The cold season that is coming up makes me miss those sunny summer days. The nice and hot weather lets us go anywhere, as opposed to the cold weather we have now, which keeps us most of the times inside. The sun and the long summer days make us all happy and ready for many adventures. From beaches to amusement parks, there is no place we cannot go in summer.

I think one of the most popular and populated places in summer are amusement parks. Some people go for the rides, while others go for the boardwalk and the games. Nevertheless, people always seem to have fun. While I was in an amusement park last summer, I saw people dragging around many stuffed animals which they probably won at the boardwalk. Since they probably couldn't go on any roller coaster with all that stuff, and since they are too big to fit in any locker, I imagined they came there to spend time playing games, more than going on the rides.

I remembered all of this, as I am currently looking to get a few plush toys as Christmas gifts. Some of the people the presents are intended for have quite a big collection of plush toys from amusement parks. Therefore I wondered if there is a difference between getting a stuffed animal from an amusement park and receiving a plush toy from someone. My answer proved to be yes! There is a very big difference between a generic plush toy won by shooting darts and a lovely stuffed animal gift that someone bought with thinking of you.

As an example, try picturing this. You come home from an amusement park full of stuffed animals. You stack up somewhere in a closet and forget about their existence. However, we rarely put aside a plush toy that someone gave to us. First of all, it has a meaning. It was given with a special occasion. It is unique due to the moment and the person who gave it to us. It might not be as big as the others, but it is worth a lot more.

Secondly, most of the stuffed animals won at amusement parks are not the best quality. Therefore, they do not always look the best. However, a plush toy which we receive, or buy for ourselves is most likely to be of superior quality. It is bound to have all that fluffiness and softness that stuffed animals are famous for. I know this for a fact. One day, when I actually won something at a boardwalk game I received a plush cat. I was so happy to get it, since I love cats. When I got it, I was a bit disappointed. The stitching was very loose and by the time I got it into the car it was already loosing its shape. That year for Christmas I received another plush cat from my sister. I simply adored it. It looked so natural and it was so fluffy and soft. I still have it with me even now.

I am not putting any type of stuffed animal down. I love all sorts of toys. However, some are better than others and it is important to recognize that the more meaning we give to a gift the more it is worth. Instead of getting someone a gift card for their favorite restaurant, take them out to that place and pay for the dinner. It is surely going to be appreciated a lot more.

To conclude, if you find yourself in a situation like mine, having to buy someone a plush toy and thinking they have too many, rest assured: there is no such thing. They do not have the one that comes from your heart!