Christian Sea Turtle and Jacob Starfish are the main characters in God’s Gift by Lee Ann Mancini. Please see my review of this extraordinary children’s Christmas book. Children love stuffed toys and that is putting it mildly! They give them comfort and are fun. Snuggling such soft toys gives a child a sense of security. This is why many police, fire stations, and emergency rooms have them on hand when children are involved in tragedies or illness. Unlike toys now that play FOR the child, a plush toy allows little imaginations soar with no limits.
You have not seen stuffed toys this quality in a long time! I cannot emphasize how extremely well made they are in materials, construction and design. They can stand up to the toughest pint-sized loving and play. Well-crafted toys like these can even make it to an adult’s keepsake box.
The characters are captured exactly like their pictures in the book. Their colors are just as vibrant and bright. THEY ARE SO CUTE! I liked the super soft materials. They are just the right size for little hands and arms to hold. Best of all I found them not to hard, nor soft like so many plush toys. As baby bear said in the fabled story, they are “Just right”!
What a wonderful gift to give Christian and Jacob with their book, but these would be fantastic as gifts alone. Children love toys that match the characters in their books. I am sincerely impressed with these as well as the book series. I hope Ms. Mancini will eventually come out with all the characters as plush animals!

After losing my husband last year I have read countless books and been to two grief programs. Each has helped in its own way to move me along this difficult and painful road. Healing from the loss of a loved one is a work in progress. Even into this second year I struggle with my grief. For this reason I was very interested in The Grief Jar. Not only is it unique but I have found it very helpful.
Experts say the unhealthiest detrimental thing to do when grieving is to push it aside and deny it. Healing comes when we face our loss and work through it. The 77 questions in The Grief Jar help you do exactly that in a relaxed, comfortable way. They get right to the heart of situations and feelings concerning your grief.
I and 8 other ladies ages 23 – 61 sat down with the Grief Jar. Each of them having faced different losses: the death of parents, grandparents, pets, and divorce.
The questions were wonderful prompts that helped us all open up. There wasn’t a dry eye in the bunch when we finished and some of their grief was from losses over 20 years ago. Several times there were comments to the effect that they had never thought of a particular aspect before. When we began, I could tell everyone was somewhat apprehensive about opening up on such a personal subject, but time progressed each lady was at ease and conversation flowed.
At the conclusion each said they liked it and they found it beneficial. One suggested that it should be done every 6 months to a year and note progress. That is when we noticed on the back of each card you can record the month and year of each activity! Another lady journals and said these questions would be great to use.
I feel doing this together not only brought us closer but also shared our burdens. I plan to do this with my grandchildren too. Some of them have had trouble talking about their grandfather’s death. The Grief Jar would be great for parents, grandparents, school counselors, grief groups, pastors, and professional counselors! This is an innovative and excellent tool for grief recovery!
Please go to http://www.talkingjars.com to order The Grief Jar and see the many other products and talking jars you can order. You can also find Grief Journals can also to go along with the Grief Jar.