Post Christmas Sale

Well, Christmas is over, which is kind of sad.  They stopped playing non-stop Christmas music on the radio.  *sigh*  Anyway, the good news is that all of our Christmas toys and goodies are on sale at 40% off!  You should check it out!  Seriously.

We are going to be all busy, getting ready for the new year.  If you are local, you can come by and check out our Clearance section.  If you are online, you can see what new stuff pops up in our online Clearance Section.  Cool; it is like paralled universes.

Christmas Sale

All of our Christmas Themed toys and items are now 20% off!  We announced it on facebook and at our store.  Hurry and get something before it is too late!

Holiday Hours

This is posted on our Facebook page:  for the Christmas season, we are open late on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  We are open until 6 on Monday and Tuesday and we are open until 8 on the rest of the days.  We are open online 24 hours a day!  Woo Hoo!

Cyber Monday at Town Square Toys

Okay, I thought that Cyber Monday followed Black Friday!  Maybe this year is different.  It seems to have skipped a week.  The Mansfield store is closed today, but the online store is open.  Consequently, we are shipping toys to all parts of the United States!  (I actually shipped and cool, giant United States puzzle today.)

I like to think that we are making Christmas dreams come true.  It is as if we are happy little elves, working in Santa's toy shop, shipping out great toys for boys and girls everywhere.  Maybe I should get an elf costume?  Nah!

We will be open, in Mansfield, tomorrow.  Can't wait!  Oh, not sure if you checked us out on Facebook or not, but we are having Holiday Hours until Christmas.  We will be open until 8PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  Come on by and see us!

Only 20 days until Christmas!

A Truly Grand Opening

A ginormous "THANKS!" goes out to everyone who came by for our Grand Opening.  I know, I know, we have been open for a while - getting our feet wet.  But, we had a spectacular time, throwing open our doors and letting everyone know that this was the big day!  It was so much fun to see both old and new faces.  Our advertising was successful insofar as we had people waiting for us to open; we had a free gift for the first 25 people.  I had a lot of fun with that, personally - handing out the gifts to the little kids.

It was a busy, busy day.  We had so many new friends come by the store.  Children were playing at the Thomas Train Table and the Calico Critters table all day long.  We had some wonderful story times.  Craft times were a big hit as well.  We had a popcorn machine and gave away bags of popcorn, so the whole store smelled like a movie theatre depending on how the wind blew.  And, it was a windy day!  Our balloons had a hard time surviving all the bluster!

Some roads were closed due to the Annual Mansfield Parade, downtown.  We were afraid that we would lose traffic as a result.  Actually, our main road wasn't closed and so we were fine, and the post-parade traffic gave us another afternoon rush of customers.  Exciting!

We ended the day happily exhausted.  We should do this every year!  Okay...maybe not.

Only 22 days until Christmas!

Grand Opening for Our Mansfield Toy Store

I don't know if you get the Mansfield Now magazine, but the current issue has an ad regarding out Grand Opening this Saturday!  (Our ad is on page 20.)  We also have an event scheduled on Facebook.  If you are in town, come on by.  We will be open from 10 to 8.  We will have giveaways, popcorn, games, crafts, story times and a drawing for a GIANT stuffed animal, including Elmo and Big Bird!  See you there!

How Cool Is That? How Cool Indeed!

Someone came by the store the other day and was enamored by our toys.  This is, of course, part of our master plan.  Anywhoo...She looked at one of our twirling spaghetti forks and said, "how cool is that?"  She continued along this vein for a while.  Many different toys provoked the question.  How cool is that for us?  I love the fact that we are creating a place where cool toys live, where people know that they can find the cool toys of yesterday and today.

Only 25 days until Christmas!

Green Toys are Way Cool!

When you ship as many packages as we do, you tend to notice the packaging.  There are about a billion toys out there and, consequently, a billion packages.  Some of the packages are as cool as the toys!  Okay, not really.  But, I digress.

I was noticing the packaging on the Green Toys that we sell.  I like how it is clean, sharp and simple.  Here is a bit of info from their website:

Green Toys environmental mission even extends to our packaging. We strive to minimize packaging, and all of our boxes use as little material as possible. All Green Toys products are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. So, not only are they earth-friendly and ready for your recycling bin, they are really easy to open for those little fingers just itching to get at the toys!!

The toys themselves are super earth friendly:

We use recycled milk containers as the main ingredient in creating our toys. Yes, the exact plastic milk jugs that you and your family drink from every day. When you finish your milk and toss the container in the recycling bin, these milk containers are collected at your curb by a local recycling company, who then sorts them from all the other types of plastic. Next, the milk containers are reprocessed into super clean fresh plastic. For you plastic geeks, the plastic material we use is called high-density polyethylene (or HDPE). This material is considered one of the safest, cleanest plastics around.

Go check out their website for more information.  They even use the word "plethora!"

Only 26 days until Christmas!

Famous Faces? Anyone?

Hope you had a wonderful and relaxing Sunday, especially after such a crazy weekend of shopping!

I was thinking about a conversation I had with a lovely lady, who came into the store this weekend.  She was telling us how she used to manage a small toy store in Connecticut, some 30 years ago, or so.  We had a great time "talking shop."  She mentioned that Paul Newman shopped in her store from time to time.  I thought that that was both cool and interesting.  I wonder if anyone famous will come and shop in our store?  I hear Kelly Clarkson sometimes shops locally.  That would be neat.

Do you know anyone famous?  Are you famous?  Come on by!

Only 27 days until Christmas!

Shipping Saturday!

The "fun" of having an online store, as well as a physical store is the variety of things to be done!  Today was a full day of filling orders at the Mansfield Toy store and then a fun filled evening of filling orders from the web store.  Boy am I beat!

Only 29 days until Christmas!

Black Friday? Maybe Red and Green!

Well Black Friday came and went, and it was so much fun.  Yes, it was a bit of work, too.  But, Black Friday at Town Square Toys wasn't like Black Friday is at other stores - from what I hear.  Customers were pleasant and genial all the day long.  We heard great stories of shopping experiences that started at midnight and others that started at all hours of the morning.  We were, of course, not open until 8AM and so we didn't have any of that insanity. 

But, as I sit here and ponder the name, Black Friday, I am thinking that it is not truly apropos, at least for Town Square Toys.  I mean, Christmas was in full effect so it could have just as easily been called Red and Green Friday.  Watching the sky turn beautiful colors as the sun set might tempt one to call it a Golden Friday or a Pink Friday.  Once we plugged in our Christmas lights around the store, it could be called a White Friday.  I am sure, if I continued, that I could come up with other colors as well, but I won't.  Let's just say it was a very Happy Friday.  (I am not sure what color "Happy" is; maybe it is a combination of colors - maybe plaid?  Nah!)

Only 30 days until Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  We have so much to be thankful for!  The blessings of God are truly humbling!  We hope you had a wonderful day!

In the Virtual News, the Real World News to Follow

I know that I mentioned last week that Steph and Amy were going to be interviewed in the paper.  Well, it happened!  Woo Hoo!  The Mansfield News-Mirror came by, asked some questions, took some pictures and, voila, we are in the paper.  Read a great article about an awesome toys store, right here.

Steph and Amy don't like the limelight, like Russ and I do, but they did a fabulous job.  The actual paper is coming out tomorrow, I think.  I could be wrong.  But, I will definitely get a copy, like I did when they were in the Dallas Morning News last year.  Check that out, too, if you want.

Only 32 days until Christmas!

A Giant Giraffe

Someone bought a giraffe today.  "A giraffe," you ask?  Why yes, a giraffe.  I know that you are thinking two things. 1) Is Town Square Toys doubling as a zoo now?  2)  How can you sell a giraffe on Monday?  You're closed!

Well, we are not partnering with a zoo, but we have a veritable zoo of animals at Town Square Toys!  You should just check out some of the creatures we carry from Melissa and Doug, Folkmanis, Douglas, and Gund!  Some of our animals are small and cuddly.  Some of our animals are large and cuddly.  Some are ginormous!  This giraffe is almost 5 feet tall!  Crazy.

And, to answer your query about Mondays.  Whilst Town Square Toys, in Mansfield, is closed on Monday, Town Square Toys on the web is open 24/7, for all your toys shopping needs!

Only 33 days until Christmas!

Friday is a Fun Day Anyway

Friday is just a great day.  Am I right?  Now, add the fact that we get to sell toys and help make Christmas dreams come true.  Well, it is hard for Fridays to get much better!

I was able to add some friends to our alligator and shark.  If you come by the store, you will see the shark when you first come in.  Now he has another, smaller, shark, a sailfish and a whale.  The alligator has two smaller alligators to hang out with.  One is Jeepers Peepers, by Gund,  and the other is Chompers, by Douglas.

Only 36 days until Christmas!

In the News

The Mansfield paper came by to interview Steph and Amy and do a write up for Town Square Toys! How cool is that? I hope it is a good article. I am sure it will be. Hopefully more people will find out about us, here in Mansfield. Once it comes out, I will send you a link.

We are open later on Thursdays for those who get off work later and need to shop. Also, Holiday hours will soon be upon us and we will be open later more often. We are trying to help everyone make Christmas dreams come true! Come by and see us!

Only 37 days until Christmas!

Frosted Pink end to the day

Steph went by and got some cupcakes from Frosted Pink yesterday. They were a great ending to the day. I know I have mentioned Frosted Pink before, but I would like to do so again. Their cupcakes are awesome!

We had some chocolate and red velvet and pumpkin and some sort of cappuccino chocolate chip. Amy says that the cappuccino chocolate chip is the best one they make. I am not so sure.

So, if you are local to Mansfield, come by and see us and then go get some cupcakes at Frosted Pink on Main street. You can also follow them on facebook!

Only 38 days until Christmas!

Facebook Fan Drive Winner!

Forgot to mention yesterday that we had a winner in our Facebook Fan drive. Go to our Facebook page and find out who it was! Thank you to everyone who suggested our page! We have over 300 fans now. Let's go for 400!

Only 39 days until Christmas!

Christmas Music

I have to say that I look forward to this day every year; our local radio station, 103.7 KVIL begins playing Christmas music during the holiday season - it began today. Now people have strong opinions as to when Christmas music needs to begin. Some say now is too soon and others say it is never too soon. Personally, my Pandora station has been cranking out the old Yuletide tunes for the last few months.

I love Christmas for so many reasons. The main reason, of course, is the birth of Christ, the Lord and Saviour of the world. But, I also love Christmas for all of the memories and happy times in recalls to me. I love the thoughts of snow filled lanes, branches glazed with ice, warm fireplaces, hot cocoa, warm cider, ribbon candy, candy canes, bundled up children playing until their cheeks are red, coffee brewing and Grandma and Grandpa's house, etc. You get the idea. The whole time of year is wonderful.

Now, it is taking on a whole new meaning with our toy store. I joke about helping to make Christmas dreams come true, with Town Square Toys, but we get to see it when the little kids wander around our store in wonderment, finding the toys that they just "have to have" for Christmas. I love hearing parents say, "I'll be back, alone," to get this or that. It is great. We have always had a hand in Christmas wishes online, but it is a true joy to see the little faces and happy smiles.

Only 40 days until Christmas!

The Pink Room

I thought I would show you a couple of pictures of the Pink Room.

 

If you go down the book hallway, you will see it shimmering there at the end of the hall.

 

Once you actually get in the room, you are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of pinkness and girly stuff.  This is a fraction of the awesomeness.

 

 



More ridiculously wonderful cuteness.

Only 44 day until Christmas!

Scratch and Sniff

Someone bought some Grape Scratch and Sniff stickers today. Boy, those sure bring back memories; both of Scratch and Sniff stickers and stickers in general. I remember as a kid when stickers would be all the rage and then fall out of vogue, and then come back again with a vengeance. Of course, we have all kinds of stickers at Town Square Toys. You can come by and find your very own favorite Scratch and Sniff scent. Or, get some really cool stickers to give to someone you love.

Don't forget the facebook friend drive! Get a latch on to that $50 gift certificate!


Only 45 days until Christmas!

Tuesday and Facebook Friend Drive

Tuesday was a good day! We had customers online and in the store. Shipping toys out is a lot of work, but it is worth it; helping Christmas dreams come true.

Maybe I am a bit idealistic? I'm okay with that. But, on to other things.

A big thing we are doing, you can read about on our facebook page, namely it is a facebook friend drive:

$50 GIFT CERTIFICATE GIVE AWAY!! Suggest our page to 20 or more friends, then enter your name (along with the number of people you referred us to) in the comments section under this post and your name will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to our store. *Submissions accepted from now until Monday, November 15th at 5pm.

Be a part of this fun way to tell everyone about Town Square Toys, and win a gift certificate to boot! Fun!

Only 46 days until Christmas!

Reflections on the Soft Opening of Town Square Toys

What a fun filled day of wonderment! So many people; so many toys; so little time. It was a great opening day. Saturday dawned bright and clear, all full of excitement for the new toy store in town. We took a lot of pictures. I will get some posted soon.

Many friends came to browse and shop. Thank you to all who were able to come by! Customers trickled in all day. There were busy times and slow times, but the busy times outweighed the slow times. We have a dance studion nearby and when class let out, we were very busy for a bit.

Girls, as a rule, adored the pink room. Little girls loved to play on the Calico Critters Table. Little Boys loved to play on the Thomas the Tank Engine Table. Bigger kids liked to try out the Ezy Roller and the Plasmacar in the front. Everyone seemed to want to make the paratrooper fly.

Tonja, from Frosted Pink, stopped by after we closed and brought us some cupcakes! She is the best, and so are her cupcakes!

I think we were all pleasantly exhausted by the end of the day. So much still to do. Can't wait until tomorrow.

Only 47 days until Christmas!

Town Square Toys in Mansfield, Texas

There is a new toy store in town! That's right, Town Square Toys has gone local. (Not: Loco!) We are officially opening our toy store in Mansfield, Texas. Our location in 215 N. Walnut Creek, Mansfield, Tx 76063. Swing by if you have a moment to check out the coolest toy store in Mansfield!

I know you may be wondering if this means the end of townsquaretoys.com. Let me put your fears to rest! We are synergizing our two stores! We will have both the online toy store and the brick and mortar store open this holiday season. This allows us to offer you, the consumer, some great options; you can order online and pick up in store, you can find the toy you love and have it shipped to wherever you want, or you can just use the online store like an online store and the physical store like a physical store. It is up to you!

So, come by and see us! And, have a great day! By the way, only 49 days until Christmas!

Rebooting the Blog

Well, we recently opened a brick and mortar toy store in Mansfield, Texas (more on that later). So, the blog is going to get something of a reboot. Rather than just focus on the toys that we sell, it will also talk a great deal about our new store. I hope everyone is okay with this. I mean, if they can reboot the Incredible Hulk, why not?

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Gato Deluxe

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Gato Deluxe is all that! He’s got it going on big time! Just look at him! He’s got a nose, some hands and enough confidence to make you think he’s up to something fantastic! Or at least that’s Gato Deluxe on the outside. On the inside, Gato Deluxe is a real sweetheart who knows he’s all that, big time. Wait, that’s the same. That’s right baby! Gato Deluxe is walking down the street! Like I had to tell you! Try not to stare! Meow!

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Facebook Contest $25 in Free Toys!

Hey, check out our Facebook page and enter the contest. You can get $25 in free toys. Here is how it works:

Suggest that your friends become fans of Town Square Toys by following this link:

http://www.facebook.com/townsquaretoys

Have them post YOUR NAME on the wall of our page. Whoever has their name posted the most times- WINS!

The fine print:

Your name has to be posted by a fan.

Each fan can only post one name.

You may post your own name, but only once!

Multiple name posts by the same fan will be ignored.

Contest runs from now until April 23rd.

Scenario 1: You send a message to your friend Mary with the link in it. She visits the Town Square Toys page and becomes a fan. She posts your name. You are on your way to winning. It is that easy!

Scenario 2: You change you facebook status, telling everyone to become a fan and post your name. John visits the Town Square Toys page and becomes a fan. He posts your name. Susan wants to win the contest and sends a message to John, asking him to post her name. Too Late! John already posted your name. Susan better get busy or you are going to win!

Scenario 3: You email all of your cousins to become fans and post your name. 7 out of 10 post your name but 3 out of 10 post the name of your aunt Murl. You got 7 and aunt Murl got 3. At least you are in the lead!

Ready, Set....GO!

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Babo

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Babo will protect you. Having a bad day? Someone giving you a hard time? Babo's got your back. What Babo lacks in mind power, he makes up for in love. He's everybody's best friend. He will stick with you to the end and when something scary happens, he will send you a nice greeting card from wherever it is he runs away to. A very curious, mischievous creature, Babo may need some guidance and parenting, so make sure to bring him with you to as many places as possible. Leaving him at home is fine, but please put all cookies and money on the highest shelf.

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Town Square Toys on Facebook

Just wanted to let everyone know about the goings on in Facebook land. You can stop by and become a fan of our page at http://www.facebook.com/townsquaretoys. So much to see. You don't want to miss out!

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Abima

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Abima is out of control! He’s got his hand in the cookie jar, and his mind on the next adventure, which is probably going to involve bouncing off the walls and knocking over expensive stuff. He only knocks over the expensive stuff. Not to worry though. Abima is very protective and would always watch out for you. Are you scared of the dark? So is Abima! Oh. Anyway, Abima loves to visit his favorite cousin Wage. They look like they could be related, right? Maybe he’s your cousin too.

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Boomwhackers by Whacky Music

I am not a musician by any stretch of the imagination. Still, I appreciate the inherent coolness of the Boomwhackers. Smack these tubes against something and they will each produce a specific tone. It sounds a little crazy but it is rather neat! Since the tubes are of varying height, or length, depending on how you look at it, you can easily put the notes in order. They are also clearly labeled and brightly colored.

The biggest seller at Town Square Toys is the one shown, the C Major Diatonic Scale. That is also the one listed in the Parents' Choice list of the 25 greatest toys of the last 25 years. These Boomwhackers are a Gold Award winner. You might be interested in some of the other Boomwhacker toys as well. We have a whole section on them. To me, the coolest is the Octavator! No, it is not a robot or super villain. It is a bunch of caps that you can put on your Boomwhackers to lower them a full octave! It instantly increases your Boomwhackers' tonal range. Come on by and check them out and start whacking something musically near you!

The Classic Skwish by Manhattan Toy

Skwish is a classic toy; you have probably seen it before and didn't know what to call it. It seems both odd and simple at the same time. The bright colored sticks and beads all strung together in a springy, flexible, somehow orderly mess. It is really a great example of tensegrity. What is that? Check out this link from Wikipedia. Whoever thought this toy up was ingenious to say the least.

This toy is hypnotic and fun for little ones. It can easily be grabbed and held on to. There are multiple sliding beads that move up and down the rods, to keep hands and fingers busy. Bright, shiny, and non-toxic, this toy has been around for years and promises to be around for years to come. Pick one up today at Town Square Toys.

I also want to let you know that this is a Parents' Choice winning toy. They had a list made up of 25 Classic Toys from the last 25 years. The Skwish made the list! How great is that?

Amazing Baby Sound Plush Play Balls by Kids Preferred

It is no secret that handy carrying cases are cool. The old adage "a place for everything, and everything in its place" comes to mind. Especially when you have a million toys around the house, it can be a relief to have a place to put them. It is also nice to have them easily packed up and ready to be thrown in a diaper bag or suitcase for a trip. Consequently, I like the Amazing Baby Sound Plush Play Balls by Kids Preferred, right off the bat.

You will most likely like them for different reasons. Perhaps you will like the fact that the balls are wildly different in color and design. Maybe you will enjoy watching your child discover that each ball has a different sound - one chimes, one jingles and one crinkles. Maybe you will have fun watching your little one try to pick up all three of these plush balls at the same time; dropping them and chasing them over and over. Who knows why you will like them? But, I bet you will like them, and I bet your little one will love them.

Winner of the 2007 Oppenheim Platinum Award and SNAP award. Just one more reason that we have them at Town Square Toys.

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Wedgehead

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Wedgehead has his eye on you and he likes what he sees! Finally, someone who understands him! He is very handsome too...can't you tell? What do you mean he looks pitiful? Look at that charismatic posture! Wedgehead understands you too. He sees things the way you see them...OK, so he has to stand on his head to do so, but still! He understands exactly what you mean. Wedgehead and his best buddy OX are on a mission to prove that humans really do exist, and he would like you to help them on their quest. The proof can be found in the snacks! Have any?

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Busy Ball by Alex Toys

There is a lot going on with the Busy Ball! The bright colors and wildly different patterns captures your attention right away. It is not a very large ball, only about 5 inches in diameter, not counting the loops and knots. Speaking of the knots and loops, they are great for little hands and fingers to grab on to. The soft velour surface is pleasant to the touch. There is also a little rattle that increases interest and encourages more play. This toy is not only an Oppenheim Gold Seal award winner for 2008, but it is a SNAP Award winner as well. SNAP stands for Special Needs Adaptable Product, and is given to products that can be used by or easily adapted for children with special needs. Check it out over at Town Square Toys!

Toys of the Last 100 Years

I read an interesting article from Forbes today about toys. I know, right? Forbes doesn't exactly exude "toy." Anyway, it was about the top toys of the last 100 years. It was a pretty nice article with interesting tidbits in it, such as:

There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 different possible configurations for a Rubik's Cube.

Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Mr. Potato Head was originally sold without a potato.

In the article is says that Madame Alexander Dolls were introduced in 1929. There is a little picture of some of the dolls. I just have to say that they have come a long way since then. Check out the picture of the classic dolls and then check them out over at Town Square Toys.

Press 'n Go Inchworm by International Playthings

The Press 'n Go Inchworm by International Playthings is, to me, a great all around toy for little babies and crawlers. It has a very bright and colorful exterior that captures the attention of kids. It is very durable and has a unique shape that makes it great for grasping and carrying.

The real fun comes in the Press 'n Go aspect of the toy. Little ones will find that they can push down on the arched back and, once they let go, the toy will zoom away. The rubber "tires" grip the floor very well and the wheels have domes sides with beads inside that rattle around and add another dimension of color and noise. Even if your little one cannot master the pushing right away, they will have hours of fun rolling the Inchworm back and forth.

The toy does not have batteries or lights or sound effects. It is a solid, classic, high quality toy that will live in your child's toybox for a long, long time. It won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Toy Award back in 2006. It is still as popular today as it was back then. Check it out over at Town Square Toys. You will be glad you did.

Oppenheim Toy Awards

The Oppenheims started reviewing toys back in 1989. Unlike other groups, they don't charge to review, nor do they accept ads from toy manufacturers. Consequently, they give out some of the most unbiased toy reviews and awards. You can find out more about them at their site. I thought that I would include some of our toys that are Oppenheim award winners. Watch for upcoming reviews.

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Jeero

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Jeero wants to hang out with you. Why? He needs you. Jeero thinks life is so complicated, so he needs you to comfort him. Wage and Babo ask him so many questions, and he isn't sure what makes them think he has any of the answers. Maybe they think his red nose means he's Jeero the wise. Well he's not! What time is it? Jeero has no idea. How do you get from here to there? Don't ask…Jeero doesn't know! Jeero just wants to sit on the couch with you and eat some snacks. Is that too much to ask? Jeero doesn't know, but he does know that it's time for you to cancel your plans and hang out with the Uglydolls.

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Deer Ugly

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Deer Ugly lives in the forest where it’s nice and quiet. Yeah but deep down, he’s thinking: “Please take me home with you!” The nice quiet forest is great, but Deer Ugly wants to see the world...YOUR world! He wants to explore the fantastic places you frequent. Like that room with the desk and computer? What is THAT for? Not much I guess. Please write letters to Deer Ugly. No, not emails. Real letters with real paper! But how would you begin such a letter? Deer Ugly!

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: OX

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

No, not like the animal OX, as in HUG and KISS! How can he hug you with such short arms? OX uses his ears! He's not a very good listener, but he puts his ears to good use in many other ways! OX is great at magic, and his best trick is turning your stuff into his stuff. His best buddy Wedgehead calls that stealing, but OX just wants to borrow things from you for a few hundred years. He promises to put everything back when he's done. What he wants to steal most are kisses, whether they're in the chocolate variety or just plain, and he promises to be your friend if you would lend him a hand, or an ear...or like Two Dollars!

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Ice Bat

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Ice Bat, comes from an Ice Cave and loves hiding inside Ice Chests. Everything he touches turns to Ice, yet profoundly he warms your heart. Ice Bat thinks you are cool and he wants to chill with you. He wants to hang out with you...or just hang upside-down, if that's OK with you! Ice Bat is there for you when you feel like you may be loosing your cool, or feeling like a fool. Don't panic! Don't stress! Grab Ice Bat and put him to the test.

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Customize Your Shopping with Town Square Toys!!!

We started Town Square Toys to provide not only products but a service to our customers. We are still here after all these years doing the same thing. Because we are a 2 family business, we provide personal and specialized service that you won't find in other online toy stores.

Customers can find:

specific toy suggestions for customers by email

recommendations based on age, interests and personalities by email

access to all specialty toy catalogs and inventory by special order

special ordering to meet high volume orders

discounts to homeschool groups, church groups, preschools, schools and day care centers by request

reviews of toys tested by our expert toy testers (our 7 kids)

personalized customer service

expedited shipping by request

suggestions for birthday party or school party favors

budget minded Moms that will help you stick to your bottom line

special sales for discontinued and clearance items

volume discounts for large orders

All you need to do is email me at orders@townsquaretoys and I will be happy to discuss your specialty toy needs in depth. Tell me what you need and we will do everything we can to help make it happen.

Thanks! Steph with Town Square Toys LLC (I'm the one in the back row wearing brown :)

Taggies Plush Telephone

Taggies keeps the line fresh with a new cell phone. This plush little cell phone is great for pretend play and for entertainment in the car seat or stroller. It has buttons that when pushed play 4 different ring tones. The phone has a mirror on the other side so baby can see themselves. The bright colours taggies are great for tactile exploration. Taggies does it again with this adorable up to date colorful take along toy! And, priced at a very affordable $15.99, it's the perfect baby gift!

My First Painting Set by Alex Toys

I never thought that I would get excited about paint cups and paint brushes. But, Alex did a great job in creating this paint set. Several things stand out which make this a favorite around our house.

First, the brushes are an appealing color and shape. They are easy for little hands to grab, hold, and paint with. I have cleaned them several times, after several painting episodes, and they clean easily. The best part about their design is that they have a fat, heavy end that is flattened. If your artist needs to set the brush down for a moment, he or she can just balance the brush on the end. When you are cleaning the brushes, you can also leave them on the end to dry; they dry faster standing up, I have found.

Second, the cups are just swell. The design is such that if you put a modest amount of paint in a cup, and snap the lid on tight, you will not have to worry too much at all about spills. The funnel shaped lids not only hold the paint in, but they help to guide the brush in for more paint and make sure that there is not too much paint on the brush. The cups and lids clean up easier than the brushes.

Third, I like the colors. You have your basic primary colors; you can make any color you want from here. Yes, I know, most little artists eventually come up with their own magical color of brown by mixing all the paints together, but you can pre mix for them if you want. Anyway, I really like the fact that you have each primary color in paint, brush and cup lid.

Throw in a handy carry case that also is great for storage and you have an awesome first painting set indeed. Be sure that the cups and brushes are dry before you put them away. And while you are in the artisting mood, check out a few more bits of information regarding the My First Painting Set, as well as tons of other art and craft items, over at Town Square Toys.

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Uglydog

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Uglydog likes to help. He helps Jeero operate the rope tow and helps OX help himself to different types of snack foods. He thinks you could use some help. Isn't that sweet? Bowow? Uglydog is the ultimate pet too. He won't fetch the paper for you, but he'll make your day feel like a front-page story! Uglydog doesn't really like to sit or fetch or roll over and all that stuff. Beg? No thanks. What he really likes to do is stand on his tail and live out his big dream…to be just like you!!! Except for the waking up early part.

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Puglee

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Puglee is super smart. How can you tell? You know how they say if you get really good grades, you’ll have a better shot at getting a really great job? Well Puglee figured out that a great way to avoid getting a job was to get the worst possible grades ever! Only an F- would do. But here’s the problem... Puglee LOVES to read, write, and count. So she gets all A’s no matter how hard she tries! Puglee is also smart enough to know that life isn’t about getting a grade. It’s about the special bond she now has with you.

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

Puzzibits are Flexible, Hexagonal Coolness!

I had never heard of Puzzibits before we got them in the store. The name had a cool ring to it, but the toy is way cooler. I have always been a fan of the building toy and I am definitely becoming a fan of this one.

Puzzibits are little hexagonal pieces of a tough, flexible plastic that interlock to form whatever you can think of. There are three sides on each Puzzibit with loop-like extensions. Alternating with these extending pieces are little pegs that the extensions fit into. The pieces join so that when put together, the connections are hidden on the underside of the creation so that the top just looks like a mat of hexagons. (Check out the bottom of this post to see an image of the pieces up close; see how they fit together.) The pieces come in all kinds of colors, so you can make some really creative patterns and designs.

The way Puzzibits goes to the next level, however, is by being flexible. You can twist and turn the pieces to create three dimensional creations, totally unlike other building toys. The pieces are soft plastic, so you don't have to worry about them breaking or scraping anything. The plastic that they are made of also helps them to hold on to each other so that creations don't fall apart too easy, nor do they shatter if dropped; usually they don't even pop apart and if they do, it is far less tragic than dropping a Lego ship or building. (Anyone else been there?)

Most of the Puzzibits sets are actually three in one sets. Instructions are included on how to make the three designs, but it won't be long before your little one deviates off that path and starts creating stuff from his or her imagination. You might even find yourself sifting through a pile of puzzibits yourself and building something awesome. They can get addictive. The pieces are small and are not for children under 3.

One last thing that I liked is that the box that the Puzzibits come in serves as a pretty good carrying case. It is cardboard, but I found it to be fairly sturdy. It isn't going to last forever, but it does have a little handle on it and it works well. If nothing else, it provides storage, to keep the little Puzzibits from invading every corner of your house!

Wedgits for Girls! ImagAbility Goes Pink!

Watch out boys. Girls, the wait is over! Wedgits has a cool 15 piece Pink Junior Set. Girls can now build in their favorite color. Now, I am not saying that boys cannot build in pink, I am just saying that pink is the most popular color amongst the little girls in our family.

For a little more information on Wedgits, you can check out our blog post from a while back.

These Wedgits are still as intriguing as original Wedgits and are completely compatible. Check some Wedgits out at Town Square Toys for the boy or girl in your house.

Buzz Balls and Chatter Stones are Magnificent, Magnetic Marvels

I read somewhere that Einstein was fascinated with magnets. I can honestly say that I share his fascination. There is just something cool about them. Buzz Balls and Chatter Stones are super strong and shiny magnets that are fun to play with. The concept is simple enough: you toss them up separately, and when they collide they make a funny noise. I am not gifted enough to tell you if the Buzz Balls sound like they are "buzzing" or the Chatter Stones sound like they are "chattering," but they both make a cool sound.

The instructions do say that you are supposed to "play above a soft durable surface." I agree. One of our boys dropped one, from a goodly height, and it did break. It was a Chatter Stone, by the way. So, we couldn't really chatter with it, but it still serves as a really powerful magnet. I think the Buzz Ball would survive a higher drop, but I haven't had the urge to do an expirement to see.

Let me just remind you that these magnets are too powerful for the little kids, but you probably already knew that. Check out the magnetic wonderment at Town Square Toys.

Ugly Doll - Ugly Monday Feature: Wage!

Welcome to your Ugly Monday Feature, where you are introduced to the Ugly Dolls. Each Monday, you will get the joy of discovering a little piece of ugly on the ugliest day of the week. Have an Ugly Day!

Wage is a hard worker, just like you! He works at the local Super Mart and wears his apron to serve his customers best. Does Super Mart know that Wage works there? Nope. But Wage doesn't mind. He likes to put things in bags, especially snacks. Wage is best friends with Babo, but there is always room for one more (you). The two of them can often be found on the sidewalk trying to make friends with fire hydrants, phone booths, and other lonely creatures. Wage hates for anyone to be lonely! What's with that look? Is Wage happy? Sure he is! He smiles on the inside. The next time you go grocery shopping remember to take Wage along on your adventures.

Where did UglyDolls come from? Sun-Min Kim and David Horvath met in art school in 1996 and fell in love. After Sun-Min went back to Korea in 2001, they kept in touch by writing letters. David would include a drawing of a little guy named Wage in all of his letters to his love. Sun-Min decided to make a plush version of this little doll for David. He loved the doll and so she made 5 more. He sold the additional 4 to a store owner and they sold out almost immediately. For the next 18 months, David would design and Sun-Min would sew dolls, all while still apart. They met again at Toy Fair 2003 where they got a booth at the bottom level. From that point on, the dolls have been a hit!

A Few Items for Your Bike - by Schylling

This last weekend we bought our daughter her first bicycle. It is a little pink beauty that she loves. I cringe at the thought of her inevitable wrecks and crashes, and yet I smile thinking about how much fun she will have once she masters the two wheeler without her training wheels. Don't worry, she will be all padded and helmeted up. I remember my first bike and how much fun I had on it like it was just yesterday. If you are like me, you can recall when helmets and pads were not even thought of.

Well, the cool part about having a toy store is that we have a few classics that should be a part of any bike. Schylling makes both a bike horn, a bike bell, and handlebar streamers. The bike bell, to me, is the ultimate classic accessory. Just ring the bell around anyone and you will take them back to a memory. The horn may not be as memory inducing, but it is LOUD! It never ceases to amaze me at how loud it is. If you didn't want one for your bike, you could just use it to scare people! The streamers a cute and make me think of summer time.

I know that our daughter wants the bike bell. She may want the streamers too. I am not so sure about the horn. If you have a young boy, though, he will definitely dig it and want one on his bike. Go over to Town Square Toys and check out a bicycle accessory for your bike, or, if you want to, you can get one for your kids too.

Marshmallow Shooters are a Fan Favorite!

I remember when the concept of marshmallow weapons first made an appearance around these parts. The first one I ran into was fabricated from pvc pipes and made to resemble a machine gun of sorts, with two handles. The barrel had an elbow at the back end that stuck up, a bit like a periscope. What you were supposed to do, was load a little marshmallow in the back and blow, thereby launching the confection projectile across the room or yard. Of course all I could think about was a kid running around the yard while trying to blow on this monstrosity, only to trip and crack a tooth on the pvc pipe. Needless to say, the mechanism did not get a lot of play.

Well, the Marshmallow Shooter, by Marshmallow Fun, found the solution to that problem. By adding a pump action air compressor to the design, little mouths are kept away from the hard plastic. And, the Shooters come with magazines, so you don't have to load the marshmallows one by one. Marshmallow Fun also has little, marshmallow sized, foam pellets that you can use if you don't want to cast sugar all over your house. Save the real marshmallows for when you are outside for the bugs to eat or the rain to melt away.

By the way, there is a Marshmallow Blaster for shooting large marshmallows or mixed shots; somewhat of a marshmallow blunderbuss. That is what is pictured above.

We also found that if you let the marshmallows get a little stale, they shoot a bit better. Fresh and sticky marshmallows tend to hug the barrel and not go as far.

As a side note: my nephew likes to dress up as various super heroes and action figures. He often is a clone trooper from Star Wars. His weapon of choice, even though we are out of marshmallows, is the Camo Series Marshmallow Shooter. Cute.

By the way, I chased a proverbial rabbit earlier and found out a bit more about marshmallows on Wikipedia. Did you know that there is a Marshmallow plant? Sounds like something from Willy Wonka! Read for yourself.

PlasmaCars are Fun for All Ages!

When I first saw the PlasmaCars, I didn't know quite what to think. I liked their bright colors and the interesting, curious shape. The scientist part of me wanted to understand the physics behind their movement. The kid in me wanted to start riding one right away. But, I was patient and let my kids go first. Which brings up an interesting point: both kids and adults can ride these things. They are a lot of fun to ride.

You will want to be careful if you or your kids decide to ride one. They work great on any hard surface, but I would not ride on hardwood floors or linoleum; the turning back and forth could scrape up the flooring. When you are just casually riding, the gentle, back and forth motion would be fine. When you get the urge to race, though, that is when the scraping may occur. Sidewalks and driveways are perfect. You will be amazed at how proficient you will become in no time, swinging and steering around obstacles.

I also want to let you know that these are incredibly durable toys. Our kids have been racing and crashing their PlasmaCars for years now, literally. Other than some superficial scrapes, they are still in fine working condition. I just rode one the other day. Go on over to Town Square Toys and check one out today!

Alphabet Avalanche by Lauri Toys

I like the Alphabet Avalanche for a variety of reasons. The letters are bright a colorful, in the primary colors of red, yellow and blue. There is a fantastic selection of letters, both capital and lower case, so you are able to spell almost anything. The letters have an interesting tactile feel, with a smooth back and a bumpy, crepe front. And, finally, and I think most importantly, there are at least 500 letters in this "avalanche."

Having this many letters allows for a wide open amount of play and usability. If I want to spell things in mulitple colors or the same color, mulitple times, I can. If I am playing with my kids, if they are playing together, or if we are learning spelling or sounds - we never run out of letters.

One word of warning; the letters are small and are definitely not for little ones. As the package says, they are not for children under 3.

Head over to Town Square Toys and check them out. There is a lot more information about the avalanche and other Lauri and Smethport toys for you to read up on.

Dripsticks: What a Great Idea!

If you have kids of any age, you know that when your kids eat ice cream cones and popsicles, a fair majority of the sugary sweetness will end up on the kid, rather than in the kid. We live in Texas and it is often quite entertaining in the summer months to see if the kids can eat their melting ice cream faster than it can drip all over creation. What a mess! If only their was a simple idea that could work towards solving this problem.

These things are awesome. They can hold either a popsicle or an ice cream cone. They are made of plastic, so you can use them over and over. They are even dishwasher safe. They come in six different, bright colors. They have a good solid feel to them; something you and your child can really grab onto - it is much easier to hold a Dripstick than a cone that is turning to mush or a small popsicle stick. I truly think that you will love this product and use it over and over.

Check out a more complete description here. Or, go to Town Square Toys and get some for yourself.