Stop scrolling and start sewing for the smile-packed power

HEY, THERE!

Numbers aren’t my thing unless I’m budgeting or checking my bank account.

But when Apple sends that weekly Screen Time notification, I take note.

Usually I cringe.

But this year, I’m aiming for smaller numbers as I lean into more sewing machine time. This week we find out why that’s a good thing.

And no, it’s not “just” about sewing. There is magic in a project that starts with a smile.

Next up in this issue:

• Panda-monium at the National Zoo

• On time, (making) teddies and smile power

• The WHO of You: Share your bear story

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LINKS
TEDDY BEARS IN PUBLIC

🐼 PANDA-MONIUM 

With the pandas back at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington D.C. has the two-tone bears on the brain.

• PAJAMAS  Black and white printed, two-piece sets. (The Smithsonian Store)

• STICKERS Hand-drawn with a panda hugging the National Monument. (Shop Made In DC)

• POP UP BAR The Bamboo Bar is across the street from the Zoo. (The Washingtonian)

🧵 FASHION

Pandas charmed Gucci, which features the bears in its collections. Choose from a bag charm ($430), card case ($330) or a mini bag ($1,100). (Gucci)

Meanwhile, Paddington teamed up with Baby Gap for the essentials. (The Gap)

Ralph Lauren, whose bear-centric collection has been around the block, offers 94 items in its Polo Bear Shop. (Ralph Lauren)

👶🏼 PLUSHIE POWER 

A baby won’t sleep without hearing its mother’s heartbeat inside a teddy bear. (ABC 7NY)

DEEP DIVE
STOP SCROLLING. YOU DO HAVE TIME TO MAKE A BEAR 

How long does it REALLY take to make a teddy bear? 

I get this question a lot. 

So let me ask you one: How much time do you spend on your phone? 

If you have an iPhone, you get a weekly report of your screen time that starts with your daily average and the percentage it’s up or down over the previous week. 

For many of us, these are not small numbers.

The stats go deeper, detailing the average number of times you pick up your phone each day, and how many notifications you receive. 

Curious how long you spend on social media compared to using productivity, finance or other tools? There’s a breakdown for those, too.

If you’re averaging four hours a day on your phone scrolling, texting or making notes, that’s 28 hours a week connected to your device. 

That’s like having a part-time job - with no pay and a multitude of potential downsides: 

• Increased Stress

• Depression 

• Anxiety

• Loss of sleep 

• Chronic neck and back pain from poor posture  

Scrolling on social media, especially, feels like walking into a casino. You go in, look up and it’s 10 hours later.

OK, maybe not 10, but it’s disorienting. 

That loss of time. 

The trance-like urge to watch one more video or read one more post.

Posts about people doing great things while you’re “just” sitting at home, scrolling in your pjs, eating apple chips in a room that looks like a tornado hit it. 

That feeling of not doing enough or being enough can creep up when you’re online and doing the Comparison Dance. 

That’s why I say, stop scrolling and start sewing.

If you have 28 hours a week to be on your phone, you have plenty of time to put your fingers to more creative use building a teddy bear with heart. 

Stress and anxiety? 

Teddy bears help people of ALL ages kick them to the curb and it starts with a smile. 

Because how can you not smile when you see a bear.

Even if it’s a Zombie bear, you’ll laugh. And that’s basically a smile with sound effects. 

Smiling, you see, has a wide range of benefits for your health and mood including these five.

1. YOU’LL LIVE LONGER. 

   A 2010 study found that genuine, intense smiling is linked to a longer life. Sure, there’s more research to be done, but I’ll take this interesting start.

2. IT LIFTS YOUR MOOD. 

   How? By activating pathways in the brain that influence your emotional state. So by smiling you can trick your mind into feeling happy. 

If you want to get really technical, when you smile, molecules and hormones like dopamine and serotonin are released enhancing your neural communication. 

That’s a fancy way of saying smiling is a natural anti-depressant. 

3. HELPS FIGHT ILLNESS.

   Thanks to the boosting of your immunity and white blood cell count, which wards against infections. 

4. IT’S LIKE TYLENOL.

   Several studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins and serotonin which are natural pain relievers. Thus, our bodies feel better. 

5. MAKES YOU MORE POSITIVE.

   Smiling helps counteract the brain’s use of negative thinking as a defensive mechanism. 

Now, let me say that smiling is NOT the answer to all of your problems.

And smiling when you are really struggling mentally or emotionally, can feel more than fake.

What I AM saying is that having a teddy bear with heart is the start of a magical journey that will bring you The Most: 

The most comfort.

The most adventure. 

The most fun.

The most friendship.

Making a bear is meditative and a form of therapy that brings joy and love. 

You pass that on when you give someone a bear made with intention and heart.  

It’s a gift that can build courage, bring comfort and last a lifetime. 

So stop scrolling and start building a legacy that is sew perfect.

THE WHO OF YOU
A CALL FOR BEAR STORIES 

What makes your connection special?

What impact has your road buddy had on your life? 

Whatever the case, we’ll have our popcorn ready for the epic stories coming our way. 

But don’t think you need a grand story that spans decades. Tiny tales are welcome, too. 

We’ll feature your stories here and on our upcoming podcast. (Who doesn’t love a good teddy bear backstory, right?)

Hit reply and share. Or, forward this to the bear lovers in your life.