Well, we’re all still catching our breath around here from the excitement of this morning. Our friend Jamie Grayson, AKA The Baby Guy, made his debut on the Today Show with Ann Curry, talking about Cyber Monday deals and highlighting Magic Beans. I could try to play it cool, but what’s the point? It was completely awesome. Our website even ... Read More »

If you’ve got kids, chances are you’ve got a menagerie of stuffed animals too. Most children have an almost magnetic attraction to stuffed animals. There’s just something about those cute, fuzzy faces that kids (and gift-giving relatives) can’t resist. And while a select few might make for snuggly bedfellows and cute room accents, they can easily get out of hand. ... Read More »

Happy New Year! Inspired by other year-end roundups, I decided to do one of my own. Here are my picks for the twenty best new baby gear items and the ten best new toys from 2010. Enjoy! Baby Gear Grass by Boon – a drying rack that’s beautiful, whimsical and utterly functional. Mamaroo by 4Moms – a soup-to-nuts overhaul of ... Read More »

This Saturday, Nov. 13, is ASTRA’s (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) first ever Neighborhood Toy Store Day. As a local toy store, we’re so excited to be a part of this celebration. With the economic ups and downs of the last decade, neighborhood toy stores have become something of an endangered species. But many of the ones that remain are ... Read More »

Hi, Theo here. I’m the Toy Guru at our Brookline store. This is my first blog post, and I’m so excited to share some of my favorite toys and games with you. I remember going to the toy store when I was little, determined not to leave empty handed. With only a little allowance change jingling in my pocket, the ... Read More »

This year was my seventh time at Toy Fair, and finally I’m starting to feel like it’s a manageable task. My strategy this year was to start upstairs and go aisle by aisle. I was thorough and slow, but I finished it in two and a half days. The lower level is smaller and went much faster. I was able ... Read More »

There’s a lot to love about Ugly Dolls, but my favorite thing is their backstory. Two designers in a long distance relationship were trying to keep the flame alive. David Horvath sent Sun-Min Kim letters accented with drawings of a funny little character called “Wage.” As a surprise, Sun-Min transformed Wage into a charismatic, soft fleece toy and sent him ... Read More »

We get a lot of kids coming through our stores every day, and the toys in our playscapes take a beating. Literally. A toy that might last a lifetime at home will be lucky to survive six months. Rody is one of those toys that can withstand the rigors and rarely (if ever) needs replacing. This iconic inflated horse is ... Read More »

Zev steals a turn with the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Grocery Cart while his older sisters are otherwise engaged. We brought lots of merchandise with us to the Cape to photograph for this year’s holiday catalog, but this has been the most popular by far – even with our smallest toy tester. Read More »