Huge January Sale!

We are having a HUGE CLEARANCE SALE at Town Square Toys!  The sale is going on both online and in our Mansfield toy store.  Go to http://www.townsquaretoys.com/CLEARANCE_s/106.htm and check out some of the deals.  If you are local, please come by and see even more amazing toys and deals.

While we are on the subject - and you are on the internet - go to our facebook page!  You will find all kinds of deals being announced there.  Be our friend!  Like our page!  Please?  Thanks.  Here is the link to our facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/townsquaretoys.

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.

Town Square Toys on Amazon

Click here and check out out little storefront on Amazon! It is a little Town Square Toys oasis in the middle of Amazon itself.

Toys in the Movies: Another Blog

We have a second blog about toys in the movies that you can find at Town Square Toys. You should check it out. Leave a suggestion or two if you would like.

Uglyworm Plush Doll by Ugly Dolls is Quite Ugly

We have mentioned Ugly Dolls before and mentioned how they came to be. I just was thinking about the ugliness of them today and my mind wandered to the Uglyworm. I am not sure what it is that makes him both ugly and endearing at the same time. I would have to say that the thin and unkempt hair is not doing him any favors. His one huge eye makes me think of Mike from Monsters Inc., and of the mythological Cyclops. So, that sort of makes up for the hair. He has no arms or legs, but a pleasant shape. He is soft and green, more like Kermit the Frog than Oscar the Grouch. And, the two sharp teeth are kinda cool as well. You do have to be careful with him, and the other Ugly Dolls, because once you give them a hug, you won't want to put him down.

Smencils and Snifty Pens - check them out!

Smencils are scented pencils made from 100% recycled material. Each smencil comes in an individual freshness tube. Sheets of newspaper are rolled tightly around the #2 graphite writing cores until pencils of typical thickness are formed. Each one is put into its own corn-based biodegradable Freshness Tube. Smencils maintain their scent for 2 years! If you are looking for a cool, innovative and environmentally friendly product, then look no further than Smencils.

Snifty writing pens are a colorful and wonderfully scented way to work! The ink of the pen is black and the scent of each pen comes from the tip and clip. They write wonderfully smooth and smell even better! There are 4 scents to choose from, choose your favorite scent from the dropdown menu above or better yet - choose them all! Great for work, school or home use. Made from non-toxic materials and recommended for ages 3+.

Lots of cool smells to choose from!

Toobs are Too Cool! Safari LTD is awesome!

Okay, some Safari Toobs came home with us the other day and I just have to say that they are the coolest! I already dig Safari and their line of figures. The Toobs are just really neat. You see it's a tube of little animals or people that you, or your kids, can play with. The Toob is a clear, square shaped, tube with a string handle and a cap that features a spinning globe. Actually my niece and nephew liked the lid almost as much as they liked the little creatures from the Toob. There is just a coolness and a cuteness about these Toobs of little guys that your family will love. Come and check them out! - Brian

Rubik's Cube Toy by Winning Moves

If you are a child of the 80's, like myself, you will remember the Rubik's cube. Love it or hate it, it was and is an icon of puzzle toys. I will have to admit that I cannot recall ever solving the cube. I did take one apart with a screwdriver and reassemble it, but I don't think that counts. My brother did solve it. He bought the book that shows you how. I think I may still have that book. I digress.

The Rubik's cube is still one of the world's most popular and recognizable puzzle toys, and for good reason. It is small enough that you can take it with you almost anywhere. It is only one piece, so you can play with it anywhere as well, and not have to worry about missing parts or losing parts. It has tremendous replay value for a person who loves to solve puzzles. Even if you have figured out how to solve it, you can keep practicing and working at it and finding shortcuts to increase your speed.

My nephew acquired a Rubik's cube recently and, of course, figured out how to solve it. My boys spent some time with him and became enamored with the puzzle. Now we have the 4X4 cube in our store, which is just a bit more complex. We got it for my nephew for his birthday. He loved it and solved it frighteningly fast. It was fun to watch all the cousins at a recent family gathering all trying to solve the various Rubik's cubes around the room. Maybe I will pick one up and try to solve it myself. You can do the same at Town Square Toys.

-Brian

Toymaker Spotlight: Mellisa and Doug

One of our favorite Toymakers is Melissa and Doug. We carry a ton of their toys. Actually I think we carry several tons! They have some of the coolest wooden toys and puzzles; the toys you remember as a kid, those all-time, classic toys. They really believe in the toys that they make and produce, and they are a great group of people to work with.

-Brian

Here is a little bit more about Melissa and Doug from their website:

Twenty years ago, we started our company in the garage of the home where Doug grew up — we had to be careful not to disturb Doug's parents who were still living there! Thanks to your support, we've been able to move into a real office down the road, a building that actually has separate ladies and men's bathrooms! Our philosophy has remained the same over the years–to make each and every customer a happy and permanent member of the Melissa & Doug family, while offering products with tremendous value, quality and design. We've always welcomed customer suggestions, and we continually strive to make improvements to our products. We're honored by the faith you place in us and view it as our responsibility to continue to earn your trust in the years to come!

Rubik's Twist

I think this toy is a great enjoyable way to pass time. My family decided we were going on a trip and me and my brother wanted something to do in the car. My brother saw this toy and bought it with his money. Now we are playing with it like crazy. It is so cool to make creations like ball, cat, cobra, triangle, rooster, wolf, terrier, and more (these creations are way harder than you think). My brother and I made the ball in less than 21 seconds each after five days! My dad says he had lots of fun with it when he was little and now we have a great time with it too. This toy is fun and enjoyable for all ages! Hope you have fun making new creations.

-Micah, age 11

Etch a Sketch a Trip Down Memory Lane

Ah, the classic of classics: the wonderful, magical Etch a Sketch. How many hours did I wile away as a child, trying to make the perfect square, or the straightest diagonal line? How many times did I get confused going left or right or up or down? Did I ever make anything truly resembling a circle?
There was just something cool and mysterious about the Etch a Sketch. All of its wonderment was contained in an elegantly simple device. Two knobs and you could, theoretically, create a masterpiece. (I never did.) But I always enjoyed drawing and erasing and drawing again. And, trying to understand what made it work!
Well, if you want to ruin the mystery, you can get some amazing information about the Etch a Sketch, how it works and when it was invented, by checking out this Wikipedia article, here.
You can also go here to check out some amazing Etch a Sketch art, yes I said art.
When you are done with that, come to Town Square Toys and then get yourself your very own classic of classics. You can even pick up a pocket size version if you want to.
-Brian

Octopus A Plenty

Earlier in the blog, Steph mentioned that we went to Sea World. Even earlier in the blog, I talked about the Giant Pacific Octopus. Well, worlds did indeed collide. While at Sea World, the family and I saw a Giant Pacific Octopus, for real, in the aquarium. It was totally cool. I am a big fan of octopi. If you are a big fan, check out the octopi we have at Town Square Toys. I hope you find something that you like!

-Brian

Let the chores begin!!!

I hate to clean house. I don't like to use the word hate often but when it comes to cleaning house, I can honestly say I hate it. However, my children have not developed such a hate. I think the difference is I require some daily chores and my mom never did. Had I been taught to do a little everyday, maybe it wouldn't be such a drag now. If you have ever seen a 3 year old try to use an adult sized broom, then you know - having the right tools makes all the difference. There are many good child sized cleaning items on the market, but I think Schylling makes some of the best. They are good quality and have great prices. For under $20, your child could be sweeping, mopping and dusting. For an additional $23, they can also iron on a child's sized ironing board with a metal iron. (Don't worry, the iron doesn't really heat up.) The price is great and they really can work with these tools. Why not start them early and instill a love for cleanliness while they are young and eager to learn?

-Steph

Say "Good Day" to "Goodnight Moon"

If you have never read the story, "Goodnight Moon," you need to as soon as you can. It is such a cute, sweet, short story. We have read it to all of our kids; it is a great bedtime story. I remember having two copies around. We had the paperback version and the smaller, board book. Each had the same story in it. It was good to have two copies. The worst thing that could happen would be to not find it when you were looking for it! Those with small children know what I mean.

Anyway, at Town Square Toys, we not only have the books, but we have other Goodnight Moon items, such as:

The Goodnight Moon Plush Bunny by Crocodile Creek
The Goodnight Moon Boardgame by Briar Patch
The Goodnight Moon Mini Cube Puzzle by Mudpuppy
The Goodnight Moon 1 2 3 Counting Board Book

and much more!

I feel the need to mention the Goodnight Moon Glow Jumbo Floor Puzzle, also by Briar Patch, because it glows in the dark and I love glow in the dark stuff.

For some interesting insights and information on the book, you can also check out this Wikipedia article.

-Brian

Reach for the Stars and Then Take a Bath

The Star Crayon by Alex Toys is a pretty cool toy. It is a plastic star, with 6 different colored crayons built into the tips. Our daughter has one that she uses regularly during bathtime. She makes the most beautiful and colorful pictures you can imagine. (Of course, I may be biased.) The drawings easily wash down the drain whenever bath time is over. But, if you are like us, we tend to leave the art up for extended periods of time.

Now, earlier this year, we had a princess party at our house. All of the princesses had lovely parting gifts to take home with them. Amongst the gifts, was a Star Crayon. They are perfectly sized for gift bags and baskets. If you are having a party in the near future, for boys or for girls, be sure to grab some of these. They would be a wonderful and colorful addition, to be sure!

You can always count on quality when you purchase any toy by Alex. We love carrying their line of toys here at Town Square Toys. Try them out; you won't be disappointed.

-Brian

Oball Mania

A soft ball full of holes that is easy to catch, safe to throw and comes in wild colors, it's Oball! These balls are so cool. Often, in Texas, it's too hot to go outside and play. My kids have a playroom and the cool thing about Oballs is that they are safe to use inside too. Little hands find them easy to throw and catch - because of the handy holes throughout. Big hands find them fun because you can get some speed on them but they won't hurt anyone you throw them at. They are perfect for playing catch, indoor basketball or just a friendly game of catch and pass. They are great for working on gross motor skills and coordination.

They come in 4 inch, 4.5 inch, 6 inch and 7.5 inch sizes. There are regular oballs as well as jellies which have a cool jelly finish, like those shoes from the 80's. There is also a football and a recent addition is rattles.

Blood and Guts

I am not a fan of battle. First of all, I’m a girl. Secondly, it is scary. Thirdly, I’m a girl! I would rather everyone just get along and be happy with one another. However, I am a grown up and I realize that it’s not that easy and battle has occurred and will continue to occur. I also have a husband and 2 boys who have fighting in their DNA. I know that it’s on the boy gene. I’ve read Bringing Up Boys! So, if they are going to fight – we might as well give them accurate toys! I am a home school mom too and anytime we can throw a little history into the mix, we should.

I have not found any knights better than Schleich. They are hand painted models that are 1:20 in scale. They have knights with different colors so that one boy can be the fleur knights and one can be the lion knights. The horses coordinate in color as well. You could also go with crusader versus black knights. These could be introduced right along with a history unit on medieval times and battle techniques. There are other battle machines like battering rams, catapults and quintain. My kids have a huge bucket of Schleich knights and horses and they love setting up elaborate battles. And, since it’s done in miniature form, this cuts down on the plastic sword and light saber fighting in real life…so it’s a win win!

Town Square Toys in the Dallas Morning News

Our store was recently mentioned in the local paper. It was so very exciting! I bought several copies of the paper to hand out to friends and family and told everyone. It felt just like the movies. If you want to, click this link to the Dallas Morning News and read all about it. It is a short and sweet article about Steph and Amy as two homeschool moms with an entrepreneurial bent. Russ and I are even mentioned as well. Just a little insight into our store. I hope you enjoy it. - Brian

Style Me Pretty Baby Doll by Madame Alexander

My little girl is SO into doing hair. I love the Style Me Pretty dolls by Madame Alexander. This baby doll allows her to do hair anytime, without risking her own hair in the process. Even though my girl is a blonde, she prefers the brunette doll. There are alot of brunnettes in the family, so maybe that's why. This doll comes with georgeous brown eyes that open and close, beautiful long brown hair and many accessories. There is a comb, a brush, a bow, a clip and several pony tail holders. She also has on a cute pink outfit with a pink kitty complete with a crown. This baby doll is durable and has a soft body. She has pretty pink bows in her pig tails (also a favorite style for my daughter). My little girl connects with the doll because she has the same hairstyle, same eye color and same accessories as she does. This is a great doll for a little girl who has outgrown her baby dolls but isn't quite old enough for Barbies or Only Hearts Club dolls. She is perfect for pretend play which is so popular around age 4-5 years. She is also small enough to be carried around everywhere if your little one gets REALLY attached. Madame Alexander has been making incredible collectible dolls for years and years and their branch out into play dolls has been very successful. They are proving to be a versatile manufacturer who really gets dolls. There is a big difference between a collectible doll and a play doll and some manufacturers would have trouble making the switch. Madame has done it well. I hope the Sweet Baby Nursery line grows, we love them!!!