Happy Up Inc.

Big News about St. Louis Mills LagoonaMagoo Toys

2012-02-17T11:12:00.000-06:00

Hey folks!
If you aren't on our email list (and why not??? use the box at the sidebar to sign up) you may not have seen our announcement regarding our St. Louis Mills LagoonaMagoo Toys location. Here's the letter from Shawnta', our fearless leader:

Dear friends--
We have some news. And it’s big news.

After much thought and consideration, we’ve decided to consolidate our stores. So what does that really mean? We will be shuttering our LagoonaMagoo Toys location at the St. Louis Mills at the end of February.

Let me stress that LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL and Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL aren’t going anywhere! They’re open and thriving and eager to see you stop by for a visit.

We are currently considering where to reopen the Missouri LagoonaMagoo Toys. We’ve looked at several locations and haven’t found the right spot yet. As soon as we do, we’ll let you know! Our goal is to be settled into a new location and open again in the fall.

Long story short: come buy our stuff! We don’t want to pack and move everything. We’re even getting rid of some of the fixtures!

Starting with the Presidents’ Day Sale (Feb. 17-20) at the St. Louis Mills, LagoonaMagoo Toys will be sporting some hefty discounts! Please remember, the sale pricing is good *only* at the St. Louis Mills LagoonaMagoo Toys, and all sales are final.

We want to thank everyone who has come to visit, play, and shop with us at the St. Louis Mills LagoonaMagoo Toys. We hope you’ll find your way across the river to see us at our Illinois stores until we have a Missouri location open again.

Play On!
Shawnta’

Inventory Day for Once Upon a Toy

2012-01-09T08:51:00.001-06:00

One little bitty white rat, two little bitty white rats, three little bitty white rats... You get the idea. So we can count everything in the place, Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville is closed today (01/09).

And to keep y'all happy and busy while we're busy counting, we've posted the first pic of our Count It Up contest on our facebook page. Swing by to see and guess: http://www.facebook.com/HappyUpInc

Complete rules for our contest are posted in this note: Year 2 Count it Up Contest Rules

Good luck!

ps... tomorrow is inventory day for LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights.

Happy New Years!

2011-12-28T13:55:00.000-06:00

It's almost time to say farewell to 2011. It's been a good year for us, and we hope it's been good for all of you, too!

So our fabulous toy experts get a chance to celebrate, our stores will be closing early on New Years Eve. The holiday hours will be:

Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL:
9am - 4pm
Closed New Years Day

LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL:
9am - 5pm
Closed New Years Day

LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills:
10am - 6pm
Open New Years Day! 11am - 6pm

We hope 2012 will be a wonderful year for you and yours. We have big plans for the next year-- including doing year 2 of our Count It Up Inventory Contest. Watch this space and our facebook page for more info!

Christmas Eve Hours at Happy Up Stores:

2011-12-23T15:20:00.000-06:00

Got a stocking that still needs stuffing? Need one more thing to even out the gift piles? Never fear, We'll be here! And of course we're staffed with toy experts to make your last minute running a festive and fabulous outing.

Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville:
Christmas Eve: 9am - 3pm
Closed Christmas Day

LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights:
Christmas Eve: 9am - 5pm
Closed Christmas Day

LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills:
Christmas Eve: 9am - 6pm
Closed Christmas Day

Regular store hours resume on Monday, Dec. 26th.

Joy, Delight, a bit of Magic and Wonder

mix it with family and friends,

and add just enough chaos to make it all festive and fun.

We wish a very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you.

Now get off the computer and go enjoy the people next to you.

Reindeer to Visit LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights

2011-12-15T08:43:00.003-06:00

That's right! We're finally able to confirm the Reindeer (with Santa, too) will be visiting us in Fairview Heights. Mark your calendars:

But before they go to Fairview Heights LagoonaMagoo Toys, they'll stop to visit us in Edwardsville at Once Upon a Toy:

--Saturday, Dec. 17 in the afternoon.

The exact time of their visit in Edwardsville isn't established. Call the playful peeps at the store to for more details! (618) 656-9596

Once Upon a Toy is located at 2460 Troy Rd. in Edwardsville, IL 62025

LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights will have the reindeer on the following days:

--Sunday, Dec. 18 from 12 - 6 pm
--Wednesday, Dec. 21 from 12 - 6 pm
--Thursday, Dec. 22 from 12 - 6 pm

LagoonaMagoo Toys is located at 6308 N. Illinois (aka hwy 159-- between Peerless Furniture & McDonald's) in Fairview Heights, IL. If you want to call the store and talk to the merry toy peeps, phone number is: (618) 628-9270

This is a great chance for your kiddos to see some reindeer up-close and personal. And you can get a pic taken in Santa's Sleigh!

Did ya see? No? Here's the Video from Great Day St. Louis!

2011-12-09T09:16:00.001-06:00

Tee-hee! Shawnta' had a ton of fun appearing on Great Day St. Louis yesterday. If you haven't seen it already, here's the video:

Later today I'll post additional information about the items featured in the video. Including more about the Lightning Reaction game! Insert evil giggling here.

Happy Up on TV!

2011-12-07T15:50:00.001-06:00

Tune in to KMOV (Channel 4) tomorrow (12/8) morning at 10am to see us on Great Day St. Louis. We had so much fun doing this last year, we're back for another round! Shanwta', our fearless leader, will be showing some of our favorite items for the holiday season.

If you can't watch it, we'll post the video as soon as it becomes available!

Love a Local on Saturday Nov. 26!

2011-11-25T09:53:00.001-06:00

Shop happy, shop small, and show some love to your local economy.

American Express and a fleet of other corporations and government groups (see the full list on the website) are promoting the idea that on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we should all spend some of our money and time supporting locally owned businesses. Through advertising on facebook, on radio, and even on TV, the idea of Small Business Saturday is taking hold. Word of mouth is passing the idea along and twitter is abuzz.

To officially participate, a business needs to accept American Express cards. While the Happy Up stores don't take American Express, many of the small businesses in our area that we love (and bet you do, too) are participating. So we're delighted to add our voice to the growing chorus and hope y'all aren't totally shopped out yet.

Save some of that energy for tomorrow. Stop in your favorite locally owned, totally unique, favorite, fabulous, and festive small business. Buy yourself a treat, or find something to give as a gift.

By shopping with locally owned businesses, the majority of your money *stays* in the community. It helps support your schools, repair your roads, and is spent at other businesses. It creates jobs, it keeps our shopping areas vibrant and interesting, and it's sooo much more fun!

Don't think you can make it to a locally owned store on Saturday? No problemo. You can have the same impact on your local economy if you roll with the 3/50 Project. Super simple: Pick three locally owned businesses. Spend $50 at those three businesses, and the impact is massive.

Most of the money spent at the big box stores vanishes and isn't reinvested in your community. Money spent at the big boys on the internet never returns to your community, not even in the form of sales tax.

So love a local and love your community!

The Reindeer are Coming!

2011-11-22T15:10:00.000-06:00

That's right-- we'll have reindeer visitors in our parking lot again this year! We hope you'll be able to come see them and their pal... y'know who I mean... The dude with beard... Whatsis name again? Oh! Of course! Santa!

Reindeer schedule for Once Upon a Toy
Friday, Nov. 25 from 3 - 8 pm
Saturday, Nov. 26 from 12 - 6 pm

Once Upon a Toy is located at 2460 Troy Rd., Edwardsville IL 62025. For more info you can call the playful folks at the store: (618) 656-9596

Join us for an Idea Exchange!

2011-11-16T13:56:00.000-06:00

Over the years, we've learned so much from the therapists and special needs educators that shop with us. We feel it's time to return the favor. Join us for an open house and idea exchange! We'll be demonstrating toys and games that fit well into a therapeutic environment. As well as showing how some of our favorite playthings can adapt to serve a wide variety of needs.

We'll also have nibbles and giveaways!

Here's the nitty gritty info:
When: Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7pm
Where: LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL

So we know how many to expect, we are asking folks to RSVP by calling the playful folks in the store at (618) 628-9270

If you know of someone else who may be interested, feel free to send them this invite: Happy Up Idea Exchange Invitation

We hope to see you there!

Come and Play on Neighborhood Toy Store Day!

2011-11-09T09:04:00.002-06:00

Neighborhood Toy Store Day is Nov. 12, 2011-- so mark your calendars and come play with us! All of our stores will be playing games. We've been visiting lots of schools to lead their game nights. It's been great to play games with the students and their families. So we're bringing the fun home to our stores! On Saturday, bring your gang and come play some really great games with us. You may even discover a new family favorite!

The Happy Up Store locations are:

LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills, Hazelwood MO -
We're right by the playground!
(314) 227-5335
LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL -
6308 N. Illinois (aka hwy 159)
(618) 628-9270
Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL -
2460 Troy Rd (look for the TOY sign!)
(618) 656-9596

This is the 2nd Neighborhood Toy Store Day, created and celebrated by ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association). The idea is to give the member stores a day to celebrate their unique contributions and role in their communities. It's also a chance to raise public awareness of the power of play. As families are pressed for time, it's easy to forget how important a little bit of game play can be to a child. And to their grown-ups. So find some time on Saturday and come play a game with us!

If you won't be near any of the Happy Up stores on Saturday, check ASTRA's website to see if there will be festivities near you!

Play on!

Candy Buy-Back Exceeds Expectations!!!

2011-11-06T12:22:00.000-06:00

Our customers are AWESOME!!!

With your help, we have collected over ONE THOUSAND pounds of candy to send to Operation Gratitutde!

We just have one eeeensy little... er ... problem. We didn't expect to collect this much, so shipping costs to send the candy to Operation Gratitude is way more than we'd planned for. If anyone would like to contribute to the shipping fund, we would be soooo very very appreciative!

Thanks again to all our customers who brought in candy. We are thrilled beyond belief!

Candy Buy Back starts tomorrow (10/31/11)

2011-10-30T10:35:00.000-06:00

So it happens almost every year... the kiddos are looking at their monstrous haul of candy, you add it to the left-overs that didn't get passed out to trick or treaters, and you realize: Egads. That is an alarming amount of candy.

So here's our plan to help you out of this sugary mess: A candy buy back at Once Upon a Toy and both LagoonaMagoo Toys locations. Starting on 10/31, bring us at least One lb of candy, and we'll give you a $10 gift certificate (this offer is limited to one per family).

What are we going to do with all that sweet stuff?
We're going to pack it off to the wonderful people at Operation Gratitude, who will in turn send it (along with other items like toothbrushes!) to troops serving in dangerous places around the world.

Our Candy Buy Back will run Monday, Oct. 31st through Sunday, Nov. 6th, 2011.

So pass the word and then pass us your candy!

Wakey Wakey Sleepy Blog!

2011-10-30T10:14:00.003-06:00

Ok... so it's been forever since we've posted something here. That changes now. With a renewed sense of purpose and a boat-load of kewl stuff to blabber about, we're reviving the blog!

So Wakey Wakey!!!

Come to a Calico Critter Tea Party!

2011-05-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

We Love Calico Critters! And we know you do, too.

Shawnta' & Julie had the chance to meet Mrs. Fisher Cat at Toy Fair this year. And of course, they invited her to come visit the Happy Up stores. We are totally thrilled to announce she accepted our invite!

So who is Mrs. Fisher Cat? She's the Mama of the Calico Critters Fisher Cat Family. They're some of the adorable residents of Cloverleaf Corners. And now you get to meet a life-sized Calico Critter!

Mrs. Fisher Cat will be at our Fairview Heights, IL LagoonaMagoo Toys on Sunday, May 22 starting at 11am. She'll be visiting with Calico Critter fans and saying hello to anyone who stops by until 2pm when our Tea Party starts.

Oh! You want to come to the Tea Party? We'd love to have you. Space is limited, so advance registration for tickets is required. Here's the nitty gritty info:

When: Sunday May 22, 2:00 - 3:30
Where: LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL
What: Tea Party with Mrs. Fisher Cat
Cost: $5.00 per ticket, advance reservations required

At the Tea Party we'll have snacks and super cute crafts. We'll also snap a pic of your child with Mrs. Fisher Cat and email it to you later.

To reserve your tickets, call the kindly critters at the store:
(618) 628-9270

On Sunday May 22, all Calico Critter items will be 10% off at our Fairview Heights LagoonaMagoo Toys. The store is located at 6308 N. Illinois (aka Hwy 159), right by McDonalds & Peerless Furniture.

Will Mrs. Fisher Cat be at our other stores? We hope she'll have time in her busy schedule to stop by. As of right now, we're unsure if she will or what times, so follow us on twitter @happyuptoys or like us on facebook. If Mrs. Fisher Cat will be in Edwardsville or at the St. Louis Mills, we'll announce it there.

See you in time for Tea on the 22nd!

Giganto-Huge Chart Sale Event!

2011-05-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

We're cleaning house. We're re-arranging and shaking out the cobwebs. Spring has sprung, the world is starting new, and your favorite toy stores are all in a tizzy! Once Upon a Toy and both LagoonaMagoo Toy locations are having a massive, major, totally huge one-time only sale event next weekend. It's a ... drum roll, please...

What, you may ask, is a Chart Sale? Glad you wondered! Here's the idea: we're going to pull gobs of great toys, games, and other items and offer them at major discounts following this chart:

To make this event a success, each store will close early one day and then have expanded hours. Here's the Schedule:

Illinois Stores:

Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville · LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights:

Wed. May 4: Closing at 4pm to get everything ready

Extended Hours Thurs. May 5 - Sat. May 7: 8am - 9pm

Sunday May 8: Closed (Happy Mommy Day!)

**Last Day for Chart Pricing is Saturday May 7 in our Illinois stores! Don't miss it!**

LagoonaMagoo Toys at St. Louis Mills

Thurs. May 5: Closing at 5 pm to set the stage

Extended Hours!

Fri. May 6 - Sat. May 7: 9am - 9pm

Sun. May 8: 10am - 6pm

**Absolute Last Day for Chart Pricing is Sunday May 8! This is a one-time only event!**

Shop early for the best selection! You'll be surprised at all the really great items marked down, so don't wait. It's first come, first served, and once something sells out, it's gone.

This is an in-store only event-- which means chart pricing does not extend to our website.

See ya soon!

Once Upon a Toy's Sale Wall is Back!

2011-02-06T12:07:00.001-06:00

We're gearing up for the trip to 2011's Toy Fair in New York-- and you know all *sorts* of mega-cool super-silly truly fantastic items are going to follow us home. And that means we need room on our shelves! So with that in mind, the Sale Wall is back at Edwardsville's Once Upon a Toy.

Never fear! While they may not have entire *walls* devoted to sale items, both Fairview Heights and St. Louis Mills LagoonaMagoo Toys are sporting some pretty spiffy discount sections, too.

So don't delay! Stop by soon and stock up on things to keep everyone amused.

Book Signing at LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights!

2011-02-02T17:06:00.000-06:00

Join us on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 11am - 1pm for a booksigning and reading with local author, Nancy Wessel. A Silly Wacky World is her first book.

For over 20 years, Nancy Wessel was a beloved preschool teacher. As anyone who works closeley with children learns, the world can be a wacky, silly place. Her love of reading, teaching, and word play all come together in this lighthearted children's book. Her three grandchildren were a great help by creating the illustrations for her book.

Nancy pays tribute to all the children that passed through her school. The beginning of the book features the names of all the children who she inspired to learn and who inspired her right back. Now that they are grown, many of these children are excited to see Nancy's dream of being an author realized.

We hope you will stop by on the 12th to visit with Nancy, hear her read from her new book, and purchase a copy of your very own!

For more information, or to reserve a copy in advance of the sigining, please call the playful folks at LagoonaMagoo Toys: (618) 628-9270

LagoonaMagoo Toys is located at 6308 N. Illinois (aka Hwy 159), Fairview Heights, IL 62208

Count it up Contest!

2011-01-09T15:21:00.000-06:00

That's right-- we're having a contest! To make the inventory process a bit more, er, interesting, we've decided to run a contest! What's the prize? $10 gift certificate to one of our stores!

So waddaya hafta do? Watch our face book page here: http://www.facebook.com/HappyUpInc
We'll post a pic of something we have to count. The person who's guess is the closest to the inventory count without going over, wins the gift certificate! Guessing will close 24 hrs after the picture is posted and we'll announce the winner. Only one guess per person, please.

We'll post a picture for each store as we work on inventory, so there are three chances to win! And if you your guess is the winner once, you're out of the running for the rest of the inventory contests.

Good luck!

Kindermusik Jam Session at Once Upon a Toy!

2011-01-04T11:19:00.000-06:00

You're invited! Come play and make some joyful noise with us and instructor Ellen Singh on Wed., Jan. 5th at 10am. This is a great opportunity to learn about Kindermusik and early childhood music exploration in a casual and hands-on situation. Designed for ages birth to 5 years old, Ellen will guide parents and children in musical mayhem! Reservations are great, but not required. For more information or to let us know you're coming, call Once Upon a Toy at (618) 656-9596.

For more information about Kindermusic (and it's close cousin the Suzuki method) visit SIU-E's website describing their program: http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/music/suzuki/kindermusik.shtml

Ellen Singh also has a facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SIUE-Presents-Kindermusik-with-Ellen-Singh/102535473116447

If you aren't in our area and would like to find out more about kindermusik and find a class/event near you, visit the kindermusik website here: http://www.kindermusik.com/default.aspx

Bring your little ones and lets make some noise!

Visit Santa & his Reindeer!

2010-12-03T14:30:00.003-06:00

Santa and Vixen outside of LagoonaMagoo Toys, Fairview Heights.
Photo credit: Derik Holtmann/BND

If you haven't had a chance to visit Santa yet, come see him in one of our Illinois stores' parking lots. Not only do you get a chance to talk to him, but you can meet his reindeer and sit in his sleigh, too! Way too cool. Definitely makes me want to stay off the Naughty List!

Friday, December 10, 2010
- 3pm - 8pm
LagoonaMagoo Toys, Fairview Heights
6308 N. Illinois (aka Hwy 159)
Fairview Heights, IL 62208
(618) 628-9270

Tuesday, December 14, 2010
- 3pm - 8pm
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
- 3pm - 8pm
Once Upon a Toy
2460 Troy Rd
Edwardsville, IL 62025
(618) 656-9596

Shawnta' On TV!

2010-11-24T12:18:00.001-06:00

If you missed it, you can see Shawnta' on KMOV's Great Day St. Louis! She's showing some of the cool toys and gifts for the holiday season:

Love Your Local - Shop Small on Nov. 27

2010-11-23T14:00:00.001-06:00

Everyone knows all about Black Friday-- Or they think they do. News reports every year announce the traffic jams at malls. People line up hours or days in advance at Big Box stores for insane sale prices. You hear over and over about how it’s the day retailers will start to show a profit.

It’s a little different for small businesses. That’s not really the picture of what’s going on for many of the mom & pop shops around our nation. For many of them, the day after Thanksgiving is a finish line (whew! Made it to the Holiday shopping season) and the start of a marathon (egads! It’s the Holiday shopping season!). Black Friday represents the moment when all the work and effort and striving of the past year starts to pay off. You see that new customer come back. You get to chat with your favorite customers-- the ones who bought baby toys a few years ago and now need something for a teen. You “rescue” someone by having the absolutely perfect thing for that hard-to-pick-for person on their list. The Holiday shopping season is the pay-off for those slow as molasses, dog-days of summer.

Of course, none of this means anything if you, the consumer, doesn’t show up.

Do we want you to stop shopping with the Big Box stores? No, although we wouldn’t mind if you did it a little less.
Do we want you to stop ordering things online? Not at all. We want you buying from our website, too!

Do we want you to consciously consider what makes your community unique, what makes it special, what makes it your home? Yes.

We’re betting some part of what makes your town, city, or neighborhood a dear, treasured place to you is a small business. Maybe it’s a coffee shop. Maybe it’s a (ahem) toy store like us. Maybe its a gift shop or bakery or bookstore. Whatever that little store is, you know they’ll always come through for you-- you’ll be greeted with a smile and you know you matter. With this in mind, consider how you want to spend your Holiday budget.

Now that you’ve thought about where and how you want to spend your money, think about when you’ll spend it. American Express, as part of their “Open” Small Business Network, is encouraging communities around the country to declare the Saturday after Thanksgiving “Small Business Saturday.” As part of this declaration, they’re asking consumers to make a point of spending some money at a small business on Nov. 27. You can read more about Small Business Saturday on their website and facebook page.

Shop Small. And watch what big things can happen.

Black Friday & Extended Holiday Hours

2010-11-22T13:38:00.000-06:00

The holiday shopping season is starting to get rolling-- Our stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. We'll be opening early on Black Friday, with one-day only sale prices on selected items!

LagoonaMagoo Toys
at the St. Louis Mills - Hazelwood, MO:

Opening Early on Black Friday (11/26)! 7am - 9pm
Sat., Nov. 27: 9am - 10pm
Sun., Nov. 28: 11am - 7pm

Don't forget to visit Santa while you're here!
For additional holiday hours, please visit the St. Louis Mills website.

Once Upon a Toy,
Edwardsville, IL:

Opening Early on Black Friday (11/26)! 8am - 8pm
Extended Holiday Hours:
Mon. - Sat.: 9am - 8pm

Reindeer Schedule coming soon!

LagoonaMagoo Toys,
Fairview Heights, IL:

Opening Early on Black Friday (11/26)! 7am - 9pm
Extended Holiday Hours:
Mon. - Sat.: 9am - 8pm
Open Sundays! 10am - 6pm

Reindeer will be here, too-- We'll let you know when!

Hmmm? Wazzat? You're wondering what sort of specials will be happening on Black Friday? This is just a sampling!

As always, our helpful crew of toy experts will be standing by to help you find something for everyone on your gift list!

Once Upon a Toy & LagoonaMagoo Toys Neighborhood Toy Store Day Plans!

2010-11-09T14:46:00.000-06:00

Plotting... Planning... All we need is you to make it a party! Here are the events we've cooked up for Neighborhood Toy Store Day on Nov. 13, 2010

LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills:
10% of sales on Saturday, November 13, will be donated in toys to Toys for Tots. Start your Holiday shopping early and pay some joy forward. And Cody Cassiday, a seriously talented Yo-Yo Dude, will be by to amaze and thrill us with his yo-yo tricks from 2pm - 6pm. We’ll also have free face painting throughout the day (call the St. Louis Mills LagoonaMagoo Toys at (314) 227-5335 for exact times)

Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL:
It’s a Giant Rubber Chicken! In our Parking Lot! Come get a picture taken with our infamous Giant Chicky from 10am - noon. Rope n’ Ride, from Granite City, IL, will bring Ponies to the party from 1pm - 3pm. Cody Cassiday, our favorite Yo-Yo Dude, will also be appearing at Once Upon a Toy from 10am - 1pm. And can’t forget the face painting-- that will be happening from 11am - 4pm.

LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL:
Ponies! We’re going to have ponies (thanks to Rope n’ Ride!) for your kiddos to meet from 11am - 3pm. The Giant Rubber Chicken will migrate from Edwardsville to Fairview Heights for photos with your favorite goofballs starting around 1pm - 4pm. Face painting will also be happening from 11am - 4pm.

We're looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday for Neighborhood Toy Store Day!

Join us in celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day!

2010-11-09T10:09:00.001-06:00

What, you may be wondering, is Neighborhood Toy Store Day? Good question. I knew our readers were smart people!

Neighborhood Toy Store Day is a nation-wide event dreamed up by the member stores of ASTRA, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. The idea is to celebrate independently owned and locally operated toy stores as well as bring attention to the contributions these businesses make to our local communities.

When you choose to shop at locally owned businesses, a higher percentage of your money stays in the community. According to the 3/50 project (read about that in an earlier blog post here: The 3/50 Project) for every $100 spent in a locally owned business, $68 of it remains in the community. This money stays in the form of paid taxes, wages for workers, purchases of supplies and services, as well as charitable donations. This is one of the reasons Mom & Pop businesses are considered the key and lifeblood of our economy. When small businesses thrive, our communities do, too.

So that’s an awful lot of grown-up seriousness happening in that paragraph. What about the infamous Happy Up silliness? Where does that factor in? Glad you asked that! Like all other ASTRA member stores, LagoonaMagoo Toys and Once Upon a Toy are completely committed to seeing children thrive. By offering unique, amazing, imaginative, and creative toys to our customers, we help children grow into unique, amazing, imaginative, and creative grown-ups. By encouraging and supporting the idea of play for people of all ages, we create laughter and lighter spirits. And who doesn’t want more of that in the world?

So Celebrate individuality, silliness, playfulness, and what makes your world unique with your favorite toy store on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010 and be a part of the first ever Neighborhood Toy Store Day!

You can read more about the event here: http://neighborhoodtoystoreday.com/

PS-- watch this space for the schedule of events for Toy Store Day at both LagoonaMagoo Toys and Once Upon a Toy!

Happy Birthday LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights!

2010-10-19T15:07:00.000-05:00

It's been how long? A year? Really? Wow!

To celebrate being in our Fairview Heights location for a year, we're having a tent sale on Saturday, Oct. 23!

And to catch y'all up on the other things going on in Happy Up Land:
-- Our open playdates at Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville and LagoonaMagoo in Fairview Heights are taking a break for November & December. So watch this space for the schedule in 2011!
-- LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills is looking forward to the annual Halloween walk and costume contest on Oct. 30. More info on the Mills website (scroll through their events listings) St. Louis Mills Website
-- The Happy Up Crew will be marching in Edwardsville's Halloween Parade. See you there!
-- We're cooking up all sorts of things for our stores to celebrate Neighborhood Toy Store Day on Nov. 13. We'll keep you updated as we finalize our plans!

Alrighty... think that's it-- Off to finish up an email newsletter! (you are subscribed, aren't you? Use the box in the sidebar if you aren't!)

“Cobi Blocks are Cool!” Declares local Lego Expert

2010-09-29T16:33:00.003-05:00

We recently announced through our email newsletter that Once Upon a Toy and both locations of LagoonaMagoo Toys are now stocking Cobi Blocks, a brick building system similar to Legos. Cobi Blocks are manufactured in Poland and are a beloved toy in Eastern Europe. Shawnta’, our fearless leader, discovered Cobi brick building sets at Toy Fair earlier in the year and is very excited to introduce them to our little part of the world.

Manufactured to the same exacting standards as Lego blocks, Cobi building sets are focused on real-world machines and scenarios. Their most popular building sets have a military theme-- Cobi’s Small Army. There are also military themed sets that feature Jeeps, civilian Boeing airplanes, and free-style building sets. We were curious to see how well Cobi bricks would compare to Lego bricks, so we drafted a youngster to road test one of their Small Army sets.

Our Lego Expert, 12 years old, ripped into the 150 piece Small Army Vulcan Helicopter set. Getting him to slow down long enough for me to change the batteries in the camera was a bit of a challenge. With the skill and speed of a long-time Lego brick builder, he quickly assembled the Cobi helicopter.

Overall, he enjoyed the building process. The pieces snapped together securely and the illustrated instructions were easy to follow. The specialized shapes for the helicopter set intrigued him. And the high level of detail in the accessories (the mini figures have noses!) won big approval from him. One thing he noticed is that hinges and the rotor for the helicopter were stiffer than comparable Lego parts would be. While that meant the chopper’s blades didn’t spin as freely as he would have liked, it also meant the pilot didn’t fall out the doors during a steep dive.

He also tested Cobi blocks compatability with Lego bricks. Some pieces clicked together in a satisfying way. Others, like putting a Cobi mini fig head on a Lego body, were almost too tight of a fit. For the most part, our expert thought the Cobi blocks would work perfectly well with his Lego collection, as long as he wasn’t trying to combine specialized pieces. These would be special pieces like hinges, heads, or propeller blades. When asked if he would spend his own money on a larger set, he quickly said “Yes. ‘Cause these Cobi blocks are cool...”

If you can’t make it in to either of our LagoonaMagoo locations or up to Once Upon a Toy, we are now offering Cobi sets through our website, happyupinc.com. To see the sets currently available, click here: Cobi Building Sets.

ICAA's Night Out

2010-09-09T12:13:00.001-05:00

International Coalition
for Autism and All Abilities Logo

Autism Spectrum Disorders-- the phrase alone is enough to make any parent break into a cold sweat. The CDC estimates that 1 in 110 children are somewhere on the spectrum. That means it’s likely a person you know is touched by this. You may know a parent or grandparent of someone with an ASD. Or maybe you know a child or adult identified as being on the spectrum.

And it is an incredibly wide spectrum of behaviors, cognitive difficulties, and physical difficulties that fall under the heading of ASD. Maybe the person affected is very high functioning, just a shade off of “normal.” Or maybe the person is severely affected, unable to communicate and isolated by the difficulties of understanding human social interactions.

Early diagnosis is key, and you can read more about that here:
www.nichcy.org/babies/overview/Pages/default.aspx

and here:
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html

But after identifying that a child and family is dealing with an ASD, what next? There are therapies, and teaching tools, and doctor visits and the list goes on and on and on. It can be incredibly daunting for the parents to find the resources they need. In response to that need, there are many local, national, and international groups working to serve the families and communities impacted by autism. One of these is the International Coalition for Autism and All Abilities. Their mission is “To advocate for, encourage acceptance of, and support people on the Autism spectrum and with other disabilities and their families throughout our global society. “

A worthwhile goal, wouldn’t you say? So if you’re looking for something to do Saturday, Sept. 11th, come out to a fundraising event they’re hosting at Fenton’s Stratford Bar & Grill in the Gazebo Room. The fun starts at 7pm, rain or shine.

A few of the members of the Happy Up Crew will be attending, too. They’ll have a table set up with toys and therapeutic items helpful to children and adults with special needs and different abilities. So stop by and say hello!
For more information about the International Coalition for Autism and All Abilities or Saturday’s event, visit their website:
www.internationalautismcoalition.org/index.php

Find the Fun in Game Night for your Group!

2010-08-30T16:48:00.002-05:00

Set Game - a favorite for Game Nights

Playing games, at any age, is important. Studies have shown that challenging your brain to think in different ways is hugely beneficial to everyone, especially older adults and senior citizens. Other studies show that game play can boost the confidence of slow learners. And yet more studies show that through play, children can grasp concepts, ideas, and skills more readily than in classroom/structured learning situations. Not to mention the social skills, communication skills, and connectedness playing games can create between opponents. With all those studies floating around out there, you’d think we’d all be leaping at every opportunity to play games.

Here at the Happy Up stores we are devoted to the idea of play, for people of all ages. We want to encourage people to get off their couches, out of their houses, and to community events that support play and interaction between children and grownups, students and teachers, parents and children. Many groups, clubs, and organizations are looking for new ways to bring their members together. We have a suggestion: Let us help you find the fun in a Game Night!

Here’s the idea:

Your group sponsors the event. This means you arrange the location and find volunteers to work the event. You handle the publicity and rsvp’s so we know how many people to expect.
Our Staff comes to your event with up to 15 games for your guests to play at different stations. The games we bring are all fast-playing and good for a wide range of ages.
We train your volunteers to work the stations. But never fear! Our staff will stay to help keep the fun going.

Our game nights are designed to be free, family-friendly events. All ages are welcome. Please note that we do expect parents/grown ups to stay and play with their children.

Many groups like to have snacks, pizza, and other refreshments available and use these as a fund-raising opportunity.

Tuesday, Aug. 31st, 2010 we’ll be providing the games at Alton Middle Schools’ Game Night and Open House. And on Wed., Sept. 1st, we will be supplying the games for UrbanFuture at L’Ouverture Middle School in St. Louis, MO.

If you have any questions or would like to get your group on the calendar, call Shawnta’ at (618) 656-9596.

Family Game Nights @ St. Louis Mills LagoonaMagoo Toys on Hiatus

2010-08-02T13:05:00.000-05:00

Dear Play-Friends--
Our family game nights are taking a break. Subscribe to our Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/HappyUpToys) or follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/HappyUpInc) to find out when we start them up again!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to play with us!

Cody & his YoYo are coming back!

2010-07-16T12:10:00.000-05:00

Loookeeeee! Cody Cassiday is visiting all three of our stores again! He'll be demonstrating tricks and chatting about yo-yoing with us every weekend through the end of July.

Hope you'll be able to stop by and visit:

July 16 - LagoonaMagoo Toys - Fairview Heights: 4pm - 7pm
July 17 - Once Upon a Toy - Edwardsville: 10am - 2pm
July 23 - LagoonaMagoo Toys - St. Louis Mills Mall: 5pm - 9pm
July 24 - LagoonaMagoo Toys - St. Louis Mills Mall: 10am - 2pm
July 30 - Once Upon a Toy - Edwardsville: 4pm - 7:30 pm
July 31 - LagoonaMagoo Toys - Fairview Heights: 11am - 2pm

Schedule for July's Game Night @ the St. Louis Mills Mall LagoonaMagoo Toys

2010-07-05T11:45:00.001-05:00

You're invited to come play with us at the St. Louis Mills Mall location of LagoonaMagoo Toys! Our family game nights are a great chance to get out and play your favorite games. Or maybe discover a new favorite. Or rediscover one you haven't played in eons. If you have any questions, feel free to give the playful folks at the store a call: (314) 227-5335

We play every Friday from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.

July 9 - Dweebies - Round up Dweebies by matching cards on both ends of any row. Seems simple at first... but Dweebies can be tricky, and some will disappear before they've met their match! Collect the most cards and consider yourself the Dweebie-in-Chief! Ages 8 & up
July 16 - Golden Gate - Golden Gate is an exciting card game combining a bit of luck with strategy to start piling up your points. Cards are played in sequence, progressing up or down. Gold cards help you collect chips, but the red cards may cost you! Ages 7 & up
July 23 - Spot It! - There is always one, and only one, matching symbol between any 2 cards in this game. Spot it and you win! With only 8 symbols on each card, small details (like the size of the symbol) matter. The challenge increases as new cards are revealed in this fast-paced game. Ages 6 & up
July 30 - Pigsup - How quick and precise are your fingers? Find out as you build piggy piles in this lively stacking game. And there is more than one silly way to stack up your piggies. Be the first player to get rid of all your cards to win! Ages 4 & up

More Chances to See the Yo-Yo Dude!

2010-06-30T20:28:00.001-05:00

Cody Cassiday, local Yo-Yo Trickster, will be coming back to visit our stores. Stop by and say hello!

Friday, July 2:
Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL
4pm - 9pm

Saturday, July 3rd:
LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL
11am - 2pm

Friday, July 9th:
LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall
4pm - 9pm

Here's another video of Cody, after working on his yo-yo skills for 6 months:

Reminder! Two more parties to go!

2010-06-23T16:40:00.000-05:00

We had a great time with the kids (and their grown-ups) who came to our first Japanese Eraser & Shaped Band trading party at Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville. Thanks to everyone who came and made it a fun evening!

Pirate Chicken Says: Silly Bands Rock!

Japanese Erasers as far as the eye can see!

Trade?

Tough to choose!

Come be a star with your Shaped/Silly Bands collection!

Our next party is at 6:30 on Thursday, June 24 at LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights-- RSVP by calling the store: (618)628-9270

The last trading party will be at LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall on Thursday, July 1st. It's never to early to RSVP! (314) 227-5335

Hey Yo Yo Yo! We've got a Yo-Yo Guy coming to visit!

2010-06-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

Check out Cody & his amazing yo-yo tricks!

Jaw-drop awesome, eh? And he's only been doing this for 2 years!
Here's the info on when he'll be performing, chatting, and being an all-around nice guy with an uncanny ability with a Yo-yo:

Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL
Saturday June 19, from 11am - 2pm

LagoonaMagoo Toys at St. Louis Mills Mall
Saturday June 26, from 11am - 2pm

See you there!

Come to the Party!

2010-06-14T09:29:00.001-05:00

If you haven't heard yet, the dates for our trading parties are set! All parties start at 6:30pm and last until 8pm. For more information or to RSVP (appreciated, but not required), just call your favorite Happy Up store!

June 17:
Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, IL
(618) 656-9596

June 24:
LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL
(618) 628-9270

July 1:
LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall, MO
(314) 227-5335

Email invites went out on Friday. Did you get yours? What? You aren't on our email list? It's easy to subscribe using the box in the sidebar. hint hint. If you're interested to see the email, you can find it here: It's a Party at Once Upon a Toy and LagoonaMagoo Toys!

Jaelyn Jamik, the St. Louis Children's Recreation Examiner gave Silly Bandz & Japanese Erasers (and our parties!) a nice little write up. You can read her article here: Silly Bandz and Iwako Japanese Erasers are all the rage: Kids, wanna trade?

So we'll see you at one of the parties, right?

Gettin' Silly with the Silly Bandz!

2010-06-07T18:38:00.005-05:00

Also called Shaped Bands, Shaped Bracelet Bands, and Silly Bands (note: no "Z"), these colorful bits of silicone are soft, durable, and retain their shapes. This is a collecting trend just starting to sweep the country. Popular on the east coast and in the southern states for more than a year, Silly Bandz are just now catching the interest of midwest trendsetters. And once they get started, kids are taking their collections very seriously. So what are they exactly? Think rubber bands-- only not as stretchy. Think plastic jelly bracelets, only not boringly round! Add bright colors and shapes that appeal to youngsters, and suddenly you have instant coolness on kid-wrists all across the country. Because they're inexpensive and sold in packs of 12 or more, they're an easy collection to start. And to store. The bands encompass a wide variety of shapes from wild animals to vehicles to sheriff badges to sports figures. Some kids are collecting based on their interests. Others are staying focused on "rare" or unusual shapes. And some are just going for quantity-- the more the merrier!

Some school districts are being forced to take them seriously, too-- turns out the shaped bands are so distracting they've been banned in some school districts. Thankfully, we're all on summer break so no worries about getting teachers and principals all in a twist about these. However, there are concerns about kids wearing bands that are too tight for their wrists and cutting off circulation. While this isn't a serious concern if the kiddo is only wearing them for a short period of time, we do hear of kids who refuse to take them off-- which could create a problem. So grown-ups? Check to make sure the bands aren't restricting blood flow.

And just for giggles? Check out this ultra-silly gangsta rap about Silly Bandz!

Collecting the bands already? Have gobs to show off? Duplicates to trade? Watch this space for our announcement of our Silly Bandz & Japanese Eraser Trading Parties! We'll also be sending out an email invite, so make sure you're on our email list!

Japanese Erasers: Collectible? Yep. Inexpensive? Yep. Crazy Cool? You Betcha!

2010-06-03T08:54:00.004-05:00

What is adorable, collectible, and incredibly small? Japanese Erasers! These amazingly detailed miniatures are the latest collectible craze. From food items that look good enough to eat (please don't!) to animals so cute you can hardly resist cuddling them, these erasers are capturing the attention of children and adults around the globe. Many of the erasers can be customized by taking them apart and swapping pieces with others of the same style. This is one case where a picture is worth a thousand words--

In fact, instead of reading my babble, spend some time feasting your eyes on these fabulous little gems:

Cakes - Fast Food Meal - Bowling

Basketballs - Cherries - Horses

Made in Japan, these erasers are non-toxic-- they're lead-free, pvc-free, latex-free, and phthalate-free. They're also packaged using recyled materials. Yep, that's your recycled post-consumer paper-products at work! And unlike many of the collectible trends out there, japanese erasers are also incredibly easy on the wallet.

To see a poster of all the styles available, Click Here.

If you want to see and learn more about the erasers, visit the manufacturer's website at www.iwakousa.com

Watch your email boxes for an invitation to our first ever Eraser and Shaped Rubber Band Trading Parties! If you're not on our email list yet, now is a great time to subscribe. Just use the handy box in the sidebar.

ps: watch your favorite Happy Up store for stickers designed to match the erasers! Hamster cuteness overload!

pps: Blog post about Shaped Rubber Bands coming soon!

June Game Night Schedule for LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall

2010-05-23T15:22:00.002-05:00

We play every Friday from 6:30 - 8:30pm

Hope to see you there!

Our Games for June are:

June 4 - Blokus - A strategy favorite for the whole family-- place your colored tiles corner to corner and hope your opponents don't trap you in your corner! Difficulty increases with the players' skill. Ages 5 and up
June 11 - Great States - Quick! Mount Rushmore is in what state? Learn trivia & test your knowledge of our country with this fab board game. Don't think too long-- you're being timed! Ages 7 and up
June 18 - You've Been Sentenced - With a hand of five-sided cards, you need to build a sentence longer than your opponents'. So what's the challenge? It needs to be grammatically correct and make sense! Ages 8 and up
June 25 - Yamslam - A quick-playing dice game, Yamslam rewards players for thinking in terms of strategy, risk, and considering the odds of rolling certain combinations. Could be luck, might be skill-- Either way, it's fun! Ages 8 and up

Playday at LagoonaMagoo Fairview Heights!

2010-05-07T15:52:00.002-05:00

Ever want to have an entire toy store to play in? LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights will be hosting a playday on Monday, May 17 from 10:30 to noon. Space is limited, so you'll need to call to reserve space for your youngsters!

We'll have lots of toys and games open and ready for little ones to explore. We'll also have plenty of folks on hand to demonstrate & explain how the toys work. And like always, our helpful playfolks will be ready to help the grownups find toys and games that will further a child's development.

A fun time will be had by all!

To reserve space or to get more information, call the playful folks at the Fairview Heights LagoonaMagoo: (618) 628-9270..

Update 10/21/2010-- Playdates are taking a break for November & December. Please check back to see our schedule of open playdates in January, 2011!

May Game Night Schedule for LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall

2010-05-03T14:52:00.001-05:00

May 7 - Gobblet x 4 - It’s almost tic-tac-toe, but add in sneak attacks, strategy, and speedy play for a new twist to this family favorite. Ages 7 & up

May 14 - Slap Wacky - Using cards, put together the most wacky shape patterns possible. Just remember to slap ‘em to score! Ages 7 & up

May 21 - Smart Mouth - Be the first to shout out a word beginning & ending with your letter tiles. Vocabulary goofiness galore! Ages 8 & up

May 28 - I Spy Eagle Eye - Somewhere on the gameboard is the object on your card-- find it quick! Ages 5 & up

Earth Friendly Playthings!

2010-04-22T12:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Earth Day, Everyone! Today is a day where we're encouraged to think about how we're treating our planet. And what decisions we can make to change our environments for the better. Most toddlers can chant "Reduce Reuse Recycle" at their grownups. And most of these small folks have a pretty good idea how to make this phrase part of their lives. As their grownups, we struggle to follow their example. Maybe we make a bigger effort to sort recyclables and get them in the bin. Maybe we're taking that extra step and feeding our gardens with compost. Many of us remember (ok, maybe not all the time, but most of the time!) to bring reusable bags with us to the store. And these are all great ways to walk a little softer on the earth. And of course we're passing on those phrases our parents bellowed at us: turn off that light if you're done in that room! Don't leave the refrigerator door open! Don't let water just run in the sink! All key phrases to ensure another generation grows up annoyed and aware of how they consume resources. So if this is all sounding familiar, pat yourself on the back.

While there are lots of ways the toy industry could improve their global footprint, there are several toy companies that are taking steps and using a business model that is focused on being good environmental stewards. First up is:

Green Toys - From tea sets to dump trucks, Green Toys offers toys made from recycled materials and packaged in an easy-opening, easily recycled manner. My particular favorite is their Recycling Truck. Not only is the cheerful green color and gentle curves very appealing from a design standpoint, it also is created without any metal parts. How many times have you discovered a beloved dump truck has a rusted axle? The Recycling Truck solves that issue for you. A great addition to kitchen role-playing, the Tea Set will serve up pretend beverages for years. Made in California from recycled milk jugs, the entire Green Toys product line takes traditional toys that next step to being good for our planet.

Kidsonroof - So we're all familiar with the traditional plastic building and construction systems, right? The folks at Kidsonroof have created a building system that uses recycled cardboard: Meet Totem. Open ended, encouraging imagination and exploration, the Totem building system was listed in the 2009 TIME Magazine GREEN DESIGN 100. The Totem Nature set has panels printed with pretty florals, woodsy textures, and bright patterns. The Totem City set has a more industrial and mechanical feel to the printed panels. Coming across the ocean from Holland, the Kidsonroof products are standouts and unique compared to other building toys offered in the US. Each set includes instructions on building a few things, but the real fun is when the child (and the twiddly-fingered grownups!) starts exploring how to create their own structures.

Dreaming Lion LLC - So these are the folks who have created the super-cute Aminals. Aminals are stuffed ... er ... animals that look like children's drawings. Their design is very simple, with a heavy dose of whimsy. What makes these interesting is that they are made from 100% organic materials. Everything, from the stuffing, to the cloth, to the dyes, each stage of production is certified as organic. Manufactured in India, the Aminals are also certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard, which helps to ensure fair labor practices and livable wages are paid to employees. So here's a stuffed toy you can feel good about. Interesting tidbit: They're completely biodegradable! I must admit I'm not thrilled with the cutesy misspellings in the names-- But that's a whole other blog post/rant!

April's Games for the LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall Family Game Night

2010-04-01T06:26:00.001-06:00

You're invited to come play with us at the St. Louis Mills Mall location of LagoonaMagoo Toys! Our family game nights are an great chance to get out and play your favorite games. Or maybe discover a new favorite. Or rediscover one you haven't played in eons. If you have any questions, feel free to give the playful folks at the store a call: (314) 227-5335

We play every Friday from 6:30 - 8:30pm
Hope to see you there!

Our Games for April are:

April 2 - SET (ages 6 and up) Challenge your ideas of what cards can create a set in this game of visual perception! Match shape, number, color or shading. Or match none. Easy for youngsters, SET can be a challenge for the grownup brain.
April 9 - Dicecapades (ages 10 and up) By combining several dice games, physical and artistic challenges, and trivia questions, Dicecapades has something for everyone. It’s not just your luck, it’s your mind that counts in this game!
April 16 - MiQube (ages 7 and up) It's a puzzle & four board games in one! MiQube encourages spatial thinging through it's seemingly simple puzzle cube. Then the board games challenge everyone to think strategically, too!
April 23 - Five Crowns (ages 8 and up) It's not like any card game you've played before-- Instead of four suits, you've got five! Played in rounds, this Rummy-like game is quick moving and a ton of fun!
April 30 - Zombie Fluxx (ages 8 and up) Just when you think you've got the rules down, Fluxx changes them all! Add in a Zombie invasion, and there's more crazy play in store for you and your family! Fun, funny, and totally unpredictable, Zombie Fluxx is sure to become a favorite!

What We Couldn't Resist from Toy Fair Part 3

2010-03-19T10:21:00.002-06:00

These are just way too cool! The Hexbug Nanos have arrived!

These were one of the top toys for this year's toy fair. Grownups and kids can't resist them. So how do they work? From the Hexbug website: "The motor inside the Nano rotates a counterweight that causes forces up and down. The down force causes the legs to bend and the Nano moves forward. The up force causes the creature to hop lifting the front legs off the ground and allowing the legs to unbend. This up and down movement repeats several hundred times per second causing the Nano to move forward. The Nano creature's ability to flip over by itself is due to the rotating forces caused by the motor and the unique internal and external chassis design (and a little magic)." Didja follow that? Watch the video-- You can see how their rapid bouncing creates a forward movement.

So what do you do with them? You can create mazes and habitats for your Nano to navigate-- to get started, there is a set that comes with a few pieces and a Hexbug Nano. And you can easily expand beyond the starter set by using items in your home already. They happily bounce and skitter around obstacles. Get more than one and race. Create entire swarms!

When you're considering itty bitty bots, don't forget the Original Hexbug-- it responds to sound as well as touch. It's realistic walking motion is fascinating. The kind of fascinating that stops grown men in their tracks and reduces them to 10yr old boys.

And the Hexbug Ant is just as cool, too-- and super fast! With 6 gear-driven legs, this little guy is the speed-demon of the bunch.

I predict we will be overtaken by the bots very soon! Resistance is futile!

ps-- check it out: the links go to our new website. Isn't it just tooooo coooool? And so y'all know, we are no longer taking orders through our old website, onceuponatoyinc.com. So please change your bookmarks to http://www.happyupinc.com/. What hasn't changed is our commitment to customer service & supporting all the playful folk in our communities! So pass the word!

LagoonaMagoo @ the St. Louis Mills Mall Family Game Night!

2010-03-15T07:28:00.002-06:00

Wondering what to do with the family on a Friday night? Wonder no longer! LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall is now hosting a family game night. Come and play your favorite game or learn a new one. For more information, give the playful people at the store a phone call at (314) 227-5335

Games start at 6:30 and run until 8:30, every Friday.
Here is the schedule for March and the beginning of April:

March 19: Quiddler (ages 8 - Adult) - Played in rounds, Quiddler is a card game that asks you to think about how to spell short words while racking up the most points with the letters in your hands. Addictively fun and quick to play, Quiddler is sure to become a favorite!
March 26: Qwirkle (ages 6 - Adult) - Qwirkle is a board game that combines strategy & matching skills. Match based on color or shape (or both for big points!) to score and win. The difficulty level of Qwirkle is influenced by the skills of the players.
April 2: SET (ages 6 - Adult) - SET is a game that relies on your visual perceptions (shape, color, etc.) to create patterns & score. Easy enough for youngsters, Set can be a challenge for the grown-ups who are used to looking at the world in one way, and one way only!

PHD's Flying Disk of Fabulousness!

2010-02-27T15:14:00.003-06:00

Before we move on to talk about more of the new things that are wandering into LagoonaMagoo & Once Upon a Toy, we want to give some attention to a great little toy with a kid-can back-story.

A few years ago, 3rd grader (and child of one of PHD's founders) Savanna Groft was assigned a craft project at school-- crochet a round tablemat. It didn't come out quite the way her teacher had intended. By not adding enough stitches, her tablemat developed a small curled lip on it's outer edge. One day, on a lark, Chris Larsen, one of Savanna's friend's father and another of the founders, tossed it across a room. It sailed. Beautifully. Wonderfully. Amazingly. And the rest is history.

What might have looked like an error in Savanna's project was the beginning of a company that involves two families and several villages in Guatemala. Dedicated to fair trade practices, PHD is one of those companies the Happy Up stores are delighted to support and promote. You can read more about their philosophy and commitment to the Mayan women of Guatemala on their website.

So what does PHD stand for? er... ummmm... didja know they run a contest about that?

Toy Fair Finds pt. 3 on it's way soon!

What We Couldn't Resist From Toy Fair 2010 pt 2

2010-02-24T11:13:00.003-06:00

Next up on the "Too Fun! Gotta Have That!" list is the Zyclone Ring Blaster.

Spring will be here soon, and with it will come that "gotta get outside" feeling. Make sure you bring the Zyclone Ring Blaster along with you!
Designed to launch lightweight foam rings, the Zyclone is easily loaded and fired by a wide range of ages and abilities (they suggest 6yrs and up-- I suspect you may be able to go a bit younger if you're willing to help the child launch the first few times).

The projectiles are round rings, so no poky/sharp edges to hurt your companions (although, just to be clear, aiming at someone's face is still a bad idea). Made from a tough, rigid, & lightweight foam, the rings can take a serious amount of playtime. Two come with the launcher, and they'll be available separately, too. Which is a very good thing when you consider it is possible to launch one over 100 feet!

Using a twisting action, the rings spin off of the launcher and sail through the air amazingly far! Don't just take my word for it, watch the mildly cheesy commercial from Zing toys:

Too cool, eh?

While this isn't exactly new (it was a favorite of ours for Christmas), we've got Djubi (pronounced joo-bee) back in stock! If you haven't seen it yet, it's like a slingshot you play catch with. The racket looking thingies are both launcher and catcher for the special ball, the djubi. What makes the ball special? It's on a slingy elastic band! Aimed at kiddos 8 and up, this is a great new twist on playing catch. And perfect to go in Easter Baskets. That's a hint, Mr. Easter Bunny!

Stay tuned-- Part 3 of our Toy Fair Finds will be posted soon!

What we couldn't resist from Toy fair 2010 pt. 1

2010-02-20T20:20:00.002-06:00

Soooo... Y'all are just dying to find out what was fab and fun at the 2010 Toyfair, right? Well-- fasten your seat belts! Several posts heading your way about the cool stuff Shawnta', Rick, & Neal found on their trip to NY. So sit back and prepare to be hit by the "o cool i want that" feeling!

First up, we have Buckyballs!

Made from rare earth magnets, these little spheres are addictive fiddly fun. Mold them, connect them, snap and slip and slide them to form shapes and sculptures. Rolling Stone Magazine proclaimed them one of the best new toys of 2009.

We should note that Buckyballs aren't designed for small folks. Let the little ones have their geomags, magnatiles, and magformers. Due to concerns over what could happen if someone swallowed one (truthfully, the issue is if you swallow more than one), they're labeled for people over 13 yrs old. So repeat after me: Buckyballs are not food.

It's hard to describe why they're so un-put-downable and twiddly-fiddly fun. So instead of waiting for me to stumble on the right way to explain them, feast your eyes on this slightly-hypnotic video from Zoomdoggle, the folks behind the buckyballs. And if you do visit their website, you've got to pinky-swear you'll be patient and get yours from your favorite Happy Up store once we've got them in stock!

What We Couldn't Resist From Toy Fair 2010 pt. 2 coming soon!

The 3/50 Project

2010-02-07T15:57:00.004-06:00

Have you heard of it yet?

The 3/50 project is a group effort to support locally owned businesses. Unlike many efforts to focus attention on the difficulties mom-and-pop businesses face in our current economy, the 3/50 Project doesn't point fingers or assign blame or insist that there is only one right way to support small businesses. Here's what the 3/50 Projects asks you to do:

#1: Stop and think of three locally owned businesses you'd hate to see disappear. Maybe it's that coffee shop with the local artists' paintings on the wall. Or maybe it's that bookstore you haven't been to in a while. Or maybe it's the toy store with employees that always remember you.

#2: At those three businesses, spend $50.00 a month. That's $50 total. $16.66 at each business. And if you go in for the high-end coffee drinks, that can happen faster than you imagine!

And that's it. That's all you have to do. It's that easy.
So what does your $50 a month at three local businesses actually do? Well... Here's a jaw-dropping statistic: If half of all the employed adults in the US spent $50 a month in local businesses, there would be an additional $42.6 billion pouring into our local economies. And it isn't just about an inflow of money to one business. For every $100 spent at a local business, $68 of it *stays* in the local economy. It stays in the form of wages, taxes, local charities supported, sports teams sponsored, and profits reinvested through purchases at other local businesses.

That same $100 spent at a chain store only leaves $43 in the local economy. And purchases made online? That money goes *poof* and disappears to someone else's town.

Are we asking you to *stop* shopping at chain stores or making purchases online? No. There's no need to abandon the big box mega marts or those easy to use webstores. Just choose a few things, a handful of items, that you'll buy at a store owned by the people down the block. And stick to it.

Pick 3. Spend $50. Save your town.
For more information or to get your own business involved, you can read all about it here: http://www.the350project.net/home.html

Help us spread some love, just in time for Valentine's Day!

2010-01-31T13:03:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, the Pearson family of O'Fallon, IL family lost their home in a fire. You can read more about their situation and what happened here: Boy tried to put out O'Fallon fire with milk

LagoonaMagoo Toys in Fairview Heights, IL is sponsoring a toy drive to help refill Dylan and Zayden Pearson's toy boxes. Dylan, who is 6, and Zayden, 1, are both in that sweet-spot of child development where their toys are incredibly real. The real and the imaginary are nearly the same thing in their minds. Losing all of their belongings is a huge blow to children of this age. It wobbles their stability and can set them emotionally adrift. We can't change what has happened, but we can help them heal and reform connections to their pretend-world.

Dylan's school, Marie Schaefer Elementary in O'Fallon, IL has been collecting donations for the family. They have received a wealth of clothes, toys, and household items. The generosity shown by the community is truly heartwarming. We are asking our customers to show just a bit more love and generosity to the family. We want to give the Pearson boys a chance to choose-- to find and form connections to toys that appeal to them. They didn't choose to lose their home. They didn't choose to lose their toys. We want to give them choices again. We want to help the boys actively participate in reforming their sense of "normal."

To make that happen, the Fairview Heights LagoonaMagoo is asking folks to mention Dylan or Zayden when they make a purchase between Feb. 1st and 13th. We will give the family a gift certificate worth 20% of the purchases made in their name during this time period.

Help us spread some love to Dylan and Zayden!

Shake the Winter Blahs!

2010-01-22T07:46:00.002-06:00

Personally? I'm *desperately* tired of these gray, rainy, foggy, what-happened-to-the-sun kinds of days! So if we can't have the sun, I'll take sunny dispositions and light-hearted fun! To help make that happen, your favorite toys stores (LagoonaMagoo & Once Upon a Toy) are having a surprise sale this weekend.

Starting on Friday, Jan. 22 (gasp! hey! that's today!) and continuing on Saturday, Jan. 23, you'll find discounts and deals store wide. LagoonaMagoo at St. Louis Mills will be offering the sale prices on Sunday, too. Don't wait, 'cause regular prices return on Monday, Jan. 25!

Of special note: Extra deep discounts on all Mighty World play sets & vehicles still on our shelves!
We're making space for new toys, so Mighty World has got to go. Get them while you can!

See ya this weekend!

Inventory time!

2010-01-04T15:44:00.001-06:00

one cool bouncy ball... two cool bouncy balls... three! three cool bouncy balls! ah-ha-ha-ha!

Our stores will be closed on the following dates for inventory:

LagoonaMagoo in Fairview Heights: Monday, Jan. 11
Lagoona Magoo at St. Louis Mills Mall: Wed. & Thurs, Jan 13 & 14

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T21:35:00.000-06:00

Big plans and big schemes and big fun is being plotted for 2010! Stay tuned for further updates!

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

2009-12-13T11:15:00.002-06:00

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?

2009-11-25T08:10:00.001-06:00

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!

2009-11-25T07:51:00.005-06:00

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

2009-11-25T07:31:00.003-06:00

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!

2009-11-03T16:30:00.004-06:00

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!

2009-10-29T07:57:00.000-06:00

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

2009-10-21T08:25:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-10-16T10:45:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-14T07:22:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-10-10T15:45:00.005-05:00

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?

2009-10-08T09:12:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-10-07T11:01:00.006-05:00

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!

2009-10-07T09:24:00.004-05:00

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!