bears

It can be the moment that every parent, or doting grandparent, dreads. You ask that special child in your life what they want for Christmas, Hanukkah or their birthday and they look at you with utter seriousness and say a gorilla. They of course want a real one.

Maybe they fancy a giraffe or a polar bear, and you bemoan all those hours that you insisted they watch nature shows instead of cartoons. While their friends will be satisfied with SpongeBob or Dora themed plastic toys, your little angel wants an entire ecosystem of animals in their bedroom. The worst part about it is that they honestly believe that you can fulfill their wishes.

Now with the help of Piutre, who manufactures elegant, lifelike, and some life-sized stuffed animals, you can give that special someone the next best thing. Each animal is sewn, shaped and finished entirely by hand in Italy. Originally designed by Riccardo Chiavetta, a master toy artisan, these stuffed animals are made to resemble as much as possible their real life counter parts. For example a sitting polar bear measures 71" inches high and horses and ponies range from 79" inches to 53" inches in height. An artist is responsible for each individual piece from start to finish and this careful attention detail includes lifelike noses and eyes on all of the creatures. The collection is incredibly diverse featuring cats, dogs (over 40 different breeds), farm animals, all sorts of bears and wild animals.

The prices are as high as the quality and the larger life size animals tend to be in the low to mid five figure range with some species going for much more as the 79" Indian Elephant would set you back $8,500. Puppies and kittens are priced at less eye popping levels in and around the $100 mark.

So when that little girl in your life looks you in the eye and requests a pony, there is a way to say yes.

Some people give teddy bears for Valentine's Day. But for the bibliophile these bears aren't just cute, they serve as laidback bookends. The two heavy cast metal bears recline on lounge chairs with books in their laps. A nice reminder that reading is one of the bear necessities. Okay, I deserve to be pinched for the bad bear pun but these are really adorable. They weigh nearly eight pounds each and the pair sells for $118.

Now that we know who is going to be in the Super Bowl, the rabid fans of the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears can scramble for some last minute travel packages. The Indianapolis Star has a list of some of the top packages for last minute travelers with a few thousand dollars burning a hole in their pockets.

The Big Game Room offers a four-night package at the Delano that includes a ticket to the game, souvenirs, a ticket to the NFL experience and more for $7,999 per person.

Carefree Lifestyle has a $75,000 VIP Platinum plan for up to 10 guests that includes your own waterfront mansion with a pool, maid and chef service, access to a Lamborghini Gallardo or a Bentley, a yacht cruise, massages and concierge services.

RazorGator Experiences offers Bears and Colts packages that include airfare, three nights in a hotel, upper level end zone tickets and are in the $5500 to $7,000 price range.

The Fine Things has offers the Ultimate Super Bowl Package for $16,095 per person which includes four nights at the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne, first class airfare, lower level 50 yard line Super Bowl tickets, NFL Game Day hospitality and tickets to the Playboy Party.

We Have Seats offers a wide variety of a la carte tickets and some packages. One package includes four nights at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, two lower level end zone tickets to Super Bowl XLI , a private meet and greet with an NFL celebrity , two tickets to an NFL Super Bowl Weekend party, VIP NFL Experience tickets and more for $15,510.