Throughout the years the toy market has seen many toys come and go but few have the staying power and the unique history of the Teddy Bear. Let’s explore this unique story of this classic toy and a piece of American heritage.

It was November 1902 and our president at the time, Theodore Roosevelt went on a hunting excursion to Mississippi. The trip was business and pleasure: He was there to try to settle a boundary dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana and a hunting excursion for the president, who loved the sport.

But on that particular day, the hunt did not go as planned as President Roosevelt could not find a suitable target to his liking. However, his staff, in an effort to accommodate him, somehow managed to capture a Louisiana black bear cub for him to shoot and tied it to a tree. The thought of shooting a baby bear tied to a tree did not seem sporting to the accomplished outdoorsman and he refused, instead sparing the life of the black bear cub and setting it free.

Mr. Clifford Berryman, a famous political cartoonist for the Washington Star at the time, drew a cartoon titled, “Drawing The Line In Mississippi”, depicting the President letting the bear live, and using the story as a metaphor as for how the president dealt with the boundary dispute.

The cartoon also showed the President with his rifle and his back turned on the cute, cowering, baby bear. This gave Brooklyn toy store owner, Morris Michtom the inspiration for a display for his shop.

He placed a copy of the newspaper cartoon next to a hand-sewn stuffed bear his wife made in the window of his store. To his surprise, he was inundated with customers eager to buy his stuffed bear!

Michtom quickly requested and received President Theodore Roosevelt’s permission to use his name for the stuffed bears that he and his wife were now selling. Thus the “teddy bear” was born, and soon Michtom was producing the bears by the thousands. With the profits from the sales of the teddy bears Michtom went on to form the Ideal Toy Company.

Teddy bears continue to be best friends to children of all ages all over the world. Their mass appeal will never go out of style and they are a true classic to, albeit, with a little presidential help.

I don’t think we ever grow up. As a child, most of us would have preferred a big box filled with many little presents instead of one large item. So, it is wonderful to remember that special baby for any special occasion with the multitude of items that come in baby gift baskets.

Honestly, baby gift baskets can be the ideal choice because it gives you the opportunity to say your special greetings in a very special way. In addition, you can be a little extravagant without being expensive.

When you think about sending baby gift baskets, remember there are many occasions when these are the right gifts. Holidays, baptisms, birthdays, or just because you want to show you are thinking of the child is the right time to make a selection from the large variety of baby gift baskets available. Baby gift baskets always fit in and no one, and I mean no one, will be disappointed you did not get them something else instead.

There is a lot of convenience built in for the giver of as you can order these gifts right over the telephone or the Internet. Place your order and it is delivered right to your recipient.

The best thing about giving baby gift baskets is that you can choose the items that you want to send as your gift. In addition, you know, it is the mother of the child that will appreciate the extra care and concern that all those included items will show. Think of the new mother bringing her baby home for the first time. There will certainly be things that she has forgotten that she needs and like magic, it will be in the gift basket that you have thoughtfully sent.

You can certainly place an order for a certain amount of money, and the company will choose one of the baby gift baskets that fits your budget. However, you can become creative in choosing the makeup of your baby gift baskets. If you know that the mother likes chocolates, be sure to include some in the basket. Or how about a package of special imported cookies that you know the mother will share with the baby.

You can include toys and even baby furniture in the baby gift baskets that you send. How about personalized items for that special child? All of these can be included.

Let me give you a little tip about making up your gift baskets. Try to think of something that the person probably would not buy for themselves. You know how people are. Buy them that bottle of imported Italian baby powder that you know they never would buy for themselves. That is another way that giving baby gift baskets can be extra special.

Presents for any occasion are not always easy to choose. Baptism gifts are especially difficult because the event is quite targeted. It is tricky to find a unique item that represents the special occasion while remaining one of a kind in its own rite. There are a few innovative options for those who are shopping for just the right baptism gifts this year.

One of my favorite of the baptism gifts is the baby’s first Bible. I love the idea of giving this special present to a little one. In the past, I have personalized the Bibles with a little note of love for the children who received them. The notes themselves make the baptism gifts individual and unique.

This was common practice for me. However, I ran into a significant problem with this practice. I was not the only one who bought these baptism gifts. My nephew wound up with four baby Bibles and even though each one had a unique sentiment inside, the present did not seem to have as much meaning when accompanied by three others.

I started on a quest for unique baptism gifts so this would not happen again. My next brainstorm consisted of frames for the babies’ christening pictures. These baptism gifts seemed like the perfect idea until I attended a christening party that boasted an all-time record of five baby Bibles and seven frames. I decided to keep looking.

I found the perfect options for the dilemma, I think. I came across an innovative idea in baby gift items during an online search for unique baptism gifts. This innovative present is a hand-painted plate that is personalized for each child. What is really appealing about this gift is each one is hand crafted and individual.

When ordering the plate you need to include the baby’s name, the date of the event and a special verse that you write yourself. The verse is another individual touch that makes the baptism gifts one of a kind. This present takes quite a bit of thought but it is worth it in the end.

Although I love the idea of the hand-painted baby plate, I will continue to look for unique baptism gifts for my friends and family. This is a challenge that I love. For now, I will give the plates as unique presents representing the special events. That is, until I attend a party in which another plate surfaces. I know it will be time to move on.