We just ground our way through Amazon's massive Cyber Monday sale, which is saying something considering all of the three-cent discounts that made it in and the sale prices discounted from questionable MSRPs. Here are the real deals to be had based on our simple criteria (No junk destined for the rapid disposal, and discounts must be good enough to be worth talking about). The best deals this year are not on toys, but we have a few finds for young children at the bottom of this post.


Roku XD Streaming Player 1080p

$67.99 (regularly $79.99). Our in-laws swear by Roku.


Rosetta Stone V4 TOTALe: Spanish (Latin America) Level 1-5 Set

$550 (normally $750). We're testing Level 1 right now, and so far, we're very pleased. Includes built-in opportunities to speak with real native speakers.


KitchenAid KP26M1XCV Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer

$299-$350 plus a $50 rebate makes it as low as $249 if you like black (these normally sell for $599). We love our KitchenAid. Few kitchen tools are still made this well; many have been in use for decades, and by decades we mean several decades. A steal of a deal. Artisan models are also on sale for $250 from the regular price of $400.

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (4th Generation)

$269 (normally $299) for the 32-gb model. The iPod Touch is the best music player you can buy for someone who can't live without their mobile music.

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj 12.1MP Digital Camera with Built-in Projector and 5x Wide-Angle Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom

$150 (MSRP $350). We haven't used this Coolpix, although we've loved past models. A nice camera at a nice price, and this one comes with... a built-in projector?! Sweet.

This insufferably hip ad does a good job of showing how well the feature works and, insufferable hipness aside, how fun it can be.



Flip UltraHD Video Camera - White, 4 GB, 1 Hour

$99 (MSRP $149). You can't really go wrong with a Flip camcorder. This is the latest HD model. And don't underestimate how easy the Flip is for young children to use. Z, at 6, loves hers.


Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

The latest version of the Kindle e-reader is now priced at $139 to compete with other e-readers entering the market, but it's the only one we've seen with a screen you can read in full daylight. Jenni loves her Kindle and recommends one to anyone who will listen.


YBIKE Balance Bike

$67, down from $79.99. YBike is sponsoring ZRecs this week, and their innovative balance bikes are designed for mastery by even younger kids than the balance bike that helped Z learn to ride a bike. We'll have more on the YBike in a post later this week, as well as a chance to win one!


Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory

$19, on sale from an absurd MSRP of $34. This is the only Play Doh product we have been tempted to buy for years, and ~$20 appears to be the going (and fair) price. A solid idea and fun innovation that gets good reviews.


Snap Circuits

I'm looking forward to getting Z some Snap Circuits. The Snap Circuits PRO SC-500 is the best deal currently; other smaller sets are selling for the same sale price. Recommended for ages 8 and up, but Z will get her first set at 6 or 7 and we'll work on it together.

Looking for gift ideas? We won't have a dedicated Holiday Gift Guide this year, but last year's five ZRecs Holiday Gift Guides are pretty killer, and our kids' media gift guide and baby stuff gift guide were pretty helpful too. Geez, even our 2008 ZRecs Gift Guide holds up! The best kids' stuff doesn't stop being awesome a year later, so check them out and see what you missed!