Theodore Society Blog

I’m sure many of us are planning vacations that are less expensive, maybe some day trips or driving vacations to less expensive venues.  When you are planning those trips – think about some teddy bear destinations that you can add to the schedule!  There are a number of vacation places and retail establishments that offer a fun filled time for the family – and you can always send Dad to a local golf course if bears bore him!

In Michigan, check out the new Chelsea Teddy Bear and Toy Museum  – http://www.chelseateddybear.com/toy_museum

Ken Yenke, Teddy Bear Review’s resident expert on old bears, has personally selected most of the items on display from his own collection, and acts as curator.  Admission is FREE!  The Chelsea Teddy Bear Co. has fun events planned for the summer, and offer a store and factory tours.  Definitely a great way to spend the day!  In July, a Steiff representative and Ken Yenke will be on hand for a presentation – details available on the web site so be sure to read all about it!

In Pennslyvania, of course the place to go is Gettysburg and Boyds Bear Country.  The Boyds Bear Country store now carries more than just Boyds, featuring Yankee Candles, Hansa plush, Gund, Demdaco, Our Name is Mud, Jim Shore, Gooseberry Patch and more!

They have events planned nearly every weekend this summer, so read about it here – http://www.boydsbearcountry.com/events/

 Just the historical features of the immediate area alone make this a great inexpensive vacation, and the Lancaster/Amish country landscape is a wonderful low tech shopping mecca!

In the New England area, plan to visit the remarkable Hugging Bear Inn – in Chester Vermont – http://www.huggingbear.com/

The area is so beautiful any time of year, and how fun to stay in a 19th century home that has been made into a Bed & Breakfast that features a teddy bear in every bed!  They also have an online teddy bear store, with some offerings that include long retired Douglas plush and bears from the defunct Oz Lone Star teddy bears.

Don’t forget the wonderful Vermont Teddy Bear factory in Burlington Vermont – they are open nearly year round for tours and shopping, and the tours cost an amazing 2.00!!  Such a deal!  This is the place to go if you want a truly personalized bear – you can send them a photo of a dress for example, a wedding dress, and they will recreate the dress for one of their bears.  Military uniform?  They can do it – what a keepsake for a child who has a parent in the military, a bear dressed JUST like mom or dad!  You can read about all of the amazing options here – http://www.vermontteddybear.com/Static/Tour-Essentials.aspx

Coming to Disney in Florida?  Downtown Disney has a T-Rex dinosaur themed restaurant with life sized, animated dinosaurs in realistic habitats that create a truly unique dining experience – and Downtown Disney is FREE!  This wonderful restaurant contains a surprise too – a special version of the Build A Bear Factory featuring dinosaurs!  They are too cute to be believed – read about it here – http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney/dining/t-rex/  Both in California and Florida, Downtown Disney’s Rainforest Cafe features a wide assortment of unusual plush animals featuring the wild side of life in their shopping areas. 

These are just a few of the destinations you can add to your summer plans – so get out those maps and find some fun teddy bear trips to take!

Sorry to be missing in action, my computer had technical problems that took a few weeks to solve.  Computers are a lot like old boyfriends – you think everything is going wonderfully until BAM – it’s gone!  LOL!!But I am back -

I am a big fan of decorating with bears for the holidays, seasons, or special events.  Memorial Day presents many opportunities for creating displays to make you smile!  Summer of course is picnic season, and teddy bears are in love with picnics, especially if they involve honey!  Use a checked tablecloth or some place mats to create your picnic backdrop and seat your bears around the center area.  Stores like Wal-Mart and Target – even Big Lots – are great sources of play food to use in making the perfect picnic.  Build A Bear is another source for accessories to help you set up your picnic lunch.  Tiny baskets complete the picnic setting, and Boyds has made a large variety of small woven baskets over the years that woudl work very well.  You can even find small plastic ants at novelty stores for an added touch of realism!  Check toy stores and party stores for items that will make your picnic perfect.  I have a small wooden table and chairs I found at an antique fair, as well as a small picnic table.  Red checked napkins make great table cloths, and play food from McDonalds and Subway help create the picture of a wonderful Memorial Day outing.  I used glue to make permanent sandwiches from the buns, pickles, cheese, burgers and other items – mostly to keep my cats from making the sandwiches into cold cuts!

Parades are another summer tradition for those of us who remember them!  You can create a line of bears, seated and standing, for onlookers.  Use small wagons, bikes, and even plush horses to make a parade, with red white and blue streamers and small flags for color.  I have found some small plush horses that make great rides for smaller bears, every parade needs a horse or two!  Both Bearington and Boyds have done terrific bears in Americana themed clothing over the years.  Buy some sparklers and other fireworks to create the illusion of a Fourth of July celebration – just make sure to keep the fireworks up and out of the hands of little ones!

Sometimes a simple display can convey a lot.  Seat on old bear next to your grandfather’s military cap, with a flag in his hand.  Use wired ribbon in red white and blue to make a colorful bow.  Pin some old medals on the bear.  Do you have old letters sent by someone in your family during times of war?  Frame a letter or place it in the lap of your bear.  Create a Memorial Day tribute to those in your famiily with loved ones who have served.

Boyds has a current bearstone with deep meaning for anyone who has lost a loved one to military action.  Do you know someone who has suffered such a loss?  This is a great piece to purchase as a gift, or to use as a centerpiece for a Memorial Day display -

http://www.boydsstuff.com/archiveitem.cfm?IN=228534

Use your imagination and make a memorable display this Memorial Day – I would love to see pictures!  Send them to me at bethy56@comcast.net