ToyPortrait Valentine's Day Challenge!!!

Hello Everybody!  In honor of our new service and Valentine's Day, we decided that it's time for another photo contest!!! This time, we are interested in seeing the true nature of your Toys -- we'd like portraits!

To enter, send an email to toyhop@gmail.com including:

• A wonderful photo of your toy that shows who he/she really is!
• Your Name
• Your Toy's Name
• Where your toy is from

Just for entering ,we'll give you a 25% discount on a ToyPortrait!

We'll post your toy to a contest album on ToyHop's facebook page, where you can send your friends to vote!  The photo with the most "likes" on Facebook by the 12th of February will win one of our three great prizes:

1st - FREE ToyPortrait + 50% discount on any Hop to Moscow!
2nd - FREE ToyPortrait + 25% discount on any Hop to Moscow!
3rd - 50% discount on a ToyPortrait + 10% discount on any Hop to Moscow!

Prizes will be announced on the 14th!  The sooner you enter, the sooner we can put your photo up!  We'll also feature entries here on the blog after the contest has finished.

Yours Truly,
Michael TheMonkey and the ToyHop Team

Michael takes a bath

Hi everyone! 

As you all know I love adventures! But when I travel, jump, fly and climb I get dirty. It's easy to see because of my yellow, green and orange colors. So from time to time I have to take a bath. I don't like water very much but fruit flavored bath bubbles and foams help a lot. This time I chose strawberry shower gel from Yves Rocher. Now when I am clean again I'm enjoying my hot tea and drying up near a heater. Have a great weekend!

Love,
Michael TheMonkey

ToyPortrait!

Make a mark for your toy with ToyPortrait!

Send us a photo of your toy and your preferences and we'll create a high-quality digital portrait for you!

Click Here!

Yours Truly,
Michael TheMonkey and the ToyHop team!

happy new year!!

My dear Friends, Happy New Year! Have a great one and let all your dreams come true!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

Merry Christmas!!!

A Toy Tourism Survey!

Hi Everybody,

Here's a survey about Toy Tourism! Please let me know what you think if you have time!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Thanks!!
Sincerely,
Michael TheMonkey

Lost in the (American) 50's in Moscow

Hi Everybody, I had breakfast yesterday at the awesome-looking 1950's Beverly Hills Diner! The interior is filled with neon lights, checkered tiles, jukeboxes, puffy vinyl bar-stools and even some booths shaped like old Cadillacs! The waitresses wear polka-dot dresses with white collars and tall stockings, the busboys have red and white striped shirts, bow-ties and neatly parted hair, and the speakers play wonderful doo-wop songs and other music from the past -- the atmosphere is very complete!

I ordered Eggs Benedict with hashbrowns, pancakes with strawberry syrup, and American drip coffee :-) The Eggs Benedict was great: the Hollandaise sauce was creamy and fresh, the egg was cooked perfectly to be just a little runny, and the toasted English muffin was very tasty. One complaint I had was that (unlike a real diner in the US) when you order Eggs Benedict, you only get one muffin and egg set on a tiny bed of hashbrowns in the middle of an otherwise large, empty plate. All sides are extra, even toast. The hashbrowns were not the best, either. They were a bit soggy and gray. They didn't really detract, but they didn't add anything, either. The pancakes, however, were fluffy and excellent, and they came with both strawberry and maple syrup, so I could try both. :-)

Compared to the "Starlite" Diner, another old-time-American themed joint here in Moscow, Beverly Hills is relatively unknown, but it shouldn't be! Beverly Hills is at least as good or better than Starlite.

And here are some facts:
The Website with cool music, menus and other info.

There are two Beverly Hills diners in Moscow:
м. Chistye prudy, Sretenka 1: +7(495) 625 42 21  
м. Lubyanka, Nikol'skaya 10: +7(495)221 78 01 (I visited this one!)

There is also a kid's room! With Spider Man and other famous American idols :-)

It is open 24h!

Breakfast prices:
~ Egg Sandwich 270 Rub/ $8.85
~ Steak and Eggs 420 Rub/ $13.70
~ Breakfast Burrito 390 Rub/ $12.80
~ Four Cheese Omelette 250 Rub/ $8.20
~ Pancakes (recommended by Michael) 240 Rub/ $7.80
~ Waffle with Vanila Ice Cream 150 Rub/ $4.90
~ Eggs Benedict 220 Rub/ $7.20
~ Tea 120 Rub/ $3.90
~ Coffee from 100 Rub/ $3.30

Michael's Rating: *****/5

Well, the breakfast was great and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Moscow. I'm looking forward to going back to try Beverly Hills' lunch and dinner menu!