover and whether you prefer hilly or flat terrain. These clever tool helps make whatever you're working toward more tangible. The sites use Google mapping technology to plot your jogging or riding route and track your mileage. Set precise distance markers and map out any stops for stretching, restrooms, or water along the way. You can save your map and share it with training partners. Start plotting and running/riding and the sites will keep you honest. They also track your training history on an interactive calendar, where you can integrate key information like calories burned, total mileage, speed, etc.



And get these stats ... The MapMyRun Community now includes 6.8 million runs logged in over 150 countries; and a whopping 355 million miles and counting. You can also use the site to find running partners, upcoming events and generally, feel part of something larger. Most of the sites tools are free to use once you sign up, but premium memberships are available for more advanced tracking features and to use the site without seeing advertisements. Plans start at $5.99 per month.

Hit the Trail
www.trails.com
You don't have to have an expensive gym membership to get your body in motion. Miles and miles of trails for hiking, biking and walking are likely not far from your front door. One of the best ways to get the most out of your time outdoors is by exploring new trails or rediscovering some of your old favorites. Web site Trails.com lets you quickly find trails in your local area, searching by city, state or zip code. The site features over 46,000 trails from over 1,000 trusted guidebooks and also incorporates social media tools, making it possible for members to create user profiles, upload trail photos and track favorites via an interactive dashboard. Trails are searchable by 24 different types of activities – from hiking, biking, running and climbing – to camping, canoeing, fishing and even backcountry skiing.


While basic searching and mapping of trails and activities is free to anyone, after a 2 week free trial, there is a $50.00 annual fee for full-featured access to the site or you can go monthly at $7.95 per month. Trails.com maintains an up-to-date list of top trails, voted on by site members. Currently topping the list is Breakneck Ridge Trail in New York – a strenuous 2.8 mile hiking trail with lots of spectacular views of the Hudson River.

Tee Time Online
www.golfmoolah.com
If you plan to spend some time on the sofa this weekend, you may watch to watch golf's British Open, the third major tournament of the year. Tiger Woods will be back in action and according to blog GolfMoolah.com, even with his personal life still somewhat in turmoil Tiger is the favorite to win at 7/2 odds, followed by "Lefty" Phil Michelson at 12/1 odds.


If you plan to hit the links yourself, GolfMoolah is a fun site for those who aren't afraid of a little on course wager. The site will teach you every wagering game in golf – from a simple $5 Nassau or a friendly "Skins" game, to more advance games like "High/Low" and one called "Acey/Deucey." There's a mobile app to download that helps calculate every wager for you, making sure it's done according to each players handicap.

No Holds Barred If golf isn't quite your speed, perhaps you're catching on to the sport that continues to garner millions of mainstream fans. That would be Mixed Martial Arts, better known as MMA (you may be familiar with the biggest organization in MMA, the UFC). To learn about MMA, catch the latest news and videos, log on to MMAFighting.com, the definitive source for all things MMA.


A couple of clicks on the site is all it takes to meet the top fighters and get in on the latest hype surrounding upcoming fights. Before you know it, you'll be an MMA junkie and be able to spot all the fancy techniques the fighters use – from a "Super Man punch," to and "arm bar" or a "triangle choke."

Here's a look at some of the sites and topics we are covering on stations nationwide this week ... News You Can Use & Must Click Sites: The All-Access Pass Redefined, Safer Online Shopping Tips, Who Flies the Friendliest Skies, and More!

• Not Your Traditional Backstage Pass: Your favorite artists are letting you in... via the Web. Game-changing new site Cambio.com offers fans an all-access pass to see what happens behind the scenes of shows by the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Demi Lavato, and more. This goes beyond music as you're seeing everything that happens ... after they leave the stage.


• Home Buying Help: Now that the Federal First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit has expired consumers are scrambling for information and incentives. The good news, they exist if you know where to look and how to qualify, but the process can be daunting. AOL Real Estate offers a first look at brand new resources with insider tips on getting a loan despite today's tighter standards. Also, AOL Real Estate, in participation with Bank of America Home Loans, is hosting an online discussion with real estate experts, moderated by Regina, who will answer consumers' burning questions about home buying in today's market. Be sure to log on here, June 23rd at 7:30pm to watch. The show will be archived, so you can also watch at your convenience.


• Shop Safer Online, Every Time: You've got a lot of power in your finger. With one click of the mouse, you can purchase just about anything online. Even though online shopping is generally much safer than it was at the dawn of the Internet, there are still many potential pitfalls and new threats are introduced every day. So, it can, literally, pay to think twice before you 'add to cart.' From watching out for cookies to paying for online purchases with credit instead of debit. Regina runs down some simple shopping tips to keep you safe and save you money.

• Who Flies the Friendliest Skies? No hot food, no pillows and blankets, and on some flights, no complimentary water. What's left? The one thing that can turn a long, meal-less coach flight from an ordeal to a joyride ... friendliness: helpful airline personnel and flight attendants with a positive attitude. Traveling coast-to-coast, AOL's Mystery Flyer goes undercover to find the friendliest flight attendants and most helpful service. Find out how the competition stacked up.


• Bring Your Computer Up to Speed: So maybe your computer isn't quite as fast as you would like it to be. Maybe you're lagging when you try to play games or it hangs on the crucial part of that video you're streaming. Get the clutter and waste off your computer by quickly removing unnecessary and temporary files. Regina has the scoop on how to recover valuable disk space in seconds and get your computer running up to 300% faster.


• Hot Viral Video: So many online videos, so little time. We've tracked down the "must see" viral video of the week. At Holmes Middle School in Alexandria, VA., teachers perform Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" during the annual talent show. While the video did draw a lot of positive comments from YouTube viewers, there were those who thought the teachers should have chosen something a little less racy. Take a look and judge for yourself.

There really are legit ways to work from home online ... And we're not just talking eBay. Here are five sites you may not know that could bring in some dough. Find out where to look, the Do's & Don'ts and how much you can reasonably expect to make. Plus, some important "red flags" to watch for.

Hundreds of thousands of full-time, home-based freelancers and independent contractors in the US are expected to be added to the workforce in 2010 and that number only goes up when you start counting part-time independent contractors looking to pick up work and earn cash fast or supplement their existing income. In other words, people are saying, "Look, I can't afford to wait. I'm ready, willing and able to work now, from right here!"
This is especially true for households where a spouse has lost a job or in cases where someone is juggling household, childcare and elder care responsibilities. The earnings may be a "must" & the flexibility can be invaluable.

It also makes sense when you look at the degree of down-sizing in corporate America. You've got folks who are accustomed to earning a certain amount and living a certain lifestyle. When they get cut, finding work online can be tremendously empowering ... In part, because the more you pour yourself into it, the more you can make. I think this is what many of us are after in a world with little-to-no job security. We want to feel like we have a little more control over our financial destiny.

Plus, entire industries have transformed. Newspapers come to mind ... And this shift to working remotely is a natural trendline enabled by technology. It's a trend too big to dodge. So, embrace it.

Five Things to Keep in Mind When Searching for Home-based Jobs Online:

1) GET TECH- READY
First, walk before you run. Make sure you have high speed access, don't have a love/hate relationship with your laptop and be sure your printer isn't about to run out of ink! A dedicated space and phone line is also high priority for your working area.

2) WATCH YOUR WATCH
Watch your watch in terms of really understanding the amount of time you're willing and able to dedicate to your online venture. Take it slow and err on side of adding hours over time and scaling up vs taking on too much out of the box and potentially jeopardizing your results and – by extension – your reputation and ratings.

3) BE READY TO COMPETE
It's competitive. The top employers are competing for the top talent and the top talent is competing for limited opportunities. In many cases some employers are only accepting 10% of applicants. The good news is, they're actually accepting 10%! Also, don't price yourself right out of a job. Just as you might compare prices on eBay before making a bid, make sure you know what the going rate is for the work you're qualified to do. And, remember, players with established track records can probably charge more, so you may need to under-cut them on price when you're first getting started.

4) MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
Manage your own expectations regarding how much money you can reasonably expect to pull in. Most of the sites covered below try to present a candid picture of income potential and will flat out tell you – with few exceptions – they're not intended to provide a primary revenue stream. A few extra bucks? Absolutely. And who doesn't need a few extra bucks?

5) OVER-DELIVER
Success breeds success. Once you get your foot in the virtual door ... deliver. That goes without saying, so will take it a step further ... Over-deliver to ensure a high rating and reputation. This will bring more opportunities your way and the ability to charge more premium rates. It's all about the climb ... Some things never change:)


Be Wary of Work from Home Scams:
There is a fair amount of fraud in this arena. Two of the biggest "red flags" to be on the lookout for are:

1) Requests for Cash: Needing to shell out up-front cash (e.g., investing in a sales "kit" or being asked to pay to find out about job openings).

2) Requests for Personal Information: Having to hand over a lot of personal and financial information up-front, which could be an identity theft scam.

Five Legit Sites for Earning Money from Home:

1) www.eJury.com:

The virtual jury is one of the newest tools used in pre-trial research aimed at helping lawyers develop their courtroom presentations, select the best jurors for their cases and reach negotiated settlements. Let them try the case on you. Interesting and profitable work at $5-10 per verdict depending on the length of the case and the amount of material they're asking you to review.


The case I reviewed took me roughly 30 minutes to review facts; assess diagrams; and answer questions, including figures on amounts of money I think would fairly and reasonably compensate for damages. So, that's about $20 an hour on my end & it's interesting work. They're often trying to get a ballpark sense for what will fly in the actual court room. This is an efficient way for lawyers to try out arguments pre-trial and make adjustments based on feedback. You get "called" to be a virtual juror based on zip code (the jurisdiction you're in). So, you can't bank on getting this work. Some counties have as many as one case a week going through the ejury system. (Here's a sample of what a case looks like).

2) www.Seed.com:

There's so much talk about digital journalism and blogging these days, this site seems like a sign of the times . ... Seed.com is a new site that will pay you for articles, photos and soon videos too. When you go to the site you'll see assignments from editors in AOL's network of more than 80 top sites on the web – Asylum, PawNation, ThatsFit, etc. They're credentialed journalists looking for high-caliber content and lots of it. So, the standards are high, but so is the demand, since the distribution is built in. The Seed network "seeds" stories for existing sites, so they already have an audience.

When you go to Seed, you can view the available assignments. It's as if you've got a seat at the newsroom assignment desk (see: How it Works).

Current assignments include: 100 Words or Less on Your Best Packing Tips or Best Road Trip Tips ... Both going for $10. An article on Taking Care of Antique Silverware will suggest, including tips at least 2 different methods and answering: Can you run through the dishwasher? How should you store? If editors accept your work, you get paid a flat fee. In this case, $25 for 400 words. If you know your stuff, the free tool they provide to submit material is incredibly user-friendly.

Many of the assignments are "hyper-local" .... Things like Local Luxury Day Spas in X Area or Navigating Unemployment in X State. Grabbing a local beat is a great way to get in the game.

On the higher earning end .... If you're already spending significant amounts of time planning a family vacation, maybe you can turn that into taking advantage of a more substantial writing assignment involving interviewing local residents, etc. Something along these lines of magazine-caliber at 1500 words is currently being sought for $300.

If/when your work is accepted, you essentially hand over the rights for a flat fee. A dashboard tracks your current assignments, the # of views you're getting and your earnings. The PAY ME NOW button issues weekly payments.

3) www.ChaCha.com

We've all done our share of Googling ... And now you can actually get paid to search for answers for ChaCha.com users. ChaCha is a search engine that just passed benchmark of answering one MILLION questions a day! You can apply to be one of the people who decides what search results pop up when someone types in, phones in or texts an inquiry on a topic you're passionate about – anything from God to Guitars and from Diabetes to Decorating. There are currently 55,000 ChaCha guides nationwide. It's an attractive part-time gig for night owls in particular, as well as college students and retirees.

All you need is a high-speed connection to be apply to become a guide. Fair warning: Not everyone can be a guide. There are entrance tests and limited opportunities. If you're lucky enough to be one of the 10% of applicants accepted, you'll go to "Search University" and then quickly be on your way to earning points for each search or task you complete. Points convert into cash at end of month. While this is not designed to be a primary revenue source. in their own words, it can be "more than chump change." In fact, ChaCha tells us most guides make a few hundred dollars per month. More than chump change, indeed.

4) www.VIPDesk.com:

Become a virtual concierge or customer service representative helping people plan travel, find home improvement contractors, etc. The job can be done from home, anywhere in the country, at set hours for generally $10-12 an hour. This is growing trend in this economic climate ... In fact, VIP Desk tells us they're recruiting now with plans to add hundreds more people to their network with a mix of independent contracting and part- and full-time opportunities. It is competitive, but fantastic work for people who live in remote locations or who are juggling child- or elder-care responsibilities.


Approximately 1/2 of their Brand Ambassadors are bilingual, so if you speak multiple languages you may really have a leg up. When you sign up you get a schedule weekly or biweekly with your assigned The work varies by season, since many retail clients – including Eddie Bauer and Bluefly use VIPDesk to field customer service calls. Right now, ServiceMagic is gearing up for all the people who will be looking for Spring cleaning and home improvement efforts ... They generate leads for contractors, plumbers and the like ... Rather than take the calls directly, while they're out on a job, VIP Desk customer service reps serve as their frontline.

5) www.eLance.com:

This site is the new way to work for many small businesses with less than 500 employees. Monthly hiring is up roughly 40% year-over-year. They're not looking to hire someone in two weeks or two months, odds are, they needs something N-O-W. There are currently thousands of open jobs on this site – everything from building Facebook apps to ghostwriting books, developing marketing materials and writing executive bios.

You submit a proposal for the work; get hired and agree upon terms and milestones. At the end you submit your invoice and funds are released from escrow. This is key because one of the things freelancers and elancers struggle with is getting paid and getting paid expeditiously. So the fact that elance provides a tool to facilitate this and that the project is funded up-front is significant benefit.

As freelancing has traditionally been, elancing is great way to get a foot in door and build a reputation. You'll be rated on your work (much like eBays rating system for sellers). The more positive your rating, the more likely work is to come your way. Over time some elancers pair up with other high-rated elancers and bid on bigger more profitable pieces of business. So, you may start by going it alone and end up joining others and earning a piece of a potentially bigger pie.

QUESTIONS? SUGGESTIONS? We'll be taking them on ABC News Now via AIM: ReginaLewis & Twitter.com/ReginaLewis

SNOWED IN? RUN OUT OF TIME? HERE'S WHERE TO CLICK IN THE CLUTCH ... MINUTES MATTER IF YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON GETTING SOMETHING UNDER THE TREE IN TIME. LOG ON & YOU MAY BE IN LUCK ... WE'LL TELL YOU WHERE TO LOOK, IF THERE'S A CATCH & FILL YOU IN ON SOME 11th HOUR GIFT IDEAS TO SAVE FACE & FULFILL EXPECTATIONS ... READ ON FOR SEVEN STEALTH MOVES .... DONE CORRECTLY, THEY'LL NEVER KNOW YOU WAITED TILL THE LAST MINUTE! ..

IF BLACK FRIDAY DIDN'T PRODUCE THE KILLER BUY YOU'RE SEARCHING FOR, THERE'S ALWAYS CYBER MONDAY ... "Cyber Monday" is the Monday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 30th this year). Retailers see this day as their first opportunity to target holiday shoppers who may have window-shopped over the weekend ... When the kids go back to school and they hit their computers at home -- and dare I say -- at work. This year, there'll be a ton of CYBER MONDAY DEALS. Here's where to find CYBER MONDAY DEALS and some Do's & Don'ts. The biggest winners so far? Department store websites: Up 151%. Neiman Marcus is currently offering free shipping & gorgeous free gIft wrapping too. Can't beat the presentation & the packaging alone is tremendous value.

IS CYBER MONDAY THE BIGGEST ONLINE SHOPPING DAY OF THE YEAR?

Just as Black Friday isn't really the biggest offline shopping day of the year (it's actually the w-end before Christmas), Cyber Monday is a term coined by the National Retail Federation and while it's certainly one of the biggest shopping days of the year, the biggest volume day usually falls around Dec 14 one of the last days for standard shipping. But, every year, the Cyber Monday stakes get higher and so is the potential upside for retailers and consumers who take advantage of the fact fourth quarter is make or break for most retailers -- they're pulling out all the stops to get your business, especially online which could prove to be a bright spot in their portfolio. Big players like JC Penney expect online sales to be its fastest-growing area. Kohls is predicting a 30% increase as result of aggressive online advertising. And, Amazon continues to post some amazing numbers.


In terms of the Internet's influence .... Here's the biggie. Beyond sales online today & throughout the season, the web is predicted to influence 1 out of 4 holiday sales (Source: NRF Survey) as consumers look online for product reviews, deals, coupons, price comparisons and gift ideas -- particularly at the more-popular-than-ever $25 an under price point -- which are on the frontscreens right now of almost every major Internet service, shopping site and magazine site.


IT SEEMS LIKE PRICES ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME. HOW CAN I REALLY BE SURE AM GETTING THE BEST PRICE?

Dynamic pricing on the web enables retailers to slash and manipulate prices on the fly, so the price-cutting and discounting is even more ferocious. To really up the ante, some sites have deals of the day with tickers counting down the time they'll be available. If you're after a certain price, you can sign up to be notified via alerts when it hits your mark from sites like www.pricegrabber.com and www.priceprotectr.com

The key is knowing a good deal when you see one & that means knowing the price it usually goes for and is going for elsewhere. That's where price comparison shopping comes in by using shopping search on major shopping sites like AOL & Yahoo Shopping and price comparison engines like PriceGrabber.com. This single step can save you -- on average -- as much as 35% on a single item.

COUPON CODES WERE THE RAGE LAST YEAR ... ARE THEY STILL KEY & WHERE CAN YOU FIND THEM?

Leaving the promotional code box empty. If they're asking for one, that means it exists. Search for the code on sites like couponcabin.com, grab it & then check out. Also, if you get the mail order catalog for a site you're shopping at, thumb through the pages -- they may have inserted codes in there too.

SHOULD YOU BE SUSPECT IF YOU DON'T SEE A PRICE LISTED? WHY DO THEY SOMETIMES MAKE YOU WAIT TILL YOU ADD IT TO YOUR CART?

The best kept secret is actually something that throws a lot of people off -- It's NOT seeing the price of an item before it is added to their cart. You get -- understandably -- skeptical. It's a real issue & Amazon is working on it. Here's the backstory according to an Amazon spokesperson we connected with: some items require you to add them to your shopping cart BEFORE you get to see the price. Consumers, frustrated by hidden prices and wary of hidden agendas, might worry they will have to go through a long process to find out the price, but they don't. And if you just move on to the next product, you could miss out on real savings.

These products and others, are affected by manufacturer advertising restrictions whereby some manufacturers consider an online listing for a product the equivalent to media advertising. Just as brick and mortar stores cannot pick the prices in their distributed advertising/circulars, Amazon, in some instances, cannot display a price that is lower than the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Whenever you have to add something to your cart, it's probably a GOOD THING. You'll likely get a great deal.

We'll be talking HOT TOYS 2009 on MSNBC throughout the morning ... The overall trend is lower-price points. Surveys show parents of young kids are willing to forego almost anything, but delivering on a North Pole request. Walmart making it more practical. Last year, shocked the industry offering 10 popular toys at a $10 price point. They sold out. This year, they're upping the ante 10-fold, offering 100 toys for $10.

IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR ... CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS, TICKLE ME ELMO ... THIS YEAR ROBOTIC HAMPSTERS INITIALLY INTENDED TO BE LESS THAN $10!

The "must have" toys have emerged ... The first, indeed, Zhu Zhu Pet Hampsters ... They can't keep them on the shelf at Toys R Us. Currently being bid up Amazon at roughly 4X initial retail price: Appeals to both boys & girls + every parent who ever said no to the real thing or was faced with cleaning the cage. No wonder it's a hit. The only outstanding issue: can they live up to the hype? They're cute for a few minutes, but might not be as "real" as kids expect.

NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING YOU CAN'T HELP BUT WANT YOUR GIFT TO REALLY STAND OUT ... WHAT'S YOUR BEST MOVE?

Something you can play that day. I call it the "12 noon mark" & the "3 pm deadline." Meaning did you start playing by 12 noon & do you still care by 3 pm? Let alone three weeks later ...

This one is destined to make the 12 noon mark: MIND FLEX. VIDEO: HERE

As for three weeks out, think timeless Beatles tunes to help make that PlayStation or Wii console in your basement make a comeback ....If the pattern holds, a lot of people wil sample it over the Thanksgiving Day w-end at home of relative & buy immediately thereafter.

DJ Hero is the big variable this year .... Remains to be seen whether consumer who shelled out hundreds of dollars last year for Guitar Hero consoles -- will spring for this too. Is certainly get rave reviews.

IS IT TRUE RETRO GAMES ARE MAKING A COMEBACK?

Sure & this reflects two trends: Nesting --- staying home & looking for stay-at-home entertainment (hence, the NetFlix, RedBox phenom) The ability for traditional brands to play into this sentiment is significant. Remember, it's a lot more expensive (takes advertising on-air & online) to build a new brand than resurrect a familiar name. Watch for Monopoly, Clue, Boggle to make a comeback with extensions -- mini versions to play in back seat of your car, digital versions for your laptop & phone ...

STOCKING STUFFERS CAN REALLY ADD UP ... HOW ARE PEOPLE WORKING AROUND THAT?

On the stocking stuffer side, you also see players like Dollar General leaning into same trend featuring nearly 200 toys priced at $5 or less. Shove some tissue paper in the bottom to get an over-filled effect.

IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO HAVE A LEANER CHRISTMAS, IS THAT A DISCUSSION YOU SHOUL D HAVE IN ADVANCE WITH YOUR KIDS?

Interestingly, this is a big debate. Depends on age of child. For tweens/teens, consensus is .... "yes." Err on side of managing expectations.

Enjoyed talking with stations across the country about pulling off Halloween on a budget. This weekend, we walked the talk and got together with friends + neighbors for pumpkin carving. Here's some of the information on sites referenced in the TV segments on stations, including 9NEWS.Com (NBC-Denver) & FOX-Detroit + photos from our personal shindig (an attempt at applying some of the tips!) A few people took home their seeds .... When looked at the overnight AOL Hot Search list, sure enough ... it's happening all over the country .... there's a surge in demand for what to do with pumpkin seeds ... The term landed in the #8 slot. You can even ROAST THEM.

Decorating on a Dime: www.ShelterPop.com Some neat inspiration here & pretty darn doable.

Here's what we dreamt up at our own home (pumpkins bought in bulk); "achievement" trophies from K2; & tents with LED Christmas lights from Sears. The nice guy from Sears who helped me with the purchase, explained the LED Energy Saver lights cost more, but are brighter. He was right. They really did the trick + love the look.

RELATED POST: PUMPKIN CARVING PARTY

MORE "AS SEEN ON TV"

Should I unplug things? savings-experiment That question and others answered here. They break down the eye-opening math. A lot of practical takeaways.

HOT Hampsters!: Where to Find Them. You can't make it up!

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Fun being at TODAY SHOW this week ... We're talking all-things-shopping ... Here are some links in case helpful. Lester seemed to enjoy Beatles Rock Band & special thanks to the folks from MTV who graciously helped make it all come together. Amy wasn't up for singing, but -- like every parent I speak with -- she was intrigued by the Zhu Zhu pet hamsters.

For starters, you're not seeing things ... Christmas merchandise is already on the shelves and the National Retail Federation says 40% of consumers are expected to start their holiday shopping BEFORE Halloween. So, what are the TRENDS driving this year's biggest retail season and what's YOUR best shopping game plan?

* Deemed "Christmas Creep" (as in "creeping up" on calendar).

* Crucial for retailers (season often accounts for 25-40% of annual sales).

By LaToya Drake

Here at ReginaLewis.com we follow the hottest viral videos on the web, and this week's picks are nothing short of unique! We've tracked down everything from a pop star's social media meltdown to the resurrection of an 80's pop culture relic. Enjoy!

Good-bye Twitter (Miley Cyrus)
Tween star Miley Cyrus bids adieu to Twitter with a memorable rap.


Piano Stairs (The Fun Theory)
This video from Sweden reveals a successful effort to change human behavior by adding a little fun to the equation. Reminds me of the Big piano!


California Raisin! James Kuhn. Face Paint in Motion!
Artist and face-painter James Kuhn's takes us back to the 80s! Traditionally, "raisin face" is not a compliment, but in Kuhn's case he not only turns his face into a raisin, but a singing and dancing work of art.


How to Please your Picky Eater
ParentDish.com blogger Rachel Campos-Duffy offers great tips on taking some of the stress out of mealtime. stars in this video; she's also one of the top search terms on Truveo right now.

By LaToya Drake .... We've all been there -- joining every social network under the moon, only to find ourselves struggling to organize the barrage of pings, tweets, status updates, pokes and friend requests. With the recent news of Miley Cyrus abandoning Twitter (in grand form, no less), it begs the question if she's opening the floodgates for more celebrities and laypeople to leave social media all together. Note to the overwhelmed: Streamlining your social life just got easier. Gone are the days of feeling pushed to the brink of abandoning the social media network you've spent so long building and nurturing.

"Lifestreaming" ... The New Verb

Every once in awhile a new term becomes a verb describing an online interaction that simplifies our lives (i.e.Googling, Tweeting). The newest verb to add to your dictionary is lifestreaming. Because the myriad social networks important to daily our lives force us to scour the web to log into multiple social networking accounts just to keep up – AIM has introduced a way to streamline your social networks and get all the updates in one place.

AIM Lifestream unifies conversations from across the Web and delivers a constant stream of real-time status and friend updates in your AIM buddy list window. Lifestream allows you to see what your buddies are doing on AIM, Facebook, Twitter, flickr, delicious, Digg and YouTube, and also gives you the ability to leave comments back to Facebook and @reply to Twitter...all from one place!

Download the new AIM and learn more about Lifestream at aim.com

AIM BUDDY LIST / LIFESTREAM

Related Articles:
Popeater: Miley Cyrus Raps about Quitting Twitter

You're not seeing things ... Christmas decorations and related items are out earlier this year and consumers are getting a jump on holiday shopping. In fact, 40% of shoppers say they'll start BEFORE Halloween. Retailers are banking on you not being able to wait & keeping lean inventory this year (they don't want to risk being stuck with excess items & keep in mind THEIR credit is tighter this year too). We'll be covering this space closely on-air and on this site. So, keep coming back ... :)


Flat or Modest Rise in Holiday Sales Expected:
Many early projections suggests retail spending in the final two months of 2009 – a season that accounts for a large proportion of sales and profits – will be flat or may show only a very modest increase over last year. Still, this is an improvement over last year which saw the first decline in decades.

Retailers Keeping Tight Inventories – "Buy Now" for Best Selection:
After being left over with a glut of inventory in 2008, many retailers have scaled back their purchases. Plus, their lines of credit could be tighter too (think: banks tightening restrictions). This means they may hold off on offering steep, profit-eroding discounts to reduce inventories until after the holiday season passes. For consumers it means an emphasis on buy it now vs. late, or risking gettinging "shut out" on hot gifts or paying ABOVE retail if something gets bid up on eBay.

Shop Early, Save Money:
Planning in advance, making a list and getting started early are all good bets for saving money. And because 4^th quarter sales are so vitally important to retailers, many offer early discounts to consumers to stoke their spending habits. It's working on me:)

Free Shipping Offers Online:
Online, e-tailers are more likely to dangle the two most powerful words in online shopping: "Free Shipping," in October and November. The longer you wait to shop, you will find those offers will quickly be going, going, gone. Etailers are often willing to absorb flat-rate shipping charges, which are widely available at the start of the season. But as deadlines near and rush shipping charges kick in, they've got to pay the UPS and FedExes of the world a premium and they're likely going to pass that cost along. Personally, am a big fan of Amazon Prime which gets me free shipping almost all the time, all year. More to come on this & whether the math might make sense for you too.

Coupon Use up Online & Offline:
The economies slow recovery, has fueled a major resurgence in coupon use both online and offline. Coupons have become a promotion for retailers, whether they are sticker to the front of a catalog that arrives in your mailbox or pushed to you in an email newsletter. Retailers are giving consumers just enough to get over the hump (to buy), but no more than that. Nuts not to use a coupon when they're readily available.

Hot Holiday Toys – "Must Haves":
It happens every holiday season ... there's a must-have toy or electronic gadget that flies off store shelves – think: Nintendo Wii, FURBIES or maybe Tickle Me Elmo rings a bell. Hot items like these can create a frenzy online, with Internet shoppers logging on time and time again in hopes of see those two magic words: "in stock." What's expected to be hot this year? (hint: something called Zhu Zhu pets made the list).

Toy Prices Expected to be Reasonable Again:
While it's hard to say for sure what will sell out and what won't, one thing we know with certainty is, parents are on a budget and they're searching for bargains. This has toy manufacturers responding with lower prices. In fact, half of the "hot 20" toys chosen by The Toy Insider, a consumer shopping guide, retail for $30 or less. But if you plan to snap up these bargains, don't wait. Last year, Walmart sold out of their industry trend-setting $10 toys. They had ten of them. This year? They're planning to have 100 of them!

Related articles:
Nielsen: Upcoming holiday season festive but frugal - Ecommerce - BizReport
Retailers deck the halls while calendar says early fall - The Boston Globe
Nervous US retailers brace for critical holiday season - Yahoo! News
Wal-Mart supersizes its $10 holiday toy program | U.S. | Reuters