This is so awesome! I grew up playing with German toys; my grandpa was in the Brazil Navy and used to travel all over the world. Every time he passed by Germany, he bought a toy for me.
German toys are just amazing.! Thanks to Ina Finkbeiner for opening an online store selling these amazing playthings, we can now buy them for our own kids! — www.littlemousie.ca
Here is Ina:
My name is Ina Finkbeiner. I was born and raised in Germany and together with my husband moved to the beautiful Metro Vancouver area in 2007 .
It started as a little adventure, but turned into a wonderful big adventure: the birth of our daughter Anna in 2010.
Loyalty and honesty play an important role in my life and in everything I do, and you will find them in my family, friendships and business relationships.
I invest a lot of my time, energy and love in these values. It is hard work, but in my experience, it is so worth it. I just feel very good about the honest relationships I build, which are very rewarding and motivating for me. I am blessed with a wonderful family, a loving husband and caring friendships. I found great new friends here in Canada, but I am also thankful for “old” friendships that now span over the Atlantic Ocean to Germany.
In 2011, as the mom of a one year old, I started thinking about my future and what to do professionally. On one hand, I always knew that being a mom was what I always wanted to be and that I want to be there for my children every day. But on the other hand, I believe that you need to “get out” and do “something for yourself” in order to find balance. But being a mom and going to work every day is very tough.
After growing up in Germany, I dearly missed some of the toys that I knew from my childhood, but that I couldn’t find here in 
Canada for my daughter.
If you are a mom, chances are your house is filled with toys.
With so many playthings, it is a good idea to be thoughtful of where toys come from, how they’re made and how long they will last. This is why I decided to import and sell toys from German companies — toys you won’t find here in Canada.
Toys from German companies are generally manufactured on very high standards. They are safe, functional and well-designed.
So with the help of my husband, I opened up my own online store. You can find and order all our products online on our website www.mylittlemousie.ca.
Sigikid Toys at ‘My Little Mousie’
Right now, I am focusing on importing Sigikid” toys – a German family enterprise famous in Europe for producing toys for over a century. Generations of European kids (including me) grew up playing with these exceptional toys known for their durability, wash-ability, simple and fun designs, and, most important, playability.
These are very popular in Europe but are very hard to get here in Canada. Sigikid toys have been around for over 40 years. I love that they are a family business, with their enterprise being 150 years old and counting! Their toys have an excellent reputation for being functional, well designed and built to last. At my little mousie, we offer a range of unique Sigikid soft and hard toys.
What I love most about the soft products I sell is that I can wash the soft toys in my washer!
For example, my daughter’s favourite stuffed animal is the sheep Willi Wollbloed.
When she was younger she used to spit up quite a bit. Since Willi Wollbloed is with her night and day you can imagine how often I had to wash it- but it still looks like new a year and a half later!
Furthermore, all the soft toys are extremely soft. It’s a shame you can’t feel it on our online store but if you meet me at a baby fair or order a product online, you will feel the difference to a lot of other toys out there.
I know your child will love the wooden toys as well. They are designed with so much thought and care.
The memory game, for example, has cute pictures on it and the cards are thick and sturdy; perfect for 
little toddler hands.
The sorting box is a great developmental toy. Its unique design of zippers allows for versatility: your child can play independently with the zipper open, putting the blocks through the shapes and then taking them out again. When you are on the go, you can just put some other toys into the box (there’s enough room), close both zippers and you have a little “toy bag” you can take with you. It is just so convenient.
My goal is for each one of my products to truly give your child years of play and many memories. I truly believe that these toys contribute to this goal and in my opinion this is something that makes the world a better place.
What Inspired Ina to open this business?
Better than answering “What inspired you to open this business?” I will talk about WHO inspired me: my daughter Anna, whom I 
call “my little mousie”, which led to the creation and naming of my store.
I wanted to give her some of the products I knew from my childhood in Germany, and in particular, Sigikid products.
But also, the design and quality of sigikid toys persuaded me to start my online shop. They are not your average toy and I truly believe they bring years of play and many memories to a child.
Exciting news to look out for: I’m planning to have private shopping events this summer/fall. Follow me on FACEBOOK or Twitter for upcoming news and events!
