Archive for Toys

Vegas Hits

September 28, 2009 at 11:37 am · Filed under Store, Toys

Here’s a sneak peek at a tiny bit of the cool new products we saw at the Baby Show in Las Vegas this year.  We can’t wait to get all this new stuff in the store for you!
These toddler-sized Play Packs are insulated to serve as lunch and snack bags! Perfect to carry your sippy cup or Laptop Lunch Box.
These toddler-sized Play Packs are insulated to serve as lunch and snack bags! Perfect to carry your sippy cup or Laptop Lunch Box. These items are on their way to us in the next weeks.
New Tub Toys from Alex Jr! Cute toys for stacking, squirting, washing, and playing!

New Tub Toys from Alex Jr! Adorable washcloths, squirters, stackers, and tub mirrors are in stock now!

A new line of insulated, stainless steel drinking containers from Foogo (a division of Thermos). Their line of sippy cups, toddler cups, and straw cups are all double-walled to keep drinks cool and inhibit germ growth. All the tops are BPA-free and fully interchangable.

A new line of insulated, stainless steel drinking containers from Foogo (a division of Thermos). Their line of sippy cups, toddler cups, and straw cups are all double-walled to keep drinks cool and inhibit germ growth. All the tops are BPA-free and fully interchangable. Watch for Foogo next month.

The new Flip diapering system from Bumgenius is totally, well, genius. Each diaper comes with a waterproof cover and the option to stuff it with a super absorbant cloth insert OR a biodegradable disposable insert. You can flip between cloth and earth-friendly paper at any time! Genius. These diapers will be available the end of October.

The new Flip diapering system from Bumgenius is totally, well, genius. Each diaper comes with a waterproof cover and the option to stuff it with a super absorbant cloth insert OR a biodegradable disposable insert. You can flip between cloth and earth-friendly paper at any time! Genius. These diapers will be available the end of October.One of the world's smartest diaper companies has come out with a detergent perfectly formulated for cloth diapers! No more wondering if your detergent is right. Bumgenius detergent should be in stock in October.

The Ergo Baby Carrier is such a perfect product that the company doesn't usually have any improvements to announce! They just keep coming out with new, fabulous colors and accessories. This year's offering include this Sienna carrier and another style in light gray with embroidered stars. Ergo also debuted a new infant insert to use with tiny babies. We will have our new Ergo products in stock later this year.

The Ergo Baby Carrier is such a perfect product that the company doesn't usually have any improvements to announce! They just keep coming out with new, fabulous colors and accessories. This year's offering include this Sienna carrier and another style in light gray with embroidered stars. Ergo also debuted a new infant insert to use with tiny babies. We will have our new Ergo products in stock later this year.New dishes, cups, and silverware from Sugar Booger. My favorite: super-functional divided plates! These items are on the way for October!

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Labor Day Parade 2009

September 9, 2009 at 12:44 pm · Filed under Adria, Store, Toys

parade1
Finding our place in the line-up (between the WE Bucket Trucks and the Dogs-Riding-Remote Control-Hummers). Explaining to our kids not to throw all the gum to kids in the first block.
parade2

My son, a plasma car, my sister's foot, and 9 pieces of chewed gum. He only lasted 1 block with all that gum. He made it 12 blocks on the plasma car, which is exactly 11.5 blocks farther than I made it on the plasma car. For the first time in my life, my legs were too long for something

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Mighty Gift-Giver

July 20, 2009 at 11:01 am · Filed under Adria, Store, Toys

It’s been a summer of Birthday Parties!  My boys have been invited to party after party.  It’s great.  But, 30 minutes before the party, I remember the present.  “No problem!” you say, “You own a toy store!”  Well, yes and no.  My oldest son is 8.  Mom and Pop Place is birthday-gift-central for one and two year olds.  For 8 year olds, it’s a little trickier.  I stroll my aisles and see tons of things my sons would like.  But my sons are………unique. 

So, multiple times this summer, I have turned to an old favorite: the mighty tow truckMighty Builder Construction Set from Melissa and Doug.  Have you seen these?  I LOVE them.  You get all the tools and wooden parts you need to build your very own cool vehicle.  We have the fire truck and garbage truck and the tow truck.  My son got one last Christmas and he loves displaying the race car that he built himself.

It’s been the summer of Mighty Builder Birthdays.

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Poll time!

July 2, 2009 at 1:06 am · Filed under Store, Toys

Our goal at Mom and Pop Place has always been to sell unique, quality items that help you be the best parent you can be.   No cheap throw-away items, no toys with batteries, no unnecessary baby products to make life more complicated.  We try to offer only things that promote healthy children and healthy parenting.  There is more than one way to parent a child and we hope you find the tools you need to help you on your journey.

 

We want Mom and Pop Place to be about YOU, the moms and the pops. There’s only one catch: you have to tell us what YOU think!  I’d like your input on the items we sell here at the store.  Are there certain products you would like us to sell?  Things you wish we had a bigger selection of?  We are constantly looking at new products.  Any feedback we can get from you really helps us make decisions about what to sell. (Go read the blog entry about Hiding Your Hooters.  Better yet, read the comments on our Facebook page.  Wow! )

 

So, tell us….. what would you like to see at Mom and Pop Place?

 

 

Adria

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“Live” at 3:45!

April 5, 2009 at 9:44 pm · Filed under Adria, Cafe, Toys

geo_usWere you awake at 3:45 AM any day last week?  Sadly, I bet some of you were.  Moms, Pops, and college students are the only ones awake at 3:45 AM.  But, college students are on their way to bed.  Moms and Pops are on their way to a full-day’s work wiping butts and playing trains.

 

Last week, I got to re-live my “baby days” by getting up at 3:45!  The local CBS station did a live remote from Mom and Pop Place on their morning news show, which runs from 5-7 in the morning.  I needed to be here by 4:30 to help the camera-man set up for the show.  It was actually a lot more fun than it sounds.

CBS decided to do the feature because they wanted to talk about Geopuzzles.  Geopuzzles are a line of (duh) puzzles produced by a company based right here in Neenah.  The puzzles were featured on Live with Regis and Kelly lasy week. They had a 2-year-old “Whiz Kid” on who had memorized all the world’s countries and capitals using GeoPuzzles.  Cute.  Maybe not genius, but cute.  You can see the video on Youtube: 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jXSR1xdcPE&feature=related 

There are lots of videos of the same kid doing “genius” things like memorizing short children’s books and reading numbers with 5 whole digits! 

Anyway, he was on Regis and CBS wanted to come talk about Geopuzzles.  I was all too happy to offer a location for the interviews!  I spent an enjoyable (but very early) morning with Bob (the owner of Geopuzzles), Karina (the graphic designer), Millaine (the chipper news reporter), and Camera Man (whose name I didn’t catch). 

It was a great chance to promote our store and invite people to check out our cafe.  I know we have had huge sales of Geopuzzles this week.  I wonder if people saw them on local TV?  Did any of you see the segment?

 

Adria

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New York Toy Fair

February 22, 2009 at 7:08 pm · Filed under Toys

Well, I’m getting back in the swing of things after 4 exciting days in the Big Apple for New York Toy Fair.  Toy Fair is the single biggest event of the year for toy manufacturers and sellers from around the world: Over 1,200 toy manufacturers trying to convince almost 20,000 toy buyers (like me!) that their toy is the newest, hottest, coolest, must-have new product.  Totally crazy.  Lucky for you, you have me to weed through the junk for you!  I was able to eliminate about 90% of the toys right off the bat.  Batteries?  No thanks.  Licensed cartoon characters?  Sorry, not even Elmo.  Flimsy, almost-disposible plastic junk?  Nope.  50th Anniversary Barbie doll with permanently molded high-heel feet, tattooed makeup, and bare midriff?  Are you serious?

 

I did find some new products I can’t wait to bring in to Mom and Pop Place.  In the next few weeks, watch for new craft kits, miniature toy animals, fair trade knit balls and dolls, toddler-friendly ball runs, stainless steel drinking bottles, and much more!

 

It was very exciting to be in New York for the first time.  I wanted to see everything.  For 4 days in the dead of winter, I think I did pretty good: Ground Zero, Central Park, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Harlem, Columbia University, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, and all points in between.  Throw in walking the 350,000 square feet of aisles at Toy Fair and my feet may never recover.  I was solo on this trip.  Hubby was home taking care of my boys (and a couple of nieces, but that’s a whole ‘nother story).  I can’t wait to go back to NY with the whole family.  The whole trip, I kept thinking “Solon would love that!” or “I wish Gage could see that!”.   It was nice to get home.

 

Adria

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