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bella luna toys, Easter, Sunday With Sarah, Wooden Toys

Ostheimer Wooden Toys: Interview and a Giveaway!

As many of you know, I was in Germany last week attending the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg.

Not only was I ecstatic to discover many wonderful new wooden toys and Waldorf dolls to introduce this year at Bella Luna Toys, but I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to meet with the presidents of several of the lines of European toys we carry, including Grimm’s Spiel & Holz, PlanToys, Käthe Kruse, HABA, and Ostheimer.

I had a long and wonderful visit with Wolfgang Schühle, the president of Ostheimer in Germany, and met Stephan Zech, the company’s current designer. I was able to share with them my love of Ostheimer figures and tell them about the joy they have brought my family over the last 20 years.

Wolfgang was able to share with me some of the history of the company, founded by Margarete Ostheimer in Stuttgart, Germany nearly 60 years ago. Fortunately, I was able to record some of my talk with Mr. Schühle and am happy to share it with you here!

I want to share my Ostheimer love with you, so Bella Luna Toys is giving away a set of these beloved wooden figures, perfect for a child’s Easter basket!

Set Includes:

1 Sheep
1 Sitting Rabbit
1 Picking Brown Hen
1 Brown Chick
1 Yellow Chick

Click on the link below for details and to enter for a chance to win:

Ostheimer Wooden Toys Giveaway

We’ll announce the winner next Sunday. Thanks for tuning in, and good luck!

Thanks to all of you for your many wonderful comments. Congratulations to Toby Rolf who won the Ostheimer Set Giveaway!

Toby wrote: “We are pretty new to the Waldorf world so I would really LOVE to have these for our daughter! She would especially like the beautiful bunny! Thank you for the opportunity!!”

I hope that this set brings many years of enjoyment and fond childhood memories for your daughter, Toby. Enjoy!

~Sarah

February 10, 2013 by Sarah Baldwin

bella luna toys, Holidays

Warm Wishes for a Joyous Holiday!

Dear Friends,

Warm wishes to you for a happy holiday, full of love and joyful noise!

I send my heartfelt thanks to you for your support of Bella Luna Toys during 2012, and for all your wonderful feedback and comments on my new video series – both here and on our Facebook page. It’s been a remarkable year — satisfying for me, both personally and professionally.

After an incredibly busy holiday season, I will be taking a little time off during the Holy Nights (The 12 Days of Christmas) to rest, reflect, and renew.

I invite you to do the same! You may wish to sign up for Lynn Jericho’s “Inner Christmas” emails for inspiration, and join me in reflecting upon her meditations for the season.

I will return on Sunday, January 13 with a new video on one of the suggested topics for the next “Sunday with Sarah.”

May the New Year bring you and your families health, abundance, and many blessings!

Love,

December 24, 2012 by Sarah Baldwin

bella luna toys

A New Year at Bella Luna Toys

HAPPY 2012!

When I became the new owner of Bella Luna Toys in 2009, my vision was not just to operate a retail website, but also to share my experience and expertise as a teacher, mother, and author on topics such as child development, play, and parenting.

To that end, I created Moon Child in order to communicate with our customers, and to connect with parents of young children seeking a different, more natural way of raising their children.

I envisioned the toy store as a small home-based business, and a way to bring in some income to help support the work I am passionate about – writing and sharing my love of Waldorf education.

Everything was going nicely, all according to plan. For about a year.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Thanks to the support of so many of you, Bella Luna Toys grew. And Grew. And GREW!

By early 2011, it was clear that we had outgrown the confines of the small barn next to my home here in Maine from which I was operating, and, even with my family’s help, I found myself trying to do at least three full-time jobs.

It was exciting seeing the business grow, but writing began to take a backseat to the day-to-day operation of Bella Luna Toys. By the spring I knew that it was time to make some big decisions.

Last April, Bella Luna Toys moved out of our cozy little barn at home and into a real warehouse in the nearby coastal town of Rockland, Maine (recently voted one of America’s coolest small towns), where we can walk to Main St. for lunch, and feel the ocean breeze.

Here, we have a spacious shipping area, I have my own office, and we and lots of room to grow. My husband Max, a writer, is very happy to have his home office back to himself where he can again compose his thoughts in peace, and not find himself covered with packing peanuts at the end of the day!

I also realized I needed more help. During the course of the past year, I hired my three “Shipping Fairies” – Liz, Jessie, and Sarah – all of whom did an AMAZING job keeping up with an extraordinary number of Christmas orders last month.

Now Sarah Reilly has become my full-time, Right-Hand Angel (some might call her a “manager”), in order to free up my time to the things that I love most: writing for the blog, discovering unique new natural toys for children, promoting the importance of play, and sharing my love of Waldorf education. (We hope that two Sarah’s won’t be too confusing for our customers.)

So my resolution for the New Year is to post more frequently, and to engage more fully with all of you.

In addition, we have some pretty big plans for Bella Luna Toys in 2012, which marks the 10th birthday of the company! We will have more giveaways, and some very special announcements during our 10th anniversary year. If you’re not subscribed already, be sure sign up for our newsletter so that you’re among the first to hear!

Thanks to those of you who have been a part of Bella Luna Toys’ growth this past year. We are filled with gratitude for your support and many kind words. We wouldn’t be here without you.

Wishing you and your families many blessings in 2012!

Warmly,

What changes did 2011 bring you and your families? What are your hopes and dreams for the coming year?

January 23, 2012 by Sarah Baldwin