Kathylee Forrester - " AngelicPreneur " & Creator of Patches the Bear

Exciting News coming for late Spring 2013 - Patches Kids is expanding not only it’s website and information; we are also adding new products!!! This will be a completely new look and feel for Patches and Friends and exciting news for : AngelicPreneur - Kathylee Forrester “, so please ” BEAR ” with us. Thank you!

Detective Darrin DeCoster
Fairfax County Police Department
Major Crimes Division
Sex Crimes Investigations

I attended Kathylee’s class a few years ago at a training seminar for professionals dealing with child abuse both physical and sexual in nature.  As an attendee you could pick from different tracts.  I am a Police Detective investigating Child Abuse and chose investigative in lieu of social worker or medical professional.  But what I kept hearing people say that were interested in all three tracts was, “make sure you attend Kathylee Forrester’s class.”  I had never heard of her but looked on the agenda and saw that she was a victim of abuse as a child and she was there to tell us what she went through.  Boy was that an understatement!

From the moment she started speaking she had me hooked.  Read the rest of this entry »

The “GLAD GAME”

Many years ago I saw a movie called Pollyanna. Now at the time I was a young girl and although I understood the basic concept of the movie, it was not until much later in life I truly understood the depth of attitude, which is what this movie was all about. For those who are not familiar with it or the Classic book, basically Pollyanna’s philosophy of life centers on what she calls “The Glad Game”, an optimistic attitude she learned from her father. The game consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation. It originated in an incident one Christmas when Pollyanna, who was hoping for a doll in the missionary barrel, found only a pair of crutches inside. Making the game up on the spot, Pollyanna’s father taught her to look at the good side of things—in this case, to be glad about the crutches because “we don’t need them.” Now Pollyanna ends up living with her very wealthy but stern and strict Aunt, and begins winning souls and teaching everyone the “Glad Game” and winning over even the most pessimistic of this small New England town.
Life was really happy for awhile and then Pollyanna’s enthusiasm and positive attitude is put to the test when she is hit by a car and looses the use of her legs. Pollyanna is now herself struggling to find something to be glad about in this terrible situation. It is then the town that comes together and all begin visiting Pollyanna to tell her how she has encouraged them and improved their lives. Read the rest of this entry »

This has been an amazing week with all kinds of wonderful people coming into my life via the internet, all because of Patches. As I have been returning emails and phone calls to people wanting to help get Patches to military children and also other children who can benefit from his warm fuzzy hugs and his little emotion face helpers, I was reminded that this week is a special anniversary for someone who was truly an inspiration to me at different times in his life and he was on my mind when Patches was conceived.
This little boy, Eric, was truly a courageous soul who tried with all his heart to cope with the life he was dealt. Read the rest of this entry »

As promised, tonight is all about a special boy named Dallas who lives in North Carolina. I was contacted by his Mom, Tracy, who wanted to run a “Pennies for Patches” Campaign with her Home School Group. I was very excited initially and then totally intrigued the more she told me about her son. Approximately two years ago, Dallas was six years of age; he received a gift from a friend. The present was a military uniform and combat boots, something most little boys would love to have to play soldier out in the yard with their friends, which he did. The next gift he received at a later date was a WWll Helmet and a backpack and his collection has grown from there. Now Dallas takes his “pretend soldier” training very seriously. You see he wants to be a soldier, a medic to be exact, when he grows up. He has a heart for these men and women who go off to war and serve their country and he has a heart for God. Dallas wants to help save soldiers in battle one day, to be exact save their bodies and save their souls. I was truly in awe of this little boy, an eight year old, who says, “Mom I can’t smile in all my pictures, because Army men aren’t supposed to smile, they are working.”  Read the rest of this entry »

I believe that a good starting point for my first Blog is my signature about Patches the Bear. “Patches is more than a lovable bear. He is the Spirit of a child’s innocence. Patches is a gift of love created to empower our children to endure challenges, through life’s journey of happy times and painful moments. Thank you for taking the first step to help a child gain understanding, enabling them to express their emotions.” Read the rest of this entry »

Daddy leaving for Iraq gives a special gift of Patches the Bear

Tonight , MommyPR - Launched a very special Review/ Giveaway to help two Charities Get the word out about Supporting Military Children. The second charity is to help fight Child Abuse. I joined forces with Dreamcatchers For Child Abuse to help promote the need to understand child abuse and how we need to do so much more to protect these children. Child Abuse is a Cause near and dear to my heart and I feel Blessed to know Sandra Potter and Dreamcatchers For Abused Children. Sandra is an amazing woman who has taken her fear and devastation of her own child being sexually abused and has started a very active crusade to stop Child Abuse in it’s tracks. Sandra introduced me to MommyPR and this Bear Review and Giveaway is very exciting! Please take the time to visit bot h Dreamcatchers For Child Abuse and MommyPR. Thank you and Patches Hugs to all!!!!