Blog Archives

  • Valentine's Day Lollipop

    Valentine’s Day Ideas

    From Emily Vanek on January 30th, 2012

    Valentine’s Day for me evokes memories of making tissue box mailboxes and trying to eat all of the sugary goodness that came with cute pictures of cats on tiny cards before getting home from school. These days kids give and get more than just the tiny cards with witty sayings on them and a piece [...]

  • That’s… Really NOT Okay

    From Shannon Eis on January 18th, 2012

    I love children’s books and everything about the moments I get to share with my kids while reading to them, and now, them reading to me. (*sigh*…How fast they grow.)

  • The Gender Thing

    From Christopher Byrne on January 18th, 2012

    I’m hoping that this is the year we can all start having an honest conversation about toys, gender identity and socialization. It’s certainly a topic that can get people all worked up, but is it real? I don’t think so. Like so much in the media in the “age of outrage,” this is often something that’s cooked up so that people can a) pontificate on talk shows and b) sell books or consulting services. Either way, some people are getting rich making you think that a color (pink) has the mystical power to form the personality of the girls in your life.

  • Toy Rentals—Are They Worth It?

    From Christopher Byrne on January 6th, 2012

    You know about renting films, cars, even handbags or bridesmaids dresses. But how about renting toys for your kids? Is this a good idea? Certainly several sites and some news outlets have been buzzing about this as a new trend. While it might seem a good idea, there are some things you’d probably want to consider before signing up for one of these programs.

  • Toys

    Rotating Toys = A Happy Mom

    From Emily Vanek on January 4th, 2012

    At our house, we have toys coming out your ears. With three boys ranging from three to twelve years-old, We probably have about every toy they sell in the “boy aisles,” or at least that’s the way it seems at times. I recently decided that enough was enough and set up a rotation plan for [...]

  • Giving and Receiving

    From Christopher Byrne on December 19th, 2011

    With Christmas less than a week away, many of us are very concerned about giving as we race around to try to finish our shopping for everyone on our lists. (I know I’m nowhere near finished, and this may finally be the year that everyone gets funny socks.)

  • How to find the hottest toy?

    From Jim Silver on December 10th, 2011

    You’re searching for the hot toy and can’t find it. Is there a trick to finding them? Absolutely. Here’s a little trick: During the holiday season, retailers sell most of the toys on a weekend, with traffic starting on Friday evening. Stores want to be prepared for the rush, so they make sure the shelves are full for the weekend. Late afternoon on Friday is a great time to shop, as the toy aisles are full, and you’ll beat the weekend rush.

  • Storytime: Navigating the (Apparent) Minefield

    From Christopher Byrne on December 6th, 2011

    Sometimes you just have to laugh. I wonder if there isn’t anything in the media or entertainment world these days that can’t provoke adult outrage from someone seeking—and too often getting—publicity. And it all usually comes from one very popular but horribly misguided practice—adults projecting their unresolved personal issues and political agendas on anything that comes in their sights. It doesn’t matter if their opinions makes no sense or ignores the facts; it’s all about getting attention and shocking.

  • Batteries in toys: What You Need to Know

    From Jim Silver on December 6th, 2011

    When you buy a toy that operates on batteries, often they are inexpensive batteries so the toy will work on the “Try Me” mode while on a retailers shelf. It’s important to have batteries to replace these batteries, as a toy won’t work properly on them, or those batteries will deplete shortly. If you’re not sure if they’re “Try Me” batteries, there’s usually a small notice on either the front or back of the package along with batteries required.

  • Shannon on CBS

    From TJ on December 2nd, 2011

    Check out our very own Shannon Eis as she breaks down what’s hot and what’s not for this holiday’s toys. Here’s more info on the toys Shannon showed: Lazer Stunt Chaser Angry Birds Knock on Wood Monster High Nerf Vortex Nitron FyrFlyz Xia Xia

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