The perfect Birthday Party gift is here!

Springtime always brings a slew of birthday party invitations to our doorstep. Maybe it’s the slightly improved weather, or the hope there of, or all the new blossoms, but for some reason, this is the season of celebration around our neck of the woods. And, we’ve got the perfect, gender neutral, pleasing toddlers to school age kiddos birthday gift for you!

The Party Cake by Voila Toys is a wooden birthday cake, sliced into 8 pieces, with all you need to serve up & play – wooden knife, cake server , candles, and a decorative wooden label with “Happy Birthday.” Perfect!

Now, there other wooden play foods out there. What makes this one so great? First, Voila makes their wooden play food out of SOLID wood, and not MDF. I don’t want to freak you out…but you should know that the big wooden play food company popular here in the US does use MDF for their wooden toys, and MDF commonly contains formaldahyde. Voila’s wooden play food is made of 100% rubberwood, a sustainable wood, no chemicals added.

Also, Voila stains their wood. What’s that mean? Well, it means that the color is rubbed into the wood, and not painted on. Thus, this cake can be served up over and over again without worry that the paint will chip off or be ingested.

Lastly, Voila’s Party Cake is versatile. You have the basic needs – knife, server – but also a few added extras to extend the learning while you play. There are 8 candles in 4 different colors, matching to the colors in the holes on the cake. The decorative wooden label with “Happy Birthday” on one side, also says “Merry Christmas” on the other side. And, the doily under the cake is printed with basic fractions to help children with basic math as they play.

See? We think The Party Cake by Voila is the perfect birthday gift there is, and will surely be giving a few of these away this season.

The Party Cake by Voila, $26

Wow, what happened?

I get that it is the short month, but really…what happened to February? Yikes! Time to get caught up.

First, a very Happy Birthday to Zoe, one of the namesake of this grand toy company of ours, and mom too, of course. And now that you are 8, and Pam (oh I better keep that to myself, he he), it’s time to see what fabulous new toys we offer to the elementary-aged child.

Magnetic Letters Set, from Voila. $32.

Time to study for your next spelling test with this cool Magnetic Letters Set. All constructed of wood, this set includes 100 letters, ensuring you’ll be able to spell and create the most lengthy of words, even supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, if that ever comes up in your spelling needs.

Sparrow Bag Sewing Kit, by Sparrowkids. $18.

Start a love of sewing now with our Sparrow Bag Sewing Kit. Comes with pre-punched holes to minimize frustration and wool thread for the basic bag. Increase the challenge with felt decorations and embroidery thread for more advanced sewing work. Set is complete with children’s plastic safety needle, suede chord for your shoulder strap, and instructions.

Folding Mancala Game, by Maple Landmark. $25.

Tone up your counting & strategy skills with our Folding Mancala Game. This board is the perfect traveling or easy storing version of this popular African stone game. Instructions includes several game versions, easy & more complicated for the shrewd Mancala master.

We’ve got a good start for our eight-year-old crew, but as these kids of ours continue to grow, our need to expand our collection of high quality, unique toys is growing. Better get back to work!

Whew, Just in Time!

With just days to go, we’ve just gotten in a new shipment of some our favorite gifts. Way to wait to the last minute there, yikes!

Wonderball by Channel Craft. Made in the US – $8.
One of our favorite stocking stuffers has got to be the Wonderball. Yes, it is just a ball of yarn, but the game is endless! Unwind your Wonderball to find little charms, beads, and trinkets spread throughout. Once you’ve got to the end, use the enclosed handbook for instructions on string games, knitting, and more. This little ball of yarn is sure to give hours of entertainment.
Little Racer by Rubbabu, Made in India – $7.

The Rubbabu Little Race Cars are extremely soft, fuzzy and loved by children of all ages. Made entirely of 100% biodegradable, all-natural rubber. They are soft and squishy to the touch, yet sturdy enough to handle years of abuse. Perfect for the toddler who loves to throw. It bounces!

And lastly, Wooden Pastries Set by Viola, Made in Thailand – $20.

We have found that kids of all ages LOVE play food, and this Pastries Set is sure to please. Two tiers of tasty pastries includes the serving tray and 1 Dozen treats including donuts, jelly rolls, cookies, cakes, cupcakes. I do believe that Nico’s little sister Lily will be getting a set herself this year.

All three have been loved toys to our children, and we know would bring smiles to yours on the big day. Just be sure to get that order in by Tuesday a.m., Pacific Time, so it will arrive on time.

All 3 are also available in the Showroom – Monday, 2 to 4 p.m. & Wednesday 10 a.m. to noon or by appointment this week.

Lookin’ Good!

Yes we are! After much looking, we have found a new location for our showroom. It’s the CSA Building, on the corner of Jadwin & Knight, in Richland. And, if you haven’t heard or seen this place, let me tell you, fabulous for small businesses like us. Reasonable rent, all local folk, owners on site everyday. Love it & the support of small local biz!

We are on the Knight St. side of the building. Walk on around the corner & look for this:

That’s us! Our new showroom has every toy you find on line, organized by age & general interests – baby shower, vehicles, arts & crafts, toddler toys – and of course, these are the toys you cannot find in just any store. You have to come to us!

Our first visitors on Friday, the 2-year-old crowd, were big fans for the little animals by Voila – pig, sheep, dog or cat, $4 each.

And, our Pull Duck by Plan Toys, $31. When you push, his feet squeak. Very cute! Nico even named him Squeaky, and he and his little sister Lily run races around the store with him quite often.