tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216363662008-10-09T19:05:15.405-04:00Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comBlogger277125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-76101131636368403352008-10-09T18:57:00.002-04:002008-10-09T19:05:15.410-04:00

We are happy to report that our new holiday catalog has been mailed, and should be arriving in your mailbox by the 14th of this month -- that is, if you haven't gotten it already. (What, you're not on our mailing list? S'OK! We can fix it -- email us your info at pufferbellies [@] gmail [dot] com and we'll add you to the list for the next catalog. And, we do have just a few extra copies of this

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-82618891843041350722008-10-01T12:45:00.004-04:002008-10-01T12:51:51.558-04:00

Join us at here at the store Friday, October 17th at 6:30pm for a special program by the Wildlife Center of Virginia. That's right: real, live creatures of the night, right here at Pufferbellies Toys & Books! (There'll be an owl, a possum, and a special surprise nocturnal guest.) Plus, we'll share one of our favorite bat books and a deliciously batty snack.

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-218296886750578952008-09-28T17:03:00.003-04:002008-09-28T17:11:51.535-04:00

Today was the last Sunday in September, so I've tallied up our donation to Children's Art Network for the month. It is ... $354.90! According to Dorothy over at CAN, it costs them about $5 per student to present one of their wonderful programs. That means thanks to you, we're sponsoring curriculum-enhancing art programs for about 70 local kids. Awesome. Looking ahead: In October, our Shop

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-51633042559509512262008-09-23T19:13:00.005-04:002008-09-23T19:51:37.605-04:00

3,600: the number of books in our store -- from board books for teensy newborns to thrillers for sophisticated teens 320: the number of toy makers and book publishers we currently order from 50: the approximate age of Sandy, our fabulously frisky, perfectly restored, mechanical ride-on horse 2: the number of people named Erin who work here 2: the number of people named Sarah who work here

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-63719739003264272672008-09-14T12:09:00.002-04:002008-09-14T12:17:02.390-04:00

As part of our Shop Sundays for a Cause program, 10% of our Sunday sales in September will go to Children's Art Network. We're open until 4pm today, so I hope we'll see you here soon! And, here are a few of the new items we've gotten in this week: Working Trucks by Valtech -- create your own unique trucks with magnetic parts. Take them all apart and start over again! Hours of fun for ages 3 and

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-53110340977917917142008-09-11T21:11:00.002-04:002008-09-11T21:14:53.646-04:00

Don't forget to come see us for Storytime tomorrow morning starting at 10:30. Miss Susan will be joined by her faithful bunny sidekick Bunzo for another round of stories, songs, and silliness. Come shake your bunny tail with us! -Erin B. P.S. Can't make it tomorrow? Come next Friday! Storytime is a weekly affair.

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-12557934260867054752008-09-07T07:49:00.003-04:002008-09-07T08:00:36.909-04:00

We are now in the second year of our Shop Sundays for a cause program, in which we donate 10% of our Sunday sales to non-profit organizations serving children and families in our community. Over the last twelve months, we've been able to donate $3,800 to local charities. Hooray! We are kicking off our second 12-month cycle by supporting Children's Art Network, an organization that takes hands-on

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-29007108161782540872008-09-05T09:46:00.002-04:002008-09-05T09:55:16.018-04:00

We'll see you at 10:30 this morning for Storytime with Miss Susan. She's got a very funny book to share, A Birthday for Cow! by Jan Thomas. Do you do turnips? Cow does. (Shout-out to our story-listening preschooler friend Maya, who "doesn't do onions. [She does] shallots.") Mark your calendars for Storytime every Friday at 10:30. Or, just zap our Google Calendar into yours so you can get the

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-56017953299836088862008-09-05T08:50:00.003-04:002008-09-05T08:58:47.584-04:00

Here are a couple articles from the News Leader this week, about new businesses opening downtown.  Fretwell Bass to open on W. Beverley Street George Bowers Grocery to open in Newtown The Grocery will be next door to The Dirty Bean espresso bar and laundromat. Have you been there? You should. Really. Go now! Another fun fact about the Grocery and Bean is that both are situated in a building with

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-6226571926690400962008-08-28T08:33:00.003-04:002008-08-28T09:33:58.639-04:00

I know that a lot of Pufferbellies followers are also loyal (OK, raving) fans of The Split Banana ice cream shop up the street (which, I'm sure you all know by now, is owned by Pufferbellies team member and close relative Nick Blanton). So, I wanted to give you a heads up that the Banana now has awesome t-shirts in both kids' and adults' sizes. They have cool embroidered baseball caps, too, which

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-74540419642504730652008-08-27T18:53:00.003-04:002008-08-27T19:10:40.539-04:00

As I mentioned earlier today, the Staunton News Leader published a story and photo about our donation of a portable puppet theater to the Augusta County Library. We are so excited to have been able to do this for the children's department at the ACL! A lot of folks have asked us how we got involved in the project. Here's what happened: Erin S. and I took Skippyjon Jones to visit the children's

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-74378240721284250882008-08-27T08:16:00.004-04:002008-09-01T08:33:25.851-04:00

The News Leader has a small article about the new puppet theater we donated to the Augusta County Library back in June (our theater is the second one down on that page). Later today I will post more about why we donated the puppet theater, along with some links to find out how you can see it in action. --Erin B Edit: It looks like the News Leader has moved the article to a new url. Try this

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-52878129049975639482008-08-20T13:42:00.008-04:002008-08-20T14:03:51.027-04:00

Wait till you see Jim Arnosky's new offering, Wild Tracks! (exclamation point belongs to Jim). Jim Arnosky is a master at explaining the intricacies of nature to children, and his books are always beautiful and useful. But this new one totally rocks. Think beautiful and accurate drawings of animals, accompanied by life-size footprints. Compare the size the footprints of a deer and a moose, for

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-66711771616499578662008-08-18T09:55:00.003-04:002008-08-18T09:59:09.616-04:00

This was the scene late last week, as we unpacked and put out hundreds of boxes of Playmobil. Erin S. did eventually make her way out of the Playmobil maze, but it took a while! Good news: Everything's out and ready for you to enjoy.

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-86973776175826889332008-08-14T22:17:00.000-04:002008-08-14T22:34:52.226-04:00

It's birthday season! August and September seem to have a higher concentration of birthdays than most other months. I could speculate on the possible causes, or just get to the point and tell you all about our Birthday Basket program. Here's how it works, kiddos: A couple of weeks before your birthday, you can come to Pufferbellies, pick items that you've been wishing for, and put them in your

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-78276361355434700622008-08-12T10:11:00.002-04:002008-08-12T10:16:31.262-04:00

This is just a super quick update about some of the new things we've gotten in over the past week or so: Laminated, color-able placemats from Educational Placemats, a company based up in Arlington, VATalking alarm clocks, make-your-own-lamp kits, lollipop lip gloss, suction-cup toothbrush holders, and fiber-optic flowers from StreamlineCat and dog scrapbooks from Bow Wow MeowNew Lego Bionicles

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-88714996713094493552008-08-02T17:01:00.002-04:002008-08-02T17:13:31.780-04:00

Here at last, Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn, fourth in the Twilight series. A veritable feast for followers of Bella and Edward. The book was released this morning at 12:01, but the release was not without its own nail-biting drama. At the height of our Birthday Sale madness yesterday, a representative from our book wholesaler phoned with the dreadful news that the tractor trailer truck

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-16768814180494939352008-07-30T08:31:00.003-04:002008-07-30T08:41:12.144-04:00

Believe it or not, it's time for our second annual Big Birthday Sale. It's happening this weekend: Friday, August 1st, and Saturday, August 2nd, from 10am to 7pm both days. Here's what you need to know: 1. EVERYTHING inside the store will be 20% off the marked price. That's EVERYTHING. Big stuff, little stuff, middle-sized stuff. All 20% off. 2. Outside, you'll find special tables with toys

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-91411738649726788182008-07-27T10:28:00.003-04:002008-07-30T17:01:53.779-04:00

We've had some folks inquire as to whether we'll have the new Stephenie Meyer novel, Breaking Dawn, in stock when it's released on August 2nd. YES! If you'd like to reserve a copy, please give us a call. --Erin B. PS: I can't wait, either. PPS: Did you know that we've greatly expanded our book selection for early readers, middle readers, tweens and teens? Come see!

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-7477442082657498952008-07-24T17:46:00.002-04:002008-07-24T17:50:49.008-04:00

I can't wait to share these old and new favorites at storytime tomorrow: Bill Martin's Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, James Worhola's Jungle Edition of If You're Happy and You Know It, and Margaret Wild's Kiss, Kiss. We'll be stomping like elephants, roaring like lions, and scratching like monkeys. Oreo the baby orangutan will join us, too, and we'll make great lion paper bag puppets

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-1259810778937002532008-07-20T12:02:00.001-04:002008-07-23T08:27:54.604-04:00

This month, you can support the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, just by shopping at Pufferbellies on Sundays. We'll donate 10% of our Sunday sales for the month of July to this great organization that helps feed hungry people throughout the state of Virginia.

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-36244295271634169182008-07-19T21:11:00.012-04:002008-07-23T08:27:23.878-04:00

Anybody got a swatter? We can't put down these new Fly Eye glasses. Not only do they make you look like a fly, they actually help you see what a fly sees! They also kind of make you feel like you're in some weird graphic novel: Or maybe that's just us. Fly Eyes: In stock at Pufferbellies for $7.99.

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-63139927818026149052008-07-15T07:41:00.002-04:002008-07-23T08:28:12.731-04:00

Calling all babies! Please bring a grown-up and join us this morning at 10:30 for Rock & Rhyme. Erin S. will lead us all in bounces, songs, rhymes, and a short book. Lots of clapping and dancing, too! This program is designed for babies from birth through age 2. Older siblings are welcome. We Rock & Rhyme every Tuesday morning at 10:30. Hope we'll see you soon! --Erin B.

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-6750031269739770582008-07-13T08:09:00.002-04:002008-07-13T08:12:23.157-04:00

Putumayo's 15th Anniversary Concert in Central Park looks amazing -- but if you can't make it, stop by and check out our Putumayo Kids CD selection. We've got them all on iTunes, too, so just ask and we'll give you a listen. --Erin B.

Pufferbellies Toys and Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16384094506709339053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21636366.post-19308831476018060392008-07-07T10:18:00.003-04:002008-07-23T08:27:41.143-04:00

We got a terrific little box from Candlewick Press (my all time favorite publisher) this morning--new titles going on sale tomorrow. Here's a sneak preview: From Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, masters of the pop-up book, comes the gorgeous and intricate Fairies and Magical Creatures. Picture this opening spread--the fairy monarch Titania with, and I'm not kidding about this, wings that

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