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Super Why! has arrived at Ty’s Toy Box

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

If you haven’t checked out Super Why! on PBS Kids, yet, you and your kids are in for a treat. Like all of my favorite heroes, our protagonist Whyatt (who can transform into hero Super Why!) likes to solve problems with… books! I can get behind that sort of philosophy, being an unrepentant bookworm, myself.

Here’s the opening sequence, to give you an idea of the show:

It’s a pretty catchy little show. I mean, it’s designed for ages 3-6, but my kids (well past that age bracket) have been known to watch it when they’re home sick. Just because the channel got stuck there, they assure me. (I am not fooled. It’s a cute show and they like it.)

So—needless to say—we’re pretty excited to welcome the Super Why! crew to Ty’s Toy Box, where they now have their very own Super Why Store. They’re a great addition to our already awesome family of licensed characters here. Welcome to Ty’s, Super Why – we look forward to seeing your new Super Why Toys.

Posted in Super Why!, Ty's Stuff | 8 Comments »

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! has arrived at Ty’s Toy Box

Monday, November 17th, 2008

If you’re not already watching Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! on Nick Jr., what are you waiting for? That’s a silly question, though—if you have little ones, you’re surely watching it already. Wubbzy has an energy level to match your preschooler’s, even when you’re slumped over that first cup of coffee and trying to regain your will to live. (Yes, my kids are older now, but I remember those days all too well, I assure you.)

Just watching the show’s intro makes me feel like a lazy slug:

Wubbzy, Widget and Walden are ready to subtly slip some great lessons about values like honesty into a packed half-hour of fun and hilarity, and that’s makes ‘em alright by me. You can check out the official site or their Nick Jr. site for more, and of course now you can find all your Wubbzy needs at the brank-spankin’-new Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Store right here at Ty’s Toy Box. (Personally, I recommend the Disco Dancin Wubbzy, not so much because he dances but because he has excellent hair. You’re welcome!)

Welcome to Ty’s, Wubbzy! I feel more wubbulous, already.

Posted in Ty's Stuff, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! | 1 Comment »

Bernard Bear has arrived at Ty’s Toy Box!

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

If you’ve not yet met Bernard Bear, you’re in for a treat. But only if you love 3-D animation. And only if you enjoy slapstick comedy. And really, if you don’t love those things, I’m not sure we can be friends.

Bernard is a series of 3-minute shorts currently airing on BBC-2 in the U.K., but—enterprising technophile that you are—you can learn more on the official Bernard site, or find most of the episodes ready for viewing on YouTube. Like this one:

It’s sort of like Madagascar and Wallace and Gromit had a baby, isn’t it? I loved Bernard immediately. (As did my kids. But keep in mind—Bernard generally ends up flat on the ground, injured by his own bumbling incompetence. I wouldn’t call it overly violent, but neither would I consider it suitable viewing for very little kids, either.)

Once your family is suitably hooked (let’s see… the episodes are about 3 minutes long… so it should take about… hmmm… 6 minutes or so…), join us in welcoming Bernard and his pals to Ty’s Toy Box, in the brand new Bernard Store! There’s plenty of different options for the Bernard-lovers in your family, whether you favor Bernard himself or one of the other characters.

Personally, I have a soft spot for Zack the lizard. He’s smarmy and obnoxious and that’s just what I like in a cartoon character. Heh.

Welcome to Ty’s Toy Box, Bernard!

Posted in Bernard Bear, Ty's Stuff | No Comments »

Yo Gabba Gabba has arrived at Ty’s Toy Box!

Monday, October 27th, 2008

My name is the Toy Box Mommy, and I like to DAAAAAAAAANCE!!!

Well, okay, I’m probably not nearly as cute as those kids you get to see rocking out to Yo Gabba Gabba’s music, on television, but I have to admit that they do set my toes to tappin’. Even if no one wants to watch me dance. (Especially my children. “Mooom! You’re so laaaaaaame!” they lament. And sadly, they are correct.)

Don’t worry—I’m not going to dance. I’m pretty sure it’s in my contract somewhere that I will refrain from “bustin’ a move” here on the blog. Or even referring to it as “bustin’ a move.” Um. Oops!

Anyway, my dance skills—or lack thereof—are not the issue, here. The issue is this: The Yo Gabba Gabba Store is now open at Ty’s Toy Box! It’s your one-stop destination for everything Yo Gabba Gabba, including Dancey Dance Brobee, which is just about guaranteed to be more fun and less annoying than whatever this year’s tickle-me-Elmo does. (Yes. I said it.)

And check it out: In addition to the great Yo Gabba Gabba fun for kids available on the dedicated Nick Jr. site and the Official Yo Gabba Gabba Site, I’ve just discovered the Gabba Friends fan site (check out the baby dressed as Muno!) and Yo Blogga Blogga!, the Yo Gabba Gabba production blog. So there’s plenty of places to go when you need a little more DJ Lance and pals in your day.

Erm, I mean, when you’re being an excellent parent and selflessly finding the stuff your kids like. Naturally.

Posted in Ty's Stuff, Yo Gabba Gabba | No Comments »

Halloween is almost here — got costumes?

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

It seems impossible to believe, but Halloween is just about a week away. If you’re like me, you’ve been assiduously preparing for the impending holiday by completely ignoring it and more or less pretending that it’s still September. (Why yes, I did win Mother of the Year, why do you ask?)

There’s a story I love to tell about the year my oldest was about eighteen months old, and I got it into my head that the only suitable costume for my Widdle Precious was one that I made myself. Nevermind that I don’t sew, am not even the slightest bit crafty, and have the attention span of a gnat. I was going to make her the perfect costume, darn it!

I found an “easy” costume in Family Fun magazine (and I do love Family Fun, so understand that this is about my stupidity and not about anything being wrong with their directions) which said it would take about an hour.

It took me three weeks.

The good news is that the costume turned out great—my daughter wore it for two years, and then my son wore it for two years, so I certainly got my money’s worth out of it. The bad news is that I’m pretty sure I invented at least a dozen new curse words while I discovered the joys of hand-sewing fake fur.

Learn from my mistakes; whether you’re still inventing your own new expletives during a costuming project gone awry, or whether you’ve only just realized you only have a week left, Ty’s is ready to come to the rescue! The Costume Shop has everything from Animal Planet to Wizard of Oz, and hundreds of options inbetween. They’re all gorgeous, ready to ship, and—perhaps most important of all—made by someone else.

Learn from my mistakes, people.

Posted in Kid Stuff, Ty's Stuff | No Comments »

A friendly Bakugan PSA

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

My son has had many fixations over the years; like most boys, he went through a Thomas the Tank Engine phase, then a Ben 10 phase, and finally a Pokemon phase. But now—like, as near as I can tell, every other boy his age—he is firmly entrenched in the Bakugan phase.

Do not ask me what Bakugan are (they’re plastic balls that turn into battle creatures, I think) or why they’re important (though my son would be only too happy to explain—at length), I just know that they’re a big deal. I also happen to know that they’re pretty hard to purchase ’round town. Our local big box stores have been completely sold out the last few times we’ve looked for them (much to my son’s chagrin).

So here’s my Public Service Announcement for other parents of mid-size boys: Bakugan is going to be incredibly hot this holiday season, at which point most of the toys will be neigh unto impossible to find. Be a hero; shop the new Bakugan Store here at Ty’s Toy Box now while the getting’s good. They even have the highly coveted Bakurack Collector’s Case in stock, which my son has informed me is pretty much all he needs to be happy.

I’m just sayin’: In-stock Bakugan. Consider yourself notified.

Posted in Bakugan, Ty's Stuff | 2 Comments »

Winners of the Teddy Ruxpin contest!

Monday, October 6th, 2008

Well, you had a week to take your shot at winning Teddy Ruxpin from the generous folks here at Ty’s, and this weekend we randomly selected two winners from amongst the 144 entries received.

(Winner selection is determined through a complicated set of algorithms, higher math, ancient incantations, and channeling of supernatural forces. Or maybe we just use a random number generator! Hard to know, really.)

Anyway.

As promised, two lucky readers will be receiving a Teddy Ruxpin plus The Airship story cartridge, each prize a $59.99 value. If you’re not one of the winners, don’t worry—you can still find all things Teddy Ruxpin at the Ty’s Teddy Ruxpin Store.

And the winners are… (drumroll, please!)

… Shelly (commenter 29) and Karen (commenter 110)!

Congratulations, ladies! Please check your email; I’ll need you to get me your mailing information so that we can get your prizes out to you.

Big thanks to everyone who played.

Posted in Teddy Ruxpin, Ty's Stuff | No Comments »

Win Teddy Ruxpin from Ty’s!

Monday, September 29th, 2008

Picture it, if you will: The year is 1985. A young teenager is slowly amassing her mall money via babysitting, and some of her clients are on the well-off side. And so within days of seeing a commercial for a teddy bear that actually talks, she arrives one night to sit for one of her regular charges and discovers none other than Teddy Ruxpin there—book at the ready—and she and her charge passed the evening utterly fascinated with the talking bear. It’s even possible that the babysitter continued playing after the kid went to bed, but you can’t prove that or anything. Ahem.

The thing is, back then, this was a technological marvel. And it was the first of its kind, too. We were all amazed by it. And if you check out Teddy’s Wikipedia page you’ll see that he’s had a long and varied life since his debut in 1985. But yes, he’s back, and just as popular as ever. He’s even got his own official site and everything, and even though there’s plenty of talking toys, nowadays, there’s still something special about a snuggly bear who can tell your kid a story, no? It’s not just a creative thinking adventure, it’s a pal who takes their hands and journeys along with them as they go.

To celebrate Teddy Ruxpin’s arrival at Ty’s Toy Box, we’re giving him away! More specifically, we’re giving two lucky Ty’s Toy Box Blog readers a Teddy Ruxpin plus The Airship story cartridge. Wouldn’t ~~you~~ your kids love that? Of course ~~you~~ they would!

To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, October 4th, 2008. Two winners will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, October 6th, 2008. Only one entry per person, please, and make sure you leave a valid email address so that we can contact you if you win. As for what to leave in your comment… well, do you have any memories from Teddy’s debut back in the 80s? Don’t leave me here feeling all old and alone… share! (And good luck!)

Posted in Kid Stuff, Teddy Ruxpin, Ty's Stuff | 148 Comments »

Wii-mania at Ty’s Toy Box

Thursday, September 4th, 2008

To hear my children tell it, we are living in the only household in America that still (insert loud child sighing, right here) doesn’t own a Nintendo Wii. I am a monster, I tell you.

Unfortunately, as an employee of Ty’s, I’m thinking that I’m probably not eligible to enter this awesome drawing for a complete Wii system that they’re holding. Darn it. But probably you could enter, and then, if you win? Please invite my family over. Because we are deprived, y’all.

The contest will be taking entries through October 15th, 2008, so you have plenty of time to enter. Then again, why wait?

If you’re a hipper and nicer mom than I am, you probably already have a Nintendo Wii. And if you do, did you know that Ty’s carries plenty of popular Wii games? If we actually owned a Wii, my son would be demanding the Code Lyoko game and (of course!) Pokemon Battle Revolution. And my daughter would want Hannah Montana’s Spotlight World Tour, of course.

Me, I’m sort of eying the High School Musical Sing It! game. Stop looking at me like that—it’s purely for the opportunity to embarrass my children, of course. The fact that the music is incredibly catchy isn’t part of the equation at all. Probably.

Anyway, there you go. Whether you’re looking to shop or win, Ty’s has you covered.

Posted in Avatar, Code Lyoko, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Lego, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pokemon, Spongebob Squarepants, Ty's Stuff, Wii | 2 Comments »

Sushi Pack has arrived at Ty’s Toy Box!

Monday, August 11th, 2008

Have you met the Sushi Pack yet? Their Wikipedia page describes them this way:

It features a team of wasabi, salmon egg sushi, crab sushi, tuna sushi, and octopus sushi as they use their wits and their emotions to save the world and educate young children. The Sushi Pack team lives in a Japanese restaurant with humans. Despite the superhero element of the story, violence is used only as a last resort.

Oh, thank goodness. I’m glad violence is only a last resort, seeing as how watching some of my favorite foods being unnecessarily aggressive might be disturbing.

(What?)

I was unfamiliar with the show, so I looked ‘em up on YouTube. Of course. Check it out:

(Did… that guy make another Wasabi dude by pinching a little bit off the other Wasabi dude’s head? He did? Okay, just checking.)

There’s even a Sushi Pack movie hitting select theaters this month, for those of you itching to see animated sushi on the big screen.

And of course we’re delighted to announce that you can now shop at the Sushi Pack Store right here at Ty’s Toy Box. Because those little sushi guys are too cute not to have ‘em right there on a t-shirt.

Welcome to Ty’s Toy Box, Sushi Pack! We promise never to stick chopsticks into your heads. Probably.

Posted in Sushi Pack, Ty's Stuff | 4 Comments »