The Lovie Project

I’ll admit; I had never heard the word ‘Lovie’ until I started reading parenting blogs, but I digress. Bee has thousands of stuffed animals she loves, from an odd neon cactus to a plump, plush bumblebee. They’re her staples, her “fwends,” as she calls them, and we haven’t tackled a bedtime routine without them in nearly a year. Indeed, there’s something special about your child’s first attachment to an inanimate object, whether blanket or animal, toy or truck. And on Valentine’s Day this year, the spotlight goes to the Lovie – the well-loved, forlorn objects of these little one’s undying affection. Here’s the deal:

Classic Kids Photography is offering a free photo shoot of your child’s favorite stuffed animal with the donation of a new Lovie for kids at local homeless shelters across the country. Just pop both Lovies (the old and the new!) in the mail or drop in to one of their multiple studio locations and wait patiently for your child’s Lovie to return, along with a discount on prints with proceeds going toward the Primo Center for Women & Children.

I love the idea of keeping a tangible, artful reminder of these sweet days that we all know are so, so numbered. Soon enough, the threads and seams of these creatures will begin to unravel, and shortly thereafter these precious childhood days will do the same. To us, Lovies are little more than raggedy stuffed animals that we have to sneak into the laundry while our children aren’t looking. But to our kids, they represent so many things – comfort and love and warmth, each worthy of documenting.

And even more worthy of passing along.

Image Credits: Classic Kids Photography

p.s. Kids and food, a photographic series.