Photo Essay: Featuring my Friends and I’s stuffed animals
Stuffed animals — everyone has at least one in their life, and there’s almost always some unique story behind them. Here’s a catalogue of some of my friends and I’s stuffies we’ve collected over the years!
Meet Yolanda’s teddy bears she got when she was about six years old; one of them was given to her by her brother’s godfather. She then misplaced it for a while so her dad bought her the other one, and now they live as a pair! Yolanda’s favourite part about them is how soft they are, and she likes their bows, too. They don’t have names, but Yolanda likes to place them together so they don’t get lonely. 
Here’s Piggy, my own Pillow Pet! I love Piggy a lot! 
Here’s Snorbert, Norbert for short! He’s a crocheted teddy bear that I recently received from my friend; she included a pickle and a mini heart in the packaging as well! I love Norbert a lot, and I like to use him as my stress ball sometimes when I’m restless. 
This is Kelly’s pillow named sha gua, the word for “dummy” in Chinese. She got it when she was really young, but she feels like she has always had it. “It’s just really comforting to have something soft and cozy to hold when I feel stressed or upset about something,” she says. “Once when we were really young, my brother and I got into an argument and he retaliated by marching up to my room and spitting on sha gua…I don’t think I’ve ever been more upset in my life. Now, I just hug the pillow in my arms while studying or calling friends; it makes me feel really cozy and relaxed!” 
Beware, it’s Bear, the fox! This stuffie’s name is Bear, but Nicole’s pretty sure he’s a fox. Her boyfriend got it for her: “‘Cause of COVID we can’t really see each other that much, so when CHM really hurts my soul, Bear comforts me instead!” 
See Jasmine’s Beanie Baby collection! “My Beanie Baby collection is a quintessential homage to the late ’90s and early 2000s,” she says. “Growing up as the youngest child in my family, I was heavily influenced by millennial culture, including this bear collection. My parents and sister would purchase Beanie Babies wherever they could find them. It’s crazy how people thought these would cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars one day. If you’re unaware of the rave, please just Google the Beanie Baby craze. These hold a special place in my heart and are truly the cutest bears ever made!” 
Here are Danika’s Pooh and Sophie! Pooh was her favourite character as a kid, and Sophie was named after the musical artist Sophie Xeon. They are, as Danika says, “good floofs.” 
This is Anita’s stuffy named Monty, short for Montague! He was a going away gift from her friends in Florida when she came to Toronto. Her baby cousin loves him and tries to eat his face whenever she comes to Anita’s room, but Anita thinks it’s cute so she lets it slide. 
This is Mira’s watermelon pillow! It’s the only stuffie she brought with her to university. “Every year, my family picks a theme and then all my cousins get each other gifts based on that theme,” she explains. “In 2019, the theme was food pillows. It’s a very cozy pillow actually and probably one of my favourite Christmas gifts I’ve ever gotten.” 
Here’s Mira’s dog on the same watermelon pillow! 
Here’s Lina’s strawberry plushie! She got it a couple of years ago from her trip to Japan: “I had doubts about it at first because it was huge, and I was afraid I might not have the space to take it back with me…but the next day, before we left to the airport, we passed by the exact store and I had to get it. It’s just way too soft and cute!” She thinks that it’s definitely one of her best purchases; it’s just so soft and she loves it! 
Here’s my friend’s pink fish stuffie named Gilly! Look how she stands elegantly upon her great kingdom: a wide, smooth expanse of bedsheets. 
These are Yona’s Pokémon stuffies! The first is Alolan Vulpix, and the second one is Mew. She got them online from China about three years ago because she adores Pokémon. “I thought they were cute, so I bought them!” 
Here’s Ilian’s furry bookmark, George! “George is a giraffe. He has travelled to many places with me. Notably, he went with me to Harry Potter world — he has a label with his name on it, but one of my favourite characters is George Weasley so the name was perfect,” Ilian says. “I think I got him as a gift, but it’s been so many years I don’t remember the details. The important thing is he is the gift.” 
Raysa’s Unnamed Ikea Panda…his name itself is a paradox. Mysterious!
And that’s the end of our journey through stuffies! I hope you’ve learned something new today, discovered a new type of stuffed animal, or discovered that you really want to go out and buy another one! Cheers!