With a long list of happy customers and celebrity fans, The Patchwork Bear is one company that is both original and full of amazing gift ideas. Beautifully handmade teddy bears, quilts and pillows are created using cuddly chenilles and oh so soft minky fabrics; they are incredibly well made and are toys that will last a lifetime. Unlike your average teddy bear, these bears are ones that can be passed on to your grandchildren. Both of my girls adore their Patchwork bears!

The customization options are what makes this company stand out. Those worn t-shirts that hold so many memories, wedding dresses or any other piece of clothing that carries sentimental value can be turned into one of these cuddly friends. Whether it be one or 6 different pieces of clothing, Jennifer can create a teddy bear made with the utmost quality and care. The regular patchwork bears can all be personalized with your child’s name embroidered on it’s chest and can also be made in different color and fabric combinations.

Many celebrity parents are fans of Jennifer’s work. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were gifted with the Adoption Bears, each one featuring a flag with their child’s birth place sewn onto the foot. Tori Spelling, Carnie Wilson, Tony Hawk, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew MacConaughey and Denise Richards were just a few more of the many stars who were thrilled with these cuddly creatures. Just 2 months ago, The Patchwork Bear was a featured company at The Boom Boom Room, an exclusive Pre-Golden Globes Gift Suite for celebrity parents and their kids!

Jennifer also sells a wide range of amazing gifts such as signature and premium bears, tooth/message pillows and wedding dress keepsakes such as quilts and bears. Be sure to check out her site!

WIN IT!:

Child MODE is giving away 1 personalized Vanilla Minky Patchwork Bear to one  (1) lucky winner ($48 value)! This is the same bear that was spotted in OK! Magazine’s exclusive photo’s of Jessica Alba’s baby nursery for Honor.

How to Enter:

Leave a comment with a valid email address and let us know who you would give this bear to if you win. For extra entries, you can pick any of the following options below.  Each one will count as 1 additional entry!

• Become a fan of Child MODE on Facebook
• Tweet this giveaway on Twitter and follow us @childmode
• Mention this giveaway on your blog or website
• Submit to any social network (StumbleUpon, Digg, Kirtsy, etc) – Click on the “Share This” at the bottom left of this post

Please make sure you leave an additional comment/comments if you do any of the above, in order for the entries to count! This contest ends March 22, 2010 at 11:59 p.m.

*Note: All comments are moderated and won’t appear immediately*

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to our winner Sharon Harmon!

Made in Italy and designed by two New Yorkers, Larucci’s baby blankets are especially designed to be uber soft and luxurious. Each one of these gorgeous blankets are crafted from micro-fur, lined with ultra-suede and come in three baby chic colors. They are extremely well made and the sophisticated style clearly caters to those with luxurious taste.

Available in Cream, Blue and Pink, they measure 30″ x 40″ and retail for $120.00 at the Milk Shop.

After the recent warning on baby slings issued by the CPSC, baby sling and carrier manufacturers have co-sponsored a release taking a stand to help educate the public on the differences between safe and unsafe baby slings.  I have been an avid babywearer for the last 3 years and it has been a lifesaver for me and my babies in so many ways. As a mother and business owner, I truly don’t know what I would have done without my different carriers. They soothed my children and gave me the freedom to complete tasks which have otherwise been put on the back burner.  We have included this important release for our readers.

The ancient practice of babywearing made its way into western culture in the 1960s and its popularity with American consumers has grown because of its vast benefits. Unfortunately, this has led to the creation of several potentially unsafe baby slings and carriers. Slings and carriers of concern are popularly categorized under the token term “bag-style” slings. In “bag-style” slings, the deep pouch where baby sits puts the baby in a potentially suffocating curved or “C” like position. Also, excessive fabric with an elasticized edge may cover baby’s face inhibiting breathing. Furthermore, the design may cause the baby’s face to turn in toward a caregiver’s body, potentially smothering the baby.

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As a intermediate photographer, my camera of choice has always been the DSLR. Over the last couple of weeks I had the opportunity to test out Nikon’s D5000. Now, let me start off saying this is not a good choice for those just learning photography or starting off as a hobby. This camera is definitely for the seasoned or advanced photographer. If you are serious about getting into photography and want an all-in-one piece of equipment with all the bells and whistles, this is it!

At 12.3 megapixels, the D5000 definitely provides a high quality photo with amazing enlargement capability. The camera is also equipped with Nikon’s exclusive EXPEED advanced digital image processing system technologies. This amazing technology provides the power to process the high amount of data generated by the camera’s sensor. EXPEED allows for super fast processing of the many advanced imaging functions on the camera. I own a Canon Xsi and this camera beat it by a mile when it came to speed. There was literally little to no delay – even with the live view!