My Toy Garden Makes Grown Woman Cry

"Have You Ever Had a Grown Woman Cry in your Store?" she asked.

Ellie continued, "I am freaking out in your store!" She had come by My Toy Garden one day last week to talk to me about her line of reusable ties, EvREwares, that I am bringing into the store. While waiting for me to be available, she wandered the store and found much more than she imagined. She exclaimed, "Have you ever had a grown woman cry in your store?" She went on to explain that her son was on the autism spectrum and how she had looked and looked for tools for him to use with little luck. The store she said was packed with things for special needs families AND at affordable prices.

It was definitely one of my most proud moments so far in the store! You see, I was a classroom teacher for 17 years working with children of all ages. Working with special needs families has been a passion of mine for a very long time. As I poured over catalogs over the summer shopping for just the right things, I looked for items that, on the surface, would just look like fun but to the eyes of a parent or teacher of special needs children, they'd see so much more. If these families can find items, they usually are very expensive. I knew I could help! Ellie saw this hidden layer....completely and fell in love with My Toy Garden! You will too!

She later posted this on our Facebook Fan page. " My son and I played with Zeebeez all night! This is THE best thing ever!!! It is perfect for the hidden purpose of strengthening his muscles. His hands are so sore today! Thanks for showing me this. It's AMAZING.

The Zeebeez have been a huge hit. Not only fun but great for building hand strength giving fine motor skills a huge boost! Know who loves it even more than the kids do? Grandparents! Arthritis begins to set in and Zeebeez is just the thing to help keep those hand muscles moving! You'll find Zeebeez in our Active Play Pathway of Wonder. One of seven areas at My Toy Garden to explore, be inspired by and make a difference for your family!

Playfully,

Toylady Janet Pillsbury

My Toy Garden Breaks Up Families

From our first newsletter that came out last week.....for the full scoop, be sure to be added to our customer database and become a Facebook fan!

Does your family look like everyone elses?

"Let's break up the families!" I told my staff member Eileen. "I want you to take these doll house sets of familes we have and set them free." I had been looking at our shelf of dollhouse familes and thinking whose family really looks like these? Are all families all of the same color? Do they all have a mom, dad, boy and girl? I know I have many friends with all sorts of families and I suspect you do to. I want My Toy Garden to represent and welcome families of all types so we broke up the families. We opened up the boxes and introduced them to each other. On your next visit, please look for the teacup of families and enjoy choosing a family that looks just like yours whatever that may be!

Pretend play is so important for both boys and girls! Playing with people figurines allows them to mimic what they see and hear fostering problem solving and healthy expression of emotions. If your child is struggling with something, break out the figurines or stuffed animals and through play invite conversations to happen that might not happen otherwise. My counselor friends will tell you this is one of their best tools!

How culturally diverse are your child's toys? To broaden their understanding of the world, introduce them to various cultures through books and otther toys like our teapot family members. You'll find figurines and stuffed animals in our Creative Expression Pathway of Wonder. One of seven areas at My Toy Garden to explore, be inspired by and make a difference for your family!

Playfully,

Toylady Janet Pillsbury

Fun with new Friends!

What a fun, crazy whirlwind the last few weeks have been! We just celebrated being open for 2 weeks and have met so many nice new friends already. It's fun to see people enjoying the space that I envisioned for so long. The store is filled with laughter, small children vrooming cars, and oldies music to enjoy. It's been all I dreamed of an more! People comment on the wide variety of items they've never seen before and how affordable the price points on. Moms have been in buying Nanoblocks and Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty to mail to college students. Preschoolers have been in to enjoy or literacy area.

Several customers have already started their holiday shopping with a few that are already done. Have you started to think about your list? Christmas is 12 weeks away! Yikes! No worries though...this year, you have My Toy Garden to help!

Please visit the new website as well! It will become more and more populated in the next week or two. Many of our items will be viewable on the website. If you are too far away to come visit in person, be sure to call and we'll make arrangements to ship items to you.

Heads up for you insiders...I'm working on a Shopping Spree for Educators program. I was a classroom teacher for 17 years and, goodness knows, how many thousands I spent out of my own pocket on things for my students. I want to help educators in Carmel enjoy great new tools for their classrooms. Stay tuned for more details!

Also mark your calendar for Thurs. Oct. 6 at 10:30 for our very first storytime! It'll be an extra special event called Read for the Record where we will be joining many other across the country to set a record for the most people enjoying the same book on the same day. The book this year is the very exciting new addition to the Llama Llama books...Llama Llama Red Pajama! PJs welcome!

Last, you will definitely want to join us for Neighborhood Toy Store Day on Sat. Nov. 12 from 10-4 pm! We'll be featuring a Spot It contest with prized for 3 different age groups, in store craft activities and other great fun! Save the date and we'll see you in the garden!

12 days to go!

The calendar turns to September on Thursday and then the countdown really speeds up! We are on track for a very fun grand opening on Sat. Sept. 10 from 10-4 pm. Lots of people have been stopping by to say hello and press their noses against the windows. As the toys come out of boxes and the space fills with more and more color, I'm sure that will happen even more. Our first two part time employees, Eileen and Jordan, started today and I know they are going to be a great fit! Welcome! They will be on hand to help with the Grand Opening which will include face painting and a balloon maker that is amazing! Be sure to save the date! Or, even more fun, come volunteer that day! We could use help with managing the arts and crafts area, wrapping gifts and more. Come be part of history!

Another fun thing you can do to join the fun is take an hour and pull out your arts and crafts odds and ends and see what fun flowers you can come up with. I'm starting to collect flowers that will be displayed in the front windows of the store and in vases in the main entry way. Donation of vases are gladly accepted too. :-) Here's a few ideas to get your started!

The main thing right now is boxes, boxes, boxes and more boxes full of lots of fun things. So far, I've opened beautiful costumes, gorgeous wooden puzzles, root beer chap stick and clay so soft you won't be able to put it down! I so want to open them all but am making sure all the accounting pieces are in place in Quickbooks...so proud of all I've learned with that! Also getting my POS system up and running and ready to print all the price tags. That should be done by Tuesday and then it's print, print, print, unbox and fill the shelves! I pinch myself every day that we are so lucky to have this opportunity and so blessed to have the love and support of so many! A big thank you to the Martin family for finding and getting ready the bench and wheelbarrow. They are perfect!! See you at My Toy Garden!

Halfway through August

We are halfway through August and things are looking good! I've picked out the signature wrapping paper, have just a small handful of orders left to place...sooo excited about that! Contractors will be out of there by this weekend and then I can start unpacking the boxes and boxes of toys that have started arriving at My Toy Garden. The first 2 staff members have been hired! Welcome Jordan and Eileen! So much done and so much to do! My biggest challenges next are learning Quickbooks and my POS system. With ordering being done...or very close to it, now I can focus on those areas. Wahoo!!!

We are set for our Grand Opening for Sat. Sept. 10 from 10-4. Volunteers are needed that day and the weeks before to get ready. Are you going to be one of the lucky ones to be part of history? You know you want to! I plan to start working full time out of the store next Tuesday and would love to have you pop by and help us get ready!

Final 2 pics of mural....

The My Toy Garden mural is complete!

A big thank you to my friend Marta for coming down for 2 days and helping with the My Toy Garden mural! Check out the pics and makes plans to come see it in person Sat., Sept. 10 from 10-4 during our Grand Opening. There will be facepainting, balloon creations, a Spot It contest and more!