We just had a wonderful afternoon with Roisin at the Belfast Build-a-Bear Workshop. If you haven't visited a Build-a-Bear before, then let me fill you in on what makes this more than just a toy shop for cuddlies.
At Build-a-Bear the child is in charge of bringing their new friend to life, which makes for a very special gift. My brother treated my son to a Build-a-Bear two years back, and Panda remains one of his favourite bedtime toys to this day. When I asked my son would he like to help me with my blog by making a new friend, he unsurprisingly was very eager to help!
Roisin took us through the entire creation process, starting with picking your bear, or dog, or bunny, or even snake, from the rows of soft, plush animals available.
Next you choose a sound for your bear. The soundboard includes happy birthday tunes, giggles, songs, or the option to record your own message for the bear to speak. This would be quite cute as a valentine's day gift, with the teddy whispering your sweet nothings for you. In fact when we were in the store there was a young man buying a lucky girl a teddy which sang 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. A silly Valentine's gift, but super sweet.
The next step was a tiny heart, which placed inside the teddy can create a heartbeat in its tummy. Then Michael chose a scent for his dog, they really do have everything these days. It was a tough choice between chocolate & candy floss, but the latter won out and pup now smells like a fun fair. I would have chosen bubblegum scent myself, and for the record I totally have my eye on the official Paddington Bear they have in store at the moment, husband, if you are reading this.
Teddy stuffing time, and your child helps out with the machine. By this point I don't know about my son, but I was completely wrapped up in the whole experience. I can only imagine if they'd had this sort of thing when I was young, the personalisation of your own toy was exactly the sort of novelty I would have adored.
A quick wash & then Roisin helped Michael choose some snazzy clothes and roller skates for his dog. This teddy is better dressed than me!
The whole experience in store takes around 30 minutes, finishing up with creating a birth certificate & registering your bear with the website. This means your child can play with a virtual version of their new pet on the www.BuildaBear.co.uk site, a bit like the Moshi Monsters or Club Penguin interactive sites.
Michael and I had a lovely time, big thanks to Roisin and the Belfast store. Highly recommended as a special birthday treat, or even a party destination, check out full details on www.BuildaBear.co.uk
Local readers, I'm including this list of restaurants encouraging us to get out and reclaim our city from the rioting we've seen in recent weeks. Enjoy!
Welcome Aviva to The World of Kitsch with a guest post of these top tips for looking after your precious collections.
If you are a collector of vintage or specialty items, then you are no doubt familiar with the value of your items. For a collector – whether of stamps, coins, vintage jewellery, or something more unique like a particular sort of ornate figurine – these items are highly valued and dearly cherished. If nothing else, the efforts you might go to in order to obtain certain rarer pieces for your collections gives them a certain personal worth to you.
All of this begs the question: how do you care for and store your items once you've actually collected them? A collection of rare or vintage items is only as valuable as its condition, and with that in mind here are some tips for protecting your own collections.
Purchase Appropriate Containers
The containers you purchase for your collectible items depend, to a large extent, on the items themselves. However, there are some general factors to keep in mind. For example, the first thing you should look for in a container is that it appropriately stabilizes the item within. This helps to prevent minor physical damages from instability and jostling. Additionally, you should consider any specific needs of the items. For example, certain collectible or antique items can be negatively affected by things like moisture or varying temperatures, etc. In such instances, you can find cases and containers that meet these needs.
Rotate Your Displays
In most cases, you will want to have your collectible items on display. That may mean keeping a stamp book out on a coffee table, or something more like having a whole case full of antique china. Whatever the case, if you have a large collection, you may feel more secure about it if you periodically rotate your display items. This allows you to store some of your collection completely safely, rather than putting it all on display at once, as theoretically items on display are at more risk for damage, theft, etc.
Insure Your Home & Property
Generally speaking, you should look into having your home insured by a respectable insurance company like Aviva in any case. However, with specific regard to valuable collections, this idea becomes even more important. While insurance can never guarantee the return of stolen property, it can compensate you financially in the event of theft. This can help to lessen the blow if your collectibles are ever stolen or vandalized, and can even provide you with the financial means to replenish your collection more quickly.
Store In The Right Room
Finally, just as you should strive to find the right container or case for a collection, you should also store items in the correct room according to needs. Once again, temperature can be a factor, and you may also want to consider external factors such as moisture and light. Some collectible items may suffer, for example, in a dank basement, or a brightly lit room.
As heard on BBC Radio 6's Lauren Laverne Show.
