Interview - Toss 21

At House to Home Organizing, we often see the same items in our clients homes. The same disposable items. We encourage our clients to seek out quality (possibly local) items that will be used more than once. We spoke with Andrew from Durham, CT's Toss 21 Cornhole game system to learn about something new. 

For the busy person, what is Toss 21?

Toss21 is a fully engaging digital gaming system. This means that you physically play a game but at the same time can control the content and atmosphere of the gaming platform. This means you get to watch live TV, connect and play live with friends and family in different parts of the country, change lighting and display settings. You can play a game in total darkness and experience a fully immersible experience that has yet to be done - (glow bags, led board and TV display).

What is your origin story, how did Toss 21 get started?

Toss21 was started when I had first-hand experience of people struggling to keep score, remember the score and not be able to play the game successfully at night (lack of sunlight). So, I thought why not make all those issues a thing of the past and give people a way to hang out and socialize by combining led lighting, a digital display, internet connection and sensors to score into a single unit. All the problems that were expressed and that I encountered were now taken care of. 

Does the game work outside?

The Toss21 gaming system works outdoors and indoors. It has the ability to be powered by battery, battery with solar panel  or into an electrical outlet. This allows the system to be portable and usable pretty much anywhere. The system is also weather resistant. This means that spilled drinks or quick rain/snow showers are of no threat to the board or its functionality.

What are the age requirements?

Age requirements are from 3 years old to 100 years old. And I have already had players of both those ages. The system is child proof, adult proof and even environment proof. The system is built to withstand a grown adult stepping on it, which means that kids jumping and sliding down the board cause no issue.

For those who are not tech savvy can they still play?

If someone can turn on a TV and use a remote they are good to go. The system is made for ease of use. Its about playing and socializing first, so we made the platform extremely user friendly. This doesn’t mean that you can’t go crazy and really utilize all of the features, we had the abilities and desires of tech savvy people in mind as well.

The “Perfect” Playroom

Kathleen shares her thoughts on the “Perfect” Playroom.

Real Image from a Professional Organizer's playroom

Perfect and playroom are two words, in my mind, that should never be grouped together and if they are than you may not be using the room correctly. I would love to have a picture perfect playroom like you see in magazines, but they do not exist if you have actual real-life human children playing in them. I believe playrooms should be used and even messy. However, it is the ease as which items can be put away that should command your focus. Everything should have a home and if there are multiple people who do the putting away- there should be labels. Toys should not be hidden or most likely they will stay hidden and then forgotten. Toys should be easily accessible and in turn easily put away. Shallow shelves, clear containers without lids when possible. I also love me a good theme, have a dress-up area, arts & craft area, and an  area for dramatic play.

I set my playroom or play area up so if the situation arises, usually this means someone decides to stop by unexpectedly, I can literally “toss” items away and off the floor in an instant. 

As an organizer and a mother of two small children, the most common statement I hear is “your home must be so organized”. My answer? I’m a mom, it’s as organized as I can get it and for as long as they let it stay that way. On any given day our playroom looks like a toddler tornado just hit it. As much as I love having it look”pretty”, I also love (yes I know - the horror of a pro organizer stating this) seeing such a disaster. It tells me my kids are being kids and having a blast playing with all those clutter inducing toys that my family and friends purchased for them. It makes me smile. What might make it different than other homes though is I also smile knowing there are proper homes for all the toys and there is a system in place that I or anyone taking care of my kids and/or home can rely on. I organize for my children but more importantly for me - so I can find things, easily put things away, and also teach my kids how to put things away properly. Will they always do it - no. It is often a struggle and of course frustrating.  Kids learn through example and surprisingly they do love being able to find their toys with ease. 

Make clean up a game - time them or race them. Show them that putting their toys away can be easy- they will catch on quickly. My children know exactly where their toys live.  Do they put all their toys away, all the time - of course not, but they try (in their own way). At 3 and 6, I feel like I win half the battles.  Stay strong care givers and let your children play! 

Buy on Amazon

If you need help setting up your “perfect playroom”- contact H2H anytime. 

You can also check out our Amazon store for more great toy storage ideas as well.

Uncluttered Holidays - Priceless

Holidays are fun once we are gathered with our families, feasting, drinking and enjoying the holiday spirit. However, the energy it takes to get there can be exhausting. Time is limited, we are all running around trying to stay fit, work, volunteer, eat right, and take care of our families. Finding the time to purchase gifts either by going to a store or even spending the time online is hard to do. When trying to figure out what to purchase as a holiday housewarming gift, a gift for dad, a gift for Uncle Rich, a gift for Aunt Jill, often we get confused and overwhelmed. How many times have you opened a box with another pair of black gloves, another sweater, another scarf or yet another candle?

As professional organizers we see many holiday gifts shoved in closets or hidden in bins in a basement or attic (often never even opened). One of the many ideas we encourage is to give an “experience” over actual material gifts. For example, wouldn’t it be great to open up a package and see tickets to your favorite concert or play? How about a gift card to a spa for a day of rest and relaxation? Maybe a gift card to a favorite restaurant or exercise class?  Hmm, maybe a gift card for someone to come organize the playroom or garage? By doing this you have not added more “stuff” to the person’s home, and have given the person something they will really remember.

This applies to children as well as adults. Yes, it is fun to watch kids tear open gifts and see their happy faces when they get something they have been asking for. How about just a few presents and a few experiences. Trust us, the Doc McStuffins nursery will be out of style next year and a new toy will be more popular. It will sit in the corner of a playroom, collecting dust and end up being eventually donated. By giving children experiences, you will have less clutter in your home which will put a smile on their face and yours. How about tickets to a children's performance or museum, just think of the terrific memories they will have. When grandparents ask what to get, maybe suggest movies tickets and ice cream after?

Another idea is to give the gift of time. As mentioned above, our time is so limited and valuable. Weekends are spent at kids sporting events, kid’s birthday parties, visiting children at college or elderly relatives in assisted living, paying bills, food shopping, etc…Finding time to catch up with friends and family can become almost impossible. How great it would be to open a gift and see written: “lunch and museum in the city with me my treat!” Or, “dinner and movie together, on me!” Being with your partner or best friend, spending time together no matter what the monetary value is priceless. It doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive, just hanging out talking, laughing and making memories is better than a sixth pair of gloves, sweater, scarf or candle.

Interview - Luke's Toy Factory

As organizers we spend a lot of time talking about "stuff". We always try to direct our clients to experiences, consumables and items of quality. We spoke with Jim Barber at Luke's Toy Factory in Danbury, CT about their fun mission. 

How did the company start?

The company consists of 2 father and son teams. Jim Barber and his son Luke, and Mitch Achiron and his son Evan.

Jim runs the business side, Luke does the toy design, Mitch handles package design and Evan does the social media and Public relations.

We all pitch in to build and package the toys.

We got the idea to make toys here in the US after the highly publicized toy recalls from Chinese made toys. In our research we found that almost all toys are made in China, with only a small percentage made in the US. We thought that maybe we could come up with something better. Luke made the initial designs on a computer, we 3D printed them and used these models to launch a Kickstarter fundraiser.

Can you talk about the importance of being made in America especially Connecticut?

Being made in America is a key component of what we do. By making it here, we can monitor production and assure safety. We can use a just in time production model so that we are not stuck with unsold inventory that we must sell cheaply after the holidays. There are over 40 people who have a hand in making our toys, including mold makers in Massachusetts, raw material suppliers in Michigan, and injection molding here in Connecticut. The packaging is also made in CT.

The level of technical expertise that we can draw on from sophisticated manufacturers here in CT is a key component of our success, most importantly with the help of Vanguard Plastics in Southington.

How is the company eco-friendly?

Our toys consist of 30% organic material ( sawdust from furniture factories ) mixed with 10% recycled plastic and 60% virgin plastic. This allows us to replace 1/3 of the plastic that would have been used to make the toy with recycled materials while still insuring product safety.

Now the fun stuff, how do you come up with toy ideas?

Luke had the idea of creating a toy that was more realistic than a "baby toy" but not as difficult to assemble as most toys meant for older kids. Luke has always loved trains, trucks and all kinds of vehicles, so he had a head start. He researched classic designs and and used these elements to create his trucks on a Computer aided design (CAD) program. Then he 3D printed them and we gave them to kids to play with, we used the feedback to refine and perfect the toys.

Which Truck is the most popular?

Our cargo Truck is the most popular. It has all those little boxes to put stuff in!

Any plans to bring new designs to market, or is it a secret?

We are expanding into the educational market, so we are working on some children's books to go along with the trucks, in addition to videos, posters and other fun stuff.

Luke also has plenty more designs on the drawing board which we are working on right now, including a tug boat and train designs.