“Santa is Real”:

In two days

you’ll be here

and my life will

become small

in the shadow

of yours…

and larger

in the face

of all you derive.

In two days

it’ll be Christmas Day…

but you’ve been

my gift

since the day

your mother

gave birth.

I remember

every nuanced

and shaking step.

Your first laugh

still carries through

empty hallways.

Your first word…

my name.

Beneath the tender

shadowed stains

of a man…

is your father…

and Santa is real.

• Nathan Lindsay

http://randompoemswithnohome.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/santa-is-real/

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The top ten toys your kids will want for Christmas and where they are on sale

 

The top 10 toys and where they are cheapest

	Argos	Boots	Next cheapest
1) My Friend Cayla	£59.99*	£60* (not incl in 3for2)	£53 at Tesco*
2) Kiddizoom Smart Watch	£34.99*	£39.99* (not incl in 3for2)	£29.99 atAmazon*
3) Teksta T-Rex	£59.99*	£60*	£54 atAmazon*
4) DohVinci Style & Store Vanity	£19.99*	Not stocked	£14.99 atToys R Us*
5) Leapfrog LeapTV	Not stocked	Not stocked	Not stocked
6) Transformers Stomp N Chomp	£89.99*	£90*	£83.99 atToys R Us*
7) Barbie Color Change Bag	£29.99*	£30*	£26.45 atTesco*
8) Frozen: Ice Skating Doll	£29.99*	Not stocked	£23 atAmazon*
9) Xeno – The Cheeky Interactive Baby Monster	£79.99*	£80* (not incl in 3for2)	£75 atAmazon*
10) BOOMco Rapid Madness	£49.99*	£50*	£40 at Asda Direct*

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How to Make a Teddy Bear

 

It’s not uncommon to give a teddy bear to a child or a loved one, but it is quite rare to give someone a teddy bear that you made yourself. If you’re willing to put your sewing skills to work, you can give this traditional toy a personal touch and offer it affectionately to a special person.

1. 1
   

    

    

    

    
   

    

    

    

    

    Arms with “paws” sewn on

   

    

    

    

    

    Arms sewn together

   Sew the arm pieces together, leaving a slit for stuffing (usually at the elbows).

    
2. 2
   

    

    

    

    

    Legs ready for foot.

   

    

    

    

    

    Foot pinned for sewing.

   Sew the leg pieces together (usually along the bottom).

    
3. 3
   

    

    

    

    

    First head seam.

   Stitch the two head profiles together from the nose to the neck.

    
4. 4
   

    

    

    

    

    Gusset pinned for sewing

   Sew the wedge shaped piece (this is known as a “gusset”) between the two head pieces – from the nose or forehead to the back of the neck (this depends on the length of the gussett). You will need to line it up at the neck and pin it in place before sewing.

    
5. 5
   

    

    

    

    

    All pieces sewn

   

    

    

    

    

    All seam allowances clipped to the seam.

   Clip all of the seams.

    
6. 6
   

    

    

    

    

   All pieces turned right side out

   Turn all of the pieces.

    
7. 7

   Stuff the head and sew it to the top of the body, around the neck line.

    
8. 8

   Assemble the bear by attaching the arms to the sides of the body and attaching the legs to the lower sides of the body.

    
9. 9

   Cut, sew, turn and attach ears (if you want them, as not all bear patterns have them).

    
10. 10

    Add facial details (like nose and mouth, etc.) with embroidery floss or permanent markers.

     
11. 11

    Sew on button eyes.

     
12. 12

    Enjoy your new stuffed animal!

     
13. 13

    Take good care of your teddy bear, or it may easily fall apart!

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Could you buy the world’s most expensive teddy bears?

 

Expensive and elegant have always fancied you. But have you ever thought that a teddy bear can also make it to the ‘most expensive items’ club. Since the birth of teddy bear trend from a cartoon titled ‘Drawing the line of Missisippi’, caricatured by Clifford Berryman, the cute-looking plaything has progressed from having fitted with button eyes to jewel-embedded eyes now. That illustrious cartoon was published in 1902 which depicted US President Roosevelt refusing to shoot a baby bear. The cartoon inspired a Russian emigrant Morris Michtom to come up with a toy bear. Today, teddy bears come in very innovative designs with, of course, expensive prices. Let’s check out few most expensive teddy bears ever sold. Read on.

 

 

1. Steiff’s Louis Vuitton Bear

Price : $2.1 Million

This is the world’s most expensive teddy bear ever sold at any auction. This was manufactured by a well-known German toy company Steiff. The company claims to have made the world’s first teddy bear. The company has made this bear with the brand name of the famous fashion house Louis Vuitton. This teddy bear was sold at the Monaco auction in the year 2000 at the most hefty price ever bet for a toy, which was $21, 00,000. Jessie Kim of Korea bought this Steiff bear, and now this bear is housed at Teddy Bear Museum in Jeju, Korea.

2. Louis Vuitton Monogram Bear

Price: $182,000

This is one bear that has been made completely by the brand Louis Vuitton in its 150 year fashion history. The bear is amongst the most favorite for the brand lovers and only 500 teddies were made. This one is named as DouDou. A foot-and-a-half tall, the bear comes with a logo of LV and was sold at an auction at Christie’s, Monaco for the price of $182,550.

3. Steiff’s diamond eyes teddy bear

Price: $84,000

The next most expensive bear that we have in list is again from the German teddy bear making company Steiff. This bear has a mouth of pure gold and its fur is made of golden threads. This golden bear was made to commemorate the company’s 125th anniversary. The best feature of the bear is the eyes that have been crafted from sapphires and diamonds. These bears are limited in numbers as only 125 of the collectables have been produced and each retails at $84,000.

4.Harlequin teddy bear

Price: $ 75,826

Harlequin teddy bear is also manufactured by Steiff manufactured. Created in 1925 with other 1,300 toys made by the German company that year, this is one of the most expensive bears available today. This bear was a part of the asset financier Paul Greenwood, who was held responsible for fraud last year. The bear has red and grey strips on its body with yellow paws and was expected to fetch around $80,000 to $130,000 but could fetch $75, 826 only.

5. Steiff teddy bear with hot water bottle

Price: $ 30,000

Another asset from the Paul Greenwood collection is this Steiff teddy that was expected to fetch around $50,000 at Christie’s International in London but got around $30,000. The bear was produced in 1910 and wore a brown fur jacket with a lace to tie both the ends.

6. Daniel Swarovski’s Teddy bear

Price: $ 10,566

Daniel Swarovski was an Austrian glass cutter and jeweler born in Bohemia and his father had a small glass factory that later started the production of crystal glass jewelry. This was how Swarovski, the famous brand, was born. The company made a teddy bear sponsored by the Daniel’s Swarovski. So, the shirt of the teddy was kept adorned with thousands of tawny crystals. The bear costs whopping $10,566 and is still available at selected Swarovski outlets.

7. Gund Snuffles teddy bear

Price: $ 10,000

Gund, a manufacturer of plush stuffed toys, made this expensive teddy bear. This teddy bear was in the ‘most sought after’ list at the Gund booth at the American International Toy Fair in New York, on last Valentines. This cute bear wears a 10-carat diamond necklace with a white gold chain and its eyes are made of black Tahitian pearls that make it very expensive.

8. Karl Lagerfeld Steiff Teddy Bear

Price: $2,080

Few years back, the iconic Karl Lagerfeld collaborated with the well-known toy making company Steiff to make a Karl Lagerfeld Steiff Teddy Bear for the latter’s 125th anniversary. The collaboration came up with a limited number of teddy bear i.e. only 2500 pieces. This teddy bear was wearing the famous black suit and sunglasses, quiet similar to what the star himself wears. The teddy also adorned the famous ear stud that is Karl’s patent style and also studded beld with the initials of the starts name “KL”. The toy was released at Colette with a price tag of $2,080.

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Top ten children’s toys for 2012

 

 

However, traditional toys such as Lego and even Subbuteo are giving this Christmas’s toy lists a retro feel this year.

With help from Leicester’s Dominoes toy shop, John Lewis, Amazon and Hamleys, here is our own top ten toy list for 2012. Pay attention Santa:

1) Lego – Forest Police Station. Recommended by Dominoes Toys of Leicester, Lego never fails to please and this is a must-have set new for 2012.  

2) Furby – A massive hit in the 90s, the Furby has been updated for today’s children and promises to keep them entertained for hours.

Its infra-red eyes have been replaced with two small LCD screens, its body has more motors and sensors than before and like so many toys these days, it comes with its own smartphone and tablet app, allowing for an even more interactive experience.

The app will even translate Furby’s weird language into English.

3) Tablets – Whether we agree with them or not, children as young as two are now playing with tablets and manufacturers have caught on to the fact.

Vtech and Leapfrog have launched children-friendly tablets with downloadable apps, educational games and even a built-in camera.

Tablets for kids are predicted to be a huge hit this Christmas by almost all major retailers.

4) Subbuteo – The retro finger football game is listed by Dominoes and Hamleys as being a big hit this Christmas.

5) Playmobile – Sets of any kind offer children hours of play to ignite their imaginations.

Of particular interest this year is the Playmobile Treasure Island.

With sets aimed at girls and boys, this is a toy youngsters under 10 will love.

6) Guess Who – This fabulous board game was popular when I was a child and still gives children of all ages hours of fun.

This year revamped versions include a Star Wars Guess Who. 

7) Web shooting Spiderman – Another toy that crops up on most lists this year, this well-known action figure looks like being a big hit.

8) FurReal – Cute animals that move and respond to touch.

These have been popular for a few years now and look like they will be again for 2012.

9) Trampoline – Garden trampolines are great for families, even those with limited space and are a gift-list staple that promise to delight children of all ages from toddlers to teenagers and even grown-ups.

10)   Barbie – The Princess and The Pop star interchangeable hair – another prediction from Dominoes and as the mother of a boy I’ll take their word for it.

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