Toys - Tonka

Tonka Toys. Even the name sounds tough. And make no mistake about it. Tonka toys were tough, especially back in the good old days when toys were made to last, or as they would say in their TV commercials, "They're made Tonka tough". Yes, every tough kid had to have his Tonka truck. So when did this all start? How long has Tonka been cranking out these tough trucks?

Tonka started in 1947. The first trucks were made by a company called Mound Metalcraft. The company was located in Mound, Minnesota in a very small warehouse. No, this wasn't what you would call a big business when it began. The company itself actually specialized in manufacturing garden tools, which had to be tough. Taking that some technology and approach, they began making some of the toughest trucks ever put together.

In their first year alone, Mound Metalcraft manufactured over 37,000 of these tough trucks. This in spite of the fact that they only had two designs. The two designs were a steam shovel and a crane. Oh and in case you're wondering, the word Tonka means "great" in Sioux.

After World War II Tonka trucks became very popular with post war families. The demand for these trucks was so great that it far outweighed production. A year of the company's inventory would be sold out in just a few months.

The whole premise of the Tonka company and one that they refused to ever compromise on, was that their toys should be durable and give your child as much play time as possible out of them. They felt that there was no reason their toys shouldn't last for many years. And they did.

In the almost 60 years since the first Tonka toys were made, over 250 million of them have been sold. To this day, their vehicles are made to withstand just about anything you can throw at them. What began as just two trucks has grown into a whole line of trucks and playsets.

Over the years there have been some milestones in the Tonka legacy. It took over 17 years since their first truck, but in 1964 the most popular truck that they ever made, the Mighty Dump, came into existence. No truck of theirs ever sold more units. Between 1965 and 1972 was what was called the "Mighty Age". This is when the Tonka Mighty Series grew tremendously, giving us titles like the Mighty Clam, Crane, Shovel, Scraper, Car Carrier, Bulldozer, Wrecker, Hydraulic Dump, Roller, Bottom Dump, Mixer, Loadmaster and Grader. These were some of the most popular trucks ever.

Between 1973 and 1982 Tonka added more vehicle categories. This period of time gave us the Rescue Vehicle, Car Carrier, Forklift, Earth Mover, Adventure Buggy and, believe it or not, the Mighty Winnebago.

Over the next 25 years Tonka continued to produce quality products and new additions such as Chuck My Talking Truck, the first talking Tonka Toy.

Tonka promises to come out with trucks that are even tougher than the ones made almost 60 years ago.

That is going to be a tough act to follow.

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Leadership From Below

"I know up on top you are seeing great sights but down at the bottom we too should have rights"- Dr. Suess.

This past week a silly video and an altercation out in the horse's paddock, caused me to realize that not all leadership has to come from the top. Let's start with the silly video. It began with a guy dancing by himself on a lawn in a public park. After a while another guy joined him and then another and before long there were hundreds of people up dancing. The point of the video was to illustrate the importance of the second dancer in starting a "movement" but what struck me was the role of the first dancer. He inspired everyone to get up and dance and then he completely disappeared into the crowd. For that one brief period of time, in that particular instance he was a leader.

Now let's head out to my paddock. John, who is the number two horse out in my boys' herd came in the other day limping with a giant hoof-print on his back leg. Everyone was quite surprised because John seems to be a very dominant aggressive horse who often sends the rest of the herd scattering in all directions. There is one horse, however who does not back down to John - Snowman, my old grey gelding. Snowman will in fact turn his butt to John and drive him out of the herd across the paddock, kicking at him with his back feet. During these encounters Snowman, who is at all other times a non-entity in the herd, quite definitely demonstrates equine leadership (remember in horse world leadership is achieved by controlling the other horse's movements)

These two stories hold an important lesson for me personally. As owner of two companies and the human herd leader of 22 horses I will admit that I like to be in charge. Like Suzy and Nubee my two herd leaders I am confident of my leadership abilities and I believe in myself as a leader. However, there can be a huge downside to this mindset. When you are so used to being the guy who makes all the decisions, when you start to think that you are always right, you simply forget to listen. You don't acknowledge that there are others who are just as capable of leading as you are in many situations. They may not want to be leader all the time but they can still contribute significantly and positively to your organization. As the leader I have to learn to balance my own vision and enthusiasm with respect and recognition of the ideas, knowledge and capabilities of others. My husband puts it much more bluntly; I need to stop rolling over everyone like a Mack truck.

I admire Suzy and Nubee. They don't micro-manage their herds. There are many levels of leadership in those herds and they both seem content to let everyone else play out their various leadership roles. Maybe I should go and live out in the herd until that concept becomes ingrained in my head.

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5 Simple Ways to Stay Active While Away For the Holiday Season

Staying committed to your workout schedule and weight loss during the holidays can be something of a challenge for most people. And while there are plenty of articles between published online about how to eat properly to avoid gaining all of the weight you have worked so hard to shed over the year (more and more get published as we get closer to the holidays), very little is published about staying active while visiting with family and friends.

Here are five easy things you can do to stay active while away from the gym visiting family (of course, we will also be watching what we eat!).

1. Walk after each meal. This is an easy one if your family has a dog that needs to be walked. Use the pet as a reason to go for a twenty or thirty minute walk. If there are no pets you can use as an excuse to slip away, make one up or be up-front and say that you like to burn off some extra calories after each meal.

2. Shovel the snow. If you are visiting family in a snowy climate, offer to do the shoveling. This will help with maintaining your muscle mass.

3. Take charge of family activities. There is nothing more enjoyable than a family skate, snow-shoe hike, toboggan run or other outdoor activity. Take charge and plan for a fun excursion for some fresh air and exercise.

4. Be the first to join the kids for a snowball fight or snowman building contest. Getting out in the snow with the kids is a great to help them burn energy... and help you burn some energy too!

5. Offer help at every opportunity. Whether taking the garbage out, breaking down boxes for the recycling or just running extra chairs up and down the stairs, offer your help at every chance. This will not only make your hosts happy, but will keep you active within the house.

Although the holidays are normally a time for visiting family and indulging in some rest and relaxation, remember that diets are often impossible to maintain and combining poor diet with lack of activity will result in quicker weight gain. Stay active by doing these five things and getting back to your pre-holiday routine will not only be easier, but you will drop those few extra pounds a lot quicker, too!

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Pink Sparkle Dragonfly

Pink Sparkle Dragonfly Review

Pink Sparkle Dragonfly Feature

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Pink Sparkle Dragonfly Overview

From the Madame Alexander site: Pink Sparkle Dragonfly Fairy, a brown hair, blue-eyed 8 doll, wears the cutest little fairy shoes. Her dress, made from iridescent silk Dupioni and sheer pink sparkle chiffon, goes perfectly with her blue, glittering, rhinestoned wings. Pink and blue, bows and flowers twine themselves around her side ponytail hairdo, and do the same with her wings.

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Are Capris Here To Stay?

In the world of fashion there are some styles that catch on very quickly and stay around for a long time. There are other styles that just come and go, only sticking around for a year or two. This is especially true in women's fashion. About nine years ago, capris came onto the fashion scene. These pants, that come below the knee but above the ankle, were a noticeable style back in the 1960s, but not quite as popular as today, and not necessarily known as capris. However, about nine years ago, women actually started walking out of the house in pants a few inches above their ankles.

At first glance they looked a little peculiar to some of us who weren't up to date on the latest fashion queue. Some of us may have thought, "why is she wearing those pants, she should hand those down to her little sister," or "she should sue the dry cleaner.'' Those thoughts didn't last for very long. Before you could turn your head, capris were everywhere. Young women, middle aged women and even older women started wearing Capris. They wore them to school, to work, to the store, etc. Just about just about anywhere people wanted to go capris came with them.

Why are these "short pants" so popular?

Every woman wants to look her best. Many women have insecurities about their body and feel that shorts just don't accommodate their figure. They may feel "I am a plus size, I don't look good in shorts" or "I just don't have great legs. I don't like wearing shorts." These women have found that capris are a most welcomed alternative to shorts in the summer, allowing them to be stylish without sacrificing comfort.

Another good thing about capirs is, that since they come in all types of fabrics women can where them to work with the right accessories. This is especially great on those really hot days when you leave the air-conditioned office and step outside for lunch or for a walk. When you might not be comfortable outside in traditional length pants, Capris can keep you cool and comfortable and still be suitable for the office.

What did women do before capris?

Whenever a new trend comes along that makes our lives easier, whether it be in fashion or technology, we wonder how we ever did without it. Such is the case with capris, these "short pants" that come just above the ankles

I don't remember what we did before capris came along to solve all our pants problems, but women are very glad to have them. Today capirs are a fashion basic in almost every woman's wardrobe in America. When it comes to convenience and versatility women know they can't be beat. There are some fashion trends that women are willing to let go, but if you listen closely, you can hear thousands of women saying " please, I need my Capris."

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