LOVE.HUGS.PEACE TO ALL

With all that is going on in the world and in the economy it is clear we need some cheer. While we all know there is no magic wand to poof away all problems, I know for sure the hug of a teddy bear can make a huge difference. I remember when I was little and I was having a tough day. Maybe my parents were not in the best mood or my sister was being weird or my friends seemed to like each other better than they liked me I would always find comfort in talking to my bear, Teddy. Maybe it was the way he looked at me—always with eye contact and always with his arms extended in true friendship. No matter what I told him he would listen and smile at me and make me see that it wasn’t so bad after all. Best of all, he never seemed judgemental. Isn’t that what the world needs now—love, sweet teddy bear love?

I am serious! I remember a song that was popularized by Coca Cola way back when—“I’d like to Teach the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony.” Whenever I would hear it on the radio I would stop and sing it—I knew every word. Yes, it was an ad for soda but it was also a statement about the times. In every language Coca Cola is Coca Cola and in every language a teddy bear is a teddy bear. What I mean by that is the meaning is universal—when someone in Japan or Thailand or South Africa sees a teddy bear they know what it is for—hugging! Have you ever come in contact with a soft cuddly stuffed animal and not reached out to touch it, to hug it? IMPOSSIBLE I say. They just must be hugged! Now that we have stores in 18 countries I KNOW FOR SURE that a hug is understood in any language!

Maxine and Friends in Korea

By the way, in a recent question in the Kidsay Trendtracker:

QUESTION: “if there were no internet, no electricity, no batteries, what toy would you play with?”

ANSWER: Stuffed animal was number one choice across all ages and genders, and a strong number one with girls 8-13 (dolls were second).

You know from reading my prior blogs I have been moved by what our new President is trying to do to encourage people, young and old,  3 to 103, to do something extra for their school, their community, their favorite charity, their church or synagogue. Random acts of kindness and generosity—love someone, hug someone and volunteer by making the world a little better, a little more peaceful for someone. We do this in so many ways at BABW. There are all the animals we sell that benefit good causes and there are our Huggable Heroes but maybe we could use our special connections and the spirit of all of our Guests and pull together our own movement to make the world better one teddy bear hugs at a time—the love. hugs. peace movement.

Remember I was inspired by the Coca Cola song. I few years ago I mentioned to my friend Tena Clark, a song writer and producer, how powerful music has been for me and how much music has inspired me. She asked a few questions and a few months later she came to me with a song inspired by our conversation, children and teddy bears—“Let’s Talk About Love” I loved it the minute I heard it. In fact, I couldn’t stop humming the tune. I knew this could be a winner. One of those songs that will move people to do good things. To dream, to hope and to help others. We just needed the right singers to help us get the message across and to inspire our kids to do even more good stuff. We set out on a search. We asked our Guests, our friends, our associates. Believe it or not one day I was in NYC visiting the Today Show and this incredibly friendly and talented singer was there David Archuleta. I knew he was famous but he was so nice and had such a powerful voice. He even had his picture taken with me. Our team agreed he would be PAWFECT! Just the person to launch the song and in time for Valentine’s Day too. While it isn’t a love song, it is a song about love—love between friends and people who value the best in others. Guess what? He said YES!!! You can listen to the song right here.

Starting this Saturday, February 14 when you donate $1 to Save the Children at any Build-A-Bear Workshop® store or at http://www.buildabear.com you’ll get a FREE download of the song performed by David Archeluta as a thank you! Save the Children is a wonderful organization that makes lives for kids better all around the world and we are so excited to be supporting this wonderful cause! Savethechildren.org

Plus, starting this Saturday at 8 a.m. EST you can also watch the EXCLUSIVE interview with David Archeluta on The Chloe Show at buildabearville.com®! Learn more about him, hear him perform a little bit of the song and get a FREE virtual gift just for watching. It’s one interview you won’t want to miss! And if you’re a huge David fan like I am, you can also buy a beary cute David Archuleta tee for your furry friend to wear!

Love.Hugs.Peace to all,

Maxine