A post of things completely unrelated...(gasp!)

Today's grouping of goodies has no underlying theme (I feel so...unsupervised!): these toys are hand-picked for their mere incredible awesomeness!

The Best of the Baby Room

Doreen Cronin writes humorous animal stories like none other: Diary of a Worm got toddlers and parents chuckling way before Jeff Kinney hit the epistolary scene. And what's better than a good book about funny farm critters? A good book about funny farm critters IN a barn with toy farm critters! That's right: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type now comes in board book format with a play barn and disgruntled cardboard animals inside!

Is your tyke almost ready to mobilize? Alex's Learn to Crawl Tunnel is a silky soft play space that encourages exploration. As kids will make hideouts of anything, this crawling tunnel (or "crunnel", which is more fun to say) is perfect for the littlest pioneers - and it collapses into its own bag for easy storage.


I've extolled the adorableness of Miyim's organic baby plush before, but they have taken cute to a new level with Lil Neighbors stroller toys. These simple chic animals in basic pastels have a squeaker in the belly and crinkly ears, packing a lot of punch for their easy traveling size. For even more "green baby" cuteness, try Russ's Simply Natural line: their cuddly animal puppets are made from all natural cotton and colored with vegetable dye.

The Best of the Middle Ground (ages 4 - 7)

International Playthings knows how to please the toddler crowd with their wide variety of new and classic toys. We've been selling their Transparent Marble Run like Sweet's Red Velvet cupcakes! Kids can build a maze out of the clear, colorful tubes and watch the real marbles roll.

Nothing says a party quite like a pinata! In addition to our Curious George ribbon pinatas from Unique, we now carry dinosaur, flower, and donkey pinatas (the kind that need a whomping stick). And with all the various little gateaus we have (maybe those tiny Japanese erasers?) you can stuff your pinata with sugar-free goodness.

Whether this summer means day or sleep-away camp or picnics and running wild in the backyard, Crocodile Creek EcoKids Drinking Bottles are a handy and stylish way to stay hydrated and be ecologically responsible. The stainless steel bottles come in the myriad colorful designs that Crocodile Creek products are known for: trucks, dinosaurs, butterflies, space, jungle, and my personal favorite, animal footprints!

The Best of the Chapter Book Room

Our (petite) book-buyer, Donna, had been begging the merch-buyer, Ellen, to purchase this particular toy for ages...and now we finally have them: Walkaroo Stilts! These stilts are sturdy and adjustable, perfect for any adventurous child. One of my favorite books downstairs, The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy, has a great scene with the girls learning to walk in stilts (ahh, metaphors).

You love Twister. You love the Mr. Men and Little Miss books. Their powers combine in the Travel Mr Men & Little Miss Twister Tube from BasicFun! Not only does this twister mat have the famous Hargreaves characters as the color dots, but it can be easily toted anywhere in its tube with the spinner on the tube's cap. Extreme awesomeness, right??

Game genius Hasbro has miniaturized its most popular games: you can now take Connect 4, Boggle, and Etch-a-Sketch Travel Games anywhere - just attach the game's carabiner to your bag or belt and you're ready for a good trip!


Like I said, merely incredibly awesome. You can bet my nephews and cousins (and the younger, sprier uncles and aunts)are going to love that pinata and twister mat at our family's 4th of July cookout...