Plush Stuffed Animals Guru

When a friend or family member is in the hospital, a get-well gift is a nice gesture to show that you care about their health and wellbeing.  Stuffed animals, such as a Gund teddy bear, are traditional get-well gifts, and are still widely appreciated today.  You might also consider gift baskets containing food, candles, or even sports products (for when they get better).  Take-out dinners, or a homemade dinner is also a great gift to avoid the hospital food and help the individual feel more comfortable and normal. 

Giving a sick or injured person a gift they will be able to use when they are better offers hope and compassion in even the most desolate situations.

My son hates going to daycare. I feel sad that I have to leave him there everyday - but I don’t have any choice as a single parent. I have to make a living to provide a good life for him. Of course, he’s too young to understand all of this.

The only thing that seems to console him is his teddy bear cat. He loves that stuffed toy so much. He’s had it since he was a toddler, so it’s pretty scruffy, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He often asks me when he can get a real ferret. I tell him that he has to be a little bit older. For now, the stuffed ferret will have to do.

In the world of plush toys, one character reigns supreme: the teddy bear. He’s been around for just over 100 years, and has gone through many transformations and adjustments in his time, but he still claims the stuffed animal throne.

The teddy bear came into being in 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that had been tethered to a tree on a hunting trip. Almost immediately afterward, two Brooklyn shopkeepers created a small, plush bear they called “Teddy’s bear.” The bear was instantly popular, and the teddy bear phenomenon took off. Over the next 100 years, the style and look of the bear changed, it went through periods of popularity and even a few decades where it fell out of favor. But “Teddy’s bear” has always landed on top, and remains one of the most popular plush toys of all time.

Surprisingly enough, the history of stuffed animals is inextricably tied to that of taxidermy. Hunters have long been fond of celebrating and preserving their greatest kills in the form of a hunting trophy. Over the years, hunters and outside specialists developed the skills necessary to keep those trophies for posterity. This often involved gutting the animals and stuffing them with materials.

Plush animals toys came about some time later, when children began demonstrating an attachment to the lifelike hunting trophies. In time, toy makers stopped using real animal hides and pelts for stuffed animals, eventually switching to cotton and other similar materials. The animals were made to look even cuter and more kid-friendly as time passed.

My daughter just turned 5 years old, and now that she’s in kindergarten we decided to hold a party. She invited all of her friends from school and a few from daycare. My husband and I decided to make it a bring-your-own-stuffed-animal party, knowing that it’s hard for some kids to leave their parents at that age. It turns out that the comfort of a familiar stuffed animal can ease that transition.

When the guests began to arrive, I was somewhat surprised at the diversity and craftsmanship of some of the stuffed animals. The well-worn bears you might expect to see were all there, of course, but some of the kids brought more exotic species. I know a little girl from my daughter’s class brought her prized teddy bear monkey, and I counted at least two penguins. Sure enough, the party was a great success. The kids were so busy discussing and playing with their plush toys to even think about feeling homesick.

You can try to prevent it from happening all you want, but it’s just inevitable. Kids are some of the most efficient mess-makers alive, and they are especially adept at covering their stuffed animals with layers of filth. Whether it’s food particles or bits of dirt from being dragged around outside, teddy bears are often covered in various debris that doesn’t belong in the bed at night.

In order to clean your Gund teddy bears, begin by wiping the bear with a damp cloth. Don’t use soap, but be sure to wipe with gentle, delicate motions. Sometimes a hand vacuum cleaner will suffice. Most stuffed animals feature a small tag that only attracts notice when you need cleaning instructions. These directions should determine whether or not you can safely throw the teddy bear into the washing machine.

The majority of teddy bears manufactured are made from Mohair, or a fur that is shorn or combed from long haired goats and woven into cloth. Others are made from Alpaca and some teddy bears are made from recycled materials, such as old quilts, dresses and fur collars.

There are also bears that are crocheted. These bears do not use fabric; they make the fabric crocheting and at the same time make the bear. The yarn for these bears can be made of various materials.

President Theodore Roosevelt remains one of America’s most celebrated leaders. He set the wheels in motion for one of the most serious undertakings in the history of mankind: the Panama Canal project. He garnered legend as a member of the Rough Riders volunteer regiment during the Battle of San Juan Hill. And of course, his likeness has been chiseled into the Mount Rushmore, between the equally honorable visages of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.

Perhaps Roosevelt’s greatest work came from his wilderness conservation efforts. He championed the efficient use of outdoor resources and recognized the importance of passing them on to future generations. Teddy bears derived their name from the great president – and not just because of their chubby, loveable appearance. To this day, the stuffed bears offer a reminder of Theodore Roosevelt’s illustrious achievements.