My future son!

Maybe he will look like a mini Morrissey!!

Bring your kids to Area Stores

Child in Area.

Child not at Area.

Darn Rain...

I have to say...I really really dislike rain. It's raining, well no it is Pouring right now!! The streets are empty except for the few people running for shelter. Is it just me or has it been extremely rainy and windy this past year??...this sucks!

Daily Dose of Area Clothes

Here are a few of my favorite AREA clothes. Hiho Batik Steals my heart with their tie dye inspired t shirts. In case you didn't know, Batik is an ancient art form using wax and dyes to create an image. A few other things make Hiho Batik a unique item; they also, like Petit Bateau, make adults clothing, and bags. You can even make a customized print, or if you want to get more creative, you can have a Hiho Batik Party!

JUNK FOOD is another one of my favorites. Junk Food also comes in larger sizes for all you adults, and AREA girls who have always wanted a bands shirt, but didn't want to shell out fifty dollars at a concert. Now children can wear matching band shirts with their parents!!! Junk Food also has the Little Miss and Mister shirts, from the book series we all know and love. Here is a peek at our vast array of Junk Food shirts:


Last but not least is Kids Ink, a fairly new brand in the AREA kids family. These sparkly vector graphic inspired company gives has a special flare. Their shirts take you to a surreal world where hippos fly, and Pandas have their own country.



I couldn't find the romper with the flying hippo on it, but believe me it does exist!!

Hope you enjoyed the daily dose of Area clothes!!!

Peace out, and goodnight!

Petit Bateau dates back to 1893!

Area Kids carries quite a few brands that are based right here in Brooklyn. While I love to support anything local, I must say that my heart belongs to most of the foreign brands we carry. There is something about the structure and design of Imps & Elves, Haba, Smafolk, etc. where you can tell it's not from around here. Maybe my liking for this stuff has something to do with my great-great European ancestry. Anyhow, I am here to talk about PETIT BATEAU! I think the designs are clever and adorable. I love the body onesies and the cullotes. They instantly make any baby look cuter!

I mentioned how cute Petit Bateau stuff was to a friend the other day. She told me about a Petit Bateau bathing suit she bought for herself. Petit Bateau for adults!? You learn every day!



That baby is proof that Petit Bateau not only makes a baby instantly cuter, but super-fashionable too! Have a good weekend!

Going swimming at the Double D!

Saomi does not seem sick anymore! So off to my favorite pool, a little gem called the Double D. It is on Nevins between Douglass & Degraw. It is super cool.

T's by Pluto :)

How cute are these tee shirts by pluto? I mean come on if they came in my size I would totally buy and wear one while walking next to my little brother! hehe

These are selling like hot cakes !! It's to the point, I am your little sister or big sister ect. you get the point. It makes the perfect gift.

Rockabye Baby!

Do you ever catch yourself singing along to Rockabye Baby in the store? It kind of feels like you're doing karaoke (when no one is around, of course!) Okay, maybe I am the only one. There are so many awesome lullaby renditions of legendary bands made by Rockabye Baby. Not only is it known for helping babies lay their head down but also for parents to rock out to and reminisce on. Blogspot wouldn't allow me to put the poll I made up, so I was curious to know: which is YOUR favorite Rockabye Baby? Maybe it's The Cure, Radiohead or No Doubt? I know that those are the top 3 most popular in the Court St. Store! Reply to this and let's see which one gets the top vote from the Area employees!

From the ones I've heard, my favorite is a toss up between these two:

SY on the 4th

Who's going to Sonic Youth w/ The Feelies @ Battery Park on the 4th? We can meet up and split an AREA Watermelon.

We're Bringing Smurfy Back

Just "three apples tall" the smurfs are the adorable blue creatures almost all of us grew up with.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of these cute little characters. Just look at how hip and cute they are at age 50!!!


So, let's not forget to bring the Smurfy back into everyone's life!! Maybe we'll even inspire someone to buy all the smurf merchandise in our stores or to get a smurf tattoo!! Here is a pic I would like to think we inspired :0)

The Secret Lives of Area Girls

Hello Area Staff and fans. Many of you might be wondering at this point, who are these mystical Area Employees? Yes, I've read their mini-bios in "An Area Girl's Guide to Area Girls (and Jeff)" but I want to know more. What goes on in those lovely heads of theirs? And what do they do when they're not selling me fantastic kids' clothing and toys??? Well, I'm here to give you the inside scoop with The Secret Lives of Area Girls.

I have it on good authority that a certain Xootr-riding Managistra was spotted last weekend cavorting with a well-known A-list actor. On his yacht. I'm not one to name names, so let's just say that it rhymes with Collin Farrel.

Another Area tough cookie spends her evenings dressed up in a (very flattering) spandex outfit fighting local crime. True story.

I for one have been spending my weekends in a much less glamorous fashion, apartment hunting in Brooklyn. Have no fear, though: I'll pry my ink-stained nose away from the newspaper long enough to keep bringing you juicy behind-the-scenes peeks in another Secret Lives of Area Girls soon.

Sophie La Girafe!!

Soo about Sophie La Girafe.. People absolutely LOVE it. Once a baby starts to teethe, they chew on Sophie like there is no tomorrow and it makes the chewing session fun because Sophie squeaks! Sophie is made from 100% natural rubber and the colors are colored with food paint. Every part of Sophie is fun to chew on, from her long legs to her long neck! Being that Sophie is soft to the touch, it is soothing for the baby because it feels like baby's mommy :)Each time I recommend this as a gift for a customer shopping for a child 12 months and under, they purchase it and then they always recommend it to the next person. I really do think Sophie is our number 1 selling item here at 7th avenue Area Kids.

Great Pixar Short Films for Kids

These two short films made by Pixar I think are some of the greatest videos for kids to enjoy.

AREA Kids has time for music!

No outdated cleaning equipment at AREA Kids....maybe some mops needing head replacement! Lots of time for music!

Saomi's fun time movie!

Saomi has a bit of a fever today....so these movies are helping with the delirium!

Add some Zest-a to your Fiesta

For those of who don't know we now sell fun and unusual hand-made Pinatas to brighten and intensify your party experience! Each is made of durable paper mache and painted in an array of bright colors. No two are the same! Don't hesitate to call for more information, or come in and see them for yourself!

We will miss you George!
It has been a sad few days here at Area Kids. Tuesday beloved comedian George Carlin died of heart failure. He will be missed.

When you're leeeaving on a jet plane.

So last night I happened to overhear a conversation about kids on airplanes. I was shocked when a friend of mine casually mentioned that his parents used to give him and his brother very small doses of prescription painkillers to knock them out for the duration of the flight. Now, having been seated next to a few screaming kids while attempting to choke down a shrink wrapped hamburger and watch Everybody Loves Raymond I can understand the desire for tantrum-free travel, but Vicodin seems a bit excessive.
Might I suggest a compromise: Mudpuppy Magnetic Figures and Sticker Set Play Scenes. Similar to the paper dolls and sticker books of yore, these sets come in their own storage--a plus for traveling-- are reusable, brilliantly-illustrated, and encourage imaginative play, something Everybody Loves Raymond just might not. The Play Scenes are lightweight, with a handle for maximum portability and even come in an At the Airport version.


Moral of the story: It's this or drugs. Kidding of course, but these are pretty cool.

Mini-Sized and Other Tins

The Schylling Lilliput Robot (mentioned below by Missy) also comes in a smaller size, and this dude is GREEN (perhaps a precursor to the environmentally friendly Toyota PRIUS??) In addition to the small and large Lilliput Robots, Schylling puts out a wide line of vintage styled tin toys, which I love. The "DUCK ON BIKE" is particularly endearing. Check it!!!!!

One of the great things about Area Stores is how they carry such a large selection of Schleich products. They have a large selection of animals, people, cars, fairy tale creatures, knights, smurfs, etc. They are something that everyone of all ages can enjoy, which is great. I have given them as gifts to girls I have babysat and to my mom who likes to put the animals on her windowsill.

Blabla's master plan to make me completely undateable.

Okay. For my first AREA Kids blog post, I have a pressing and serious question to ask:
is it odd and/or creepy for a grown woman to sleep with a stuffed animal? How about a hundred? Because these Blabla dolls are so soft that at least once a day at AREA I seriously consider buying large numbers of Blablas. And by large numbers, I mean enough to fill a room, so I could swim around in them for hours like Scrooge McDuck in his money. I think I may have just answered my own question. Curse you Blabla, your adorable and cuddly merchandise has turned me into a complete oddball.
I mean, come on.

Great gift For all ages!

So I have recently fallen in love with the Schylling Robot!  I think that this is one of the coolest things that we have in the store.  I love that it is not in any way electronically driven like everything now seems to be!  I've had people buy this as a gift for all the ages.  Most recently a customer came in looking for a cool toy for her dad for fathers day and was so excited when I showed it to her!  I thought that it was so cool that this is something that not only kids could get excited about but adults too! If you are looking for a unique toy for any age, I'd go for this one!