Lunch Notes – Free, fun and full of love

Yup, it’s that time again.  We’ve survived the back to school craziness and now we’re somewhat comfy and back in our groove…  mostly.  Now it’s back to our yearly debate – to eat school lunch or pack a lunch of our own.

The answer seems simple enough, if only I were the organized type of Mom that has their act together at 6:30/7:00am in the morning.  I’m not – so the great debate continues.  Hot, easy (someone else makes them!), supposedly healthy, yet questionably edible school lunch, or home packed, healthy (or at least yummy) lunches…

I hope to attain the goal of a daily packed lunch BEFORE my children graduate, and could use some good recipe suggestions for junior-high and high-school lunch options if anyone reading our blog has some yummy, healthy, simple to make suggestions.

My mindless rambling has brought me an opportunity to remind myself and anyone else that might be interested, that Lunch Box Notes are a free and easy way to hug our kids and give them a warm fuzzy moment in the middle of their busy school day.

Happy School Year!

Back to School Messenger Bags!

Hello everybody,

Back to school season is in the air. People are frantically scrambling to pack in as many summer activities as possible, every other commercial on television shows a gleeful parent stocking up on pens and pencils for their children and here at La Retro Gifts we have been swimming in packages of messenger bags! They have been literally flying out of the store as soon as we get a delivery.

Because they are so popular I have chosen them as my first review because I do NOT want anyone to be left out of the cool loop this September. Trust me, if you want to be hip and stylish this Fall you will get your hands on one of these bags (and I will do my best to ship it out to you before school starts!)

The messenger bags are made by three cheers and come in two different styles:

The ‘Hot Dot’ style (which I always mistake for “Hot Dog,” resulting in some comedic confusion)

And the Peace Sign print

Both are very stylish and the Peace sign design comes with a matching pencil case that I know we carry.

They are made out of a lightweight material which is convenient for keeping your load to a minimum weight, but still durable enough to endure all the smashing and throwing and cramming that will inevitably occur.

They have an adjustable shoulder strap so you can custom fit it for your height, and the best part is they have lots of pockets!

I have to say I love pockets. I always have pencils, erasers, mints, notes, my cell phone, keys, ID and whatever else I happen to shove into my bag all hanging out at the bottom being crushed by my books. Now everyone can be organized AND look awesome doing it!

This is the inside front pocket

This is the Main part of the bag

Easy-Grip handle for grabbing in a hurry!

Back Pocket

There is even a mesh pocket on the outside for a cell phone or something you need to grab quickly without having to open up your bag.

Cell Phone pocket!

This is an item that we sell online and in the store, but they are going fast so you need to hurry up and get yours before the new school year starts. (If you come into the store and we do not have them displayed, just ask one of the ladies who is working that day and we will be happy to write down your name and number and set one aside for you as soon as they come in!)

For many people, back to school is something we dread! We cannot believe the summer is coming to an end and another year of school is about to begin.

Instead of being mopey about it, why don’t you go out and buy yourself some new clothes, shoes, pencils and one of our awesome messenger bags. You’ll feel better already!

This is Amanda from La Retro Gifts, and remember:

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

Store Update!

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the delay on here, but things have been quite hectic at the store these past few weeks.

We finally moved!

…

Right next door!!

This sounds like a very simple process, but trust me it is far from it. Luckily we had help from Hallie’s wonderful kids and their friends. What good workers!

This is the old store:

so cramped!

The New Store!!!!

If you look close you can see Nikky twirling!

Look how far back it goes!

We are pretty much all set up in

the new store. We were open for business last week, but our awning has not changed from the previous store. We’ve had a lot of confused customers coming in and asking where the clothing is! Sorry all you loyal imagine that! customers.

As you can see our new store is much much bigger. We even have dressing rooms so the kids can try on the fairy finery.

There is an office and even a basement where we can store all the stuff that we ship to our online customers.

It is very fancy and we are feeling very special.

We have recently started opening on Sundays for a few hours during the Farmer’s Market on Penn avenue. We have a small children’s activity outside the store so the kids have something to look forward to while their parents are shopping for fresh vegetables and fruits!

The last time we did it Nikky was in charge. She did sidewalk chalk which was a big hit. This time I was in charge and I had the kids finger paint on a big sign that says “La Retro Gifts” and then we’re going to hang it up in the store.

It was a lot of fun and not as messy as I was anticipating! (I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures, though, because we were so busy!)

In a future post I plan on reviewing the “whirl O” toys so get excited for it!

This is Amanda from La Retro Gifts, and remember:

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

Art on the Avenue

Saturday was art on the avenue here in West Reading.

It is an annual event where Penn Avenue is blocked off and the streets are filled with art, food, music and fun. We were really excited here at La Retro because it was a great opportunity to get ourselves more well known in the community. We had hired two young ladies to do free face painting right outside the store.

Miranda and Roxy, our professional face artists!

Well it turns out they were serious artists and instead of face painting, the kids were given face masterpieces! Each child was greeted warmly and asked what they wanted, there was no list of things these girls could do. It was all up to the kids and their imaginations! It was really great to see how creative some of these kids could be! There was even one little guy that had a joker face, complete with a big red grin.

There was one small glitch in our plan of having an amazing day: RAIN!

And lots of it. When I got to the store it was pouring. Outside there were seas of white tents popping up all over the street, people in ponchos running for cover. There seemed to be a common theme with everyone: each face was etched with determination. Our June has been filled with dreary, rainy days. We were not to be stopped from having our celebration!

We were checking the weather constantly, and trying to ignore the fact that there was a small hurricane happening outside our door.

Then, finally, a glimmer of hope! The sun had come out, and with it, everyone who had been hiding in their homes for too long. The music started playing and the day had begun. We were now in serious business. The face painters arrived, sat down, and immediately got to work. In a short time there was a line of excited and clean faces, waiting to be turned into works of art.

The sun was faithful for a good chunk of time, but suddenly the rains came flooding back. (This turned out to be quite nice for us since it made everyone run for cover in the store!)

In the end the rain grew weak and the rest of the day went well. It wasn’t exactly sunny, but it wasn’t raining and that was all that people cared about.

All in all it was a fairly successful day. Everyone who came out enjoyed themselves thoroughly, especially those sporting a bit of “face-art!”

This is Amanda from La Retro Gifts, and remember:

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

Just a Quick Introduction

Hello Everyone!

Thank you, Hallie for the great introduction! My name is Amanda, I am the newest employee here at La Retro Gifts. I work in the store itself, but I also help to package the online sales.

And, as you have guessed by now, I am the new writer for La Retro Gifts’ blog! I am going to be keeping you updated on the goings on of the store. I will also be doing a weekly review of the products that we sell with some in store and online exclusives!

I spend most of my time in the store, and when I am not selling the merchandise…I am playing with it! I will be giving you the inside scoop on the hot new products and the classic favorites.

I will also keep you updated on events happening at the store here on Penn Avenue.

Coming up we have Art on the Avenue and then our big move!

Art on the Avenue is this Saturday (June 20)  from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. right here on Penn Avenue in West Reading! There will be artists, musicians, food, gifts and fun!

La Retro Gifts is having free face painting outside our store, so if you are in the area grab the family and come on over for a great time!

That’s all for today, but you will be hearing from me again very soon!

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

-Amanda

Welcome Amanda to our team!

We are sooo happy to say WELCOME! to Amanda.  Amanda is a recent graduate of Millersville University and the newest member on the La Retro Gifts team.  We are so lucky to have her with us – she’s awesomely fun, positive, intelligent and in every way just plain wonderful.  We are turning our blog over to her capable hands.  I look forward to the future of our humble blog, and what Amanda will bring to it.

Hallie Vanszl
Owner
La Retro Gifts

La Retro Gifts article in the Reading Eagle

I was lucky to be interviewed by the Reading Eagle (thanks to my awesome husband Vince for getting us noticed for this!).  Today the article is on the front page of the business section.  I’m excited about getting “seen” and super grateful for the exposure.  I’ll post it here for posterities sake. 

readingeagle.com

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Reading Eagle: Ryan McFadden

Hallie J. Vanszl, owner of La Retro Gifts in West Reading.

Lower Alsace woman finds niche selling reproduction toys, gifts

After years of doing various jobs, Hallie J. Vanszl has found her niche selling reproduction toys and gifts.

By David A. Kostival

Reading Eagle Correspondent

4/27/2009

– If you are going to start your own business, find your passion and your special niche.

Hallie J. Vanszl, 40, Lower Alsace Township, has been in search of her passion for years.

Her search took her from working on a fishing boat in the Bering Sea to selling horse-drawn tractors on eBay.

But opening a store, La Retro Gifts in West Reading, which features fun gifts and toys, turned out to be what she was looking for.

“This is what I love – fun and funky stuff,” Vanszl said. “My focus here is creating a fun and interactive shopping experience for both kids and adults.”

Before opening the store, Vanszl sold different things on eBay. She said she became fairly successful, achieving the status of gold power seller, which meant she sold more than $10,000 a month.

It was an important step in owning a business because she was able to open the store with no debt, she said. She funded the store with the profits from her online business.

A native of Spokane, Wash., Vanszl worked as a case worker for Supportive Concepts a few years ago.

Vanszl loves owning her own business but admits that there is a lot of work involved.

“I recommend owning your own business only if you love a big challenge,” she said. “It’s scary because things outside of your control affect your business – it’s tough. You also have to be open-minded to switching to a different business plan depending on how people respond.”

The store’s big focus is on retro toys – reproductions of classic toys originally produced in the 1940s.

But Vanszl also is trying to evolve the business to offer a large selection of toys which are fun and interactive.

One of the most popular sellers is the large selection of hand puppets and puppet theatres.

“Once people come through the door, they tend to come back again,” Vanszl said. “The customers really become fans of the store.”

Vanszl said she loves being on the avenue in West Reading, but acknowledges one problem is a misconception that the stores are expensive.

“That’s simply not true,” she said. “We have many great gifts which range from $6 to $10. The most expensive item in the store is $150.”

As a small-business owner, Vanszl said she has learned that to survive having a bricks-and-mortar store, you also have to maintain an online business.

“I’ve seen other businesses on the avenue fail because they did not sell from a Web site,” she said.

Vanszl said 80 percent of all of her sales occur from her Web site.

“One day in December, we had to close the store simply to pack up a mail truck with the Christmas orders we received from the online store,” she said.

Contact David A. Kostival: at 610-371-5049 or money@readineagle.com.

Reading Eagle: Ryan McFadden

A soapsicle at La Retro Gifts.

The One Toy Every Child Must Have

Let your imagination run wild with building blocks

If you could provide a toy that was intellectually stimulating, you would want it to help children develop their vocabularies as they learn to describe sizes, shapes, and positions. You would want math skills developed through the process of grouping, adding, and subtracting, and scientific method practices developed as your child experiences gravity, balance, physics and geometry.

You would want the perfect toy to have creative benefits: that is, children would receive creative stimulation by making their own designs. You would want this toy to offer physical benefits as well. It would build strength in a child’s fingers and hands, and improve eye-hand coordination.

The all-in-one super incredible, amazing toy?

Blocks.

That’s it. Any size, any shape. You might like the Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks (40 Piece) by Melissa and Doug or the back to basics set Standard Unit Wood Building Blocks, 60 Piece, by Melissa and Doug.

What’s not to love about blocks? They can become an airport, a grocery store, a space station or even a petting zoo for Martians. Don’t ask. If you don’t have a basic block set, you need one. Toddlers can start by stacking and elementary-age children can incorporate puppets, cars, dolls and action figures into the play.

And if you do have a set, step it up a notch and add some new pieces. See what kinds of buildings your child can design if you add the Architectural Wood Building Blocks, 44 Piece, by Melissa and Doug. The only limit? His or her imagination.

Author:  Angie B.

Heirloom wooden baby rattles – made in the USA

Montgomery Schoolhouse Mini Wooden Bell Rattle

Landmark Maple Woodcraft, a Vermont based company specializing in natural maple wood toys, is about as awesome as a toy company could be.

One of our favorite products are their Montgomery Schoolhouse Rattles.  They’re gorgeous, they’re natural, babies love them…  AND they are made right here in the USA!  Here is what Landmark Maple has to say about these sweet baby toys:

“Montgomery Schoolhouse classic heirloom rattles are made from select hardwoods, colored in bright non-toxic finishes, they are one of infant’s first educational experiences. Each of our designs stimulates in its own way with bells, beads or disks. Four designs measure about 5-3/4″ long, great for mother and baby play time. And four minis measure about 2-1/2″ long—perfect in size for a newborn’s fingers. All are attractively gift boxed.”

Montgomery Schoolhouse rattles are absolutely an awesome Baby Shower gift, and look especially beautiful when added to a Gift Basket!  This product receives a huge thumbs up from the folks here at La Retro Gifts.

One More Mommy Myth Down the Drain

I was an expert on parenting – before I had kids, of course and I’ve done most of the parenting things I never thought I would do.  But even though I’ve been doing this awhile, they still manage to surprise me.  I used to think that two children with the same parents, same upbringing, same experiences would be very similar to their sibling.  For the record, I was wrong.

To spend some time with my kids, you would have thought one was raised my wolves and the other raised by a cross between Martha Stewart and Emily Post.  One is an “active” child – a pleasant euphemism which means the child is up at the crack of dawn and doesn’t slow down once until she falls asleep in a sweaty, exhausted heap eighteen hours later.

The other one acts as though she’s never met her sister and certainly wouldn’t be seen in public with her.  All of her time is down time.  When she isn’t drawing, she’s singing, or picking out songs on the piano or creating innovative ways to rearrange her room.

Nether one is exactly like me – or my husband, and I suppose it’s a good thing.  But I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Author:  Angie B.