The Frog Pod is a bath toy scoop, drain, and storage unit designed to simplify maintenance of a typical toddler bathtub environment. Its removable scoop enables the user to scoop up and rinse bath toys in bulk to help eliminate dangerous mildew and bath residue on toys. The fingers and toes are used to hang bath accessories and the hidden shelf provides a convenient space for shampoo and other bath products. The Frog Pod can be attached to virtually any shower or bathtub wall, and the frog base is simple to detach from the adhesive bracket for easy cleaning.

"These lights are extremely popular with our customers. They have a five-year warranty and can be used indoors and outside and they are just amazing. You can't go wrong because they use so much less power," said Michelle Novak, manager of the South End's Canadian Tire.

Seasonal manager Jack Levesque said the LED lights are popular with electricians.

"Our electrician was in to our Canadian Tire store hooking up our Christmas trees. We were having trouble blowing breakers with the extra load from all of our tree lights. He said if all our display trees used LEDs, we wouldn't notice how much power was being drawn," said Levesque.

He says that soon all Christmas lights will be LEDs.

Ace Hardware now carries the lights in pine cone and teardrop shapes "that look more like the traditional lights," Evans said.

Target carries LEDs in a variety of colors and styles, including traditional-looking strands, snowmen, snowflakes, candy canes, holly berries and even red chili peppers.

While a few customers are buying, not everyone is sold. But once people learn about the technology, retailers expect the lights to catch on. Big time.

"Every year, more and more people are asking about them," Evans said. "It's one of those things we think will catch on sooner rather than later."

Companies like Toyota choose Ito because he helps their bottom line. At just 24, he created a slim molded aluminum bottle for Heineken (HINKY ) that transformed the venerable brewer's beer from dowdy to nightclub chic. Within months of the bottle's launch, Heineken doubled the number of French outlets that carried its aluminum bottles, to 2,000. "We had places like [upscale Paris department store] Bon Marche besieging us with calls. It was unprecedented," says Pascal Gilet, global marketing manager for Heineken, who gave Ito his first contract. The product has since been launched worldwide. Similarly, Ito's 2003 redesign of Paris nightclub Le Cab helped double admissions in one year. Fun-seekers have flocked to see the club's colorful dance floor, mirrored halls, and leather-lined hexagonal alcoves.

The young Frenchman's path to fame and fortune was ingenious, if reckless. At 21, Ito, whose real name is Ito Morabito, decided he couldn't bear spending 10 years inching his way up the career ladder. So the son of well-known Paris fashion designer Pascal Morabito invented the pseudonym Ora Ito to carve out his own identity. Without using his father's money or connections, he set out to excite the design world with an audacious media stunt. He helped pen two articles for the fashionable French magazines Crash and Jalouse, presenting a selection of 3D images of completely made-up products for mega-brands such as Louis Vuitton, Apple Computer, and Levi Strauss & Co.

The response was electric. Within weeks of the first article's publication, Ito's Web site was getting 200,000 visitors a day. A Swiss collector and a host of other watch fans wanted to buy the designer's four imaginary Swatch designs, whose digital red dials and cool curves added a futuristic edge to the company's classic look, even though no such products existed. Customers inundated luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy/Louis Vuitton with calls and store visits in a desperate attempt to buy Ito's proposed monogrammed backpack. A factory in China bestowed the ultimate accolade. It lifted the designs and started churning out counterfeits. "It was wild," recalls Ito, noting that no companies initiated legal action against him because the designs were virtual and well-received by consumers and the brands involved.

Passersby will marvel at your creations: a frosty dog, chilly penguin and a really cool dinosaur. All are made easy with SnoPals kits that rurn snow into works of art the family can create together. Each kit includes foam eyes, ears, mouths and accessories (colors and pieces as shown) that lend personality to your family's snow creations. Specify dog, penguin or dinosaur.

Maplewood-based 3M won't give details of what it calls an uptick in demand. But its plants that make the masks around the globe have been running 24/7 in recent weeks, said 3M spokeswoman Jacqueline Berry.

3M produces the masks at a plant in Valley, Neb., and two other U.S. locations as well as others overseas that it wouldn't identify.

The 3M masks, or respirators, are known as N95s, a reference to their rating for removing airborne particles. At one business that sells the N95s, sales are 'several times the normal volume, a multiple of three or four,' said Bill Reed, president of Filtera, a Houston-based filter supplier.

To give some idea of global demand, the Australian government ordered 40 million N95 masks this year, compared with 2 million in 2004, news services report. Similar stockpiling by governments is thought to be occurring worldwide.

Most (77 percent) will begin holiday shopping before the end of November.

Twenty-eight (28) percent will start on Black Friday, November 25.

Women will make up the majority (61 percent) of consumers who will begin holiday shopping on Black Friday.

Shoppers aged 25-to-44 will make up nearly half (48 percent) of those who will start on Black Friday.

Men are more likely than women to wait until the last minute, representing 63 percent of the shoppers who start on Christmas Eve.

This coming Friday is one of the year's biggest days for shoppers and retailers. But for many, the Web has made the following Monday just as crucial.

With the rapid expansion of the Internet, the Monday after Thanksgiving has grown to be the all-important kickoff of the online holiday shopping season. On that day, consumers head back to work -- and their computers -- ready to shop after the long holiday weekend.

At Acme Stove Co. in Rockville, business "is hopping," said co-owner Mike Taylor, "or should I say hot?"

Wood stove prices at Acme range from $700 to $8,000 for a German-made stove, oven and storage model. The average customer spends about $4,500 on a stove, including installation, Taylor said.

The re-emergence of wood burning is not just about staying warm, Taylor said.

"I think it's a matter of security," Taylor said, pointing to the frequency of power outages in the area and increased fuel prices.

In its most recent winter outlook, the Energy Information Administration said on average, households that use natural gas could face a 41 percent spike in winter heating bills. Those using heating oil and propane likely would see their bills increase by 27 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

Many stores quickly sold out. Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. and the Web sites for Circuit City Stores Inc., Best Buy Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. all listed the consoles as being sold out Tuesday.

A crowd of gamers at a Best Buy in Manhattan clapped and cheered when the first purchases were made just after midnight Tuesday, but shortages dampened the mood even there. 19-year-old Peter Gonzalez, the first in line, said he felt "amazing," and that his nearly 30-hour wait was worth it. The college student planned to stay up all night playing games before heading to classes in the morning.

But 90 of the 200 people in line at the store were disappointed to learn they had to buy the $300 "Core" system because the more expensive model was sold out. "It's like buying a car without the engine," said Eddie Buist, 29, from the Bronx.

1. Use credit cards. Last year, American shoppers spent more than $23 billion online during the holiday season, according to the eSpending Report from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Harris Interactive, and Nielsen-Net Ratings. The safest way to spend that money is with a credit card.

Avoid using your debit card. Most debit cards have fraud protections, but your bank account could be overdrawn while you dispute charges. The big three credit card issuers, American Express, MasterCard and Visa, have a zero liability policy. You pay nothing for unauthorized transactions if you notify your financial institution.

For extra fraud protection, sign up for MasterCard's SecureCode (www.mastercard.com/securecd/welcome.do) or Visa's Verified by Visa (usa.visa.com/personal/security/vbv/index.html). These are password challenge programs for online shopping.

Under the programs, you create a password. Participating online stores will request that password for purchases. The password request appears via a pop-up window, so you might have to disable pop-up blockers. MasterCard (www.mastercard.com) and Visa (www.visa.com) list participating stores on their websites.

Also, most credit card companies offer numbers for one-time use. Check your card issuer's website for more information. In some cases, a one-time number may only work with stores you designate.

Good Grief. Learn the true meaning of Christmas with Charlie Brown's classic pathetic Christmas tree. Leave it bare or dress it up all fancy. The tree is an exact replica of the tree from the famous cartoon, made of wire branches and plastic needles with a criss cross wooden base. The bendable branches allow you to make it look just how you want, super pathetic or just kind of pathetic. The tree comes with one red Christmas ball ornament. Plus the bendable branches make it possible to fold the tree entirely flat for easy storage during the non-yuletide times of the year.

* Wire/plastic/wood base
* Base: 91/2"l, 27/8"w; Tree: 21"h; glass ball: 3"w
* Take care with rough wood base, as it tends to splinter

This special glittering teddy, all 20 inches of him, has been handcrafted from fine gold silk mohair in the German tradition to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Steiff, the world-renowned company synonymous with high quality plush toys. Only 125 have been produced for this special occasion. Only one exists in the United States at the legendary Macy's flagship Herald Square store in New York City to celebrate the launch of its new Toy Shop on 8. The new shop will officially open on Sunday, November 20th. This special edition Teddy will be enclosed in a glass vitrine and on view during regular store hours.

Retailing for $32,500, this collectible also comes with a little wool felt elephant pin cushion adorned with 47 diamonds totaling 1 carat, a special anniversary book signed by Friedhelm Steiff and a tour of the Steiff facility in Giengen, Germany, the birthplace of these legendary toys.

-- Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they will do more holiday shopping online this year versus last year; 62 percent cited the convenience of shopping at home as their favorite thing about online shopping

-- Thirty-five percent said their favorite strategy for reducing holiday shopping hassles is to shop online and in catalogs; 21 percent said they try to finish holiday shopping before Thanksgiving; 15 percent said they do their holiday shopping early in the morning

-- A quarter of respondents said they plan to shop online on Thanksgiving Day

Why would people want to pay someone else a commission to sell their old junk on eBay when they can do it themselves for free?

Sully said most people don't because it's too complicated and time-consuming. Only 8 percent of eBay users actually auction their stuff online, he said. Using an expert auctioneer helps people increase their chances of getting a sale and a higher auction price. Also, bidders are confident when they see the company's logo guaranteeing the product.

"Thirty percent of what is always the question," he said. "Is it worth your time to save $30 or not? People don't have to know anything, they don't have to do anything -- they just have to bring it in."

Apparel remains the top gift choice, with 65% saying they'll buy clothing this year, followed by gift cards at 64%. By category, area shoppers' buying habits differ from the rest of the nation: 45% plan on buying food and liquor gifts, versus 36% nationwide; and 36% anticipate handing out cash during the holidays, compared with 31% in other parts of the U.S.

Holidays for New Parents and Kids: Fill a diaper bag with some bibs, feeding bottles, teethers, baby lotion and a Kids Foot Locker gift card for the cutest in little kids' footwear. Add a Barnes & Noble gift card so they can grab the newest parenting books and magazines.

Dinner and a Movie: In a mixing bowl, throw in an apron, pasta, some cooking utensils, olive oil and spices along with popcorn and candy and a Blockbuster gift card for the latest DVD to watch together after dinner. Top it off with a Pizza Hut gift card just in case something goes wrong in the kitchen.

College Cheer: For the student in your life, pick up a few strings of lights and some holiday ornaments and add them to a gift basket with all the holiday essentials. Include mix for spiced apple cider, cocoa, holiday candies, an iTunes Music Card for holiday music and a Bed Bath & Beyond gift card for dorm essentials. Finish the basket off with a gift card for a Net 10 Motorola mobile phone and refill cards so they can keep in touch.

You may think you've seen these before, but you haven't. Although traditional clear soap bubbles give you a rainbow effect in the right light, Zubbles are the first truly colored bubbles—nearly opaque, with a single vibrant hue. The problem, which took Minnesota toy inventor Tim Kehoe more than 10 years to solve, was to create a dye that could not only tint the thin wall of a soap bubble but that wouldn't leave a stain when the bubble broke. His solution: invent an entirely new dye that simply disappears. Agitation (rubbing your hands together) or exposure to the air transforms the dye's molecular structure from brightly colored to colorless in minutes or hours, depending on the surface the bubbles break on.

Zubbles will hit shelves early next year, but the temporary washable color may soon show up in other products, including a bathroom wipe that leaves a momentary trail of color to show you where you've cleaned, and a toothpaste that turns kids' mouths bright pink until they've brushed for 30 seconds. Kehoe even imagines biomedical and industrial applications. Who knew what bubbles could do?

Back in the day—the eighties, that is—this little Lycra garment could be found on dance floors from New York to L.A. And along with gobs of black rubber bracelets, Madonna practically made it a uniform for the oh-so-hip gal when she appeared in Desperately Seeking Susan. Then, sadly, the trend passed and black leggings were thrown into fashion purgatory—the gym. They were comfortable, breathable, supportive and slimming—all the things the exercise-crazed women of the nineties wanted for working out. These days, however, they're back with a vengeance, and for all the same reasons. Plus, they're the perfect transitional element for those not quite ready to say goodbye to summer's short skirts and tunics. The biggeset irony? Madonna's even sporting them again, albeit with diamonds and designer duds. —Karen Johnston

- over 135 million people have purchased DVDs and/or video games;
- close to 135 million made plane reservations;
- over 128 million purchased articles of clothing/accessories/shoes;
- over 112 million paid for music downloads and/or CDs;
- over 106 million purchased electronic devices (including cameras, etc);
- close to 98 million bought computer hardware; and
- over 86 million consumers made hotel and/or tour bookings.


*****

Not surprisingly, Europe and North America display the highest incidence of online shoppers, with Germany, Austria and the UK topping the list, with at least 95 percent of Internet users having purchased online. In the UK and Germany, about two-thirds of these web users have made a purchase within the last month.

Gorgeous is probably not the first word that comes to mind when describing Dr. Andrew Weil, one of the world’s foremost authorities on integrative health. But gorgeous, healthier, more radiant skin is the big-beauty-payoff you'll experience with his new integrative program from Origins. An ardent disbeliever in unnatural perfection (underscore unnatural), Dr. Weil’s approach features an ample dose of realism and some magical mushrooms. Hearsay? Hardly. There's research to confirm what your mirror will tell you.

After just one week the results were remarkable: women saw and felt a definite difference...a visible improvement in skin texture, condition and appearance. And 80% said that their skin was soothed and calmed by Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Face Serum.

This serum contains a proprietary blend of some of the most effective natural substances Dr. Weil has discovered to address skin problems. It includes Hypsizygus ulmarius, Cordyceps and Reishi mushrooms, Ginger, Turmeric, Holy Basil, Resveratrol and Argan Nut Oil.

Police in northeastern Iran are launching a new morality drive by confiscating alluring mannequins from boutiques and clothes stalls in the bazaar, authorities in the city of Bojnourd said Monday. A spokesman for the city's judiciary, who asked not be named, explained the drive would tackle problems of "public chastity." He said 65 mannequins have been impounded so far.

He explained the crack-down on tailors' dummies was part of a larger offensive against anti-social behavior such as vandalism and biker gangs. Bojnourd owes its traditional religious climate to the nearby shrine city of Mashhad, a focal point of pilgrimage for the world's Shi'ite Muslims.