Doll House Remodel

I had a doll house when I was little, it was also my mother’s doll house when she was little.  Her Uncle Eddie had made it for her and I’m sure I loved it just as much as she did.  So, of course when I had a little girl I was excited for her to play with this same doll house...

Teething, Talking and T...

The tooth-fairy needs a new job because she is about to be fired. I have come to realize that she has got it all backwards. Why pay children for lost teeth when you can be paid to give babies teeth? The thousands of dollars spent on Baby Orajel and Teething Tablets alone could buy enough...

Every Home Should be a ...

Call me demanding, but I don’t want toxic paints and breakable parts on my child’s toys. When did an engaging, well-built, toxin-free and preferably battery-free (aka headache-free) toy become too much to ask for? A simple trip down any toy isle quickly demonstrates how far toys have...

New Plan Toys in 2010

Plan Toys not only look great, they are “green,” well designed and above all my kids love them!  From my daughter’s Terrace Dollhouse to my son’s Cone Sorting, every Plan Toys set in our house is a coveted item for parents and kids alike.  While my kids are drawn...

Taking on the Toys: Sma...

Tired of stepping and tripping over your kids toys?  A smart storage system can go a long way to help tame the mess.  Many toy “tornadoes” in playrooms can be attributed to lack of or poorly designed storage systems.  Bin, bucket or basket storage systems (in which the toys are...

Shape Up or Ship Out

This is a magical time of year. Fueled by the seemingly endless onslaught of gifts, prizes and presents throughout the year, toy collections miraculously transform into 10,000-armed octopuses, capable of bringing down unsuspecting parents and kids in a matter of seconds. As the beasts...

Playmobil Take Along Fa...

The Playmobil Take Along Farm comes with everything you need.  Just imagine… being able to take this toy set with you on the go!  Just close it up and use the handle to carry it where ever you go. Portable farm building complete with the farmer and his family, animals, and ...

Playmobil Pyramid 4240

Today my son and I put together the Playmobil Pyramid.  A great aspect of Playmobil Toys is the building aspect, as well as being cool play sets.  The Playmobil Pyramid is available now at uTOYpia.com.    We put it together in about 45 minutes (it will take longer for people new to...

Elves for Hire

Back in the days, the term “Adult Assembly Required” didn’t even exist. Toys and games came assembled and were ready to take on countless toddlers right out of the box. Now days, not so much. In the beginning the “assembly” involved a couple screws and snaps, but has sense...

Plan Toys: Three Strike...

I love Plan Toys, but I admit our relationship had a rocky start. From the get-go I was convinced we were never meant to be. We had our good moments, as well as our bad, but in the end we hit it off, as any product from Plan Toys will always be a welcome addition to my home. My first...

Perfcting Toys, One Res...

When the hot toy of the year is a motorized pet hamster, it’s a pretty good indication toys in general did not have the best year. From toxic paint, collapsing cribs and pinching strollers, 2009 had more recalls than parents could keep up with. Which is why 2010 is looking brighter...