Brooklyn Tornado

Well, it seems that the rain has scared the customers off for a little while. Looking out the window and seeing the dark sky only reminds me of one thing: the Brooklyn tornado last year. I wasn't living here at the time, though I remember hearing about it and being shocked. Tornados in North Carolina, where I was living, was quite the norm. But in in a city? Especially New York City? Unheard of! (To me, at least).



Let's hope this doesn't happen again today! ..Or ever again, as tornados are my worst fear!

Bye- Bye Baby :(

July 1st will be a sad day in Area Kids history because the Baby store located at 252 Smith Street will be closing its doors. This was the first Area Kids clothing stores and paved the way for many more. i hold a special place in my heart for that store as it was the first store i worked at when i joined the area kids team. I feel I speak for everyone here at Area Kids as well as its faithful patrons when i say the store will be missed.

Here's something to cheer you up :)

The. Best. Thai Food. Ever.

Hello my Area peoples. Do you enjoy Thai food? Of course you do, you're cool people. Well then, let's talk for a minute about the best Thai food place ever, I kid you not. Song, located at 295 5th ave in Park Slope (conveniently right up the avenue from our 5th ave store) has some of the best Pad See Yu I've ever tasted. If you don't know what that is, it's basically noodles and egg and vegetables and happiness. All of the Area Girls who've worked at the 5th ave store have tried Song at one point or another - yes, they deliver - and I believe the universal comment was "OMG, best Thai food EVER."

What I've recently discovered is that Song is the sister-store of another neighborhood-wide-famous Thai food place Joya Kitchen, located at 215 Court st. If you have a fever and the only cure is more Pad Thai, look no further than these two restaurants. And after you've eaten your fill and are in a happy-Thai-food-coma you should swing by one of the nearest Area stores - I guarantee there will be one within walking distance.

Russian Cars are Back!!

We had been having many requests for the toy russian cars we carried a few months ago, but because of the demand we had been out of stock on them for a while. Well guess what, they are back! The beloved russian toy cars we couldn't keep on the shelves are now restocked! We have the police van, the taxi, ambulance, large toy truck, and fire car. They make great gifts for children and people of all ages, and are wonderful for collectors. Get them while they last!

Horoscope: If your Birthday is Today... Happy Birthday From AREA KIDS!
You are likely to take things far too personally today; perhaps you’ll be looking for deeper explanations where there will be none. On top of that you may feel swamped with chores or tasks. Reserving a little time and space for yourself this evening will be your best option! You may just need a relaxing trip to Area Kids to check out the awesome toys, great clothes, kid's shoes, baby toys and our line of Bugaboo products. We can't wait to see you!

Keep the Music Alive

With school boards cutting more and more music programs in public and private schools it has become the responsibility of the parent to make sure their children are active in music which has been proven to help children perform better in school. At Area Kids we have an array of musical instruments from penny whistles, maracas and harmonicas to children's guitars and ukulele. We carry products from companies. Woodstock, one brand we carry, make magnificent instruments such as pianos, guitars, ukulele, and a variety of other instruments for young children. Another company PlanToys make adorable wooden shakers, castanets and tambourines painted as bumble bees, frogs and dragon flys. The creative, inovative and fun toys provide hours of educational entertainment to our children, how could we say no?

Area Word of the Day - Use it 3 times today ...

The Word of the Day for June 29, 2008 is:

jog trot • \JOG-TROT\ • noun

1 : a horse's slow measured trot

*2 : a routine habit or course of action

Example Sentence:

The weekly Friday-night dances provided the townsfolk with a few hours of respite from the jog trot of life.

Did you know?

The jog trot is a kind of careful, deliberate trot that is sometimes required at horse shows, among other things. "Jog" is thought to have come from an alteration of "shog," a verb meaning "to shake" or "to jolt" and used primarily in dialect. "Trot" has been part of English since the 14th century. The phrase "jog trot," which first appeared in print in 1796, developed a figurative sense as well; it can refer to a steady and usually monotonous routine, similar to the slow, regular pace of a horse at a jog trot. There is a suggestion with the generalized sense that the action is uniform and unhurried, and perhaps even a little dull.

BlaBla finger puppets make me smile!

I love these little guys! These are a good option to hold you over until you buy a large BlaBla doll. Each one is unique with crazy colors and a smiling face. Just look at that pink monkey! How about the green dog? With names such as Buzz, Leopold and Sandwich, you can't help but want to own them all!

100% cotton and hand-knitted in Peru. They are well-worth $5.50 a pop! Own them alllll today!



Hey.. where's the sheep!?

Super Duper Water Gun!!

Gooood Morning my fellow Area Kids homies and everyone else in between :) Soooo I got in a little earlier than 10 Am today and I was kind of bored. Soooo I took a look around the store and a toy caught my eye, it was the Hydrotech Super Surge Water Gun!! SO let me tell you, for the folks who don't already know. This water gun has a special feature that is NON STOP air pressure system!!! It is made from the company who also makes some awesome novelty toys which we carry.

What kids wouldn't like a water gun that has a non-stop air pressure system? I mean when I was a kid during the summer I looooved having fun with water. I would have water balloon fights with the fellow neighborhood kids and we also had water guns! I remember having a yellow water gun and after each shot of water I would have to start pumping the damn thing just to have enough pressure built up for the next shot of water! Do you know how soaked I was by the time I finished pumping?? I was attacked from all angles by my friends by then. Oh how I wished someone would invent something like the Toysmith Hydrotech Super Surge...and now that they have I am a bit too old for water gun fights, but all the young'ns out there aren't! SO definitely check this item ouuut :)

The Early Bird

Here I am again, Area Kiddies, checking in early this Sunday morning from our 5th ave location. Did you all know that the Area on 5th ave and Bergen street was open 9-8, every day?? Well, now you do, so if you're ever up at some unseemly hour (like 9:30 am, maybe) and you get a hankering for, let's say, a Fleurville backpack... well, we'll be there for you.

I actually prefer the early shift most days. Park Slope feels like a completely different neighborhood before 11 AM - a quiet, sleepy little metropolis, where the sidewalks aren't too crowded and the teenagers are all still asleep. Maybe I'm just pre-maturely turning into a grumpy old cat lady. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go trip people with my cane.