I love you so much... I'm giving you Swine Flu for Christmas!

Isn't it cute?  The one on the left, that is.  That's the one I'm giving for Christmas!  The one on the right is kinda creepy.

The cute one is a part of one of the funniest gift ideas out there - Giant Microbes!  They're cuddly, fuzzy renditions of the germs, viruses, bacteria, and cells that surround us every day.  Some are good to have handy (brain cells!  One can never have too many of those things!), some are fun (but did I really want to add another dust mite to this house?), and some are just plain scary (Typhoid!  Black Death!  Pimples!).  All Giant Microbes come with an educational booklet that includes a picture of the real critter.  Freaky!

Give with a healthy dose of laughter. 

What are you thankful for?

Holiday shopping has begun!  Our extended Holiday Hours and the Reindeer Visit Schedule are posted (Links at the top of the sidebar).    Lights are being hung, decorations unpacked.  Address lists, grocery lists, and to-do lists are being compiled.  We're trading wish-lists and plotting secret purchases and it's all getting rolling, rather like an avalanche.  

So before we get completely wrapped up in the high-energy mischief and mirth, there is another holiday that deserves our attention.  Yep.  Thanksgiving.  Feast-on-Yummy-Food Day.  One of the few days that we, as a nation, pause to consider and celebrate the good things around us.  So what are you Thankful for?

We're thankful for the small people in our lives who remind us that curiousity isn't something you outgrow.  And we're thankful for silliness and frivolity, especially when the nightly news is filled with doom and gloom.  We're thankful for the sprightly creatures who are always ready to share their amazement and delight in the world.  We're thankful for the intrepid explorers who are off on endless adventures in their imaginations and will, very happily, drag their grown-ups into the magic, too. 

And we're thankful for you-- our customers who let us share in their child's world.

Thank You.

Have a wonderful, filling, fabulous Thanksgiving!

2009 Reindeer Visits!

LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights
will have Reindeer Visitors from
2pm - 8pm
on the following dates:
Dec. 14 & 15

Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL
Will also host the Reindeer from
2 - 8pm:
Dec. 9 & 10


Hope you'll come visit us, too!

LagoonaMagoo & Once Upon a Toy Holiday Hours

LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall Extended Holiday Hours:
Fri., Nov. 27 & Sat., Nov. 28: 8am - 9pm
We will be open on Sundays beginning on Sun., Nov. 29!
Nov. 30 - Dec. 11:
Mon. - Sat.: 10am - 9pm;
Sun.: 11am - 7pm
Saturday, Dec. 12: 9am - 10pm
Sunday, Dec. 13: 11am - 7pm
Dec. 14 - 23:
Mon. - Sat.: 9am - 10pm;
Sun.: 11am - 8pm
Christmas Eve: 9am - 6pm

LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL
will be open 8am to 8pm on Friday, Nov. 27th!
Starting Sunday, Nov. 29, we will be open on
Sundays from 10am - 6pm!
Christmas Eve: 10am - 6pm

Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL
will be open 8am to 8pm on Friday, Nov. 27th!
Starting Monday, Nov. 30, our hours will become:
Mon. - Sat.: 9am - 8pm
Christmas Eve: 9am - 4pm

The Cockroaches are Marching!

NO! Don't Squish Them! It's your favorite Toy Store People! Not creepy costumed cockroaches!

Ok.  So they *are* costumed cockroaches.  But they aren't creepy, they're creative!  While Once Upon a Toy may be the home of the $.35 Cockroach, these folks are worth Wayyy more than that!  In fact, when they help you find that perfect gift, they're priceless!

Once Upon a Toy celebrated Halloween by scurrying through downtown Edwardsville as part of the 2009 Halloween parade.  This year, there were over 100 entries that included floats, marching bands, and local civic groups.  While other floats pelted the crowd with candy, our band of bugs flung bouncy balls and teensy insects.  We hear the cockroaches were in high demand.  And are now being used to freak out unsuspecting family members.  Like your mom.  Who tends to shriek if she sees it on the counter.

Candy is gone in a flash.  Practical Jokes last forever!  Next time you're in one of our stores, remember to ask to see the critters that can cause a loved one to freak!

Why We Love Wee Wedgits!

So the first toy from the Astra Best Toys of 2009 List we wanted to show y'all is the Wee Wedgits 30pc Set. 

If you've read through our catalog, you've already seen the Wedgits Deluxe Set.  And it is a very cool set.  But it has small pieces and isn't suitable for the teething crowd (aka, children under 3).  The Wee Wedgits Set, however, is designed with our beloved, roly-poly, crawling droolers (aka, children one year and up) in mind.  Unlike most stacking toys, the pieces are intriguing geometric shapes that can be stacked & combined in lots of different ways.  Just the thing for these budding architects, engineers, and sculptors! 

And hey!  Do you see over on the sidebar where you can add yourself to our email newsletter list?  Do it, if you haven't.  We don't send out a ton of stuff, but it *is* the best way to keep up with the Big Announcements (like a brand spanking new website rolling out soon) for Once Upon A Toy and Lagoona Magoo!

ASTRA Best Toys of 2009 List

ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) has created a list of the Best Toys for Kids in 2009.  This is the first year for the list, and we're really excited to see some of our favorite toys on it!  You can find the complete list here:  ASTRA's Best Toys For Kids 2009   Of course, you can find the toys in any of our stores, too.  So stop in Once Upon A Toy in Edwardsville, or either of the Lagoona Magoo stores (Fairview Heights, IL or at the St. Louis Mills Mall) to play!

The toys are picked by fun & funky toy store owners (sound like anyone you know?) from around the US.  These are toys that inspire kids (and their grown-ups) to dream bigger and play harder and think wider and stretch their mighty minds! 

Many of the toys listed are already featured in our print catalog, but there are a few that you may not have seen before.  Over the next little while we'll be posting about these toys.  And sharing why we're really glad they made the list!

Don't Forget! ArtEast is this Weekend!

If you're going to be in the Edwardsville/Alton area, don't forget to check out ArtEast. This art event will be happening all weekend (Oct. 17 & 18, 2009) and showcases the fine artists and craftspeople of Madison County, IL. Which includes our fearless leader Shawnta' Ray & her work in forged steel! More info on ArtEast is available on the ArtEast Website.

The Clock is Ticking on the Chicken

The permit that allows us to display The Chicken will expire on October 20th. We are hoping to make the permit permanent, and to make that happen we need community support. The Fairview Heights City Code does not allow for signs mounted on exterior walls to extend more than one foot from the wall. Obviously, our Chicken is simply too magnificent and projects well past the allowable distance.

Because the Chicken is attached to a set-back area of our building, it does not change the overall sight-line or profile of the building. It is our feeling that because it doesn’t change these things, the zoning board and city council could very easily grant us a waiver without setting a precedent they may regret later. We also believe that because our chicken does not display the Lagoona Magoo logo, communicate anything about our products or services, or overtly promote our specific business, it doesn’t fall under a strict definition of signage, either.

So what do we want you to do? Let the city know what you think about the issue. Contact information for the City of Fairview Heights can be found here:  Fairview Heights City Government

We are located in Ward 4, but to pull this off, we will need the support of a majority of the aldermen/women on the City Council. And the Mayor wouldn’t hurt, either! So if you’ve got a few moments, make a call and help us Save The Chicken!

Our Chicken Has Launched!

Balloons whistled and flew! We hooted and hollered and cheered!
The Giant Chicken has been unveiled!

And now we need your help. Our permit will only let us keep the chicken until October 20th. Stop by any of our stores (Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, Lagoona Magoo @ St.Louis Mills Mall, or the sparkly new Fairview Heights store) and sign the petition to show your support. Check back here for more information and what you can do to help!

Keep Our Poultry Soaring High!
Save the Chicken!

Wait... what? How big is that chicken?

12 foot tall? Seriously?

That is One Big Chicken. Check it out.
Saturday Oct. 10.
11am.
6308 North Illinois (aka Hwy 159) in Fairview Heights, IL.

Lagoona Magoo is the Purple building between McD's and Peerless Furniture. Gotta see it to believe it!

You're Invited to our Fairview Heights Location's Grand Opening Party!

We are sooo excited to announce our move to a new location! Lagoona Magoo Toys, your favorite happy place, is now located at 6308 N. Illinois (aka Highway 159) in Fairview Heights, IL. And to get things started with a bang, our Grand Opening is Saturday, October 10, from 10am to 5pm.

Join us for fun, games, door prizes, lots of hands-on activities, Specials (more about that in a moment) and a 12ft tall rubber chicken!

--Soda Geysers will erupt every half-hour between 11am & 3pm!
--Gooey Gunk & Lip Gloss Kid Concoctions!
--Dino Digs!

Did we mention the 12ft chicken will be unveiled at 11am?


During our Grand Opening Celebration in Fairview Heights, we'll be offering specials and discounts on Uberstix (one of *the* coolest building toys of all-time!) and Papo Knights & Castles!


And don't forget, our old location in O'Fallon is sporting some serious bargains-- all items still there are 75% off. We will close the doors on the O'Fallon store on Friday, October 9, so don't wait to discover what goodies need a new home!

So we'll see you Saturday, right? 'Cause it just wouldn't be a party without you!

Welcome to Our New Blog!

For those who were following our old blog, ToyStoreGossip, we're thrilled you've found your way here!

Follow us for the full scoop & news about Once Upon a Toy, Lagoona Magoo, and other playful things that catch our fancy!