The other day marked 10 years that I have been blogging. When I got this notification in my email, I couldn't believe it had been this long. But, then I looked at my girls and could tell, that sounded about right, as I started blogging in 2009, right after I found out I was expecting our first daughter. I started my blog to share personal review of baby products I had picked up for our new addition, and then found myself, with the help of my husband, creating a baby blanket that had a sound module attached that played a mother's heartbeat sound, to help sooth a child to sleep. I shared my journey of coming up with this idea, creating a prototype, and then another, and the 3 others that followed, as well as receiving a Huggies MomInspired grant to help fund this product that I was developing. In addition to sharing all about the phases of bringing a product to market -- we made it all the way to getting a final prototype, and then had to put it aside as the costs of safety and fire testing were expensive, as were all the other legal costs of starting a business, trademarking things, etc. -- I began to share other mom and dad entrepreneur stories. I found it fascinating during our run with the Sootheaze blanket just how many other families were out there doing the same thing as us -- hoping to not only create product that would solve a problem (in our case, soothing a crying baby), but also provide income to help make raising a family less stressful financially. With so many big box chain stores out there, many of these mom and pop shops and online business fall to the wayside, and have to make the difficult decision to walk away from their dreams and business.
So, I began to highlight companies I stumbled upon online and had the opportunity to try out their products and services firsthand. I share not only a personal review of their products, but also interviewed these mom and dad entrepreneurs, and shared how they balance work and life, as I was with a new baby and found myself trying to juggle blogging, virtual assistant work, working on my Sootheaze product, and being a new mom and trying to figure it all out. I loved hearing their personal ups and downs and tips for work-life balance, while also knowing that I was helping to get their product in front of other moms and dads who also like to support small businesses like I do. My Spotlight on Mom and Dad Entrepreneurs took off and I featured over 500 parent/caregiver entrepreneurs over the years. While I don't do a weekly spotlight like I used to, I do still like to feature products from mom and dad entrepreneurs that I stumble upon. This is where Plushland comes in. I found this online plush toy brand while putting together my Easter Gift Guide. In addition to the candy and toys the Easter Bunny brings my girls, they also find a couple new plush toys each year in their baskets. While my husband may say the girls have enough plush toys, I beg to differ. :-) Growing up I loved to collect plush toys, especially seasonal and holiday ones. I looked forward to Santa and the Easter Bunny bringing new plush toys, which either ended up in a hanging toy holder in the corner of my room to admire, or on my bed, which was reserved for my favorite plush toys at any given moment. There is something calming about a plush toy, even as an adult, when you pick it up and give it a snuggle, you can't help but feel like a kid again, and more relaxed.
I had a few ideas of plush toys in mind for my girls for Easter. My oldest is dog obsessed, so I was hoping to find a dog plush with bunny ears. And, for my youngest, she is all about bunnies and wanting to get a bunny. My search led to me to the Plushland website, and after reading the "About Us" section, I found out that this was a mom owned business, and that her 12 year old daughter had joined her and was helping to come up with unique designs, many of which have earned them design awards in different levels. Bravo!! :-) In addition to creating unique designs you don't see in large retail stores for instance, I found myself falling in love with all their plush toys. You could tell they were all made well, and were original designs. And, knowing that this was a family-owned business, made me more excited to support them, and help spread the word about their plush toy brand.
After reaching out to the folks at Plushland, I was sent three of their Easter-themed plush toys for review. And, when they arrived, I couldn't wait to share them with my girls, as I knew they would be all smiles and clear off a spot on theirs to keep these oh so cute plush toys. :-) Here are some photos of the girls snuggling up and enjoying the three plush toys from Plushland...
As you can see in the photos above, the girls were all smiles and fell instantly in love with the plush toys I hand-selected for them. They knew just why I chose these plush toys, and that meant even more to them. Just like with Christmas ornaments I give the girls each year, I try and find something to capture their hobbies, loves and/or personalities in a given year. And, when Christmas and Easter roll around and I look to gift the girls with a plush toy, I choose something that will turn into a keepsake, and that they can look at be reminded why I chose this particular toy for them. This year was all about dogs and bunnies, and my girls couldn't have been happier with the plush toys from Plushland.
Here are some other cute Easter-themed designs available from Plushland that would make for great Easter basket fillers....
In addition to seasonal toys, Plushland has you covered for year-round gift giving of plush toys. They carry an amazing selection of classic bears (with and without fashion and accessories), Character plush including Societz and jointed plush toys, as well as special occasion gift ideas (Include: Baby, graduation, Mother's Day, Valentine's and Easter). I really couldn't get over the selection of plush toys Plushland offered. They all were cute, and would make for great gift ideas for both kids and adult plush toy collectors and lovers. I even found myself flagging a few of the bears from the Mother's Day section and hinting to my husband and girls that these would be a nice surprise. :-)
There is even a cute Grandma's bear that I will definitely be picking up and gifting to my mom from girls, as it is just so stinking cute.
I could go on and on about the plush toys from Plushland, but instead why don't you head on over to https://plushland.com/ and browse their product offering for yourself. Just be warned, they are all so cute, which will make it hard for you to decide which plush toy to go with. :-) With Easter fast approaching and then Mother's Day and Graduations, make sure you keep Plushland on your radar for your all your plush toy needs. And, know that with your purchase you are supporting a family owned business, who takes pride in their business and product offering.
Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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