Monday, November 25, 2013

Night Buddies - Toy Review

Meet the new Night Buddies...
 
 Lights on!


Lights Off!
 
These fun plush sea creatures' eyes light up when you squeeze their bellies.
 
My kids absolutely love them.
My 3 year old had AC the Airplane night buddy first, and he sleeps with him every night and asks for him when it is time for lights out. 
 
When he saw the new line of sea life Night buddies he was smitten with Mark the Shark.
What little boy doesn't want a shark to protect him and help him feel secure at night!? 
 
 
Another great thing about Night Buddies is that even older kids love them. 
This is my 11 year old with Ally the Turtle

My eight year old loves Olivia the Dolphin and her sweet glowing eyes. 
 
And meet Oliver the Orca cuddling with my 6 year old.
 
 
If your kids are like mine they most likely love plush --
I love that these special stuffed animals are not only adorable but that they provide my kiddos the comfort of a night light in a huggable loveable form.
Make sure to like their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NightBuddiesToys
and visit their website to see the original 4 Night Buddies and find a retailer in your area

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Teddy Bears!


Did you know that November 14th is National Teddy Bear Day!?

Growing up one of my most beloved toys was a big blue teddy bear that I called “Bluey” --I wasn’t very creative in the naming arena-- I also had a smaller teddy bear named “Pinky.” All of my siblings and friends also had favorite teddy bears.  They were simply part of everyday life so I didn’t realize that these sweet stuffed toys have only been around since 1902.  

A few weeks ago I came across a story about how Teddy bears were invented and I found it very interesting so I wanted to share it.

According to the Theodore Roosevelt Association this is the “Real Teddy Bear Story”

“It all started with a hunting trip President Roosevelt took in 1902 in Mississippi at the invitation of Mississippi Governor, Andrew H. Longino. After three days of hunting, other members of the party had spotted bears, but not Roosevelt.

Now what? The President's bear hunt would be a failure! The next day, the hunt guides tracked down an old black bear that the dogs had trailed quite a distance and attacked. The guides tied the bear to a willow tree and called for the President. Here was a bear for him to shoot!

But Roosevelt took one look at the old bear and refused to shoot it. He felt doing so would be unsportsmanlike. However, since it was injured and suffering, Roosevelt ordered that the bear be put down to end its pain. Word of this hit newspapers across the country, and political cartoonist Clifford Berryman picked up on the story, drawing a cartoon showing how President Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear while hunting in Mississippi.

The original cartoon, which ran in the Washington Post on November 16, 1902, shows Roosevelt standing in front. The guide and bear are in the background, and they’re about the same size. Later, similar cartoons appeared, but the bear was smaller and shaking with fear. This bear cub then appeared in other cartoons Clifford Berryman drew throughout Roosevelt’s career. That connected bears with President Roosevelt.

The Teddy Bear tie came when a Brooklyn, NY candy shop owner, Morris Michtom, saw Clifford Berryman’s original cartoon of Roosevelt and the bear and had an idea. He put in his shop window two stuffed toy bears his wife had made. Michtom asked permission from President Roosevelt to call these toy bears "Teddy's bears". The rapid popularity of these bears led Michtom to mass-produce them, eventually forming the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company.

At about the same time, a Germany company, Steiff, started making stuffed bears. Margaret Steiff earned her living by sewing, first by making stuffed elephants, then other animals. In 1903, an American saw a stuffed bear she had made and ordered many of them. These bears, which also came to be called Teddy Bears, made the international connection." http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/site/c.elKSIdOWIiJ8H/b.8684621/k.6632/Real_Teddy_Bear_Story.htm#sthash.bApNIWIN.dpuf

So have a snuggle with your little ones and their favorite teddy bear today!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A Favorite Quote


A few weeks ago one of my friends told me that she had her kids memorize this quote. On days when they gripe and whine she asks them to say it out loud.  I think she is brilliant, so I decided to make a few pictures to hang in my kids rooms ad bathrooms so they can see this quote on a regular basis.  
Maybe it will help just a bit with the amount of whining in our house -- And if it doesn't phase the kids at least it will remind me to keep a positive attitude. 




The photos with the baby are of my youngest, but someone pointed out to me that using his photo in this case might inadvertantly label him as a whiner which I don't want to do --  So I decided to print the ice photo that I took a few years ago with the quote on it.