Archive for the 'Teddy Bears' Category
Most children grow up with several stuffed animals and receive many throughout their lives. Usually, however, one stuffed animal becomes the most special to a child and must travel everywhere with him. Failure to bring this special animal along on car trips, to the doctor, etc. can spell disaster for the child. And if the animal become irreparably soiled or destroyed, it is nothing short of apocalypse.
This may seem dramatic, but most parents would agree. That’s why it’s a good idea to buy extras of the stuffed animal that your child favors most. I had a friend whose son loved a teddy bear that played a song when you pulled a string. This bear would often become soiled from being left out in the rain or being sucked on by the boy, and the music would stop playing after a while. My friend always had three or four backup stuffed animals – exact replicas – to replace the bear once the current one had to be thrown away. Of course, the exchange was always done in secret, and her son was never the wiser!
Children and stuffed animals go hand-in-hand – quite literally in many cases. At a certain age, it can be difficult to separate a child from his favorite plush toy. Teddy bears and other stuffed animals provide comfort and constant companionship. For young kids who are afraid of the dark, a teddy bear is often a source of strength. It’s no wonder that parents and family friends put a lot of forethought into which stuffed animals they present to kids.
There are plenty of mass-produced teddy bears on the market, but their abundance is part of the problem. These stuffed animals are made in far-flung regions of the world with little regard for craftsmanship. One of a kind teddy bears, on the other hand, are made with painstaking attention to detail. In their most important stages of development, children deserve nothing less than a quality companion.
For many years I had a strong aversion to zoos. Every time I went to see a new exhibit, I would feel sorry for the animals stuck in cages. Luckily, the zoo in my town is known for being progressive. Each animal’s natural habitat is recreated with a startling degree of accuracy. As such, I began taking my 3-year-old son to check out the wildlife. He grew especially fond of the Daisy the black bear.
Trips to the zoo can be expensive and time-consuming, so I formulated a plan that would appease my son when he wanted to “go see Daisy.” I looked online for custom teddy bears and came upon a black bear that bore a remarkable resemblance to Daisy. My son loved the gift, but he still pesters me about going to the zoo to see the penguins.
Though it’s sometimes hard to believe, we all were young once. Even now, most of us can revisit the whimsical days of childhood – if only for a moment – by picking up the relics of those simpler times. For instance, blowing the dust from the top of an old board game can bring back a flurry of memories. The same can be said for exploring the old family shed and seeking out a trusty toy truck.
For many, the most powerful connection to childhood is embodied by a favorite stuffed animal. As kids learn to socialize, they convey human thoughts and emotions to these constant companions. For a fleeting moment in time, these playthings and their owners are practically inseparable. It’s nice to know that such a link still exists whenever one feels like waxing nostalgic.
As a friend of a new mother, it’s not always easy to set yourself apart from the gift-giving crowd. By the time a baby shower rolls around, a mother has likely received enough sets of baby clothes, candles and soaps to last a lifetime. To select the appropriate gift, a thoughtful guest should try to think like a proud mother.
The best gifts remain relevant years after they are received, and their physical presence should conjure up warm images. Memory bears, or teddy bears made from the fabric of a baby’s receiving blanket, create a lasting reminder that can be brought out time and again. These gifts demonstrate a lot of careful planning, because they require complicity from the husband or someone else with access to the receiving blanket. The unabashed glee on a new mother’s face makes the extra effort worthwhile.
For many women, there’s one article of clothing that just sits in the closet without ever getting worn again, and that’s her wedding dress. It’s impossible to throw it out because of sentimental reasons, but there’s also no possible event that you would ever wear it again. (Unless, of course, you thought to purchase a designer dress that could double as formalwear at some black tie event!) This means many women continually push it out of the way for years and years until they eventually throw it out with the Sunday trash.
But there are some things you can do with the wedding dress other than ignoring it for twenty-five years. For one, you can hold onto it and pass it on to your daughter when she gets married. While some people pass rings or other tokens on as wedding day heirlooms, a dress can be a meaningful addition to your child’s wedding. Or, you can always have a memory bear made from the dress. These bears are custom made, and they incorporate the fabric from important items such as a wedding dress. This way, your dress is out of the closet, but it will always be close to you.
It’s hard to find any child who hasn’t at one time or another had a teddy bear. They are, after all, one of the most common security items for youngsters. But even though you might be hard pressed to find a household that doesn’t have teddy bears strewn about the kid’s room, not as many people are aware of the story behind these cute, cuddly toys. They actually date as far back as November 1902.
During this time, then President Theodore Roosevelt was invited to a hunting party in Mississippi. During this trip, a group of Roosevelt’s aides clubbed and cornered a black bear. They subsequently tied the bear to a tree and called Roosevelt to it that he might shoot the bear and claim a kill for the day. Roosevelt refused, however, feeling it was unsportsmanlike. He did instruct that the bear be killed, though, and put out of its pain and misery. Inspired by the story and subsequent political cartoons dealing with the issue, Morris Michtom received permission to create and sell Teddy’s bear, which later just became known as the teddy bear.
In today’s market, there is an amazing and impressive selection of teddy bears available. When they first arrived on shelves, however, they were relatively uniform. But bears today come in all kinds of fabrics, sizes, decorations, and ornamentations. With this change in style and look, teddy bear have also undergone more stringent regulations regarding their manufacturing.
After all, bears sold in the United States are almost exclusively marketed to be children’s toys. For this reason, all arms, legs, and heads are attached with safety joints. There are also safety regulations to ensure that all eyes are securely fastened. This helps reduce the choking hazard that these bears could potentially pose to small children. Bears that are made strictly for the sake of collecting are more geared towards adults, and thus are more likely to use ornamentations such as beads or buttons.
When I was a young girl I found great comfort in my collection of stuffed toys. I would gather all of my stuffed animals around my bed and read them bedtime stories. When I was finally ready to go to bed I would cuddle with my two favorite stuffed animals; Molly the piglet and Bogart the bunny.
I kept these stuffed animals all throughout my teenage years. When I went to college I didn’t want to take them along for fear of being made fun of, so I packed them away in boxes and put them in my parents’ garage. Years later after my mom passed away, I was looking through the boxes and found them. I had them professionally cleaned and now I display them in my dining room.
Whether you’re an adult purchasing for yourself or just a child looking for a soft and cuddly sleeping companion, designing your own teddy bear is quite an enjoyable activity. Nowadays there are many places you can purchase a custom teddy bear online. With a custom teddy bear, you’re able to express your personality. You choose the eyes, the fabric, and any accessories the bear will wear. They make great gifts for little ones and also great additions to teddy bear collections.
Imagine sleeping with your own snuggly teddy bear created just how you want it! Once you have your own custom teddy bear you’ll never want to sleep next to a plain old bear again! There are numerous places online you can build a teddy bear to your individual specifications. You don’t even have to go through the hassle of sewing it yourself!