Some of the season's hottest and unique toys

When it comes to toys this holiday season, the motto could be: You snooze, you lose.
That's because jittery retailers have cut back on inventory, and anything remotely deemed must-have will probably go fast and stay gone.
According to the professional toy watchers at Toy Insider and FunFare (formerly Toy Wishes magazine), this season's hot toys will be:
Zhu Zhu Pets robotic hamsters. Warning: Many stores are already sold out. Ages 3+; $10
Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser. Micro-sized vehicle defies gravity, driving up walls and ceilings. Ages 8+; $28
Barbie Twilight Bella Doll. Barbie's new boyfriend is a vampire. Ages 6+; $25
Liv Dolls. Dolls' accessories and hair can be swapped out. Includes code for Web play. Ages 5+; $20
Battle Strikers Turbo Tops Tournament Set. Magnetic controller gives kids control over battling tops. Ages 6+; $35
7n1 Maxus Drago Bakugan. Transforming monsters. Ages 5+; $39.99
Elmo Tickle Hands. Fuzzy red gloves that turn kids into Elmo. Ages 18 months+; $29.99.
Matchbox Rocky the Robot Truck. An interactive truck talks, dances, drives, dumps and lifts. Ages 3+; $59.99
Printies Design Studio. Design your own stuffed toy using a PC, printer and special Printies-fabric sheets. Ages 6+; $19.99

Our picks
Usually, the "hot" big name toys don't cross our desks here at the Lincoln Journal Star. However, what does come in are some unique, creative and fun toys that make us want to play all day.
Here's a look at some of our favorites:
Lulu My Cuddlin' Kitty. The newest FurReal Friend from Hasbro is like a real kitten, mewing, preening and even rolling over onto her back. Plus, no litterbox required. Ages 4+; $38
Electronic Dream Phone. Fundex Games updates the 1990s slumber party game with a cell phone and text messaging. Girls make calls to a dream team of 24 teen boys, hoping to find their secret admirer through a process of elimination. Players pick up clues from the boys and search the game board to find out who the secret admirer is NOT to determine who he is. Ages 12+; $29.99. At Justice Stores.
Shred Sled is a cross between a skateboard and snowboard. Riders use their hips, legs and arms to move this four-wheel inline dual-deck caster board. Ages 8+; $119.99. Available at many retail stores and at www.TheShredSled.com.
At Shidonni World, kids draw their own characters and play games with them. Shidonni One-
of-a-Kind takes it from virtual to real, by turning kids' drawn characters into 12-inch tall personalized plush toys. Ages: 4+; $79.99 includes shipping. Delivery in 7 to 14 business days. www.shidonni.com.
Norman the PhartEphant is not for sensitive folk. This 10-inch plush elephant makes eight "funny noises" with the squeeze of his tai l. Good news: Sometimes he excuses his rude behavior - which could make him an educational toy because he can teach manners. Ages 3+; $21.95. www.phartephant.com.
Girls become fashion designers with Harumika (www.harumika.com). They simply wrap Harumika fabrics around dress forms, secure them, add accessories and voila, a new fashion. Using the included digital camera, they upload photos of their creations for a digital style show. Ages 4+; $10.99 for the Style Starter Set, $5.99 for additional Style Accent Sets.
Pocket Disc lets you bring Frisbee indoors without worry. These colorful Fair Trade discs are hand-crocheted by women in Guatemala. Each disc comes with a suggested list of possible games including Indoor Disc Golf, William Tell, Pocket Disc Hockey, Ceiling Fan 500 and Skitzlejinx. Ages 3+; $9.99 for the classic edition; $14.99 for the heavier weight sports edition. Available in select stores and at www.pocketdisc.com/games.php.
Teach kids the value of money with Cash Cow Talking Bank. Each time a coin is dropped in, the Cash Cow tells you the name and value of the coin, plus the tally of money in the bank is updated on an LCD display. Ages 5 +; $29.95. www.vat19.com/dvds/cash-cow-electronic-talking-piggy-bank-game.cfm.
Crayola never runs out of ideas. Buy a specially marked box of crayons, and you can unlock an online code for the Lights, Camera, Color picture printer, which turns your digital photos into black and white coloring pages.
Younger children can turn their coloring into music with the Crayola Beginnings Color Me a Song. This portable coloring station features a pressure-sensitive board that matches a melody to the artist's pace. Kids can choose from drum, trumpet, piano or guitar sounds. Ages 24 months+; $24.99
Pillow Pets do double duty. They start as cuddly stuffed pandas, dogs, penguins and monkeys, but unclasp the Velcro strap and they turn into soft pillows. Ages 3+; $24.95. www.vat19.com/dvds/my-pillow-pets.cfm.
Sniplits.com offers audio MP3 short stories, ranging from under five minutes to about an hour. Listen on eReaders, MP3 players and smartphones while working out, running errands, etc. Many genres are offered, including humor, mystery suspense, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, romance, westerns and tween reads. Ages: Teen+; story prices range from 48 cents to $1.28. www.sniplits.com.