Happy Grandparent’s Day!

Grandparent’s Day is Sunday, September 8, 2013. We want to send big bear hugs to all the amazing grandparent’s out there who never seem to run out of hugs and kisses for their families.

Helen has worked at World Bearquarters since 1998, and she became a grandmother last August when her first grandson, Colton, was born. He just celebrated his first birthday, and Helen has fallen in love with being a grandparent. She says being a grandma is definitely the best thing ever, especially to a sweet boy like Colton who is an excellent baby and rarely cries.

Colton’s first Build-A-Bear Workshop stuffed animal was a Sweet Velvet Teddy with his name, birthday, and weight embroidered on its tummy. He loves to give it hugs and carry it around. The first furry friend Helen made for Colton was a giraffe to go in his jungle-theme nursery. It’s stuffed with lots of love!

When Helen joined the team at Build-A-Bear Workshop, her daughters, Danielle and Michelle, were just 10 and 8 years old. Danielle and Michelle were both members of the first group of Cub Advisors, which is a group of kids who give feedback and opinions about new furry friends and fashions. They grew up as Build-A-Bear Workshop grew into a worldwide company, and now Danielle’s son will also grow up with Build-A-Bear Workshop.

This Grandparent’s Day, Helen looks forward to spending the day with Colton and his parents. How will you celebrate your day?

Leave a comment to wish Helen a beary happy Grandparent’s Day!

Exclusive: An Interview with Cody Simpson

Hey, mates! About a month ago we asked you to send in your questions for our pawsome brand ambassador Cody Simpson, and boy did we get some great questions! Now, if you’re already a fan of  Cody and his music, you probably know that while he has two albums already, his third album will be released July 16, titled “Surfers Paradise”. Makes sense since he often says if he wasn’t busy being a musician, he’d definitely be surfing. Not only is he a talented young pop star who’s been writing and singing since the age of seven, he’s also very passionate about the anti-bullying project Defeat The Label, which is a movement that promotes a bully-free society. And we think that deserves a round of applause. On top of all that, a brand new Make-Your-Own Cody Simpson Koala arrives in Build-A-Bear Workshop® stores June 28, 2013. Keep reading to see what Cody had to say.

Wish Jason a beary happy father’s day!

Meet Jason,  a Sr. Service Desk AnaBEARlyst at World Bearquarters. Jason is a husband, a pastor, and has been a bear for six years, but the role he is most proud of is “Dad.” Shortly after he began working here, he and his wife had their first daughter, Kelsey. She has grown up coming to the office, even taking breaks from daycare to visit Dad at work. Jason’s younger daughter, Nia, has also spent a lot of time at Bearquarters.

Jason’s girls inspire him every day.  Having daughters who adore their furry friends motivates Jason to work hard because he knows they love what he does. Seeing the joy they get from their bears makes it all worth it.

Kelsey and Nia love that their dad works at Build-A-Bear Workshop. They tell all their friends and have fun making the latest bears. They were able to attend the Grand Opening of our new store design in St. Louis. Their favorite part? Definitely Fluff Me. The touchscreen bath was a huge hit with these two!

On a typical day, Jason will come home to find his girls have lined up their favorite furry friends and are playing school. Their friends make pawsome students!

Wish Jason a beary Happy Father’s Day!

Jason B., Sr. Service Desk Anabearlyst
Kelsey, age 6
Nia, age 4

SpongeBob SquarePants Exclusive Interview!

It’s SpongeBob time! The wait is over! We got tons of fabulous questions for SpongeBob SquarePants and we’re thrilled to share the answers to some of them below.  And starting May 17, you can make your own SpongeBob at a Build-A-Bear Workshop store near you or order online.  Thanks so much! Enjoy!

Question #1: How many bubbles do you blow in a day?

Bubble production depends on what’s happening on a particular day. But on average, I like to bring it around town at least 14 times.

Question #2: How did Gary come to be your pet? Did you get him when he was a baby?

Gar Bear slimed his way into my heart when he was just a mere shell of himself. I saw him at the snail store and you could say I knew from the first meowment I saw him that we were destined for each other.

Question #3: If you had to choose another fruit to live in, what would it be?

Maybe a banana since bananas have real appeal!

Question #4: How many pairs of square pants do you own? Have you ever tried wearing circle pants?

I have at least 9 pairs of square pants on hand at all times. One pair for each day of the week and two extras just in case. You know how it can be, working around messy food and all. I did try circle pants once, but I didn’t want to have to change all the monograms on my stationery.

Question #5: What does a Krabby Patty taste like? I need to know!!!!

It tastes like, um, well, well, it’s a taste so divine it can’t be put into words.

Question #6: Heard any good jokes lately?

You bet. Who’s grouchy and lives in the ocean? Mr. Krabby. Hahahaha.

Question #7: How do you stay so happy?

A Krabby Patty a day (plus good friends and the best job in the sea!)

Question #8: What is your biggest dream?

To spread happiness to the whole world, under the sea and on land!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions from our beary excited Guests!

Meet Debby and Sarah

At Build-A-Bear Workshop, we know families are beary important! Debby and her daughter, Sarah, both work at World Bearquarters in St. Louis. Debby has been a bear for 12 years. When Sarah was younger, she came to work with her mom to help out. Sarah had lots of fun working with her mom and enjoyed the unique environment. Sarah joined the company as an associate nearly 8 years ago!

A lot has happened over the past 12 years! Debby now has 2 grandchildren, Sarah got married, and has a 5 year old! Now that Sarah’s married, she has a different last name. People are saying to Sarah and Debby, “I had no idea you were mother and daughter! That’s so cool!”

They both have only positive things to say about working at the same office. Although their jobs don’t overlap much, they enjoy being able to see each other most days and eat lunch together now and then. As an added bonus, they get to see a whole other side of each other by witnessing skills and abilities they wouldn’t have otherwise known about. For instance, Debby says she loves that she gets to see what a smart and capable daughter Sarah has become. She says Sarah makes everything she does look easy, including major events.

It doesn’t stop with Sarah and Debby. Sarah’s son, Austin, loves making bears at our stores, especially at our newly imagined store. And her dog, Cooper, has been coming to the office since he was just 10 weeks old.

Debby B., Manager Bear Services
Sarah T., Events and Recognition Bear

To celebrate Mother’s Day here are some free printable Mother’s Day cards that you can print and decorate to personalize! Plus, as a simple and thoughtful gift to mom, print out the Mother’s Day coupons below to offer mom some help she’ll truly appreciate.

Super Mom card

Mother’s Day flowers card

I love you this much card

Mother’s Day coupons

Enjoy!

Teacher Appreciation Day printable ‘Thank you’ cards

Do you remember your favorite teacher? Why did you love them so much? Maybe you are really lucky and you have more than one favorite. I have one favorite teacher. I first met her as my 4^th grade teacher, when half of my class was in 4^th grade and the other half was in 5^th grade, we called it a 4^th/5^th grade split. But I was extra lucky, and I got to stay with her in fifth grade, too. I know the reason I love her so much isn’t because I was with her for two years; it’s because she truly shaped the person I am today.

Every single day I hear at least one of her wonderful pieces of advice floating through my brain, “Never assume,” “Never use ‘most’ or ‘more’ and ‘-est’ or’- er’ together in the same sentence,” “Irregardless is not a word,” “’A lot’ is two words!” But most importantly, she gave me confidence. I was not the most popular student in grade school. I was self-conscious about my red hair and glasses. I was fine with my freckles, but I had a stain on my front tooth. Even though I smiled a lot, I always kind of figured the person I was smiling at was looking at my stain and not at me.

Miss Dunkelberg taught me to own all of that. She showed me that I was smart, and that I knew what I was doing, so I should stop second guessing myself and just do it. Most of all, she valued me for me. She saw that I was a quirky 10-year-old who loved to imagine I was on adventures far more exciting than my regular school day, and she let me use those in my assignments. After a couple of instances, she got used to me coming to class dressed like a cowgirl because I was comfortable in the outfit, not because I was practicing for Halloween. When I asked if I could do something different with an assignment she had given to the class, I was sure she would say no, but she didn’t. She said yes! I learned that all I needed to do was ask for what I wanted. “If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.”  The wisdom she so willingly shared with my ten-year-old self remains today. Miss Dunkelberg was truly the best teacher I have ever had, and I know that I’m not the only student who has felt that way about her. Of course I didn’t stop learning about myself after 5^th grade, but she helped me see my own potential for awesomeness, and I now know that’s exactly what I needed in order to grow.

National Teacher Appreciation Day is on May 7. Last year, we asked teachers what they wanted most from their students. It was no surprise that all of them said the best gift would be a meaningful “Thank you” from their students and the parents of their students. So we went to our creative team and came up with some printable “Thank you” cards that you can print out, decorate, sign and give to the educators in your life that you appreciate. Think about your own teachers that you currently have or your children’s teachers, but don’t forget about those teachers that made a difference to you when you were growing up. Imagine how it would make their day to receive one of these sweet notes from you in the mail. What a great way to truly thank them, by showing that you remember and really appreciate the effort they made to connect with you when you were younger.

Here are the cheerleader cards.

Here are the penguin cards.

Who were the teachers that made a difference in your life? Tell us about them in the comments below.

3 Ways to Play with your MY LITTLE PONY friends!

We all know friends are pawsome. They make us feel good. They make us laugh. They bring out the best in us and, perhaps most importantly, they are always there for us. This is why we’re beary excited to bring you brand new furry friends from MY LITTLE PONY, RAINBOW DASH and PINKIE PIE! (Available online and in stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, while supplies last.) These brand new friends of ours are so much fun we just have to share some of the coolest things about them!

PINKIE PIE and RAINBOW DASH are ready to make new friends, are you?

Here are our top three tips to help you have the most fun with these pawsome furry friends!

1. When you bring your pony friend home and start to play with it, don’t forget to give it some furbulous updos! Not only do PINKIE PIE and RAINBOW DASH have naturally beautiful hair, it is super fun to play with and styling it differently can add just the right flair to any outfit they wear. Here are some updos that your pony friends are sure to love! Click here to see the ideas. And watch the video below!

2. Share it with a friend! – If you are old enough to have a Facebook account, you should know that we have a pawsome Facebook page! Throughout April you can pick a cute MY LITTLE PONY note and Share it with a friend on Facebook. These cards are so sweet you might even find yourself collecting them all on your own Wall! The cool thing is, you can also Pin them to any of your boards on Pinterest to show your friends how much you love these magical friends. So be sure to visit our Facebook page to Pin and Share all month long! (Remembear: You must be 13 years or older to have a Facebook account.)

3. More fun online! When you visit the MY LITTLE PONY website  you can play all kinds of games in the Crystal Empire, watch videos of your favorite pony friends and even print coloring pages and activities to create luggage tags, pawsome iron-on transfers for canvas bags or T-shirts, friendship bracelets, picture frames and more! We know you’ll find something you love that will spark your creativity. Have fun!

In what ways are you having fun with your new pony friends? Do you remember MY LITTLE PONY toys from when you were young? Share your ideas and tell us your stories!

How to make a decoupage egg

by Molly Saunders, Digital (Crafty) Bear

Since I was little, I’ve been making and decorating blown out eggs for Easter. Because these are such a beautiful keepsake, I wanted to share the simple how-to’s with you.  Then, you and your family can start a tradition or just be the coolest chick on the block with your eggs you can keep all year!

You Can Make a Difference!

As we continue the 10^th birthday cele-bear-ation of the Build-A-Bear Workshop^® Huggable Heroes^® program we asked 2010 Huggable Hero Jourdan Urbach to share his tips on helping young people who want to make a difference get started.

At 21-years-old, Jourdan is a Julliard-trained concert violinist, a recent graduate from Yale and the National Director of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service. His commitment to give back and eventually become a Huggable Hero started when he was seven-years-old.

Jourdan Urbach:  I’ve known since I was a young child that I wanted to use my passion for music and playing the violin to help others. My advice to anyone who wants to give back is to first look at your talents and skills and build a plan from there.

No person is too young or too busy to make contributions to those in need. An easy tip I like to share with kids looking to give back is to expand on an existing idea you have or contribute to another current project, rather than starting from scratch. Maybe you have an idea that would turn an existing project into something that will return awesome results. Networking, along with making friends who are like-minded and interested in helping others, can provide a real boost to your efforts. Keep an open mind to those around you – develop and foster relationships with potential mentors that will be there for you throughout your service initiative or entrepreneurial journey.

As young people, we have opportunities that are not available to most adults – we have the luxury of less being expected of us and of course, our charm. For example, I got my start at the age of seven when I wrote a letter to Dr. Fred Epstein, the leading pediatric neurosurgeon in the 1970s, because I was inspired by his work. The average person’s letter may not have been passed along to Dr. Epstein, himself, but because I was young and interested in a very mature topic, I stood out. Dr. Epstein eventually became one of my greatest mentors and encouraged me to found the organization, Children Helping Children. See, it just takes one tipping point to get you started!

Changing the world, one Huggable Hero at a time!

At Build-A-Bear Workshop we love cele-bear-ating, especially when it comes to birthdays. One of our favorite programs is celebrating a honey of a birthday this year. Huggable Heroes, our program that recognizes kids for their volunteerism and philanthropy is turning 10.

Now through February 28, we are accepting nominations for kids, 8 – 18, who are doing their part to make the world a better place. Huggable Heroes are kids who have a passion for making the world a better place. From fundraising for research to end juvenile diabetes to rolling up their sleeves to organize community gardens that feed people in need, our Huggable Heroes are making a paw-isitive impact around the world.

Ten Huggable Heroes will each receive $10,000 which includes an educational scholarship, a donation to a charity of their choice, and a mentoring scholarship to support their charitable entrepreneurship.

Because turning 10 is beary special, Build-A-Bear Workshop is joining with the Jefferson Awards for Public Service to give the 2013 Huggable Heroes a unique opportunity to receive a year-long training and mentoring scholarship.

Each Huggable Hero will be paired with a mentor through the Jefferson Awards GLOBECHANGERS program which will help them develop skills for writing business plans, networking and fundraising. The training and on-going support the Huggable Heroes receive from their mentors will enable these future leaders to grow their passion for public service and hopefully make an even bigger impact.

For more information and to submit a nomination, visit buildabear.com/huggableheroes .