FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Melanie Notkin (Founder)
Press@SavvyAuntie.com
(917) 449 2917 (PRESS ONLY)

New York, NY – October 21, 2010 – Melanie Notkin, the founder and CEO of Savvy Auntie, the multiplatform lifestyle brand for aunts by relation, aunts by choice and godmothers, announces her gift ideas for nephews and nieces available this holiday season. There are 16 toys with the “Coolest” title, 6 toys with the “Lux” title ($99 and over), and 16 toys with honorable mentions.

Notkin has proudly accepted the position as tribal leader for the underrepresented 50% of American women whom she’s dubbed PANKs™ (Professional Aunts No Kids).  This underserved demographic has a strong desire to make the most savvy toy choices this season. When Notkin realized many toy marketers focus on primary caregivers, Notkin created the Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Awards in 2009 to give aunts and other secondary caregivers the toy-savvy they need to make the right gift choices for the children in their lives.

As toy expert, Notkin meets with manufactures as well as industry analysts to discover the year’s ground-breaking toys. After all, every Savvy Auntie wants to deliver the “wow” factor to a child when gift giving. “The 2010 holiday season lineup is filled with toys that support music, science or reading, and many toys that foster imaginative, open-ended play,” says Notkin. “The ones I deemed the “Coolest” are ones that I believe bring strong play value - and are also the ones that most kids have at the very top of their wish list.” Notkin also included some nostalgic toys that have come back into fashion for those aunts searching for the tried-and-true perennial favorites.
 
SAVVY AUNTIE COOLEST TOY AWARDS  (By age range)

Coolest:

1.    Sing-A-Ma-Jigs, ages 3-5, $12.99 (Fisher-Price)
2.    Pillow Pets, ages 3-4, $19.99 (Ontel Products Corp)
3.    Disney Princess Magic Rise Oven, ages 3-5 $29.99 (Jakks Pacific)
4.    Hexbug Nano Habitat Set, ages, 3-8, $29.99 (Innovation First Inc)
5.    Real Construction Deluxe Tool Set , ages 4-6, $21.99(Jakks Pacific)
6.    Squinkies, ages 4-6, $11.99 (Blip Toys)
7.    My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Playset, ages 4-6, $19.99,  (Hasbro)
8.    Zoobles, age 4-7, $9.99 (Spin Master)
9.    Leapster Explorer Learning Experience, ages 4-9, $69.99 (Leapfrog)
10.    Disney Princess and Me Doll, ages 5-8, $49.99 (Jakks Pacific)
11.    Monster High Dolls, ages 6-8 $24.99 (Mattel)
12.    LEGO Games Creationary, ages 7-14, $36.99 (LEGO)
13.    Paper Jamz, ages 8-10, $24,99 (WowWee)
14.    Nerf N Striker Stampede EC, ages 8-10, $49.99 (Hasbro)
15.    TONKA Ricochet RC Vehicle, ages 8-10, $79.99 (Hasbro)
16.    LEGO Star Wars Slave I™, ages 9-14, $79.99, (LEGO)

Lux:

1.    Fisher-Price Loving Family Grand Dollhouse Super Set, ages 3-6, $159.99 (Fisher-Price)
2.    Imaginext Big Foot the Monster, ages 3-7, $109.99 (Fisher-Price)
3.    Great Dragon Castle, ages 4-6, $154.99 (Playmobile)
4.    Furreal Friends Pony -Butterscotch, ages 5-7, $299.99 (Hasbro)
5.    Ground Force Drifter, ages 8+, $299.99 (Razor)
6.    LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle, ages 9-14, $129.99 (LEGO)

Honorable Mentions:

1.    Jane Goodall Collection, ages 0-6, $24,99, (Miyim)
2.    Weebles Wobble-Go-‘Round, ages 12-18 months, $14.99 (Playskool)
3.    12" Raggedy Ann 95th Anniversary Edition Doll, ages 1-6, $24.00 (Applause)
4.    Dance Star Mickey, ages 18 months-3, $69.99 (Fisher-Price)
5.    Learn to Dress Kitty, ages 2-4, $34.99, (Alex Toys)
6.    Dollie & Me Dolls and Clothes, ages 2-9 $26.99-$44.99(Kahn Lucas)
7.    StinkyKids, ages 3-6, $16.50 (Madame Alexander)
8.    18 inch Pinkalicious Cloth Doll, age 3-6, $39.99 (Madame Alexander)
9.    TAG Activity Storybook - World Map, ages 4-6, $19.99 (Leapfrog)
10.    Justin Bieber Singing Doll, ages 4-6, $24.99 (The Bridget Direct)
11.    Les Cheries 13 inch Dolls, ages 4-8, $24.99 (Corolle)
12.    TRON: Legacy 12 inch Ultimate Action Figure - Sam Flynn, ages 4-11, $39.99 (Spin Master)
13.    Barbie Video Girl Barbie Doll, ages 5-7, $49.99 (Mattel)
14.    Bakugan Dragonoid Colossus, ages 5-7, $39.99 (Spin Master)
15.    RC Rattlesnake, ages 7-13, $39.99 (Natural History Museum)
16.    Hot Wheels  Remote Control Stealth Rides Power Treads Tank, ages 8-10, $24.99 (Mattel)
Each winning toy is listed on Savvy Auntie and links to an online retailer.  The representative brands receive an award seal to post on their site, further attracting the PANK demographic with Notkin’s ‘stamp of approval.’

###

About Melanie Notkin

Melanie Notkin is America’s premier Savvy Auntie, empowering the nearly 50 percent of American women who are not moms to celebrate all they do for the children in their lives, while living their own lives to the fullest. She launched SavvyAuntie.com, the first online community for aunts and godmothers, in the summer of 2008; and in the summer of 2009, she launched Auntie’s Day, the first national holiday to honor aunts and aunthood. Her first book: Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers and All Women Who Love Kids, will be released in March 2011.

Notkin has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and Better TV as taste-maker for children’s trends and serves on the Toy Industry Association – ‘Toy of the Year’ Nominating Committee.
Melanie Notkin is available immediately as a lifestyle expert for Holiday Gift Guide stories and TV segments, as well as other child lifestyle expertise as needed. For additional information on the Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Awards and Savvy Auntie:  917.44.2917 or Press@SavvyAuntie.com .

MelanieNotkin.com  l  Reel  l Twitter.com l  Facebook.com l  Youtube.com

About Savvy Auntie

SavvyAuntie.com, Webby Award nominee,  is the first resource and online community for aunts – Aunts by Relation (ABR), Aunts by Choice (ABC) and all fabulous kid-friendly women. The website offers advice and expertise developed just for aunts, along with activities and gift ideas for their nieces and nephews. Moreover, the Savvy Auntie community enables aunts to connect and share the best and most challenging parts of aunt-hood with their Savvy Auntie friends. Dubbed “the first parenting site for non-parents,” and earning praise from the New York Times to Elle Italy, Savvy Auntie empowers and engages aunts with whatever they need celebrate aunthood.