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A toy time primer

The hottest holiday gifts of 2017

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This is the time of year when people start stressing about the “reason for the season,” but the one true stressor on everyone’s plate is gifts.

Everyone wants to have the best present with the most thought of or the latest gadget to really wow the tech junkie in their lives. While there are many suggestions about what to buy, there are the gifts this season that are sure to make anyone smile.

Tech Gifts

Have a tech junkie, gamer, or show-binger in your life? These gifts show that you care about their interests without having to have in-depth knowledge.

Nintendo Super NES Classic: $79.99. This throwback gaming system comes preloaded with 21 of the greatest Nintendo games, such as Super Mario Kart and Zelda. According to a comment on Target.com, it is the perfect gift for a ’90s baby.

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Wireless Headphones. Cords? Never heard of them. There are many different brands making wireless headphones, the biggest being Beats and Bose, which range anywhere from $129.99 to $349.99. These are great for athletes or people on the go.

Robot Vacuums. Need a gift for the busy neat-freak in your life? Robot vacuums keep your floors clean without lifting a finger. The original Roomba brand goes from $599.99 to $899.99.

Streaming gift cards. Know someone that really loves TV? Get them a Netflix or Hulu gift card to give them a month or five of free streaming. They can range from $25 to $100.

System gift cards. If you know someone with a Playstation or Xbox, you can get them a gift card to either the PlayStation Store or Xbox so they can extend their play with add-ons or new games entirely.

Beauty

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These are gifts the makeup lover in your life will thank you for. With these special holiday packs, you don’t even need to know their favorites to get that “wow” from them on Christmas day.

Sephora trials. Every year, Sephora puts together different sets of their highest rated products for beauty lovers to try the trial size before committing to the full size. Their Sephora Favorites this year include: LashStash To Go (mascara collection), Give Me Some Nude Lip (nude lipstick collection), Perfume Sampler, Textured Waves (hair styling collection). With the perfume sampler comes with 17 different fragrances and a voucher for a free full size of their favorite from the sampler.

Brush Sets. Even if people don’t use brushes, they are a nice way to spice up a bathroom, beauty room, or makeup vanity. Stores like Target and Walmart carry basic brush sets. If you’re looking for something more decorative, MorpheBrushes.com carries a variety of brush styles in sets ranging from $14 to $213.

Themed Makeup. Storybook Cosmetics is a brand that has recently taken off due to its book, movie, and TV show themed makeup palettes, brushes, and lip products. They have Wizard Wand brushes, a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory eyeshadow palette, and a Wizardry and Witchcraft liquid lip collection. To see more, visit Story

bookCosmetics.com.

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For the home

It’s no secret that North Dakota winters are long and cold. These gifts are sure to keep anyone warm and cozy throughout the winter season.

Blankets. From throw blankets to full on quilts, no one has ever said they have too many blankets. Any store in Minot is sure to have something warm and fuzzy for your loved one to curl up with.

Flannel Sheets. The days are short and the nights are cold. Flannel sheets give your bed some extra warmth without the hassle of a heated mattress pad.

Candles. Not only do they provide warmth, they give the long nights a light, gentle glow along with pleasant scents to fill the home. Bath and Body Works sells three-wick candles starting at $22 a piece and have been known to be a fan favorite. You can also find fun, holiday candles at Target and Walmart.

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Toys

There are many toys for sale this year, as always, for many different age groups. Here are some of the top selling toys for each age group.

0-24 months

Top-selling items for this age group include learning toys, specifically soft stuffed animals that make noise. There is a Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn dog that makes noise when you grab its hand, foot, ear or squeeze its belly. Similarly, there’s a VTech Touch & Learn Musical Bee that helps children learn numbers, shapes and colors.

3- to 4-years-old

The top selling items for this age group include toys kids can build and create with, as well as toys that let their imaginiations run wild. There are many sketch tools as well as dolls and little animals that kids can take care of without the mess of a real cat or dog. The animals that are most popular include the furReal Roarin’ Tyler, a playful tiger, and the Little Live Pets Smooch My Dream Kitten.

5- to 7-years-old

Following last years crazy trend, Hatchimals has come out with new packs, new animals, and collectibles. If your child went crazy for Hatchimals last year, there’s plenty more to keep the craze alive this year. There are also many board games appearing on the top-selling list, including Break Free, a game where you have to be the fastest to break-out of your handcuffs to win the game. There’s also an Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition perfect for children that are obsessed with mobile devices. It comes in a “kid-proof” case and comes with parental locks you can set yourself.

8- to 11-years-old

The toys for this age group are very activity-based this year. From robots to Legos to scooters, there’s plenty to choose from. For kids that love to be outside, get them a scooter from brands like Jetson or Razor. For kids that love to build, there are many complex LEGO sets that are sure to keep them occupied for hours.

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