Finding the PERFECT Stuffed Animal to Make Memories With

My whole family was together for the holidays this year, which hasn't happened for more than a year! Since we don't have many opportunities for girls' days with all of the girls in our family, we planned a day to go out to lunch and shop together! But when I realized I would be the only one bringing a kiddo along, I have to admit I felt a little bit...disappointed.

With my husband's demanding work schedule, the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and just the usual craziness of life, I haven't had a lot of time for girls' days or date nights. And everybody needs to take a day off and find time to have fun and relax every once in a while! But I was surprised when I realized that having my son tag along, on what was supposed to be an all-girls shopping trip, actually made my day much more enjoyable! Even though I'm sure I would have had a fun (and probably much more relaxing) day if he'd been at home with my husband, I also would have missed out on making some really special memories with him! And he would have missed out on meeting a new friend!

Our day did not go exactly as planned. We left home an hour later than we had planned, and then we had to make an unexpected stop. So by the time we arrived at the mall (an hour drive from our house), we were ready to eat lunch! But I guess we weren't the only ones who thought 1:00 p.m. seemed like the perfect time to eat lunch, because we ended up waiting for an hour before we were finally seated. Luckily, I had packed a PB&J for my kiddo, and he had eaten it in the car. So we ended up riding the escalators and elevators near the restaurant while we waited, and I have to say I think I actually had more fun watching my son's face than he had pushing all of the buttons in the elevator...and that's saying something!

By the time we had eaten lunch and walked into our first store, we were already several hours into our excursion. So when my little date asked if we could buy something, I told him I would buy him ONE thing during our shopping trip. After many minutes of deliberation, he picked a cute stuffed animal rabbit. My first thought was, "Oh, no! Not another stuffed animal for the drawer!" But he snuggled and chatted with that sweet little rabbit through our entire shopping trip, on the way home that night in the car as he fell asleep, and almost every night since. So I don't regret our purchase one bit. Plus, he's the only one who actually stuck to the "pick one thing" rule! ;)

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because he has always loved stuffed animals! When he was really little, his "taggie doggie," a stuffed puppy made by Mary Meyer, was his first favorite toy! And when Santa brought him a cute stuffed animal dog, a couple years ago, "Moon" quickly became the friend who has to go everywhere with him!

And as we prepared for our angel baby's birth, and carefully selected a few special items for her, I knew I wanted to buy a special stuffed animal just for her. While my mom and I were shopping for the perfect outfit for her, we found the softest and sweetest little lamb, made by GUND. It was so perfect, we ended up buying two...one for her and one for me! Even though her time on this earth and in our arms was very short, I wanted her to have her own special toy. And what's better than a soft and cuddly stuffed animal? My son would tell you that nothing is!

You just can't deny that a soft, well-made stuffed animal is unbeatable! Especially when they're as cute as these ones! I have a nephew who would LOVE the dinosaur, the mama and baby kangaroos are sooooo cute, and I love the details on the peacock's feathers!

GUND Plush Toy - Dinosaur - Tristen

GUND Plush Toy - Kangaroo - Jirra and Baby

GUND Plush Toy - Peacock - Midnight  

It seems like everywhere I go lately, I see cute unicorn stuffed animals, decor, and clothing for little girls! I know my niece LOVES all things unicorn, and I'm sure she would love to have one of GUND Unicorn Poof Plush Keychains on her Skip Hop Zoo Unicorn Backpack! I also know a few adults who might love one too!

GUND Unicorn Poof Plush Keychain - Pink

GUND Unicorn Poof Plush Keychain - Purple

GUND Unicorn Poof Plush Keychain - White  

After looking at more GUND products, I think my favorite ones are these cute GUND 5-Piece Soft Playsets! I LOVE that GUND has taken a classic toy we all love for cuddling and companionship and turned it into something that helps our children play and use their imagination with! And look how cute these sets are!

GUND 5-Piece Soft Playset - My Little Castle

GUND 5-Piece Soft Playset - My Mermaid Adventure

GUND 5-Piece Soft Playset - My First Campout

                             GUND 5-Piece Soft Playset - My Beary Good Takeout                                                

Stuffed animals are such an important part of every child's life, and I love all of these cute GUND stuffed animals! I love that GUND is the oldest manufacturer of soft toys in America and one of the first companies to produce a teddy bear in the early 1900s! With a more than 100-year reputation for creating high-quality and innovative products, GUND truly does create products that will last as long as the memories they inspire! And isn't that what childhood is all about...making memories?