Lake Anne Nursery & Kindergarten Bazaar (11/22/2008)
On Saturday we went to Reston to the Lake Anne Nursery & Kindergarten which is lovingly referred to as LANK. It is a great little preschool and kindergarten with some very nice parents and staff. We had a very nice day and enjoyed chatting with all the nice parents and visitors.
Family Education.com Help Preschoolers with Problem Solving (11/18/2008)
According to Alvin Poussaint, M.D. and Susan Linn, Ed.D. writing for Family Education.com puzzles are an important part of the development of fine motor skills.
"Large-piece puzzles (wood or heavy cardboard)... work well for the younger pre-schooler, providing practice with eye/hand coordination, fine motor skills, and beginning experience in problem solving. Toddlers learn that if a piece doesn't fit one way, it may fit another and ultimately will fit somewhere if they keep trying.
To read the full article, click here.
October Drawing Winner (11/1/2008)
Congratulations to Chris B. from Utah. Chris was the winner of the October Puzzle give-away. Chris won a free Camden Camel - Fun Colors. Congratulations, Chris, we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
Great Kids Expo (10/26/2008)
I can't say that the Great Kids Expo was anything but a disappointment for all of us at MyDaddyPuzzles. There are a lot of things that challenged us. The US economy is in the toilet right now. They had about a third of the vendors they thought they'd have and nobody was buying anything. We met some real nice folks but we didn't do very well in the sales area. It was the first year of this event, so it may get better next year, but I don't think we'll be there to find out.
Fairfax Fall Festival (10/11/2008)
The Fairfax Fall Festival was a fantastic event. Again the weather was incredible and we had tons of people come by the booth. We sold a lot of puzzles, especially dragons and cars. They were extremely popular.
Art on the Avenue (10/4/2008)
As expected Art on the Avenue was our best event of the year. The weather was beautiful, there were thousands of people and the sales were very good. We saw many of our friends from last year and were able to show off our new puzzles. As usual, the organizing committee did an excellent job and made it our best event of the year.
September Drawing Winner (10/1/2008)
Congratulations to Thomas M. from North Carolina. Tom was the winner of the September Puzzle give-away. Tom won a free Camden Camel - Fun Colors. Congratulations, Tom, we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
Occoquan Fall Arts & Crafts Festival (9/28/2008)
Boy we got wet in Occoquan. We had a great time at the festival but it rained a lot. The festival was a blast but it rained a lot. There were a lot of very nice people and some great booths. The weather was very nice between rainstorms. I'd highly recommend anyone who has not been down to their spring or fall festivals to make the trip down there to check it out.
Art on the Pike (Columbia Pike, Arlington 9/20/2008)
Art on the Pike was not really our thing. It was not as fun successful as we had hoped but we still had a good time. I did get a chuckle when the Arlington Democratic Party set up their booth in the handicapped parking spot, but I was stretching to find something funny. It was a pretty day but we really could have sold more puzzles to be perfectly honest. It is a fun event if you are looking to get some great food or watch a lot of good local ethnic entertainment. Check it out next year. The event was sponsored by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization. They also sponsor the Columbia Pike Farmers Market which I have heard is very fun.
MyDaddyPuzzles on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (9/28/2008)
It's been a well known secret for a while that we had a small part in the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EM:HE) project in Poolesville, Maryland in June. We had a lot of fun and it was a great experience. The episode is finally going to be airing in two weeks. The season premier of EM:HE is on Sunday, September 28th at 7 Eastern. It is a two hour show. Look for our puzzles in the room for the families four teenage girls. Our puzzles are featured prominently in the room. We've created a page that tells the story of how we got involved, click here to read about our EM:HE experience.
August Drawing Winner (9/1/2008)
Congratulations to Heather M. from Virginia. Heather was the winner of the August Puzzle give-away. Heather won a free Camden Camel - Fun Colors. Congratulations, Heather, we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
Great Kids Expo 2008 (8/29/2008)
MyDaddyPuzzles will be an exhibitor at the Great Kids Expo in October.
Great Kids Expo is a kid-focused, fun-packed family event with live entertainment, educational sessions, demonstrations, and over one hundred exhibits selling products and promoting services for raising healthy, happy and safe kids of all ages.
The Great Kids Expo focuses on a wealth of resources and entertainment for a family at any stage - from pregnancy planning – caring for your newborn – challenging your toddler to entertaining your children and teenagers (and yes Dad too).
Upcoming Events (8/28/2008)
MyDaddPuzzles is happy to announce the event schedule for the remainder of 2008.
September 20th - Art on the Pike, Arlington
September 21st - Art in the Park, Cameron Station, Alexandria
September 27th - Occoquan Fall Arts & Crafts Festival, Occoquan, VA
October 4 - Art on the Avenue, Del Ray Neighborhood, Alexandria, VA
October 11 - Fairfax Fall Festival, Fairfax, VA
October 24 - Great Kids Expo, Dulles Expo Center, VA
We've looked all around the area for the best places to show and sell our toys. These dates are subject to change so please check back often. We hope to see you soon at one of these fine venues.
New Puzzles added to MyDaddyPuzzles Lineup (8/21/2008)
We're very proud to announce that Timmy T-Rex, Torrey Triceratops, Ryan Race Car, and Dorothy Dragon have officially joined the MyDaddyPuzzles family. Timmy, Ryan, Torrey and Dorothy are made of high quality, US grown soft maple. Timmy, Ryan, and Torrey have been priced at $20. Due to it's larger size, Dorothy is priced at $25. Dorothy and Ryan are moving especially fast so get your orders in today!
July Drawing Winner (8/1/2008
Congratulations to Shelli R. from Utah. Shelli was the winner of the August Puzzle give-away. Shelli won a free Danny Duckling - Natural Stain. Congratulations, Shelli, we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
MyDaddyPuzzles at the Arlington County Fair (7/15/2008)
We've been at the Arlington County Fair for the last four days. We had a great time. There were a lot of very nice people and some old craft show friends too. I can do without another announcement of the piglet races but other than that we had a great time. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth to chat and purchase our puzzles. We hope to see everyone next year.
Reston Festival (7/13/2008)
Have you ever been to the Reston Town Center? Holy cow, that's a nice place. It is huge but still has a very small town Main Street feel to it. We spent the weekend in Reston at the 44th Annual Reston Festival and we had a great time. I was a bit worried that it would be too hot but there was a very nice breeze all day. Unfortunately, that nice breeze was not so nice on Saturday night. I arrived on Sunday morning to find out canopy tent crumpled up in a heap in the alley behind our booth spot. I guess a gust of wind came through and just picked it up and slammed it against the building. We're pretty lucky. There were 10 lb weights on each of the legs and they were thrown 30 feet down the alley. I'm just glad they didn't go through the huge windows. Anyway, we had a great time. Good weather, good people and a great time. Once again, we had a great neighbor, Tiffany Scott of Holly Lane Designs. She makes some great silver jewelry. Check it out if you have time.
June Drawing Winner (7/1/2008)
Congratulations to Emmarae E. from Iowa. Emmarae was the winner of the June Puzzle give-away. Emmarae won a free Black & White Lambert Lamb. Congratulations, Emmarae, we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
Art in the Park Sponsored by Cameron Perks (6/21/2008)
We were invited to a great event at Cameron Station in Alexandria. Art in the Park was sponsored by Cameron Perks a wonderful coffeehouse on the main street in Cameron Station. I highly recommend the lemon bars. The weather was great and we met quite a few wonderful folks. We had so much fun we're already looking forward to next year.
Coming Soon - Dorothy Dragon (6/17/2008)
We're pleased to announce that Dorothy Dragon will join our puzzle family this summer. Dorothy is 11 inches wide and 7 inches tall. She will be made out of maple. We expect to have a Fun Colors Dorothy, a Green Dorothy, and a Red Dorothy. Dorothy has 7 pieces. Dorothy will be lots of fun and she'll be available in late July.
Coming Soon - Timmy T-Rex (6/17/2008)
We're pleased to announce that Timmy T-Rex will join our puzzle family this summer. Timmy is 10.5 inches wide and 7 inches tall. He will be made out of maple. We expect to have a Fun Colors Timmy and a Green Timmy. Timmy has 8 pieces. Timmy will be lots of fun and he'll be available in late July.
Comming Soon - Torrey Triceratops (6/17/2008)
We're pleased to announce that Torrey Triceratops will join our puzzle family this summer. Torrey is 11 inches wide and 6 inches tall. She will be made out of maple. We expect to have a Fun Colors Torrey and a Green Torrey. Torrey has 7 pieces. Torrey will be lots of fun and she'll be available in late July.
Comming Soon - Ryan Racecar (6/17/2008)
We're pleased to announce that Ryan Racecar will join our puzzle family this summer. Ryan is 11 inches wide and 4 inches tall. He will be made out of maple. We expect to have a Red Ryan , a Blue Ryan and a Fun Colors Ryan. Ryan has 7 pieces. Ryan will be lots of fun and he'll be available in late July.
Celebrate Fairfax (6/9/2008)
Celebrate Fairfax was a bit of a trial for everyone involved. It was so hot. Those poor people waded through 105 degree heat for two days. Let's say they were not too willing to take out their wallets to buy some awesome puzzles.
We ended up having a great time anyway. The booth next to ours was run by two very nice people from southern West Virginia, Willow and Ryan. They run a business called Willows World of Jewels They make some great looking stuff. In fact, I bought one of their necklaces for my mother-in-law for Christmas. (I sure hope Judy doesn't read this.)
Willow and Ryan's website is not quite ready but you should all check it out when they get it up and running.
Extension of the Viva Vienna Sale (6/1/2008)
Thanks to the awesome response we had to our Viva Vienna Sale, we've decided to hold it over until July 1st. All our puzzles are priced under $20 all month. We've also got a great shipping deal. Any order of 1-5 puzzles will be shipped for a flat fee of $5. That's a deal! Thanks to everyone for making Viva Vienna such a great success. We hope you all enjoy your puzzles.
May Drawing Winner (6/1/2008)
Congratulations to Steven C. from New Mexico. Steven was the winner of the May Puzzle give-away. Steven won a free Staci Sea Horse - Natural Stains. Congratulations, Steven , we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
Viva Vienna Sale (5/24/2008)
To celebrate Viva Vienna 2008, we've decided to have a sale! All puzzle have been reduced for a limited time to celebrate our involvement in the Viva Vienna Festival and to commemorate Memorial Day. Our larger puzzles usually sell for $25 each. During our Viva Vienna Sale, those puzzles will sell for only $19.95 online and $20 at the festival. We're also having a shipping special. Buy up to 5 puzzles and pay only $5 for shipping. 6 to 10 puzzles will only be $10. We hope everyone has a happy Memorial Day weekend and that everyone in the National Capitol area will come on over to Vienna (Booth 143 on Church Street next to Great Harvest Bread) and join us on Sunday and Monday at Viva Vienna!
Children's Bookstore (5/20/2008)
We don't often have the opportunity to endorse other businesses but in this case we'll make an exception. We recently discovered www.childrensbookstore.com. Wow! What a discovery! Children's Bookstore has just about any book you could possibly want and the best prices I've seen for a while. It is also an online community where parents share information, get expert advice on raising children, and find fun activities that encourage children to read. Children's Bookstore is a wonderful resource and we hope you all take a few moments to check it out.
KidSource.com Recommends Puzzles for Young Children (5/18/2008)
"When children work on puzzles, they are actually "putting the pieces together" in more ways than one. Puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions—all of which they will use in school and beyond. Find a puzzle with a picture that has particular interest for your child, and you may help her begin to recognize colors and letters, and come to realize that the sum of parts make up a whole—a concept that will help her with math later on. By inserting pieces into the puzzle, children also develop the muscle group used for writing, or the "pincer" grasp.
Children can work on puzzles by themselves, without the help of adults or other children. They can also work together on large puzzles and practice compromising and getting along. Because each child must concentrate on the puzzle individually, he experiences a sense of satisfaction as he picks up a piece, rotates it, and discovers the spot in which it fits. Piece by piece, he begins to recognize the picture that the puzzle represents." To read the full article, click here.
McLean Day (05/17/2008)
We enjoyed a beautiful day in McLean's Lewinsville Park on Saturday celebrating McLean Day. For the first time this season we didn't feel a drop of rain. Thanks to all those who visited us to play and buy our puzzles.
Throughout the day we talked with quite a few people about how playing with puzzles effects a child's physical and mental development. I found an interesting article at Buzzle.com written by Barbara White in December of 2005 titled The Value of Jigsaw Puzzles for Very Young Children. Among other things, Ms. White writes, "Puzzles help develop the reasoning and deduction process of thinking. As well as skills such as spatial awareness, matching and sorting. Above all, jigsaw puzzles present a great opportunity for language development and a happy social interaction with your child."
Old Town Alexandria Arts & Crafts Festival (5/10/2008)
MyDaddyPuzzles is at the Old Town Arts & Crafts and Volunteer Festival on Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th. The Festival is sponsored by the Alexandria Volunteer Bureau and is held in Market Square in the heart of Old Town, Alexandria. Despite the morning rain, many people came and enjoyed the festival's first day. Even though the day started out a bit wet, the sun was peaking out from the clouds by early afternoon. We had a great day and hope to see you all tomorrow. Weather should be great!
April Drawing Winner (4/1/2008)
Congratulations to Shelli W. from Royal City, Washington. Shelli was the winner of the April Puzzle give-away. Shelli won a free Camden Camel - Natural Stains. Congratulations, Shelli, we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
Playing with Puzzles Develops Problem Solving & Critical Thinking Skills
MentalHelp.net published an article on January 16th, 2008 titled Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood. The article was written by Angela Oswalt, MSW, Natalie Staats Reiss, Ph.D and Mark Dombeck, Ph.D. In the article, the authors stated, "Age-appropriate puzzles are fun challenges that encourage problem-solving and critical thinking skills." They also suggest that playing with puzzles help a child develop categorization, concentration, and memory skills. The authors also suggested many other ways to help your child develop critical thinking skills. To read the full article click here.
National Association for the Education of Young Children says Puzzles Help Children Develop Crucial Skills
The National Association for the Education of Young Children published an article titled Puzzles in early childhood education: Putting the pieces together. In the article, the uncredited author suggests that "puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions—all of which they will use in school and beyond." The author also suggests that a child's motor skills are developed by playing with puzzles. "By inserting pieces into the puzzle, children also develop the muscle group used for writing, or the "pincer" grasp." To read the full article, click here.
Upcoming Events (4/28/2008)
MyDaddPuzzles is happy to announce a parital schedule of 2008 events.
May 10 & 11 - Old Town Fine Arts Festival
May 17 - McLean Day Festival
May 25 & 26 - Viva Vienna
June 6-8 - Celebrate Fairfax Festival
July 12 & 13 - The Reston Festival
October 4 - Art on the Avenue
We've looked all around the area for the best places to show and sell our toys. These dates are subject to change so please check back often. We're also hoping to add more shows to the calendar in the next couple of weeks. We hope to see you soon at one of these fine venues.
Art on the Green (4/27/2008)
MyDaddyPuzzles joined hundreds of people at the rainy yet fun Art on the Green event at the Titan Expo 2008. Mother Nature didn't cooperate very much but many people still had a lot of fun at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria. All proceeds from entry fees and concessions went to the T.C. Williams Scholarship Fund. This is a great event and we hope to participate again next year. Hopefully mother nature will cooperate a bit more and give us more sunshine that raindrops. If you have any questions about next year's Art on the Green contact the chairperson of the event visit the Titan Expo 2008 Website.
March Drawing Winner (4/1/2008)
Congratulations to Jennifer T. from Louisville, Kentucky. Jennifer was the winner of the March Puzzle give-away. Jennifer won a free Danny Duckling - Fun Colors. Congratulations, Jennifer, we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
February Drawing Winner (3/1/2008)
Congratulations to Camdon K. from Kuna, Idaho. Camdon was the winner of the February Puzzle give-away. Camdon won a free Danny Duckling - Fun Colors. Congratulations, Camdon, we hope you enjoy your puzzle. To register for next month's drawing, click here.
A Show of Hands Trunk Show (2/2/2008)
Join Ryan at A Show of Hands on Saturday, February 2nd from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm. Ryan will be in the store to show his hand crafted puzzles. He'll also show how he creates and makes each puzzle. To see the news release from A Show of Hands, click here.
PS - This was a great event. I had a wonderful time talking with all the folks who stopped by the shop. What a great activity! If you didn't make it to this Trunk show, be sure to check out the next one.
Down to Earth Toys (1/20/2008)
MyDaddyPuzzles is happy to announce an wholesale agreement with Down to Earth Toys. Down to Earth Toys sprecializes in US made, wooden and natural toys. 90% of the toys sold at Down to Earth Toys are made in the United States. Their hope is to stimulate America's ecomony and help the consumer know that theyr money is going directly back in the pockets of American workers.
A limited section of our puzzles are available at Down to Earth Toys. We recommend their products and encourage you to shop there.
MyDaddyPuzzles Now Available at Monday's Child (12/15/2007)
Monday's Child, located at 218 Lee Street in Old Town Alexandria, is the latest local business to carry MyDaddyPuzzles. "Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace…" goes the delightful verse that gave this lovely little children's clothing shop its name. Tucked among the charming shops at historic Crilley Warehouse in Old Town Alexandria, Monday's Child offers classic, impeccably-made apparel that never goes out of style. At Monday's Child, you'll find precious dresses and outfits recalling a gentler age when children looked like children, and the tiniest details mattered: hand smocking, fine embroidery, quality fabrics, and exceptional finishing. We're proud to add our puzzles to the exceptional products available at Monday's Child. Visit www.mondayschildofalexandria.com for more information.
Maryland Christmas Show (12/2/2007)
MyDaddyPuzzles will take part in the Maryland Christmas Show November 30th, December 1st and 2nd. According to the show's website, "Nothing brings back the yuletide spirit quite like the Maryland Christmas Show. For the 25th season visitors from near and far will discover the joys of shopping at Maryland's premier Christmas event. The Maryland Christmas Show, located in historic Frederick City, brings together many fine artisans and merchants to make your holiday shopping an enjoyable event."
We're happy to be involved in this event and hope to see you all there. For more information on the Maryland Christmas Show, visit www.marylandchristmashow.com.
MyDaddyPuzzles Available at A Show of Hands (10/13/2007)
We are proud to announce that MyDaddyPuzzles will now be available for purchase in the historic Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria at A Show of Hands
Since 2005, A Show of hands has worked to represent the diversity of local artists by providing them with a venue to showcase and sell their work. All items are unique and handcrafted and the shop has quickly become the place to get a one-of-a-kind gift
A Show of Hands will offer up 23 of our puzzle designs for sale among their other wonderful locally made items. We are very pleased to have our work showcased this popular Alexandria shop located on historc Mount Vernon Avenue. To see hours of operation visit A Show of Hands website at www.ashowofhands.biz
Art on the Avenue 2007 (10/6/2007)
Thank you for making Art on the Avenue a wonderful success. We had a great time talking with all of you and telling you about our puzzle.s More than 40,000 people attended this year's festival and enjoyed a beautiful day on Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. This was our very first event selling puzzles and it certainly got us off on the right foot. To those who bought our puzzles, ENJOY!. To everyone else who stopped to chat and look things over, we hope to see you again very soon. We'll be back next year for the 13th Annual Art on the Avenune which will specifically celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Potomac West area.