Tuesday, February 17, 2015
PET SAC
SPAGHETTI HEADZ
I just returned form the TOY FAIR 2015 and it was great.The newspaper I write for will probably print 3-5 articles about the toy fair because theres so much info,we loved it!!TOY FAIR 2015 was AMAZINGGG!!
The new products were amazing and we love love loved it.
Due to the fact that there were soo many products, I decided to dedicate one post per product, so here we go.
SPAGHETTI HEADZ - 2.14.2015
This is a foam wire like stick that you stick in your hair and twist. It comes in different colors and then voila, you have spaghetti hair. if you are really daring, you can do it on your whole head and have like wired hair.
Its really cool. Apart from the colored stick, it has charms at the very end,so you can personalize your spaghetti head.. that's 2ur dreams have finally come true.
The great thing about Spaghetti Heads was that they put one in every single females hair that stopped by, so like hundreds of women at the Toy Fair were walking around with Spaghetti Heads in their hair... it was like a Mark...hahah.. I went to one guy and he was like "oh I see you've been to Spaghetti Headz". I totally forgot it was in my hair.
its a simple fun product that girls will love. You can also use the product as a bracelet. To take it out of your hair, you just twist it in the opposite direction. I enjoyed Spaghetti Headz. I am African so I always try to think of the African perspective as well. I think girls in Africa would really enjoy this-- assuming that their school does not make them cut their hair, many schools do... but I think even pre school girl, like age 3 would get a kick out of this as well.
Here is their website: https://morphmallow.com/spaghetti-headz.html
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Sweetheart McDonalds Happy Meal Toy
Have you guys been to McDonalds lately? They have the coollesstt SWEETHEART PLUSH TOYS ( you have to ask for the girls toy). They are right in time for Valentines day but they are so cute and plushy.Theres something about seeing your favorite candy in a plush form.They are neat. Im sooo happy to see them. They are a toy collectors PLUS !! Make sure you go to McDonalds and check them out.
HOW MANY LATINA PRINCESSES ARE THERE
The other day, Disney announced that they were releaseing the first ever DISNEY princess.. huh? what in the world is going on? Um Didn't Disney release Sophia back in like 2012-13?? so why are they saying that this new girl is the first Latina princess?? no shes not... crazy psychotic people who follow toy news, like me, we all know that this is the 2nd Disney Latina princess.. Disney may be fooling some of the millions of people out there, but there are some of us, who know that um nooo this is NOT the first Latina princess.. Thank you.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/30/opinion/reyes-latina-disney-princess/index.html
Saturday, November 9, 2013
November 8, 2013:
New entries in to the NATIONAL TOY HALL OF FAME: RUBBER DUCKIE and CHess
SEE ARTICLE HERE:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/toy-hall-fame-induct-toys-20811908
SUPER SOAKER MAN GETS HIS ROYALTIES
November 8,2013:
There is a man by the name of Mr. Johnson who was in a court case with HASBRO, fighting for his royalties for the SUPER SOAKER.
well he won this week-- see article:
Source:
http://www.ajc.com/news/business/super-soaker-creator-awarded-729m-from-hasbro/nbjmm/
Updated: 5:51 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013 | Posted: 11:17 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013
Super Soaker creator awarded $72.9M from Hasbro
By Christopher Seward
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta-based company behind the Super Soaker water gun and Nerf toy guns has been awarded nearly $73 million in royalties from toymaker Hasbro Inc., according to the law firm King & Spalding.
Johnson Research and Development Co. and founder Lonnie Johnson have been in a royalty dispute with Hasbro since February, when the company filed a claim against the giant toy company. According to King & Spalding, which along with the A. Leigh Baier P.C. law firm represented Johnson, Hasbro underpaid royalties for the Nerf line toys from 2007 to 2012.
“In the arbitration we got everything we asked for,” said Atlanta attorney Leigh Baier. “The arbitrator ruled totally in Lonnie’s favor.” The attorney also said Johnson “is very pleased” with the outcome.
Johnson could not be reached for comment Wednesday, nor could Pawtucket, RI.-based Hasbro.
The arbitration agreement resolves a 2001 inventors dispute in which Hasbro agreed to pay Johnson royalties for products covered by his Nerf line of toys, specifically the N-Strike and Dart Tag brands, King & Spalding attorney Ben Easterlin said.
In a separate breach of contract suit filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta in February, Johnson accuses Hasbro of violating a 1996 agreement to pay him Super Soaker royalties of 2 percent for “three-dimensional products” based on the appearance of the toy and 1 percent for “two-dimensional visual representations.”
The suit says Hasbro sold water guns that were “visually similar and based upon the appearance of Super Soaker water guns that incorporate Johnson’s technology.” Johnson also wanted the court to force Hasbro to open its books to determine sales of Super Soaker products from 2006 to 20012.
Johnson, a nuclear engineer, Tuskegee University Ph.D. and former NASA scientist, founded his company in 1989. It was the same year he first licensed the Super Soaker, which generated more than $200 million in retail sales two years later, the company said. The toy was licensed to Larami Corp., which was later purchased by Hasbro.
Johnson holds more than 80 patents, with more than 20 pending, the company said, which said sales of the Super Soaker have approached nearly $1 billion.
As an Alabama high school senior, Johnson finished building a remote-controlled robot with a reel-to-reel tape player for a brain and jukebox solenoids controlling its pneumatic limbs, according to a 2008 profile in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
After graduating from Tuskegee he joined the Air Force, worked at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory at Sandia, worked for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab on the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Mars Observer project, among others. He also helped design the Cassini robot probe that flew 740 million miles to Saturn.
He moved to Atlanta in 1990 before his Super Soaker invention made him wealthy. His inventions have included rechargeable battery technology and thermodynamic energy conversion technology.
Monday, December 17, 2012
HASBRO GENDER NEUTRAL EASY BAKE OVEN CONTROVERSY
December 18,2012:
OH no. I just read that there is a girl. M. Pope, upset at HASBRO because they do not make EZ Bake Ovens that cater to boys.WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!! Are you serious?????? And now HASBRO had a scheduled meeting with her TODAY. Ok, so I have been trying to meet with HASBRO for like 20 years ( since I was like 5) and then a girl complains about the toys not being gender neutral and she gets to meet the executives of HASBRo?? Are you serious??? This is CRAZY.
Let's talk about this story so you guys can get caught up and then I will tell you the facts:
A little girl named McKenna Pope went to the store to buy an Easy Bake oven for her brother. When she went, all she could find were pink and purple ones. As a result she was like,” Oh no, Hasbro doesn’t make Easy Bake Ovens for boy”. That’s not fair she thought. She then created a PETITION on Change.org , for HASBRO to make Easy Bake Ovens for boys. And now all of a sudden she is this hero for standing up for gender equality, etc and she will be meeting with HASBRO today. Ridiculous.
This story is ridiculous. And I will tell you why.
Being the toy fanatic that I am, these are the FACTS:
1. Yes there are more boys than girls in America. This is a fact. I have conducted Census studies, and yes, there are more boys than girls and for YEARS I have been telling toy makers that they need to focus on boy toys because they are a larger market. I have sent them my yearly Census reports. I have sent the reports to Hasbro and Mattel, and of course, they have NEVER responded to me…ever. But the report is something I always send to them, after I do my analysis. In fact, my report is actually copyrighted, you can find it in the U.S Copyright office.
Look at this file from the Census website and look at the 2010 data on page 4. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf The data shows that for the ages 0-19, there were more boys than girls in America. Period.
2. Easy Bake Oven—Let’s talk about the FACTs of the EASY BAKE OVEN: The EASY BAKE Oven has EVOLVED over time…tremendously. The Easy Bake oven has been around since the 1960s, and has come in a VARIETY of colors. Any one who knows their toys WELL, knows this. It is a FACT. The Easy Bake oven did not turn PINK until like the mid 1980s, early 90s. Fact 2: there are SO MANY VERSIONS of the EASY BAKE OVEN—there is the original Easy Bake Oven, there is the REAL Meal Oven, there is the oven with the stove top, etc etc. These versions come in SO MANY COLORS… so MANY!!
Now in the mid 2000, the REAL MEAL OVEN was created, by HASBRO. This was created by LAMONT MORRIS, a product designer at HASBRo, an African American man. A man I REPEATEDLY talk about on this website- like over and over and over again. The REAL MEAL OVEN was grey ,blue, purple and it had a boy and a girl on the COVER of the packaging. It was a NEUTRAL Easy Bake Oven. It was great.
And now we have the newer “Easy Bake “ Ovens.
People , get your facts STRAIGHT!! HASBRO HASSSSSSSSSSSSS made gender neutral EASY BAKE OVENS—ALWAYS. Who says boys can not bake in a purple oven—it is society who teaches boys that purple is a girls color. Aren’t there male basketball teams that have purple jerseys?? You see, this whole gender biased “dilemma” is so SILLY!!!! Purple is a NEUTRAL COLOR. PERIOD!!
Fact 3. Let me tell you something else about HASBRO. Do NOT forget that HASBRO created the Creepy Crawler Easy Bake oven. This oven was marketed differently and it was like the oven FOR Boys—marketed FOR BOYS, the way Mattel Hot Wheels are marketed for BOYS. Why doesn’t MATTEL make HOT WHEELS for Girls? Should I start a petition for that? Why doesn’t Mattel make more ethnic looking dolls? Why doesn’t HASBRO make a Glo-Worm that looks more like a guy in the face? Why doesn’t Mattel use girls in their hot wheels advertising? Why doesn’t MATTEL make I CAN BE dolls for boys? I mean, I can go on and on and on and on if you need me to.
I am actually doing a report on Hasbro and whether or not their toys are gender friendly, regarding the packaging, for my PhD program. Email me if you want to see it or would like to discuss it further. And I will also be talking about this at a conference in D.C in 2013 that I submitted an abstract for like 3 months ago--what a coincidence.
Summary: This petition is very silly because Hasbro does a GREAT job at creating gender neutral toys.And they know they do. So why they would want to appease the girl and have her come to headquarters is beyond me. Why haven’t I been invited to HASBRO headquarters? I am the one doing the Census reports and doing the detailed gender equality research on their products?
Anyways, at the end of the day, perhaps the little girl and her family are going to leave the HASBRO headquarters with a car full of free HASBRO toys. Good for them. And perhaps a lifetime of refillable Easy Bake oven toys-good for them again. But people, make sure you know the FACTS before you start judging toy companies. And P.S little girl, if you get an extra HASBRO toy you don’t want, you can always feel free to send it my way.
OH no. I just read that there is a girl. M. Pope, upset at HASBRO because they do not make EZ Bake Ovens that cater to boys.WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!! Are you serious?????? And now HASBRO had a scheduled meeting with her TODAY. Ok, so I have been trying to meet with HASBRO for like 20 years ( since I was like 5) and then a girl complains about the toys not being gender neutral and she gets to meet the executives of HASBRo?? Are you serious??? This is CRAZY.
Let's talk about this story so you guys can get caught up and then I will tell you the facts:
A little girl named McKenna Pope went to the store to buy an Easy Bake oven for her brother. When she went, all she could find were pink and purple ones. As a result she was like,” Oh no, Hasbro doesn’t make Easy Bake Ovens for boy”. That’s not fair she thought. She then created a PETITION on Change.org , for HASBRO to make Easy Bake Ovens for boys. And now all of a sudden she is this hero for standing up for gender equality, etc and she will be meeting with HASBRO today. Ridiculous.
This story is ridiculous. And I will tell you why.
Being the toy fanatic that I am, these are the FACTS:
1. Yes there are more boys than girls in America. This is a fact. I have conducted Census studies, and yes, there are more boys than girls and for YEARS I have been telling toy makers that they need to focus on boy toys because they are a larger market. I have sent them my yearly Census reports. I have sent the reports to Hasbro and Mattel, and of course, they have NEVER responded to me…ever. But the report is something I always send to them, after I do my analysis. In fact, my report is actually copyrighted, you can find it in the U.S Copyright office.
Look at this file from the Census website and look at the 2010 data on page 4. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf The data shows that for the ages 0-19, there were more boys than girls in America. Period.
2. Easy Bake Oven—Let’s talk about the FACTs of the EASY BAKE OVEN: The EASY BAKE Oven has EVOLVED over time…tremendously. The Easy Bake oven has been around since the 1960s, and has come in a VARIETY of colors. Any one who knows their toys WELL, knows this. It is a FACT. The Easy Bake oven did not turn PINK until like the mid 1980s, early 90s. Fact 2: there are SO MANY VERSIONS of the EASY BAKE OVEN—there is the original Easy Bake Oven, there is the REAL Meal Oven, there is the oven with the stove top, etc etc. These versions come in SO MANY COLORS… so MANY!!
Now in the mid 2000, the REAL MEAL OVEN was created, by HASBRO. This was created by LAMONT MORRIS, a product designer at HASBRo, an African American man. A man I REPEATEDLY talk about on this website- like over and over and over again. The REAL MEAL OVEN was grey ,blue, purple and it had a boy and a girl on the COVER of the packaging. It was a NEUTRAL Easy Bake Oven. It was great.
And now we have the newer “Easy Bake “ Ovens.
People , get your facts STRAIGHT!! HASBRO HASSSSSSSSSSSSS made gender neutral EASY BAKE OVENS—ALWAYS. Who says boys can not bake in a purple oven—it is society who teaches boys that purple is a girls color. Aren’t there male basketball teams that have purple jerseys?? You see, this whole gender biased “dilemma” is so SILLY!!!! Purple is a NEUTRAL COLOR. PERIOD!!
Fact 3. Let me tell you something else about HASBRO. Do NOT forget that HASBRO created the Creepy Crawler Easy Bake oven. This oven was marketed differently and it was like the oven FOR Boys—marketed FOR BOYS, the way Mattel Hot Wheels are marketed for BOYS. Why doesn’t MATTEL make HOT WHEELS for Girls? Should I start a petition for that? Why doesn’t Mattel make more ethnic looking dolls? Why doesn’t HASBRO make a Glo-Worm that looks more like a guy in the face? Why doesn’t Mattel use girls in their hot wheels advertising? Why doesn’t MATTEL make I CAN BE dolls for boys? I mean, I can go on and on and on and on if you need me to.
I am actually doing a report on Hasbro and whether or not their toys are gender friendly, regarding the packaging, for my PhD program. Email me if you want to see it or would like to discuss it further. And I will also be talking about this at a conference in D.C in 2013 that I submitted an abstract for like 3 months ago--what a coincidence.
Summary: This petition is very silly because Hasbro does a GREAT job at creating gender neutral toys.And they know they do. So why they would want to appease the girl and have her come to headquarters is beyond me. Why haven’t I been invited to HASBRO headquarters? I am the one doing the Census reports and doing the detailed gender equality research on their products?
Anyways, at the end of the day, perhaps the little girl and her family are going to leave the HASBRO headquarters with a car full of free HASBRO toys. Good for them. And perhaps a lifetime of refillable Easy Bake oven toys-good for them again. But people, make sure you know the FACTS before you start judging toy companies. And P.S little girl, if you get an extra HASBRO toy you don’t want, you can always feel free to send it my way.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Toys R Us announces $150 tablet for kids
Toys R Us announces $150 tablet for kids
By Hayley Tsukayama, Published: September 10
Source:
A prominent company jumped in to the 7-inch tablet competition Monday, but it wasn’t Apple, Microsoft, or HP — it was Toys “R” Us.
The toy retailer announced the introduction of the Tabeo, a seven-inch, Android-powered tablet for kids that will cost $149.99. The device is aimed solely at younger users, complete with specialized browser controls, pre-loaded educational apps and a curated app store to give kids access to a limited number of programs.
Not that it's all about hitting the books. Rovio’s “Angry Birds,” Imangi Studio’s “Temple Run” and Halfbrick’s “Fruit Ninja” are also included on the tablet, in addition to games such as “Cut the Rope,” “Collapse!” and “100 Floors.”
The tablet will run a version of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and will have the ability to connect to the Internet over WiFi. The tablet will only be available from Toys “R” Us stores or the company’s Web site. It will go on sale Oct. 21. To keep it kid-proof, the tablet also has a lime-green bumper to go around the outside, which should protect it when “dropped from low heights or bumped into other objects.”
The curated app store, the release said, has 7,000 free apps and “thousands” available for purchase. The tablet has 4GB of RAM and an expandable microSDHC memory slot.
Parents can limit the amount of time their kids can spend online, set access for specific days of the week or hours of the day, and can get e-mail alerts if their kids find some way around the limitations.
The news release lists “nearly 10” (in other words, nine) educational apps meant to teach kids about the alphabet, science and math, plus additional apps focused on subjects such as photography and cooking.
Toys “R” Us is not the only company that has put measures in place to monitor how children use tablets. At its recent Kindle Fire announcement, Amazon said that it would put stricter parental controls into place on its tablets, allowing parents to set up profiles that limit how long their children can use the device.
After the Toys “R” Us announcement Monday, shares of the LeapFrog Enterprises — which makes smart tablet-like toys for kids to help them with reading, math and other subjects — fell dramatically as investors worried about how the company would keep pace with a toy store behemoth such as Toys “R” Us. As of 1:30 p.m., LeapFrog shares were down more than 7 percent to about $8.50 per share.
Backlash for Disney's first Latina princess
By Cindy Y. Rodriguez, CNN
updated 6:42 PM EDT, Fri October 19, 2012
(CNN) -- Move over Pocahontas and Mulan, Sofia está aquí.
Disney's first Latina princess, featured in the movie "Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess" has received backlash as well as support from the media outlets, especially the Latino community. Is Disney's new princess a milestone for Latinos or a culturally irrelevant character?
Disney's spokeswoman provided a recent statement to CNN to help clarify what exactly makes "Princess Sofia" Latina:
"The range of characters in 'Sofia the First' -- and the actors who play them -- are a reflection of Disney's commitment to diverse, multicultural and inclusive storytelling, and the wonderful early reaction to 'Sofia' affirms that commitment. In the story, Sofia's mother, Queen Miranda, was born in a fictitious land, Galdiz, a place with Latin influences. Miranda met Sofia's father, Birk Balthazar, who hailed from the kingdom of Freezenberg, and together they moved to Enchancia, where Sofia was born."
"Sofia the First" is a television movie and series set to debut November 18 on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior, aimed at children ages 2-7. Sofia is a regular little girl whose life changes when her mother marries the king. Ariel Winter from "Modern Family" will voice Sofia and Sara Ramirez from "Grey's Anatomy" will voice Queen Miranda.
When news first hit in December 2011 that Disney was going to introduce their new and much younger princess, there was no mention of Sofia's Latina background, let alone that her mother was from "a place with Latin influences" until this week.
Yet this week, Disney announced that Sofia was indeed Latina.
During a press tour, a blogger asked why Sofia's mother, Miranda, had a darker complexion than her mother, leading to the big announcement of the Hispanic background:
"She is Latina," said Jamie Mitchell, Disney's executive producer, during a press tour to Entertainment Weekly in an article published on Tuesday.
According the the vice president of Disney Junior original programming, "We never actually call it out."
"It's sort of a matter-of-fact situation rather than an overt thing."
However, this isn't the first time there is controversy surrounding one of Disney's princesses. In 2009, "The Princess and the Frog" received criticism from parents and the media for being set in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, it's voodoo references and Disney's first African-American princess, Tiana, falling in love with a Caucasian prince. Most agree Princess Tiana was a step in the right direction but many said there was still work to be done.
Some Latinos applauded Disney's new milestone and welcomed her with open arms on Twitter stating, "#Disney comes out with its first "#Latina Princess." Its about time. It is 2012. #Hispanics" and "#Disney finally comes out with a #Latina princess"
Some criticized what they saw as a lack of cultural signifiers or ethnic identity in the Sofia character.
"If Disney were truly to finally step out and directly cater to the Latino community that has been crying out for decades for a Latina princess to represent our girls," said Ana Flores, blogger for Spanglishbaby, "She would be as Latina as Tiana is black or as Pocahontas is Indian-American."
Alex Nogales, president and CEO for the National Hispanic Media Coalition, a nonprofit organization that promotes Latino equality in the entertainment industry, believes the Latino community needs more heroes right now that are very identifiable.
"Latinos are taking the blame for everything that is wrong with America. This is not a time to pussyfoot around. If you're going to promote this to the public, and Latinos in particular, do us a favor and make it a real Latina."
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/19/showbiz/disneys-first-latina-princess/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
Thursday, February 23, 2012
AFRICAS ANSWER TO DORA THE EXPLORER
WRITTEN BY: MARK TUTTON, CNN
BINO FINO WEBSITE:http://binoandfino.wordpress.com/
CNN) -- Move over Disney -- a Nigerian animator has produced an educational cartoon to teach youngsters about African culture.
Tired of African children watching only imported cartoons that didn't reflect their lives, Nigerian animator Adamu Waziri decided to do something about it.
His creation is "Bino and Fino," a cartoon aimed at three to five year olds, about a brother and sister who live with their grandparents in an unnamed African city.
"I want to create a brand that's as good as Dora the Explorer, Charlie and Lola, quality wise, made in Nigeria, that is educational, and also shows positive aspects of Nigerian/African culture, not just to Nigerian or African kids but to kids everywhere," says Waziri.
The pilot episode celebrated Nigeria's Independence Day and looked at the issue of colonialism. The cartoon has also had segments teaching the numbers one to 10 in the Nigerian Igbo and Yoruba languages.
He adds that he wants the program to "teach kids and show that the stuff you see on TV of starving people isn't the only thing (in Africa) -- you have a middle class here who have the same aspirations as everybody else."
See also: Meet the Afropolitans
Bino and Fino isn't the only children's cartoon produced in Africa. "Tinga Tinga Tales," for example, is made in Kenya for the BBC, while "Jungle Beat" is produced in South Africa and has been shown internationally. But both cartoons, like many set in Africa, tell stories about the continent's exotic animals. Waziri was determined to do something different.
"I said I'm not going do African folk tales, animals -- that's what you get in (animated movie) 'Madagascar' -- we don't want to do that," he says.
"We want to show a couple of kids in a middle class life, which I know isn't the reality of all the kids in Africa, but let's show that reality -- the reality of people using laptops, phones, going to school, doing their daily business -- no talking ants, no dancing 'jinga jinga' music -- just a cartoon of life."
Two full-length "Bino and Fino" episodes have been shown on a channel on Sky TV in the UK, where Waziri says it has been well received. The next step is to attract the funding and sponsors needed to get the cartoon aired in Nigeria.
Stop waiting for Disney to do it, do it yourself.
Adamu Waziri, creator of "Bino to Fino"
It takes Waziri and his core team of four a month and a half to produce a single episode of Bino and Fino, which is just eight minutes of animation. His says the slow turnaround is off-putting for sponsors in Nigeria, where feature-length Nollywood movies are often produced in a matter of weeks.
See also: Nigerian blockbusters for internet generation
Waziri adds that when it comes to entertainment, some Nigerians have a mindset of "West is best," but he is determined to change people's minds by showing it's possible to make a credible homegrown alternative to imported programs.
He believes that it's not enough for Africans to complain of being underrepresented in foreign cartoons, or misrepresented by international media -- they must also do something about it.
"People complain that Africa is not represented well in the media," says Waziri. "I understand that, but my point is Nigeria and other parts of Africa aren't poor, you have businessmen, the infrastructure, the ability to link up and make studios, finance it and sponsor it and make the market -- stop waiting for Disney to do it, do it yourself."
lINK TO ARTICLE IS HERE:http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/23/world/africa/nigeria-cartoon-bino-fino/index.html
MR POTATO HEAD TURNS 60 THIS MONTH
CHECK OUT THE ARTICLE BELOW:
TAKEN FROM CNN
POSTED BY:KATE MCLAUGHLIN
LINK:http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/23/the-throwback-mr-potato-head-turns-60/
The Throwback: Mr. Potato Head turns 60
This month marks 60 years of spud-tastic memories for an iconic toy industry staple that remains a household name.
Mr. Potato Head hit the market in 1952 and has been inspiring imaginative play ever since. For many preschool aged children, ownership of a Mr. Potato Head represents a rite of passage as well as the passing down of a tradition from generation to generation.
Mr. Potato Head was the first-ever toy to be advertised on television and remains one of Hasbro's most beloved characters.
By the numbers, over 100 million Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toys have been sold to date; more than 30 licensed Mr. Potato Head characters have been created; and there are over 350 Mr. Potato Head parts and pieces available. That's no small potatoes!
Not only is Mr. Potato celebrating his 60th birthday, but he and Mrs. Potato Head renewed their vows this year. Thankfully, neither got cold (removable, interchangeable) feet.
Not one to shy away from the limelight (unless it involves a deep fryer), Mr. Potato Head himself spoke to CNN about turning 60.
CNN: First of all, Mr. Potato Head, Happy 60th birthday - and many more! How does it feel to be 60? Are your "small fry" days behind you?
Mr. Potato Head: Thank you very much! I feel 60 years young, and while I'm no longer a small fry, I'm still a kid at heart. This year the Mrs. and I will celebrate with spud-tastic adventures around the globe!
CNN: How did you get your big break into the toy biz? Can you tell us a little about your history?
Mr. Potato Head: I sprouted into the toy business in 1952 and became the first toy ever advertised on network TV. I've had so many great experiences since then, including being nominated for the mayor of Boise, Idaho, starring in Disney-Pixar's "Toy Story," and walking in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
CNN: What is your personal favorite Mr. Potato Head incarnation?
Mr. Potato Head: It's hard to choose, but if I had to pick one, I'd say my favorite outfit is the spiffy groom's attire that I wore to renew my vows with my sweet potato. I share so many happy memories with the Mrs. - I only have eyes for her!
CNN: You've fostered a lot of kids' imaginations and triggered many fits of giggles for any child who has, for example, placed Mr. Potato Head's nose where his head should be. How does it feel to be, in many cases, a source of laughter?
Mr. Potato Head: There is no better feeling in the world than to bring a smile to a child's face, it is spudtacular! I look forward to the next 60 years of silly, giggly fun with small fries.
CNN: How long have you and Mrs. Potato Head been married? Do you have any advice for keeping a relationship strong? Do you two have special plans for your 60th birthday?
Mr. Potato Head: The Mrs. and I have been married 59 years and we're still mashly in love! My relationship advice would be: Remember to have fun! The Mrs. and I are planning to celebrate my 60th birthday all year long by learning new things, traveling across the globe and making new friends. You can keep up with our adventures on my Facebook page.
CNN: What's the most common misconception that people have about you?
Mr. Potato Head: That I'm a couch potato! The Mrs. and I love to travel and stay active, our adventures keep us young.
CNN: What's the most common question you get asked?
Mr. Potato Head: Everyone wants to know which "part & piece" is my favorite - the answer is my smile, it goes with everything!
Here are some additional Mr. Potato Head fun facts:
* 1952's Mr. Potato Head cost $0.98, consisting of parts only - Mom and Dad supplied the actual (real!) potato.
* Mrs. Potato Head was introduced to the world one year later. The couple tied the knot on Valentine's Day 1953.
* In 1964, Hasbro began manufacturing Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head with hard plastic bodies that held the pieces - and has done so ever since - eliminating the need for real spuds.
* Parts are stored in the Tater Tush™ compartment. (Yep, it's trademarked!)
* Those plastic bodies doubled in size come 1974, and have remained roughly the same size ever since.
* Mr. Potato Head got his AARP card in 2002.
What about you? Did you have a Mr. Potato Head(s)? Which one(s) did you have? What are your fondest Mr. Potato Head memories?
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
COOL WEBSITES
Fred and Friends: http://www.worldwidefred.com/home.htm
Think Geek:www.thinkgeek.com
SUCK UK: http://www.suck.uk.com/home/
PERPETUAL KID: http://www.perpetualkid.com/
Design for Kids : http://www.kidsmodern.com/products/3200047/1
SPINNING HAT:http://www.spinninghat.com/
A2 dESIGN:/http://www.a2inc.com JUST MUSTARD
Think Geek:www.thinkgeek.com
SUCK UK: http://www.suck.uk.com/home/
PERPETUAL KID: http://www.perpetualkid.com/
Design for Kids : http://www.kidsmodern.com/products/3200047/1
SPINNING HAT:http://www.spinninghat.com/
A2 dESIGN:/http://www.a2inc.com JUST MUSTARD
Saturday, January 21, 2012
CHILDS OWN
Great website for creative minds:
Turn your childs drawings into stuffed creations.. What a WONDERFUL IDEA!!
Click here: http://childsown.wordpress.com/testimonials/
Turn your childs drawings into stuffed creations.. What a WONDERFUL IDEA!!
Click here: http://childsown.wordpress.com/testimonials/
Ban the Barbie
Ban the Barbie: Police in Iran shut down toy shops selling the U.S. doll in crackdown on Western culture
By Jill Reilly
Banned: Reports said the move is part of a decades-long crackdown on signs of Western culture in Iran
Banned: Reports said the move is part of a decades-long crackdown on signs of Western culture in Iran
Toy shops are being targeted and closed down by police for selling Barbie dolls.
The move is part of a decades-long crackdown on signs of Western culture in Iran, the semiofficial Mehr news agency reported today.
Mehr quoted an unnamed police official as saying police confiscated Barbie dolls from toy shops in Tehran in a 'new phase' of its crackdown against 'manifestations of Western culture.'
Created in 1959 by American toy manufacturer Mattel Inc, Barbie dolls wearing swimsuits and miniskirts are sold in a society where women must wear head scarves in public, and men and women are not allowed to swim together.
A ban on the sale of Barbie dolls, was imposed in the mid-1990s.
Despite the ban, the doll has until recently been openly on sale in Tehran shops.
When the new order, was issued around three weeks ago, reproved hiding the dolls behind other toys to continue selling them but while avoiding being closed down by the police.
In 1996, a government-backed children's agency called Barbie a 'Trojan horse' sneaking in Western influences like makeup and revealing clothes.
Authorities launched a campaign of confiscating Barbie dolls from toy shops in 2002, denouncing what they called the un-Islamic characteristics of the uniquely American doll. The campaign was eventually dropped.
No longer in stock: In this file 2008 photo Iranian shopkeeper Hamid Reza Delband displays a doll at his toy shop, in Tehran, but now toy shops are being shut down for selling the U.S doll
No longer in stock: In this file 2008 photo Iranian shopkeeper Hamid Reza Delband displays a doll at his toy shop, in Tehran, but now toy shops are being shut down for selling the U.S doll
Also in 2002, Iran introduced its own competing dolls - twins Dara and Sara - who were designed to promote traditional values with modest clothing and pro-family stories.
But the dolls proved unable to stem the Barbie tide.
More...
* Britain and France set to push through EU oil embargo on Iran as pressure ratchets up over Tehran's nuclear programme
* Russia warns of a 'very big war' if West meddles with Middle East... as Iran orders Arab neighbours not to cosy up to U.S.
Despite bans on many Western books, movies, satellite TV channels, music, haircuts and fashions, young people maintain their interest in Western culture.
Even channels of Iran's state TV broadcast several Western and Hollywood films every week.
Competition: In 2002 Iran introduced its own competing dolls - twins Dara and Sara - who were designed to promote traditional values with modest clothing and pro-family stories, but they weren't as popular
Competition: In 2002 Iran introduced its own competing dolls - twins Dara and Sara - who were designed to promote traditional values with modest clothing and pro-family stories, but they weren't as popular
Islamists have repeatedly tried to fight what they see as a Western cultural 'invasion' since 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted a pro-Western monarchy.
As well as banning Barbie dolls in another swipe at the West, Iranians will soon be able to buy toy versions of the U.S. spy drone that it captured in December.
New toy: In another swipe at the West, Iranians will soon be able to buy toy versions of the U.S. spy drone that it captured in December
New toy: In another swipe at the West, Iranians will soon be able to buy toy versions of the U.S. spy drone that it captured in December
Models of the bat-wing RQ-170 Sentinel - which Iran's military displayed on TV after it was downed near the Afghan border - have been revealed by an Iranian toymaker.
Since then, importing Western toys has been discouraged by a regime that seeks to protect Iranians from what it calls the negative effects of Western culture.
In 2008, the Iranian judiciary warned against the 'destructive' cultural and social consequences and "danger" of importing Barbie dolls and other Western toys.
Even so, Iranian markets have been full of Western toys aimed at Iranian children.
One-third of Iran's population of 75 million are under 15 years old.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089392/Ban-Barbie-Police-Iran-shut-toy-shops-selling-U-S-doll-crackdown-Western-culture.html#ixzz1k8qFb2yM
Source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089392/Ban-Barbie-Police-Iran-shut-toy-shops-selling-U-S-doll-crackdown-Western-culture.html
By Jill Reilly
Banned: Reports said the move is part of a decades-long crackdown on signs of Western culture in Iran
Banned: Reports said the move is part of a decades-long crackdown on signs of Western culture in Iran
Toy shops are being targeted and closed down by police for selling Barbie dolls.
The move is part of a decades-long crackdown on signs of Western culture in Iran, the semiofficial Mehr news agency reported today.
Mehr quoted an unnamed police official as saying police confiscated Barbie dolls from toy shops in Tehran in a 'new phase' of its crackdown against 'manifestations of Western culture.'
Created in 1959 by American toy manufacturer Mattel Inc, Barbie dolls wearing swimsuits and miniskirts are sold in a society where women must wear head scarves in public, and men and women are not allowed to swim together.
A ban on the sale of Barbie dolls, was imposed in the mid-1990s.
Despite the ban, the doll has until recently been openly on sale in Tehran shops.
When the new order, was issued around three weeks ago, reproved hiding the dolls behind other toys to continue selling them but while avoiding being closed down by the police.
In 1996, a government-backed children's agency called Barbie a 'Trojan horse' sneaking in Western influences like makeup and revealing clothes.
Authorities launched a campaign of confiscating Barbie dolls from toy shops in 2002, denouncing what they called the un-Islamic characteristics of the uniquely American doll. The campaign was eventually dropped.
No longer in stock: In this file 2008 photo Iranian shopkeeper Hamid Reza Delband displays a doll at his toy shop, in Tehran, but now toy shops are being shut down for selling the U.S doll
No longer in stock: In this file 2008 photo Iranian shopkeeper Hamid Reza Delband displays a doll at his toy shop, in Tehran, but now toy shops are being shut down for selling the U.S doll
Also in 2002, Iran introduced its own competing dolls - twins Dara and Sara - who were designed to promote traditional values with modest clothing and pro-family stories.
But the dolls proved unable to stem the Barbie tide.
More...
* Britain and France set to push through EU oil embargo on Iran as pressure ratchets up over Tehran's nuclear programme
* Russia warns of a 'very big war' if West meddles with Middle East... as Iran orders Arab neighbours not to cosy up to U.S.
Despite bans on many Western books, movies, satellite TV channels, music, haircuts and fashions, young people maintain their interest in Western culture.
Even channels of Iran's state TV broadcast several Western and Hollywood films every week.
Competition: In 2002 Iran introduced its own competing dolls - twins Dara and Sara - who were designed to promote traditional values with modest clothing and pro-family stories, but they weren't as popular
Competition: In 2002 Iran introduced its own competing dolls - twins Dara and Sara - who were designed to promote traditional values with modest clothing and pro-family stories, but they weren't as popular
Islamists have repeatedly tried to fight what they see as a Western cultural 'invasion' since 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted a pro-Western monarchy.
As well as banning Barbie dolls in another swipe at the West, Iranians will soon be able to buy toy versions of the U.S. spy drone that it captured in December.
New toy: In another swipe at the West, Iranians will soon be able to buy toy versions of the U.S. spy drone that it captured in December
New toy: In another swipe at the West, Iranians will soon be able to buy toy versions of the U.S. spy drone that it captured in December
Models of the bat-wing RQ-170 Sentinel - which Iran's military displayed on TV after it was downed near the Afghan border - have been revealed by an Iranian toymaker.
Since then, importing Western toys has been discouraged by a regime that seeks to protect Iranians from what it calls the negative effects of Western culture.
In 2008, the Iranian judiciary warned against the 'destructive' cultural and social consequences and "danger" of importing Barbie dolls and other Western toys.
Even so, Iranian markets have been full of Western toys aimed at Iranian children.
One-third of Iran's population of 75 million are under 15 years old.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089392/Ban-Barbie-Police-Iran-shut-toy-shops-selling-U-S-doll-crackdown-Western-culture.html#ixzz1k8qFb2yM
Source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089392/Ban-Barbie-Police-Iran-shut-toy-shops-selling-U-S-doll-crackdown-Western-culture.html
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Busy Week- Toy news everywhere
FIrst of all, the latest news is the Build A Bear recall-- dont all Build a Bears have these possible chokable parts??
Colorful Hearts teddy bear Recall:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28/build-a-bear-recall-colorful-hearts_n_1173463.html
Second, there is the story of the new "girlie" LEGO:
Photo:Courtesy of LEGO
Here is the VP talking about LEGOs focus on girls:
http://www.businessweek.com/video/#video=pjcHM0MzoIrW1GDR-_yAih1oPF1acX57
Read this story:
LEGO IS FOR GIRLS: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/lego-is-for-girls-12142011.html
Last but not least, there is the story of the little girl Riley who does not enjoy the fact that all toy stuff for girls is pink:http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504784_162-57349485-10391705/little-girl-unloads-on-toy-industrys-double-standard/>
Friday, December 16, 2011
BLACK BARBIES GET NATURAL HAIR
Did anyone see the story on CNN.com today about black barbies that are redone to look more"black"? Meaning that their hair is redone to make it look more natural-- like kinky curls,etc? What do you think?? HMMM.. I think this is quite interesting.
Heres the thing, black comes in different shades. Being black is like being a crayone in a Crayola box-- there are many shades-- there is brown, tan, black, peach-- all people these shades can consider themselves black, African-American.
Ok now to the Barbie.Barbie is made by Mattel. Mattel has done a GREAt job making the peach and tan Barbie.It looks like they just took the white Barbie and dipped it in tan plastic. Now has Mattel done a good job making a "black" Barbie?? Of course not!!! I dont know one lady who is black and has naturally long silky hair..She may have long silky hair that she paid for, a weave, but it wont be natural.Seeing Barbies, on the mass level, being sold who have braids, cornrows in a classy way is unheard of.Seeing Barbies/dolls with hair that is worn "naturally" is unheard of.Unfortunatley, the word "doll" gets interchanged with the word"Barbie'.Sorry Mattel. The point is that, doll babies still have a long way to go.If Mattel can advance their Hot wheels cars (which they have) , then why cant they update their dolls and diversify them? if they need to hire more black toy designers or consultants, then do it.
Heres the thing, toys are for EVERYONE!! So if you work for a toy company, the field/place has to be diversified in order to ensure that you are hearing everyones side to the story, including everyones background and race.the more diversified the work place, the better the toys will be because they will be marketed to everyone.In summary, i like the idea of the black Barbie getting new hair, after all, isnt Brbie the style icon we all strive to be like?
Heres the thing, black comes in different shades. Being black is like being a crayone in a Crayola box-- there are many shades-- there is brown, tan, black, peach-- all people these shades can consider themselves black, African-American.
Ok now to the Barbie.Barbie is made by Mattel. Mattel has done a GREAt job making the peach and tan Barbie.It looks like they just took the white Barbie and dipped it in tan plastic. Now has Mattel done a good job making a "black" Barbie?? Of course not!!! I dont know one lady who is black and has naturally long silky hair..She may have long silky hair that she paid for, a weave, but it wont be natural.Seeing Barbies, on the mass level, being sold who have braids, cornrows in a classy way is unheard of.Seeing Barbies/dolls with hair that is worn "naturally" is unheard of.Unfortunatley, the word "doll" gets interchanged with the word"Barbie'.Sorry Mattel. The point is that, doll babies still have a long way to go.If Mattel can advance their Hot wheels cars (which they have) , then why cant they update their dolls and diversify them? if they need to hire more black toy designers or consultants, then do it.
Heres the thing, toys are for EVERYONE!! So if you work for a toy company, the field/place has to be diversified in order to ensure that you are hearing everyones side to the story, including everyones background and race.the more diversified the work place, the better the toys will be because they will be marketed to everyone.In summary, i like the idea of the black Barbie getting new hair, after all, isnt Brbie the style icon we all strive to be like?
Monday, December 5, 2011
MY 2011 TOY LIST
AMY 2011 TOY LIST:
Boys and Girls, I have the list you have all been waiting for, my 2011 LIST of TOP TOYS of the year. Christmas is approaching quite fast and if you haven’t bought gifts for your kids yet,good, because you really shouldn’t be buying toys for your kids yet without first reviewing my list.
So without much further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my list of TOP TOYS for 2011:
- The Disney What Not Muppet Workshop Kit: This is a kit that allows your kids to make their own muppets, essentially. The kit has one body, hair, mustache, beard, eyelids, nose .It’s really cool, but because there is only one body included in the kit, only one kid can play with it at a time. If you only have one child, its GREAT! If you have two or more kids, you’ll have to buy 2 or more kits so that each kid can have a “body” to place over their hands. But I really think that kids could get lost in their imagination playing with their own handy dandy hand puppets. Great for boys and girls.Each kit will cost $59.99.
- Smurf plush dolls—These big blue Smurf dolls are still realy cute and cuddly and fun to drag around. They are like the new teddy bear of the season and they are unisex. Everyone needs their own blue Smurf. Price : $13.99
- Bath Time Bath sets: if you have a kid below the age of 4, I highly recommend these. These are basically paint sets , that even come with a paint tray that can be suctioned to the wall. While your kids are showering, they can pain on the walls.These paint sets come in the Barbie and Spongebob Square Pants theme. Price: $12.99
- Lego Stereo CD Boombox/Hotwheels Boombox: If you like music but you don’t want to have a typical boring black boombox, why not invest in the LEGO boombox. I have one, and I love it.Great gift for a pre teenager and it comes in multiple colors- red, yellow, blue, and red.How many people can say they have a LEGO boombox?? The HOtwheels Boombox is cool too—it kind of looks like a car , the on switch is a car and there is a place to store hot wheel cars.Various parts of the boombox light up, the way a racetrack might.Both boomboxes are ideal, but the Hotwheel boombox is geared towards boys.
- If you have a kid who is above the age of 8 and enjoys gross ,nasty type of toys/gadgets, why not buy “Pig Out Pete”, made by FOTORAMA USA. Pig Out Pete is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a plastic figuring called Pete.You put gunk in him, turn him on, and wait for Pete to throw up. Once he throws up, it’s up to you to match the food chunks in the green gunk.This is not your everyday average toy, but it definitely gets a gold star for being unique,gross, and different.
- EduScience has created a PINK telescope. I do not think it is pink for breats cancer, I think it is pink to attract girls to science..its a simple 50MM Land and Sky II telescope. If you have girls who are into astrology and they are above the age of 10, this is a nice colorful gift to give. How many people can say they have a pink telescope? Not many.
- Insect Lore-Bug Grabber, Big Bug Magnifier, and Live Bug Projector: If you have a kid between the ages of 8-15, and they like bugs, these toys are for you. The Bug grabber is a device you put over a bug, slide a lever, and catch the bug, The big magnifier allows you to magnify bugs. My favorite is the Live Bug Projector. You have a device that’s like a mini viewmaster. You catch the bug in a device, close the device, and turn the device on. Once on, the light illuminates the fluttering bug onto the wall/ceiling/tent wall,etc.
- Crayola:Crayola obviously has new people working for them.Over the past 2 years, Crayola has been creating phenomenal toys, I mean phenomenal. Very soon, Crayola will need to open their own store because their designs and gadgets will be too much for TOYS R US to handle. If you have kid below the age of 7, anything you buy from Crayola will be worthwhile. I like the new “dry erase” tools Crayola is creating because they can be used over and over again. I love the dry erase board ( $10.99) and the dry erase travel set 3D Board ($19.99).Great for traveling in a car or on a plane.
- Crayola: This toy is specifically for girls (age 8 and up). The Crayola Jewelry Boutique ($ 19.99) and the Pop Art PixiesWristlet are quite crafty toys for girls. Like I said, Crayola is doing more than just making crayons nowadays.The Crayola Jewelry Boutique allows girls to make their own jewelry from scratch: earring,necklaces,and pendants. Great toy for creative minds. Great toy even for adults!! The Pop Art Wristlet is quite crafty too—the kit comes with a gray wristlet and a variety of snap on designs that allow you to change the design of your wristlet purse. These Crayola kits are wonderful because you can use the kits more than once and get more than one product out of the kits.You can get several jewelry pieces out of the jewelry kit and you can create several design combinations with the Crayola Pop Art Wristlet- it comes with at least 20 design snappable patches.This too would be a great gift for a fashionable woman.
- Kids age 3 and below:the CAT Honk and Rumble Steering wheel—This is a steering wheel that makes noise.Thats it. It makes noises like a car, and lights up.The steering wheel is full of buttons that can be touched and light up and make loud noises.. It’s a toy that stimulates a child’s mind. Something fun they can play with in their car seat,stroller, or crib.Price: $4.99
- Girl, between ages 4-8: Minnie Mouse Bow-tique Twinkle Bows Minnie and Cuddly Bear: Thiis is a teddy bear with a Minnie teddy bear. The great thing about this is that the big bear (Minnie Mouse), her bow tie lights up in a fluorescent color. That’s really cool. Plus the fact that she talks and laughs, but the glowing bow tie on Minnies head is the most admirable feature on this toy.This is the kind of toy your child will sleep with at night.Price : $21.99
- Lets Rock Microphone (preschool and above, unisex): This is part of the Sesame Street collection. This microphone plays sound but it also allows your kids to amplify their voices.
- PlayDoh: Age: any kid who knows that they shouldn’t eat Playdoh—the people at HASBRO are working hard to expand their playdoh line.Two new Playdoh additions are : the PlayDoh Twirl N Top Pizza Shop and the Playdoh Movie (with popcorn, hot dogs, and French fries). PlayDoh—if you have two little kids at home below the age of 9, they will have fun playing with these playdoh sets.
- Girls ages 8-15 : Mattel’s Designable Hair Extensions and Doll,price: $39.99—somehow someway, Mattel has found a way to creat hair which can be printed on.Seriously.this kit comes with hair, which looks like the bow string you would find on a violin bow. Somehow, the hair is on paper and you print your design on the hair paper.Then you clip the hair into your hair with a clip. It follows the hair feather mania. It is quite fascinating how Mattel came up with this concept.No one else is selling this anywhere on the market. Once other people catch onto this, this thing will sell like hot cakes because people will be able to sue it to create logos for their companies, show support for their schools, etc. Any teenage girl who gets this for XMAs will be the talk of the town because she will be able to create hair designs that no one else has. This is a MUST if you have a fashionable teenage girl/a young woman in your life who think they are a “diva”.
- Boys ages 6-16: Hot wheels Video Racer : This is quite nifty. Basically, this is a mini hot wheel car that you can attach you your helmet if you are skateboarding, biking,doing something fun.And when you aredown recording your event, all you have to do is flip the car over to watch the video on the underside of the car.Mattel made a video Babrie and now the same company has made a video recording device for boys, but this one is wayyyy cooler.if the screen on the belly of the car is too small, you can download your video onto your computer, and even edit the video with cool sound effects, music, and transitions—the downloadable software looks very much like Final Cut Pro.Not only will your kids get to record their fun daily activities but they will also get to become video editing pros. Price : $59.99
These are my top picks for the 2011 XMAS SEASON
Boys and Girls, I have the list you have all been waiting for, my 2011 LIST of TOP TOYS of the year. Christmas is approaching quite fast and if you haven’t bought gifts for your kids yet,good, because you really shouldn’t be buying toys for your kids yet without first reviewing my list.
So without much further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my list of TOP TOYS for 2011:
- The Disney What Not Muppet Workshop Kit: This is a kit that allows your kids to make their own muppets, essentially. The kit has one body, hair, mustache, beard, eyelids, nose .It’s really cool, but because there is only one body included in the kit, only one kid can play with it at a time. If you only have one child, its GREAT! If you have two or more kids, you’ll have to buy 2 or more kits so that each kid can have a “body” to place over their hands. But I really think that kids could get lost in their imagination playing with their own handy dandy hand puppets. Great for boys and girls.Each kit will cost $59.99.
- Smurf plush dolls—These big blue Smurf dolls are still realy cute and cuddly and fun to drag around. They are like the new teddy bear of the season and they are unisex. Everyone needs their own blue Smurf. Price : $13.99
- Bath Time Bath sets: if you have a kid below the age of 4, I highly recommend these. These are basically paint sets , that even come with a paint tray that can be suctioned to the wall. While your kids are showering, they can pain on the walls.These paint sets come in the Barbie and Spongebob Square Pants theme. Price: $12.99
- Lego Stereo CD Boombox/Hotwheels Boombox: If you like music but you don’t want to have a typical boring black boombox, why not invest in the LEGO boombox. I have one, and I love it.Great gift for a pre teenager and it comes in multiple colors- red, yellow, blue, and red.How many people can say they have a LEGO boombox?? The HOtwheels Boombox is cool too—it kind of looks like a car , the on switch is a car and there is a place to store hot wheel cars.Various parts of the boombox light up, the way a racetrack might.Both boomboxes are ideal, but the Hotwheel boombox is geared towards boys.
- If you have a kid who is above the age of 8 and enjoys gross ,nasty type of toys/gadgets, why not buy “Pig Out Pete”, made by FOTORAMA USA. Pig Out Pete is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a plastic figuring called Pete.You put gunk in him, turn him on, and wait for Pete to throw up. Once he throws up, it’s up to you to match the food chunks in the green gunk.This is not your everyday average toy, but it definitely gets a gold star for being unique,gross, and different.
- EduScience has created a PINK telescope. I do not think it is pink for breats cancer, I think it is pink to attract girls to science..its a simple 50MM Land and Sky II telescope. If you have girls who are into astrology and they are above the age of 10, this is a nice colorful gift to give. How many people can say they have a pink telescope? Not many.
- Insect Lore-Bug Grabber, Big Bug Magnifier, and Live Bug Projector: If you have a kid between the ages of 8-15, and they like bugs, these toys are for you. The Bug grabber is a device you put over a bug, slide a lever, and catch the bug, The big magnifier allows you to magnify bugs. My favorite is the Live Bug Projector. You have a device that’s like a mini viewmaster. You catch the bug in a device, close the device, and turn the device on. Once on, the light illuminates the fluttering bug onto the wall/ceiling/tent wall,etc.
- Crayola:Crayola obviously has new people working for them.Over the past 2 years, Crayola has been creating phenomenal toys, I mean phenomenal. Very soon, Crayola will need to open their own store because their designs and gadgets will be too much for TOYS R US to handle. If you have kid below the age of 7, anything you buy from Crayola will be worthwhile. I like the new “dry erase” tools Crayola is creating because they can be used over and over again. I love the dry erase board ( $10.99) and the dry erase travel set 3D Board ($19.99).Great for traveling in a car or on a plane.
- Crayola: This toy is specifically for girls (age 8 and up). The Crayola Jewelry Boutique ($ 19.99) and the Pop Art PixiesWristlet are quite crafty toys for girls. Like I said, Crayola is doing more than just making crayons nowadays.The Crayola Jewelry Boutique allows girls to make their own jewelry from scratch: earring,necklaces,and pendants. Great toy for creative minds. Great toy even for adults!! The Pop Art Wristlet is quite crafty too—the kit comes with a gray wristlet and a variety of snap on designs that allow you to change the design of your wristlet purse. These Crayola kits are wonderful because you can use the kits more than once and get more than one product out of the kits.You can get several jewelry pieces out of the jewelry kit and you can create several design combinations with the Crayola Pop Art Wristlet- it comes with at least 20 design snappable patches.This too would be a great gift for a fashionable woman.
- Kids age 3 and below:the CAT Honk and Rumble Steering wheel—This is a steering wheel that makes noise.Thats it. It makes noises like a car, and lights up.The steering wheel is full of buttons that can be touched and light up and make loud noises.. It’s a toy that stimulates a child’s mind. Something fun they can play with in their car seat,stroller, or crib.Price: $4.99
- Girl, between ages 4-8: Minnie Mouse Bow-tique Twinkle Bows Minnie and Cuddly Bear: Thiis is a teddy bear with a Minnie teddy bear. The great thing about this is that the big bear (Minnie Mouse), her bow tie lights up in a fluorescent color. That’s really cool. Plus the fact that she talks and laughs, but the glowing bow tie on Minnies head is the most admirable feature on this toy.This is the kind of toy your child will sleep with at night.Price : $21.99
- Lets Rock Microphone (preschool and above, unisex): This is part of the Sesame Street collection. This microphone plays sound but it also allows your kids to amplify their voices.
- PlayDoh: Age: any kid who knows that they shouldn’t eat Playdoh—the people at HASBRO are working hard to expand their playdoh line.Two new Playdoh additions are : the PlayDoh Twirl N Top Pizza Shop and the Playdoh Movie (with popcorn, hot dogs, and French fries). PlayDoh—if you have two little kids at home below the age of 9, they will have fun playing with these playdoh sets.
- Girls ages 8-15 : Mattel’s Designable Hair Extensions and Doll,price: $39.99—somehow someway, Mattel has found a way to creat hair which can be printed on.Seriously.this kit comes with hair, which looks like the bow string you would find on a violin bow. Somehow, the hair is on paper and you print your design on the hair paper.Then you clip the hair into your hair with a clip. It follows the hair feather mania. It is quite fascinating how Mattel came up with this concept.No one else is selling this anywhere on the market. Once other people catch onto this, this thing will sell like hot cakes because people will be able to sue it to create logos for their companies, show support for their schools, etc. Any teenage girl who gets this for XMAs will be the talk of the town because she will be able to create hair designs that no one else has. This is a MUST if you have a fashionable teenage girl/a young woman in your life who think they are a “diva”.
- Boys ages 6-16: Hot wheels Video Racer : This is quite nifty. Basically, this is a mini hot wheel car that you can attach you your helmet if you are skateboarding, biking,doing something fun.And when you aredown recording your event, all you have to do is flip the car over to watch the video on the underside of the car.Mattel made a video Babrie and now the same company has made a video recording device for boys, but this one is wayyyy cooler.if the screen on the belly of the car is too small, you can download your video onto your computer, and even edit the video with cool sound effects, music, and transitions—the downloadable software looks very much like Final Cut Pro.Not only will your kids get to record their fun daily activities but they will also get to become video editing pros. Price : $59.99
These are my top picks for the 2011 XMAS SEASON
Sunday, August 28, 2011
LITTLE TIKES ,TOYS, AND ME
This weekend there was a scare on the East Coast due to Hurricane Irene. Everywhere you went, water was sold out--everything was sold out--radios and flashlights.But I knew that there was one place that would have everything I needed and that one place was TOYS R US. Gosh, I love that place!! Even if its hard yo find a cut out of Geoffrey!! I went there in the arly morning and luckily no one was really there saturday monrning.And yes they had water,flashlights, radios, you name it,I will share my purchases with you soon.BUt first let me share my finds with you:
LITTLE TIKES PLAY WITH MUD SERIES:
OMG!! What in the world are the LIttle Tikes people thinking??This was the CRAZIEST TOY idea i had ever seen and it was on the clearance shelf.Honestly, mad respect for the product designers-- it made me laugh and open my mouth in amazement.Im impressed.BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT really??? Dont you think the kids might eat the fake mud food by accident?Thats how this toy become a bit dangerous..But then I thought about it....PlaY-Doh has its toy sets where you use playdoh to make cakes and other types of food.. so Play Doh is guilty of this fake food phenomenom too, right? But the Little Tikes food looks SO REAL because they are not supplying the "doh"..Instead, the kids get their "doh" from the mud and make real life looking burgers, hot dogs, chocolate ice cream,, anything brown, that can be made from the food.
This toy line is ingenious, yes, id love to meet the designers who came up with this whole "PLAY WITH MUD" concept...its unique kind of.It just gets little tricky if little unior calls his friend over for a burger and the friend eats it because he thinks its real-- thats where it gets a bit dicey..But im impressed that Little Tikes knows that they need to venture out from toy trucks-- if they want to capture more of the toy world, they need to do more, and their PLAY WITH MUD line is a start:) A weird and wacky start that I dont think parents are buying into, but you have tio give it to little tikes for being creative--A+ for creativity:
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
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