Personalized and customized teddy bear gifts and keepsakes for all occasions,Alternative to Flowers

The School Year is Almost Over - WHAT?

2008-05-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here in the mid-west, the school year is almost over. I don't know how this happened already! It seems like we just started. Maybe I'm feeling a bit sentimental, since next year I will have my first senior in high school. I will be sending my first child off to college about a year from now. That's sort of exciting and definitely scary!

In any case, if you are also nearing the end of the school year and need a special gift for a teacher - guess what, we've got some teacher teddy bears that would make a great gift.

The picture above is designed for a female teacher, probably of elementary age students. The bear sits about 9" high, she comes dressed in school motif fabric, pillow that reads "Time spent teaching is time well spent", and a pencil holder with a painted apple attached to the front. She is simply called Teacher Bear.

This is Mr. Teacher Bear. We didn't want to leave out the male teachers, so we created a bear with the male teacher in mind. Comes in a vest make from school motif fabric and bowtie. Glasses are optional. Bear is approx. 9" high in sitting position.

We can also do teddy bear gifts for specific areas of teaching, like this Music Teacher Bear. This bear is shown in standing position (though it would need a stand to remain in standing position without falling), and stands about 12" tall. The shirt the bear is wearing is a music motif and we've added black pants to coordinate. We can also make a black skirt. The heart shaped pillow reads "Music Teachers are Noteworthy".

So, stop by and see if we have a teacher's gift that will work for you. We offer several different styles and sizes. You can see them all on my Teacher's Gifts page. Last date to order your teacher's gift is May 20th.

Featured Teddy Bear of the Week - Anyone a Basketball Fan??

2008-03-31T06:26:00.001-07:00

If you are a college basketball fan, you've probably been enjoying the NCAA post season tournament these past two weekends. We watch it very closely in our house, at least some of us do. It is my favorite sporting event of all time. This year, I am fortunate to have the team that I cheer for in the Final Four. My Kansas Jayhawks made it by the skin of their teeth, but they made it!! That is a BIG deal in the world of college basektball.

So, with basketball on my mind, I thought I would feature our Basketball Bear this week. This is our latest uniform, fashioned after the actual uniform of the recipient. We have a small space to work with, but can still get quite a few details in. In this case, the stripes at the bottom of the shorts, as well as along the sides of the shirt and shorts, which doesn't show in this picture. We do the lettering on the front and back by hand and attach to the shirt. The front shows the name of the school, with the player's last name and uniform number on the back. We do what we can to make a miniature version of the actual uniform. This makes a fun gift.

Our customer who ordered this product said, "You had her (customer's daughter) email you pictures of the sport uniform, took a detailed description of the colors and design, and from that created a masterful, beautifully handcrafted bear* in the St. Brendan b-ball uniform, complete with the boy's name!!!"

If you are looking for a special, personalized gift for a basketball player, I think that person would enjoy this keepsake from their days on the basketball court.

*Please note that only the uniform is handcrafted by us, not the actual bear.

How about an online craft fair?

2008-03-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

Do you like to go to craft fairs in your local area? You get to walk down the aisles and see all these great looking handmade craft items. But, what if you could stay home and "walk down the aisles" from your computer? Does that sound like fun? No gas expense, no tired feet from all that walking, you can do a load of laundry while you're shopping.... There are lots of advantages to shopping online. So, all that being said, take a look at the Spring Fling Craft Fair put on by the Unique Crafters Club. It will be well worth the time to look at the merchants who offer a variety of handcrafted items. For example, you will find poetry angels, woven baskets, painted items, wood items, teddy bears, stuffed dolls and animals, and more. The merchants are offering discounts when you shop from the main craft fair page. The fair runs from March 1 through May 31st, just in time for your spring occasion shopping - Mother's Day, Graduation, birthdays, sprucing up the house.

Come join me in a game of tag!

2008-03-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, my blog has been tagged! A blogging friend of mine is involved in a game of blog tag. I have to tell you 5 things about myself and then tag 5 friends. So here goes....

1) The name of my business is Bear Family Gifts. Do you know why?? I suppose because I sell teddy bears and it is a family friendly business with gifts for the whole family would be a good guess. But, actually, it is because I was once a member of a Bear Family! My maiden name was Bear! Can you believe it? I wanted to incorporate my maiden name into my teddy bear business and came up with Bear Family Gifts. I couldn't resist that little play on words.

2)I am a sports junkie! I can't play any sport worth a lick, but I love to watch or listen on the radio to football, basketball, and sometimes baseball. I am enjoying watching basketball almost all day long right now with the NCAA tournament. My favorite team is the KU Jayhawks. Go Hawks!!

3)At one time in my life, I left a job because they were getting a computer!! Now that was back in the "old" days, when we did our bookkeeping by hand, I was so afraid of computers that I left that job for another. A few years later, that business also incorporated a computer, but I was ready to tackle the challenge by then. And look at me now, can't stand to go a day without doing something on my computer. My kids don't believe me when I tell them how afraid I once was of a computer.

4)I enjoy writing poetry and singing in the church choir. Some of my poems are featured with my teddy bear angels, as well as I have some of my longer poems on my website, http://www.bearfamilygifts.com/poetry.html.

5)Last, and most importantly I am a Christian, a breast cancer survivor, a wife and mother of 3 teenagers. Life is full and always interesting.

Here are my friends that I am tagging:
Crystal Creates
Cinna-Minnies
Handmade Doll Clothes
Ragtree Funky Sculpture
Crafters BS

Tag - you're it!

Have fun!

Bunny or Bear??

2008-03-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

This turned out too cute not to share. It is the only new Easter gift I will be adding this year as I am running out of time. But, I did think my Happy Easter Bear turned out very cute.

So what do you think? Is this a bear or a bunny? Does it really matter??? If it's too cute for you to resist buying, visit the link and purchase today! Last day to order for Easter gifts is March 14th. This gift comes with a chocolate bunny and a miniature basket of Easter eggs with a little yellow chick just "peeping" over the rim of the basket.

Easter is March 23 this year - seems very early!!

It's Graduation Time - Here are some Fun Gift Ideas!

2008-03-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

With the hope of spring dawning (we in the mid west pray that it dawns SOON!), comes the thought that school will be ending soon. I have a junior in high school, so next year at this time, we will be nearing a frenzy of activity surrounding her graduation. What a momentous occasion, what a milestone in her life! Such occasions always make me think of gift giving, and what would be the perfect gift to capture this moment. There are some wonderful graduation gifts that can be given - cash is always good, luggage, other items needed in college, there are lots of things to choose from. My niece is graduating from high school and I have already purchased a special picture frame and a book, but she will also be receiving a special Graduation Teddy Bear.

We offer several teddy bears dressed in a robe with a traditional cap and tassel. If you want the robe in the same color as the graduate's, we will do that if we can - and we usually can. That goes for the tassel, too. We try to make the teddy bear's clothing match the graduate's as much as possible.

There are variations on this basic design. We have done doctorate's robes with beret type hats instead of traditional caps, and stoles. Again, we try to make the clothing match the graduate's as much as possible. We always include a pseudo diploma and you can add shoes if you want.

We did a custom doctorate bear that is not on my website yet, but is something we can do for you. The customer chose her degree colors for the stole and chevrons, we added a personalized cross-stitch heart, shoes, a stand, even some eyelashes and a bit of blush to make it very female.

Maybe the graduate you are buying for is graduating from medical school. We can do traditional robe with cap or beret, etc, and add a stethoscope. You have just made a very personal graduation gift!

There's another way to approach a graduation gift for someone graduating from college with a professional degree. We offer a variety of Professional Teddy Bears that would make great gifts to acknowledge all that hard work and the wonderful results! For instance, we offer several from the medical field - Doctor, Eye Doctor, Surgeon, Dentist, Nurse, Dental Hygienist and Veterinarian.

We also offer some other graduation gifts that you might not find anywhere else. How about a Hair Stylist Bear, Chef, Police Officer, Business Executive, Teacher, Computer Analyst, Realtor, Aerobics Instructor, or Car Mechanic? Have some fun with your graduation gifts and let us dress a teddy bear that fits the occasion. We are always open to your ideas, too.

The Grand Finale of the Teddy Bear Challenge

2007-11-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

We have finally reached the last week of the Teddy Bear Challenge, I am referring to this week's new items as the Grand Finale. Check out our special celebration page and enjoy the fun.

For the ten weeks of the Teddy Bear Challenge, I added a total of 33 new products. What started out as a goal to add 10 new products over a 10 week period grew considerably. For the final week, I added a total of 5 new products, including the last two of my holiday items. Let's start with those.

Choco-Latta Bear is designed to be given as a gift with that ultimate special gift - Chocolate! He gets his name both from the bag of chocolate that he comes with, and because of the color of his fur.

Snow
Angel Bear is an elegant decor item. Dressed in a light blue dress with silver snowflakes and silver trim, she gives the hint of winter and cold weather, yet brings the warmth associated with the good things of Christmas and winter holidays.

The
Angel Bear Family is a sentimental display, or maybe a gift of encouragement to someone. Shown with Mama Angel, 2 young son angels, and 1 baby daughter angel, it comes with my original poem about mothers and children. The great thing about this gift arrangement is that you choose the family members you want.

Computer Geek Bear is quite a nerd! Does he look just like some loveable nerd you know? He comes with a bowtie that is askew, a yellow pocket protector, glasses that have been broken and fixed with white tape, and his very own miniature laptop. He'd never be caught without a computer of some kind!!

Last, but not least, we have Realtor Bear, the very successful Real Estate Agent. In her very large
bag, she carries her "Home for Sale" sign, and the last home has been "SOLD". Included is her ever present calculator for figuring out those mortgage payments. This bear comes with a stand for easy display.

If you have come along on this journey of new products, I hope you have enjoyed the ride as much as I have enjoyed the "driving". I have accomplished a goal that I set, I have added items that were waiting to be finished for over a year, I have discovered the joys of sticking with something even when it was hard. We will be taking a break from creating new products and adding them to our site while we help our customers with their Christmas Shopping. If I don't post again until after the new year, have a wonderful Thanksgivng, Christmas, and holiday season with family and friends.

Santa's Reindeer and the Three Bears!

2007-11-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

The holidays are fast approaching and I am busily trying to get ready
in one way or another. That means the blog gets left behind.
So, I will just talk about 4 of my new bears from the last two weeks
in this posting, and one of those is really a reindeer!!

Week #8 of the Teddy Bear Challenge brought 2 new baby
boy gifts , 1 reindeer and 1 thoughtful bear.

Let's start with the reindeer. This is Santa's Reindeer and first rate helper. His name is Rudi, the Reindeer Dude. He helps Santa deliver packages all over the world on Christmas Eve, and boy is he tired! When they get to a house where Santa has lots of packages to unload, Rudi takes some time to sit down and relax. He sees some reindeer food and is enjoying that, when he spies the mug of chocolate left for Santa! What a treat!! Now if he could just find that glass of milk or cup of cocoa, life would be perfect.

Someone is Thinking of You Bear lets you send a thoughtful, personal message across the miles. I designed this one to be sent by someone living in Kansas to someone living in a different state. The message on the t-shirt says "Someone in Kansas is thinking of You". I added some colorful sunflowers in her hand and sunflower fabric pants to complete the "Kansas" theme. This can be done in other colors with other flowers to create your own personal gift.

Week #9 brought another 4 new bears, 2 are described below. The other two are a Male Music Teacher Bear and a Singing Cowgirl Bear.

Pass the dice, this bear is ready to roll!! That's the fun message that the Pass The Dice Bear is ready to send to someone who loves to play dice games. This bear was designed with Bunco players in mind, but could be adapted to other dice games such as Yahtzee and Farkel. She comes with 3 di in her hand, showing a Bunco, and the bell to ring to start the game. There are also 3 tiny di on the ribbon in her hair. She is just for fun, a gift that recognizes someone's special interest in a dice game.

Last, but certainly not least, is one of my favorite new bears, Good Mornin' Mama Bear! Does this look like you in the mornings? Or maybe your mom or grandmother? This is a "just for fun" bear that I really enjoyed putting together. She comes dressed in a colorful housedress, teddy bear slippers (I also have bunny slippers and chickie slippers available at this time), glasses and 3 curlers in her hair. Her cup is filled with her morning coffee and she is ready to sit down and read her newspaper. This bear makes me smile, maybe it would someone on your gift list smile, too!

Next week is my last week of the Teddy Bear Challenge and I am planning a Grand Finale!! Stay tuned and then get ready to shop. Get your Christmas gift list out and start thinking about who might like one of these fine teddy bears (or other animals). Don't forget to read about my early shopper discount!

Holiday Teddy Bears on Parade!

2007-10-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Here it is Week #7 of the Teddy Bear Challenge, and I haven't even posted about Week #6 yet! Sometimes life just gets in the way....

I wanted to feature the new bears from Week #6 because they are my new holiday bears. I also have 3 new Professional Bears that I added just this week. You can always find my newest bears on my What's New page.

For Week #6, I decided to add 6 new holiday bears. Many of these were supposed to have been done for 2006 holidays, but I repeat, sometimes life just gets in the way.....

I have 4 new bears that I call the Mr. Bears. There were 3 of these on my site for other holidays, now there is one for the fall season, one for the winter, and 2 for Christmas. Mr. Fall Bear is dressed in a vest with matching bow tie and top hat, and comes with 3 pumpkins. His vest is made of blue fabric with scarecrows on it. He makes a very nice fall decor item.

Mr. Christmas Bear is a jaunty fellow in his bright, cheery vest and matching bowtie. He wears a Santa hat and has lots of presents that he is bringing to your house. This would be a cute gift to send to someone that you will not be seeing this Christmas.

The second style of Mr. Christmas Bear is a more elegant version. His vest has
"Season's Greetings" written in gold on it and he wears a black top hat. He is also delivering a poinsettia to your home as jesture of appreciation and to wish you Merry Christmas.

The last of the new Mr. Bears is Mr. Snow Bear. He comes in white, appropriate for a snow bear I would think, and is dressed in a fun vest with snowmen on it. He wears a black floppy hat that keeps his ears warm as he shovels the snow. He makes cute winter or Christmas decor, or a fun gift, maybe for someone who loves snow but lives in a warmer climate where they don't get much snow.

Another fun snow gift for someone who loves the snow and just can't get enough of it is the Let It Snow Bear. He is dressed in some cute red pants with snowmen, a red sweater with snowflakes, and his red ear muffs. He's got 3 snowballs all ready for a good snowball fight.

The Reindeer Sweater Bear is a bit of whimsy for the Christmas season. I always laugh just a little everytime I look at his picture. Whimsy is something that is just for fun, maybe a little out of the ordinary, and definitely not something of logic! I think that describes this teddy bear to a "T"! The sweater has a hood with antlers that the teddy bear's face just peeks through. I have added a little jingle bell to the sweater just for fun. The pants have pictures of Santa and gifts on it. If you know someone who needs a little "pick-me-up" this holiday season, this guy just might be the thing to do that.

I have one more holiday item to talk about, but he is already on my site with my other new items for Week #8. Wow, two more weeks to go to complete the 10 week Teddy Bear Challenge! What else will I add? I don't even know the answer to that question. I've added a total of 24 new bears to my site during this challenge. Originally I wanted to get up 1 new item per week. These teddy bears are multiplying like - bunnies!! Did you know I also have bunnies on my site? They are as cute as can be and available in several sizes.

For your holiday gift giving convenience, there are a couple of pages you might want to visit:

*Christmas Gift Ideas - just a few ideas for various groups of people you might be buying gifts for

*Christmas Ordering - I'm offering a discount for any Christmas orders entered before November 15th. Order early and save some money!

Until next time, I remain your personal Teddy Bear Clothier!

Week #5 is Live!!

2007-10-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Another week, more new items for my Teddy Bear Challenge. This week, I only added 3 new items, with 2 of those being Christmas Teddy Bears. I know it seems early, but....

I was in a store this weekend that was all decked out in their Christmas decor for sale, but they also had a big digital countdown sign. Only 80 days until Christmas. Maybe that seems like alot of time to you, but if your life is busy with work, lots of family activities, and so on, the time will fly by. Don't let your shopping fall through the cracks. Hint, hint!

Let's look at the non-Christmas bear first, this is the Wizard of Bearz. He was ordered as a gift for a friend's birthday and was used as a centerpiece for the wizard themed party. You can buy a stand from me to hold the bear in standing position. He would look great on the shelf or dresser of a collector of fun and fanciful things. He is dressed in blue and gold, but you can choose different colors if you like.

Now for the Christmas bears, first is Christmas Sweater Bear. I use a white bear for this piece, as I love the contrast between the white bear and the red sweater. Some of my bears hold a rose, but this one has a poinsettia. That seemed the appropriate flower for a bear to hold. The Christmas sweater style can vary, but this one has NOEL in white knitted into the sweater. She's got a cute red bow in her "hair" as well.

The last piece added this week is the Christmas Joy Angel Bear. She is a smaller bear, only 6" high in sitting position. She comes with 3 blocks that spell out JOY. I am offering her in 2 styles, one with small blocks as shown here, or with larger blocks. She is dressed in a dark red fabric with gold swirls, and then trimmed in gold an white. Small, but very cute decor item or gift.

I have more Christmas teddy bears to come in the next few weeks. Some are rather serious - at least as serious as a teddy bear can be! And some are rather whimsical and comical. You may also see a reindeer in the midst of all these teddy bears. Stay tuned!

The Great Teddy Bear Challenge Continues!

2007-10-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

This week I challenged myself to add 4 new bears, as I wanted to get some new bears for the holidays on my website. So, 1 Halloween Bear, plus 1 Thanksgiving Bear, plus 1 Snowman Bear, plus 1 Futuristic Warrior Bear = 4 new bears. The Futuristic Warrior was a custom order for a science fiction fan, specifically a fan of a certain science fiction movie series. I thought it turned out very well. Custom orders are always challenges in their own right, but I believe we've always been able to accomodate a customer's desire. I appreciate the opportunity to take on the challenge, and enjoy the ideas presented by my customers.

The Trick or Treat Bear is a remake of an older design, as the style of sweater has changed. This would make a really cute Halloween party centerpiece, especially if you are wanting to stay away from the really scary stuff. Young children would really enjoy this cute bear along with other fun items being the center of a refreshment table. Maybe the bear could even be a door prize at the end of the evening.

Thanksgiving Bear would make a nice decor item, surrounded by other fall decor, like leaves, small squash and pumpkings, etc. I added some wooden blocks that spell out GIVE THANKS, to focus on the holiday. Or it could be used to send a Happy Thanksgiving greeting to someone you are missing at Thanksgiving. I'm always happy to enclose a gift card with any purchase at no extra charge. Your gift would come in a clear plastic bag, which protects it from any moisture or dirt it might encouter on the way to it's destination. I close the bag with ribbons that coordinate with the colors of the clothing, and attach the gift card to the ribbons. It makes an attractive presentation, and your personalized gift card will make it a very special gift from you.

I really enjoy looking at snowman crafts. There is something about a snowman that makes me smile. Maybe because I always think of kids going outside in the cold and the pure joy they have in making a snowman. To them, the snow and cold is something to enjoy and experience. Teddy bears evoke some of the same thoughts of childhood joys and carefree times, so why not take a teddy bear and dress it like a snowman? I really enjoyed putting this design together, it appealed to the whimsical, fun side of my personality. The Snowman Bear would make a great gift for someone who collects snowmen, or a fun piece of winter decor for your home.

Next week, I won't be adding 4 bears, but possibly 3, as I have 2 more holiday bears I want to add to the Christmas Teddy Bears, as teddy bears always make great Christmas decor or gifts. You just can't go wrong with a teddy bear gift! My Christmas cut-off for taking orders is not firm yet, but in the past has been around December 1st. That's only about 2 months away, so I encourage you to not delay in ordering your teddy bear gifts for Christmas!

See you next week!

Two New Bears this Week!

2007-09-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

For Week #3 of the Teddy Bear Challenge, I have added 2 new bears. I have so many new items to add, some dating back to 2005, that I may just have to add 2 every week from now on. And you wouldn't believe all the ideas I have started and not finished, not the mention the ones that are just in my head!

The first new item is Lexi's Little Angel Bear, named for my great neice born in July. I haven't seen her yet in person, but I'm sure she's even cuter than this little angel bear. This is a small angel, as it is only about 3" high in sitting position.

The second new item is called Bling Queen Bear, she is a hoot! Lots of color, lots of jewelry, sunglasses, cell phone - she's got it all! The Bling Queen can be customized with different color clothing and accessories, as well as choosing different accessories. She's a lot of fun and would be a welcome gift, I'm sure.

It is officially fall now, and with that change in seasons, we allergy suffers are anticipating the freeze that takes away whatever makes us sneeze and itch. With the coming of fall, we can also look ahead to upcoming holidays. I don't offer much in the way of fall decor, but I do have a few things. I offer a Trick or Treat Bear, which would be very cute for a Halloween party that you don't want to be super scary, like for younger children.

I also have an interesting Scarecrow Bear, which could be left out for the entire fall season.

I try to offer a variety of teddy bears, as well as a few bunnies, to appeal to wide variety of interests and gift giving occasions. But, I believe it is much like all the new cereals or ice creams you see in the store, some items remain your best sellers, no matter how many new things you add. I enjoy doing new things, and I hope you enjoy seeing the new things. I always find it interesting to browse the flavors of ice cream whether in the freezer section of my grocery store, or at an ice cream specialty fast food restaurant. But you know what? I still usually get vanilla or chocolate! Why? Sometimes I just want the comfort and confidence of the familiar.

In some ways, no matter how a teddy bear is dressed, it is always the "familiar" because of the teddy bears we had in our childhood. Or, if you're like me, as an adult, you still have a few teddy bears around. Maybe the next time you need to give a gift, you'll want something both familiar and different. My teddy bear gifts offer both of those aspects. If you ever have any questions, you can always contact me using my contact form on my website.

2007-09-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

Week #2 of the Teddy Bear Challenge is here, and so is the newest teddy bear gift to hit the internet. Anniversary Bears are just the sweetest couple! It looks like the male is whispering something in the female's ear - maybe a tender "I love you - thanks for all the wonderful years together." A return customer asked me to make something special for his friends that were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. What you see is what we came up with. Gold roses, gold writing and trim on the personalized heart to represent 50 years together.

This type of representation can be done with any year and appropriate color.The great thing about a gift like this is that it can be personalized with names, date, personal message,colors, etc. I'm sure you can find other anniversary gifts for specific years of marriage, and probably even in teddy bears, but can you have it "say" what you want? We can do that for you with the way we personalize our gifts.

Speaking of Christmas...oh, you weren't? Hmm, maybe it's time to start thinking about who is on your Christmas list this year. I know it seems early, but these months will go by very quickly. I have two pages on my website that you might find helpful in thinking about Christmas gifts and decor, Christmas Gift Ideas and Christmas Teddy Bears. Teddy bears and Christmas just seem to go together naturally, maybe there's a teddy bear gift that would be perfect for someone on your gift list.

These two pages are only suggestions, of course, any of our teddy bears would make a great gift. A Pirate Bear for a pirate collector, a Doctor Bear for your favorite doctor or someone who aspires to be a doctor, a Graduate Bear for a December college graduate, a Cowboy Bear for someone who loves the western look, a Teacher Bear for your favorite teacher. The possibilities are almost endless!

Let me introduce you to the Bear Family -Momma Bear, Son Jack, Son Bill, Daughter Mary, Grandson Jake, Granddaughter Jill. This is a great way to represent each member of the family. Papa Bear is available, too, as well as a fourth generation, smaller than the grandchildren shown. If your mother or grandmother loves teddy bears, wouldn't she just love this? Each bear comes with a name tag and can be dressed in a variety of colors, or matching clothing. All males are shown in blue denim overalls, but other clothing can be used.

Come by our website and look at all the different styles of teddy bear gifts. If you don't see what you're looking for, contact me, we love to do custom orders!

The Teddy Bear Challenge

2007-09-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Here's something kind of fun if you like teddy bears. I'm having a Teddy Bear Challenge on my website. For the next 10 weeks, I will be adding one new product per week and announcing this on my What's New page. This is a fun and motivational way for me to add these products that have been website ready for quite some time.

I hope you will come and join in the fun of the mystery and discovery of each new teddy bear gift.

If you haven't checked our my site in awhile, there have been a few additions in the last months. You might notice a certain Mother Theadora Bear, a great gift for a nun or Catholic teacher. I have also recently added a Dentist Bear. People have purchased this one for some very different reasons. One was actually for a dentist as a "thank you" for a great job on some "involved" dentistry. Another purpose was to give as a gift to someone recovering from dental surgery.

I had a customer write a note to me recently about his choosing of teddy bears to give as gifts: "I think that I am hooked on teddy bears as a future way of showing my appreciation of friendship towards those who have more than been kind and in their showing concern for me. The feeling of knowing that someone cares for another is overwhelming and priceless. I am sure that our Heavenly Father recognizes this obedience of his commandment that we love one another as He loves us. Thanks for your part in helping me to come to this realization and in showing my gratitude to others.".. I thought that was very kind of him, as well as one of the very reasons that I like to offer my teddy bears as gifts - to show people that they are appreciated, cared about, and thought of.

Here's another great reason to give a teddy bear gift, this was a way to use a teddy bear that I would never have dreamt: "Rev. Robak of New Jersey bought a Priest Bear for one of his parishoners who resides in a nursing home. He said, "I recently visited her and gave her this PRIEST TEDDY BEAR and told her that, through it, I was always with her. This woman, who is over 90 years of age, smiled and hugged that Teddy-Bear like a little child. Needless to say, I am in her good graces again. GOD IS GOOD! THE BIBLE SAYS THAT, 'HE RESTORES THE JOY OF OUR YOUTH!' AND SOMETIMES HE EVEN DOES THAT THROUGH A 'TEDDY-BEAR'! Thank you for your wonderful product."

I think teddy bears represent the innocence of youth, good memories, a sentimental all-over good feeling that brings a smile to everyone's face. They can be used for just about any occasion - who can you you present with a smile today?

It's HOW MANY Days Until Christmas??

2006-10-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Whether we want to think about it or not, Christmas will be here in 76 days!! If you want to buy unique, personalized, handcrafted items, there's even less time left. For myself, the cut off date to order for Christmas is December 1st. There are others who offer unique items whose cut off date is closer to mid-November. What does this tell you??? It's time to look over that Christmas gift list and consider what you might buy for each one. Who would like something out of the ordinary? Who would like something personalized? Who would like something cute? Who would like a keepsake for a first Christmas? Who collects teddy bears, who collects bunnies, who likes unique ornaments for their tree?

I, personally, like all of those things!! But you have to think about who you're giving to and what they would like. Give yourself some time to really think about the people on your list. If you find that a teddy bear or bunny (or cat, lamb, or cow) would be a good gift for someone, check out my site. I have my monthly specials going on, holiday specials (which will change as each holiday comes up), and you can always join my mailing list to get 10% off of anything you buy, everytime you buy. For the month of October, you can help fund mammograms for women who can't afford them by buying from my Pink Bears category. I will give a portion of each sale from this page to help fund mammograms. And I still have some really good deals on my clearance page.

Now, maybe no one on your list needs or wants a teddy bear, bunny, cat, lamb, or cow. I understand that, my gifts aren't for everyone. But maybe there is another type of unique gift they would like. Maybe something in a country decor style, http://www.bearfarmwoodcrafts.com/ , or maybe some other type of handcrafted item, http://www.uniquecrafters.net/ . Check out these other sites and see what they have to offer to bring something unique to your Christmas gift giving experience this year. People love to know that a gift for them has been well thought out with their needs and wants in mind.

If you don't buy much for Christmas, I understand that too. Neither do I. Everyone has to do what is right for their families and friends. Sometimes the best gifts are gifts of time or just a hug and an "I love you." Above all, Christmas should be about considering what is best for someone else and doing it! After all, that is what God did and He started this whole Christmas gift-giving thing by sending His Son, Jesus to us as a baby.

A Mom's Lament - School is back in session!

2006-08-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

As we embark on yet another school year and close another summer, I wrote down some thoughts that probably all moms can relate to.

Good News: School starts tomorrow!!!

Bad News: I have to start getting up at 6:30 again and don my taxi cab hat.

Good News: My daughter is officially going to high school (our high school is 10-12th grade)

Bad News: It's only 3 years until she graduates and is off to college. Boo hoo.

Good News: My daughter has been noticed by the high school orchestra teacher as a very good player and has some plans for her to do some extracurricular things.

Bad News: My daughter may not want to do these things or have time, since I think her course load is going to provide her with lots of homework. We have to be thinking what is best for her college endeavors, and at this time, that doesn't include orchestra, so it might have to take a back seat.

Good News: My daughter has become a good violinist because she is self-motivated and works hard. We have not given her the benefit of lessons too often in her almost 6 years of playing. The lessons were good for her, but they just didn't always fit with the rest of our life (or maybe I should say my life). So she's accomplished much on her own.

Bad News: Don't see any bad news there, how can it be bad to have a child work hard at something?? (Something that is good for them, anyway. My boys work hard at video games, but I don't see the benefits there.)

Good News: My youngest son got the 6th grade teacher that I wanted. She was my daughter's 6th grade teacher and she is a very nice woman, easy to talk to, and prepared my daughter for Junior High quite well.

Bad News: He's not looking forward to going back to school, has voiced that more this year than in the past, so don't know what he's thinking exactly. Perhaps he is not looking forward to the hard work aspect that he will need to do in some areas. On the other hand, he really loves science and social studies (he wants to be a meteorologist), so I would think he is looking forward to learning more in those areas. The other bad news is that my "baby" is in 6th grade!!!!!!! We are almost done with elementary school forever. Doesn't seem possible.

Good News: My youngest son is so excited about being in band again that he wanted to talk to the band teacher when we were at school last night meeting his classroom teacher. He gets to march this year in a city parade in early September. He wanted to find out how soon he could bring his clarinet to school.

Bad News: Don't see any bad news on that one, either.

Good News: My oldest son is playing football for the first time (real football, not that flag football stuff - he didn't consider that real football) and has spent the summer in training to play. He found out today that he will be in the starting lineup as a wide receiver on offense and a safety on defense. These are the two positions that he wanted to play, so I think he is happy.

Bad News: I'm going to be a nervous wreck watching him play and fearing that he will get hurt. He doesn't talk much, so he could be hurt and not tell anyone, which bothers me. I'm going to be watching him like a hawk to see if he drinks water during the games. It is going to be hot in the beginning and he needs that water! He had an issue in the spring with possible dehydration. We don't need to be messing with that on the football field.

Good News: Getting ready to play football is lot of hard work. He has spent most of the summer either lifting weights, doing agility drills, going to camp, etc. He told me today that he really likes football and the hard work was fun. He's never been one to care much for hard work, so if this would spark his ability to work hard in other areas, that's good. If playing football makes him a little more assertive in the classroom and in his relationships, that's a good thing too.

Bad News: He likes football!! I thought that after he was done with the season and all of the pre-season work, he would either really like it or really not like it. I wasn't sure which way I wanted it to turn out. I love football, but it's different when my son's body is the one getting hit. I'd rather he stick to basketball in that sense. I guess we'll see how it goes.

Good News: My oldest son will also be playing in the jazz band (trombone) which he has been wanting to do. And he has developed in interest in being a graphic artist and will be taking an art couse this year to help propel him in that direction.

Bad News: Very little bad news here, other than he has so many interests, he is going to have a hard time choosing in the future. For now, he can do a little of everything and maybe that will help him decide later on.

Off and running through another year of my children's lives. It all goes by so fast, I know that's a trite saying, but it feels so true. These are exciting times because my children are coming into their own with their opinions, their interests. I enjoy seeing them develop. But it's kind of scary too. The world is scary, and soon they will be living in it on their own, mom and dad won't be there to help them with decisions and to talk through problems. While a parent's work is never totally done, at least I hope we have the kind of relationships with our children that they can always come and talk about anything with us, it's not the same when they are young adults as when they were little children. Do I want them to be pre-school age again? No way!! I'm just a normal mom who is concerned about her kids and excited to see them becoming independent people too. I am so thankful that God is watching over them and that they believe God is there to help them through. Now if I could just hand over the reins to God! LOL

Do You Know Why You are in Business?

2006-04-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

If you have a business, have you ever wondered why you are in business? I wonder that quite often, especially since my business does not contribute to the family financially, and it takes a lot of time and energy. I sometimes feel that the business takes away too much of me and maybe I should cut back or quit.

My goal is really to provide a gift that provides meaning or bridges relationships, or does SOMETHING good in a life. Today, I got an e-mail from someone who has given me the ultimate compliment and motivates me to stay in business and keep going even though sometimes it seems too much for me.

This is what happened. A lady called me on a Saturday a few weeks ago and seemed very upset. I really had a hard time understanding what she wanted and hoped when it was all done that I had understood everything correctly. I understood her to say that she wanted a sister angel for her sister that had just been diagnosed with cancer. She also wanted another angel for her daughter, but I was a little confused as to what all was going on. I sent her two angels, personalized like I believe she wanted, and prayed for the best result. She e-mailed me when she received them and thanked me for talking to her in a calm way as she had been very upset and almost incoherent. I did get the order right, and I had understood her correctly about her sister. She had just been diagnosed with liver cancer and was terminal. It was no wonder that she was so upset. Turns out she wanted a sister angel not only for her sister to have now, but also to bury her with. Wow, I didn't know what to say to that.

She wrote to me again today to tell me that her sister had passed away yesterday. Here's an excerpt from her e-mail, with a few changes to protect her privacy:"My sister J passed away yesterday from liver cancer and it was horrible to watch the stages that a person with that disease goes though. J's bear sat on a shelf watching her in the hospice hospital through it all and it will now go with her to heaven, I wanted to let you know what comfort it gave me, her having that sister bear and to say thank you so much , your bears are a wonderful feeling of comfort not only to my sister but to me..."

I am so humbled, I was in tears reading this. I think this is what God gave me this business for, an extension of His comfort.....

Situations like this, sad as they are, put everything in my life into perspective. What is really important in my life? What is really important in my business? The people who purchase my products and find comfort in that product for themselves, or bring comfort to someone else through the visual aid of my product, makes it all seem worthwhile.

I believe that products made by someone's hands, like those of my friends at Unique Crafters, are ones that can express the heartfelt sentiments that this woman did with my sister angel bear. Check out the other crafts that are available, I think you'll find many that you would like for your own purposes.

Communication Makes Happy Customers

2006-02-24T19:12:00.000-08:00

I have been dealing with a local organization, trying to get a refund for a service that was not performed. I have been very disappointed in the person that I have been in contact with. His communication skills are very lacking. I called and left numerous voice messages, he never returned my calls. If I called the office and happened to catch him in, he would talk to me, but never took the initiative to follow up. I have e-mailed and have finally gotten a response after a few weeks.

I truly believe that I will get my refund, as this is a well known organization and a good one. But, the thoughts that have crossed my mind while this person was not communicating with me has shown me just how important communication is. Communication is especially important when someone's money is involved. When there was no communication, it was easy to think that this man was unconcerned about taking money for a service that I did not receive. How was I to know if he was even telling me the truth about making sure that I got a refund? Had he followed up with me, I would have felt assured that he believed I should have a refund and would see to it that I got one. As it was, I didn't feel like he cared at all. I have considered not being involved with this organization again, as I didn't feel this person was doing his job by not communicating with me. It made me wonder what else he was not doing well and I questioned whether or not I could trust him.

So, what does this tell me? I need to communicate with my customers when they place an order so that they know a real person is handling things and it has not been left up to faceless machines. I need to let them know when their order will ship, make sure I have the personalization correct, and confirm anything else that is appropriate. They are entrusting me with their money, I need to make sure they are kept informed. This seems so simple and we might think that we would never consider not communicating with our customers. But how often do we get so busy that we don't even remember if we have communicated with them? That happens to me! How often do we get interrupted and lose track of what we intended to do. That happens to me! The nice thing about communicating via e-mail is that we can keep copies of our communication. I do that so I not only know that I wrote to them, but what I wrote to them. Now, the next step I am going to take is to make sure that my sent e-mails are in the same folder as the customer's order so that I can easily find that communication.

Communication makes happy customers. Happy customers are what makes my business go. No communication, no happy customers. No happy customers, no business. It's as simple as that.

Why Would You Give Someone an Angel Teddy Bear?

2006-02-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

I am finally going to answer the question about angel teddy bears. Someone could choose to send an angel teddy bear just because they are pretty or because someone likes teddy bears and angels. But I've had people choose my angel teddy bears to send to someone for various reasons, all of them good reasons to send a gift from the heart.

~Bereavement (Bereavement Angel in two sizes, Bereavement Angel Ornament, Blue Angel, Baby Guardian Angel )

~Serious Illness (Guardian Angel, Kailie's Angel)

~Breast Cancer Patient (Pearl Angel in two sizes)

~Gift for Sister (Sister Angel)

~Gift for Friend (Friendship Angel)

~Birth of Baby (Baby Guardian Angel, Trinity's Angel)

~Get Well Wish (Get Well Angel)

~Birthday Gift (Birthday Angel - dressed in dress color to correspond with birthstone color)

~Ornament for Tree (Angel Ornament, Baby Angel Ornament)

~Let someone know you care (Prayer Angel)

~Angel Decor (Country Angel)

As you can see the angels have been used for many occasions, some of which I probably am not even aware of. I don't know if there can be a better gift to send someone who is facing a difficult time than an angel, a reminder of God's love and care for them.

If you like wooden angels, my sister-in-law has some beautiful angels. I have one hanging on my wall and it is a "feel good" type of decor. You can see her angels at Bear Farm Woodcrafts, Angels.

Business Observations

2006-02-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

After whining about how slow my sales and traffic were in early January,things really started to change about the last full week of January. It's like someone opened the floodgates and suddenly my traffic tripled and orders started coming like crazy. Many of those orders were for Valentine's Day, of course, so we shall see what happens in the next few weeks. Of those many orders, I had at least 5 that were obtained via toll free phone calls. I've never had that many people call me in such a short amount of time. In fact, I'd almost bet that those 5 calls were more phone calls than I received all of last year. Very strange, but good business, so I'll take it.

Here are some interesting things about the traffic. Monday I received a sale from a lady in Germany who wanted an item delivered to a city in Kansas by Valentine's Day. It just so happened that the city is only about 30 minutes from my home, so her chances were very good that Priority Mail will get it there Tuesday. I offered the Express Mail option, but she didn't want to pay more for shipping than for the item she ordered and I couldn't blame her. Anyway, in checking my stats to see if I could find how she found me, I saw that she had searched for "gifts for valentine's day in kansas" or something like that. In google, I came up #13 in this search, which I thought was not bad at all considering that "kansas" is only mentioned once on my index page down towards the bottom where I have listed my name and location, toll free number, etc. I believe that is the first time I have received an order because someone searched for gifts in a certain location.

Then there's the traffic from blogs. No sales from this traffic yet, but still I thought it was interesting. The first traffic from a blog, was not from my own blog, but someone else who has linked to my site, in reference to Valentine's Day as being "Freaky Teddy Bear" and something else day. Not exactly a complimentary link, but people have clicked on the link to see my
freaky teddy bears. Sort of funny really.

Now for the ultimate funny and the reason why I do not make up a lot of any bears ahead of time. I AM A TERRIBLE PREDICTOR of what people will buy. I put in the time and effort to make a very nice page of Valentine gift ideas. I thought I was being very clever in having several different sizes, a wide price range and making the shopping easy by it all being on one page. There were a couple of items that sold well last year and if I had had my helper
working on clothing ahead of time, I would have had her making those items. Guess what! I had almost no sales for those items this year. Know what I sold the most of?? PIRATES! They were not on the Valentine page, people searched for Pirate teddy bear and found me. I don't know if the pirate movies have caused a surge in interest in Pirates or not, but I would never had predicted that many pirates going out the door for V-day. If I had made up items ahead of time, I would have been stuck with that inventory and really have no use for it until next Valentine's day. Some people have told me that there were ads on TV for a pirate bear (not mine, of course!) and perhaps that put the thought in people's heads. I don't know, but I sure sold alot of them and I am glad. That Pirate Bear is one of my very best sellers. Who da thought??

Today is a Significant Day!

2006-01-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

Today is a very significant day in the life of this teddy bear clothier! Today is my official 2 year anniversary of finishing chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer. While this is not as significant as the 5 year anniversary, reaching 2 years being cancer free increases greatly my chances of staying cancer free! Yippee!! You can read my story on my website . I also wrote a poem about my situation and what gave me the courage I needed to face being diagnosed with cancer. The picture to the left is of an angel bear I designed as a gift for someone just diagnosed with breast cancer. Her name is Pearl Angel Bear , she is dressed in pink satin with pearls hanging from her neck. She comes with a card that has another poem I wrote. This poem is the voice of a friend who is coming alongside the person who has been diagnosed. I had many friends who did that for me and their support, encouragement, and practical help was more valuable than I can ever describe.

"Walk forward in faith,
Let the Lord work His ways.
His unfailing love is with you
For all of your days."

Back to the questions about teddy bears

2006-01-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

Another question you may ask is - How did you get started dressing teddy bears as gifts? Good question! I was a typical child who loved her teddy bear - my favorite was a pink teddy bear with a white tummy. I had other teddy bears, too, and I loved them all. I felt a special connection with my teddy bears because my last name was Bear. Yes, my maiden name was Debbie Bear - can you imagine the names the kids made up about me at school? Actually, I thought those names were rather funny and some were even clever. As I grew older, I started collecting other types of bears, just seemed to fit my name. A few years ago, I needed a baby gift for a friend and wanted to make something. Well, what could be a better gift for a baby than something involving a teddy bear? So I dressed a teddy bear, added a matching padded picture frame, then decided it needed one more thing. I took some wooden blocks, spelled out the baby's name and - wahla - a personalized teddy bear gift was born. From there I thought of so many things, I had to try my hand at selling them. When I decided to try selling on the internet (I did some craft fairs and home parties first with minimal success), I never dreamed that I would eventually have over 100 styles of teddy bear gifts to offer, much less that I would have so many customers!!! I didn't know that I could actually make my own patterns for the clothing. I could sew, but had never tried making patterns. Wow, I found out I could do it! (there's an encouragement to try something you've never done - you just might find out you can do it and do it well!) I found out I could cross-stitch and make personalized pillows to go with lots of my teddy bear gifts.

I'm sort of getting off the subject here, but this is my way of explaining that I sort of fell into the business. First because of a need for a gift, then a desire to make something different than I could find in a store. My affiliation with teddy bears just made that choice easy, and they are readily available. I also offer bunnies and a kitty cat angel. I would offer other plush animals if I could find a steady supplier. I'm always looking for something new to add to my line.

Next question to be answered: For what occasions are your angel bears appropriate for?

Who's Your Special Valentine?

2006-01-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

Now that I've answered some of your questions, let me ask you a question - "Who's your special valentine?" I'm going to do some blatant advertising here. I bet that whoever your special valentine is, he or she would love a teddy bear this Valentine's Day! Now is the time to buy your special teddy bear gift. Don't miss your opportunity to buy your Valentine's Gifts at a discounted price. Choose your gifts for Valentine's Day now, save 20% on your order, and have your item sent just in time for Valentine's Day! This sale lasts through January 31st , visit my valentine gift page for details. Over twenty neat teddy bear gifts, different styles, different sizes, something for all ages. Wide price range - spend a little or spend a lot! See all the items on one page for your ordering convenience. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what I have to offer.

Here I Am!

2006-01-15T06:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I've done it. I've started a blog - what have I gotten myself into? I really don't know, but as long as I'm here, I might as well just jump in feet first.

You may be asking - what in the world is a teddy bear gift? My definition would be: it is a teddy bear that is used as a decorative keepsake (not as a toy). The bear is dressed in clothing appropriate to the occasion (wedding clothes, graduation robe, angel dress, flannel nightgown, etc.), and items are added to complete the theme. They're cute, evoke positive emotions, and in general just make you feel good. Often a teddy bear gift will make a recipient feel good simply because someone thought about them. Flowers also evoke that thought, but once they die, it's harder to bring back that good feeling of being thought of. Teddy bear gifts don't wilt and eventually die. They stay cute forever!

The next question you may have is - why a teddy bear? My simple answer would be - why not a teddy bear? What other item brings to mind comfort, solace, happiness, and innocence like a teddy bear? Almost everyone had a teddy bear when they were younger, and that teddy bear was a loved companion. Someone to hug, someone to listen, someone to keep you company at night. Why not turn those childhood memories into a lasting memory?

Okay, that's it for my first post. More lessons on teddy bear gifts later.