April Newsletter: New Toys in Bloom!

Thank you City Pages for naming us 2013 Best Toy Store in the Twin Cities! April is almost over (and hopefully snow showers, too!). We can't wait to see spring daffodils, play at the playground, and even put our umbrellas to use! In anticipation of playground play, we've recently added the popular sand toys from Spielstabil to our website. Made in Germany, these toys are extremely durable and will survive hundreds of trip to the park or the beach. Many of them also make great bath toys or snow toys, too! (For, you know, in about 6 months...) We've also got new toys from Green Toys, including a Tractor, a Toddler Shape Sorter, and a set of Baby Teething Keys. As with all Green Toys, these are made in California from recycled milk bottles. We're excited for the return of classic wooden toys from Grimm's Spiel und Holz. Made in Germany, these toys were a signature part of our store for many years but were not available to us for the past several years. We've always loved the bright colors and organic simple designs of Grimm's toys. Welcome back! Last but not least, we love these new wooden mustache & beard and fox teethers, which are made in Minneapolis by Oak Tree Arts. They combine whimsy with wonderful play value, combining a wooden teether with a crinkly cuddly lovey. Be sure to read more about them on our blog. bumGenius Sale! bumGenius 4.0 pocket diapers are Buy 5, get 1 free! Solid colors only; snaps or hook & loop. End date TBD.

The Tale of the Beard and the Fox

We're not sure if it's because we own a toy store that we love toys, or because we love toys that we own a toy store. But, every once in a while, we fall in love with a toy and want to share it with the world. This week, it's two toys--both made in Minneapolis by Kate at Oak Tree Arts.

Wooden Mustache and Crinkle Beard Teethers

First, we saw Kate's wooden mustache and crinkle beard teether and thought it was amazing. We've sold her wooden mustaches on a stick for a few years, but these teethers take the idea to a whole new level! Made from maple, walnut or cherry and finished in locally-sourced beeswax, this toy is really two toys in one. The crinkly beard detaches and can be played with separately like baby paper, with little taggies to further pique a baby's curiosity.

So, we were pretty much thinking these were just about the cutest toys we'd ever seen until we saw...

Wooden Fox and Crinkle Tail Teether, Made in Minneapolis

Kate's fox teether! This little fox toy has panache and verve comparable to Sophie herself (gasp!). The fox is made from cherry wood and has a detachable crinkly fabric tail with a cuddle push white tip. Like the beard teethers, she's really two toys in one. Absolutely charming.

We're not sure now which toy we like better, but they both bring us joy to have them in the store. We think you'll love them, too!

Yea mustaches!