Fun Bags!

Really cute....!

gift wrapping

The "Do you guys gift wrap?" is the #1 question I hear at Area. Yes, we do ..but..well..I'm not very good at it, prepare yourself. The customer then proceeds to watch me struggle over their purchase, with sad little encouraging smiles. So here are some tips for those of us less fortunate :

Give yourself a lot of extra paper.

Create clean, crisp edges. "Instead of having a seam in the middle of the box, I like to go to the side and it makes it disappear."

To get perfect "book-ends" on the sides of boxes, don't be afraid to trim as you go, and again, try to hide the seam.

Dress up your presents with bows or accessories such as cookie cutters, picture frames, and holiday ornaments.

To cover up mistakes such as running out of paper, a creative fix is to fill in the gaps with strips of something else

and my personal favorite...

Save wishbones from chickens. Clean them well, then paint. Put on a little glitter and tie them to gift packages.

JJ Cole Bundle Me Hat

This hat is way too cute!! It is made with plush shearling, the same material that is used to make the bundle me blankets. It not only keeps your baby's head nice and toasty but the polyester lining grows with your baby as well. this is definitely a must have this winter!!

Arf!

So today is the first time I've ever worked at the AREA PLAY store. I have to say the best part so far, besides playing with all the toys, has been Lenny--Loretta's dog. He's so sweet and mellow. I wish I could come up with more excuses as to why I can only work at the toy store just so I can hang out and walk him. I know could totally be the official AREA dog walker!

hot off the press...

Want to improve your child's hand-eye coordination, manipulation skills and color recognition?

Want to contribute to the 'green' movement and save the earth one toy at a time?
The Plan Toys Shape and Sort It Out is made from all natural recycled rubber wood : )
Get it while it's hot!