For all of you readers of Los Angeles Magazine...

Check out the 10 Hometown Getaways feature in the March 2013 issue.  Because we're in it on page 130 in the 'Take the Kids' section!  There are some great ideas for where to go if you 're looking to stay in town for a vacation/break, and we're listed as one of them in Manhattan Beach.  We're not surprised to be considered as a great place to hit up before hitting the beach (we do stock a lot of great outdoor items at both our Manhattan Beach and Larchmont Village locations), but being recommended by a major publication as a great place for the family to visit is a huge and unexpected honor!  So thank you, Los Angeles Magazine, for mentioning us alongside the Aquarium of the Pacific as a great place to take the kids to be entertained!  And don't worry if you aren't old enough to drive, we have tons of other toys for people of all ages, including a fantastic line of kites that are perfect for a beautiful California day at the beach or park.  We've been so busy restocking our shelves that we haven't been able to update this blog as often as we'd like, but take that as a good thing, because it means we have a ridiculous amount of new goodies coming in everyday!  So if you're down by the beach, stop on in and see what we have to make your day even brighter.  We're right on Manhattan Avenue bordering the beach so you can't miss us :)

Maybe it's the Grammy Awards?

 But our selection of toy pianos has dwindled down significantly over the past week.  We literally sold one piano a day for three days in a row.  It was like Christmas all over again!  That being said, we are a bit low now, but we will be doing a Schoenhut Piano reorder soon at the NY Toy Fair.  What we do have left are the two Trophy 1st Note Pianos seen in this photo.  Available in black or white, they come with a bench and you can choose to leave the top of the piano closed, or open it up for a bit of theatricality.  We also have the Schoenhut Upright piano seen here still in stock.  This also comes with a bench and is a fantastic addition to any young child's play space.  All of the pianos we carry we stand behind 100% for their quality and long-term use.  We have even sold a few to some professional (adult) musicians.

We also recently got the Tickle Monster and Boogie Monster books and box sets back in stock.  We don't carry many books, but this is one exception as both are more than just books.  These stories are all about getting involved with the story in real life, whether it be through dance or tickling your listener.  It's the perfect gift for someone you may be struggling to shop for.  

 And last but not least, these are some little goodies that you may have missed your last visit in the shop.  It's a line of hair accessories called Allogio, and they are, in addition to being beautifully made and cute, great for toddlers who only want/need a little extra accessory for their hair.  We love the little sequined strawberry barrette shown here... it's the perfect last touch to your little girl's outfit.  All of these are on a hanging display by the register at our shop at 144 N. Larchmont. And don't forget, this is our big reorder season, so expect to see lots of new items trickling in over the next few months!

Who's ready to create?

Because we just got an enormous shipment of Faber-Castell/Creativity for Kids art kits and supplies in at 144 N. Larchmont and Manhattan Beach! 

Faber-Castell is known for putting out great art and activity kits that provide both quality supplies and interesting ways with which to use them (hello Gnome Garden!).  They also make great kits geared towards boys that boys actually get excited about.  We regularly hear from parents that trying to get their boys to participate in art projects isn't always terribly successful, but in the case of Faber-Castell/Creativity for Kids, the more boy-oriented kits are usually the first to sell out!  And their line of art supplies goes from your usual colored pencils and crayons to watercolor pencils, gel sticks, oil pastels, and eco-friendly pencils.  They also have a huge line of Shrinky Dinks, which doubtless many of remember fondly and have scoured the city trying to find.  We've got them! 

Part of our shipment from them also includes the ever-popular mini craft/art kits.  Priced at only $6.95, they're the perfect 'You got an A on your math test' reward or gift for a classroom friend.  The Bobble Duo is a big favorite here thanks to their resemblance to the much fawned over Calico Critters (one little girl described them as 'Calico Critters you can color in'), plus of course and jewelry-making kits.  We've already had to refill in a bunch of them, so stock up now!

And speaking of creativity (and shameless self-promotion), we are honored and extremely excited to be named the Best Store on Larchmont in the Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society Holiday Lights contest.  We didn't even know there was a contest!  But given how wonderful the shops on Larchmont look all year, especially during the holidays, we are thrilled that we were recognized.  So kids, celebrate your artistic and creative skills... you never know how handy they may be later on down the road :)