The behemoth retailer said it will reduce prices 20% to 30% on another 100 toys, including the Buzz Lightyear talking action figure and Rocky the Robot. These new prices will be available through Christmas, or while supplies last.

Previously Wal-Mart announced it will offer 100 toys for $10 during the holiday season.

The discounter is also lowering prices on other items like books and said it will roll-back prices on select items every week until Christmas.

As Wal-Mart continues to lower prices, rivals are following suit, launch something of a holiday-season price war.

In September Target reduced prices as much as 50% on popular toys and announced on Friday that it is expanding its free shipping offer. Now shoppers can get free shipping on 50% more items on the retailers Web site.

Amazon is offering a similar promotion when it comes to books, slashing prices on popular new hardcover releases.

Here, scientists are trying to produce the picture perfect Christmas tree.

“I get a lot of calls from people who want to make extra money by growing a few trees on their back 40,” said Gary Chastagner. “They have no idea how much work it is.”

Tree experts from Norway to North Carolina are here at WSU’s research and extension center.

Researchers are trying to figure out what causes conifers to drop needles.

“You get to something like this and they’re just coming off like crazy,” said Chastagner.

It’s not the surprise under the tree customers crave.

These scientists are looking for a new higher quality species that will last longer in your home and offer a whole new niche.

“35 to 40 percent of all trees grown in U.S. come from Washington and Oregon,” Chastagner said.

Growing good trees is good business. Growers in Washington and Oregon harvest more than 10 million trees a year at a wholesale value of $176 million.

To get your money’s worth, find a tree stand that holds at least a gallon of water.

“One of the issues is many of the stands on the market place don’t hold an adequate amount of water for the trees that are displayed,” Chastagner said.

The tree experts also told us don’t bother with water additives, they add no benefit to your tree. Just water alone is the single most important ingredient.

It may be three months until the holiday, but every day revolves around Christmas for these guys.

City council leader Warren Bradley said that the holiday programme as been designed to attract thousands of new shoppers to the north-west city.

“Liverpool is staging its biggest and best ever Christmas programme to reflect the dramatic improvements the city has undergone, and also to bring our Capital of Culture year to a fitting festive climax with a special atmosphere,” he said.

Last week saw the city switch on its Christmas lights, a display which includes the new Liverpool One shopping complex for the first time.

More than 50 different acts are scheduled to take part in the Christmas festivities this year, including real reindeer, street theatre performers, choirs and brass bands.

The Liverpool One shopping centre plans to extend its opening hours until 21:00 GMT from Monday to Friday beginning November 24th.

For those who are keen to have a bit of retail therapy during the hectic holiday season, Red Letter Days offer a number of shopping experiences where you can find some exciting Christmas gifts.

What does that actually mean?

Dressing up, of course. And adult Halloween celebration means serious costuming.

After days of discussing it with my wife we have decided on the best of all costumes: I’ll be Santa and she’ll be Mrs. Claus.

We are, after all, the ultimate Christmas freaks. We hang out lights (thousands of them) starting in September. Our tree is the first to go up and the last to come down. We actually go Christmas caroling. We hang stockings, track Santa Claus and put Christmas marshmallows in our Christmas cocoa.

I was tickled recently to see an obvious connection between Halloween and Christmas. Seems that in the old days wassailing was all the holiday rage. In that old world tradition folks would go house to house drinking and singing and seeking treats — all in the name of celebrating Christmas. So of course I can dress up as Santa for Halloween. They go together like peas and carrots.

Besides, everybody loves Santa. I’ve already tried on my costume, you see. A little stroll around the neighborhood brought fans out from all over. Of course, I was approached by every living thing under four feet in height. But I was also equally popular amongst the adults, too. Women hugged me and even men asked to sit on my lap.

I’m going to be the hit of the adult Halloween party. I just know it. Everybody loves the Big Guy and wants a piece of him. Santa, you see, is a serious fantasy for more that just those with sugar plums dancing in their head or for those playing the part for a Halloween party.

Evidently, there are people out there now who want to apply for work at the north pole and wear the red suit. For real.

The mail coming to the north pole now in advance of the season often includes such merry job seekers, Elf Hugo tells me. More than any other question that is asked there is one that is most commonly posed: just what does it take to become an elf and might I have a shot at becoming Santa himself?

Every CEO has people who want to take their job. Even Santa, I suppose.

Hugo says Santa spends a lot of time on this kind of mail. He knows he cannot answer it all. But he does help folks as much as he can. Next week, I’ll share a little more about Santa’s mailing practices as he attempts to reach believers one-on-one.

ElfHQ.com is the brainchild of JinglebellJunction.com — one of the oldest and most established Christmas websites online. ElfHQ is all about Christmas games. With just a quick click visitors can play any of more than 30 games that are all Christmas-themed.

Our favorites? Try Spank Frank or Santa Balls. These are simple, fast and entertaining little games that will quickly give you a Christmas fix.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a website capturing the best of these terrorized moments? There is one and it is our Site of the Week — Scared of Santa.

Yes for those precious moments every parent appreciates where little faces that only a mother could love are remembered forever (and filling their diapers) this site is a brief moment of holiday hilarity regardless of your parenting status. Perhaps seeing these picture will cause your bad memories to resurface. Or perhaps they will, as they did for us, give you a good chuckle.

Our site of the week is Snowdays – a dandy, simple little site dedicate to flakes everywhere — the kind you make, not the kind you are. At Snowdays you can design your own snowflake (no two flakes are alike!). Then you can send it to a friend with a little message. It’s festive, simple and fun — and now it is our Site of the Week.

At Grinch World you can find artwork, screen savers, drawings, sound clips, movie bloopers, lyrics and music from every digital form of Dr. Seuss’ story.

For a week where Christmas spending is at a maximum and frazzled holiday nerves may already be shattered, we feel a visit to Grinch World just might be what the good doctor would order.

According to Solutions Research Group, 76% of all Americans want some sort of digital gizmo under the tree this year. Their survey of more than 1200 Americans in September 2007 shows that just about any kind of tech product easily beats traditional gifts of clothing, books or household appliances. Here is the top ten (presented Letterman-style):

10. Blu-Ray or HDTV DVD player
9. Sony PS3
8. Nintendo Wii
7. Digital Video Camera
6. Cell phone
5. GPS navigation device
4. Desktop computer
3. Digital camera
2. Laptop computer
1. Flat screen high definition TV

What about the Apple iPhone? It ended up at #15 on the list.