by Laura Falin posted in Life

I can't tell you how many nights we've delayed bedtime because we were searching for Princess Caramel Doggy.
Princess Caramel Doggy (who must be referred to by all three names whenever we speak of her, please) is my youngest daughter's stuffed dog. Any parent with a child who has a beloved stuffie can tell you the heart-stopping fear when you realize you've left said stuffie at the store, or at Grandma's, or sitting momentarily forgotten in a hotel room. I've driven through rush hour traffic both ways on a Friday night to retrieve my son's Thomas the Train engine when he left it at his grandparents'. We turned around on a road trip to rescue Princess Caramel Doggy from the hotel where we had stayed the night before. Almost anything is better than trying to face a distraught child trying to sleep at night without their best buddy. I mayyyy even still have mine from when I was little -- a teddy bear that accompanied me to college and now sits in my girls' bedroom.

So what do you do when the beloved lovey has seen better days" Or has been mistaken for a chew toy by the dog" Or has befallen any of the other misfortunes that plague animals of the stuffed variety"
Here are three possible solutions:
1. You can try to repair it yourself 
Take a deep breath. Also, keep in mind that, just like the Velveteen Rabbit, your child probably loves their animal even if it doesn't look perfect. If you can thread a needle and possibly sew a s...