2025 Halloween Contest Results

 2025 Halloween Contest Results!

Thanks to all our stuffie pals for participating in this year's contest. This year, we have a TIE for first place: Ajdin, Little Fox & Sandy. All the costumes were just TOO GOOD.

Ajdin as DR. FISHKENSTEIN (and it looks like he just completed a delicate brain surgery!) and Sandy and Little Fox as BLACK-CLOTHED NINJAS (who always find their target!) 

Jack-o-lantern carving and the Halloween snack awards go to BEANIE MOUSE! Beanie has a long running streak of winning the pumpkin carving contest. Great job!

Congrats to everyone. Prizes go out this week, so check your mail!

 2024 Halloween Contest:   RESULTS!  

 Jerry and Ben are beary pleased to announce the results of our

🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃     14th annual Halloween Contest (2024)     🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 

Well, the costume, jack-o-lantern, and halloween treat categories were especially beary difficult to judge this year. Jerry says: "Even tHe extruh slice of apple pie didn't help mE decide" while Ben adds: "I'm NOT making anothur apple pie so that Jerry kan decide faster...!" Let's take a look at the results:

We'll start with the   Halloween Treat Category,   and the yummy entries are:

Little Fox's Delicious                                    Sandy's Sweet & Spicy 

Pumpkin Ice Cream                                       Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Both look SO good that we just can't decide, so Jerry & Ben say that both entries win FIRST PLACE!

Our second category is the carved   Jack-o-lantern,   and the amazing entries are:

Sandy's scarey pumpkins                         Beanie's spoooooky pumpkin

These look great, and again we can't decide, so both entries win FIRST PLACE!

Our last category is the   Halloween Costume,   and the only entry we received is:

Sandy as a crusading chain-mail wearing knight who slays dragons and rushes to help his stuffie pals while riding his trusty stead! Well done Sandy, you win FIRST PLACE!

Prizes go out later this week! Congrats to the winners!

Look for our 15th Annual Contest next year and for the special categories and prizes!

Happy Bearthday Jerry!

Jerry celebrates his bearthday today, November 11, and he received some wonderful cards from Stuffie pals Sandy and Little Fox, as well as a cool postcard from Pisa, Italy from Droopy (lucky pup to travel to Italy!) and a cool Halloween card from Sandy.

Jerry didn't want a bearthday cake this year...We know!! Shocking!! Instead, he asked for another of Ben's apple pies made with Cortland apples. The pie was delicious...and it's almost gone! The advantage of pie: a little bear can have a slice for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Smart bear that Jerry.

2022 Halloween Contest–meet the winners!

 Contest 1: Best Stuffy Halloween Costume

First Prize–Tied: Ajdin as an Oompa Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, & Sandy as Smokey the Bear. Great costumes guys!

Honorable Mention—the Mice as Dementors. Beary scarey!

Contest 2: Best Halloween Jack-o-lantern

First Prize–Beanie, for a beary scarey jack-o-lantern. Beanie has won this category for many years!

Contest 3: Best Halloween Treats (any homemade Halloween-themed food or treat)

First Prize: Little Fox & Pals for their clever witches' broomsticks, made of sculpted cheese and pretzels. Little Fox has several wins in this category! Congrats & Yum!

Honorable Mentions: Beanie & the Gang for their Scooby Snacks (roasted pumpkin seeds in garlic/parsley salt) and pumpkin flavored macarons (home made by Laduree) &

the Mice for Witches' Brew Hot Chocolate

Prizes go out to the winners later this week! Thank you to everyone who entered! Mark your calendars for next year and our super-spookie 13th annual contest!

Jerry's Bearthday...and snow...and no more cake

Jerry recently celebrated a Bearthday, and he received some beary cool cards from his blog pals Sandy, Little Fox and Droopy. Thanks!

P.S. Yes, that is snow...on Jerry's bearthday...he was not so happy about it...but it did melt the next day...unfortunately there was also no more bearthday cake the next day...Jerry thinks that 2 bearthday cakes would be much better next year...what do you think?

 Meet the Winners of our 2021 Halloween Contest!

Contest 1: Best Stuffy Halloween Costume

First Prize–Tied: Sandy, as a Proud Gryffindor House wizard & Droopy as Robin Hood

Honorable Mention: Little Fox & Pal as Twins

Contest 2: Best Halloween Jack-o-lantern

 

First Place–Tied: Beanie, Spooky Pumpkin & Sandy, Surprised and Hogwarts Sorting Hat Pumpkins

Contest 3: Best Halloween Treats (any homemade Halloween-themed food or treat)

First Prize: Little Fox & Pals, clever little orange and celery pumpkins

Honorable Mention: Cocoa, chili roasted pumpkin seeds, yum!

Prizes go out later this week! Thank you to everyone who entered! Mark your calendars for next year and our 12th annual contest!

Another Bearthday!

 A few days ago, Ben celebrated another Bearthday!

We had a beary quiet day here in the frozen tundra...the sekreTary made chocolate brownies and we had a scoop of ice cream on them, and Ben had a candle in his. They were yummy! Jerry said he needed a second brownie, just to be sure that they were good. Ben said that was a beary smart idea, and that he also needed a second brownie, just to be sure. What do you think?

Ben received some great bearthday cards from Sandy, Little Fox, Droopy and Ajdin! Thanks so much!

Hope you're all keeping warm wherever you are...we're supposed to have -10 wind chills tonight, brr!

Snow and a New Year!

Happy New Year to all our blog pals!

We received some beary nice holiday cards this year; below is our pikchture with them:

Thanks for all the wonderful cards!

We had a BLIZZARD last week, and more snow is supposed to arrive later today. Jerry volunteered to help shovel (and thus, of course, work off some of those extra Christmas pounds from all the holiday treats and thereby making room to enjoy even more holiday treats.....smart bear, Jerry).

Hope everyone will have a cozy, happy, and healthy New Year celebration!

A Christmas Carol

Well, we're quite a bit behind on our posts (grumble, grumble...busy seKretaries)...so as a special treat we're sharing our imitation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: a Ghost Story of Christmas. Dickens organized his story into staves rather than chapters, and after all, ghost does rime with post...get it? So here we go:

A Christmas Carol

by Charlie Bearkins—aka Jerry and Ben

Stave One

The Post of Christmas Past

Jerry was hungry to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. His birthday, celebrated a few weeks ago, was noted by all in the household, and Ben prepared a special meal that included a yummy birthday Cake. Jerry's mailbox was filled with well wishes from many a stuffie Pal.

Thanks to all our stuffie pals for sending great postcards and birthday cards (some aren't pictured above), including Droopy, Little Fox, Sandy, and Ajdin!

Stave Two

The Post of Christmas Present

Awakening in the middle of a prodigious afternoon nap, Jerry and Ben heard a rustling outside. They felt certain that a messenger was on the doorstep, likely delivering a holiday package. They thus donned their warm winter gear–coats, hats, boots, and scarves–and rushed out in the cold and snowy back yard. To their utter delight, who was trotting toward their house but their pals Karl and Bullwinkle!

Regular blog readers know that our pal Karl visits us every winter from his home in the Canadian–and most importantly always cold–Yukon, far north in Canada. This year, Karl is spending time completing research for his Ph.D-SS (Doctor of Snowperson Studies) at the University of Minnesota. Karl is studying snowflake patterns around the world; we look forward to reading his monograph!

Stave Three

The Post of Christmas Future

Picture it: December 24, Christmas Eve! ... All of the lights in the house will be turned off save the beautiful white twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. A warm fire will be glowing in the fireplace (ok, we don't really have a fireplace but the fireplace DVD playing on our TV does seem to give off heat...). A dark shadow, gravely and silently approaches Jerry and Ben who are snuggled under a warm blanket with pal Jake and faithful pooch Boo, ready for the holiday movie to start on television. To their surprise, no ghostly figure approaches wailing about Christmases to come...it is Papa, carrying a tray of hot chocolate and Christmas cookies for all to enjoy! (SeKretaries are beary useful, sometimes...)

From Jerry, Ben, Jake, Boo, Karl and Bullwinkle

A Beary Merry Christmas to All. As Jerry observes, "God bless us every one!"

2020 Halloween Contest Winners! --update

Thank you to everyone who entered our

10th annual Halloween Contest (2020)

We loved seeing all the great submissions! Now, for the winners!

Update!   We're so sorry but we missed one two entries--see what happens when you leave a secKretary in charge?--so we've updated the results!

Contest 1: Best Halloween Costume

This was a beary difficult category to judge, so we're giving out 3 first prizes:

First Prize: Sandy as Paddington Bear (there must be orange marmalade in the case)

First Prize: Ajdin as a very-timely bottle of Purell hand sanitizer; Ajdin's stern bear look alone would certainly kill a lot of nasty germs!

First Prize: Droopy as famous founding father Benjamin Franklin, known as "Benji" to his pals.

Honorable Mentions: Pooh & friends at the Star Trek crew, on a mission where no bear has gone before.

Beanie as a fierce Viking warrior!

Little Fox & friends as Master Sommelier (of non-alcoholic beverages) at a "wine" tasting.

Contest 2: Best Halloween Decorations

First Prize: Beanie and a frightening jack-o-lantern! Beanie has won this category several times!

Honorable Mention: Sandy and a very modern interpretation of a spooky jack-o-lantern.

Honorable Mention: Ajdin for his cool and colorful pumpkin!

Contest 3: Best Halloween Treats

First Prize: Little Fox for the Graveyard; a chocolate cake frosted in dark and sinfully evil chocolate frosting and spookily decorated with Milano cookies and blood-red RIP inscriptions. Yum!

Our beary best congratulations to all! Prizes go out Monday.

Belated Bearthday

A few days ago, Ben celebrated a birthday!

Jerry was very helpful...he helped to eat the bearthday cake, while Bullwinkle the Moose helped Ben to show off the birthday cards he received. It was a bit warm inside the house for Karl to join the photo...we don't want him to m.e.l.t...

Ben received a card of great stickers from Droopy and gang, a birthday smash card from Little Fox, and beautiful spring birthday card from Sandy! Thanks everyone! It was a beary nice bearthday.

Jerry Celebrates a Bearthday...updated!

Today is Jerry's Bearthday!

To help celebrate, Ben made a yummy breakfast of waffles and little sausages. It's a cold day here, so Jerry has requested a movie day...all 3 Hobbit movies! Later, we'll have cake and a few presents. Jerry also received a great card from Sandy! "ThanKz Sandy!" exclaims Jerry...

and an ecard from Droopy, "And iTz a beaR!" says Jerry! Thanks Droopy!

Update...

Jerry also receive a card from Little Fox; it's a fun BBQ with yummy food (Little Fox knows Jerry so well!)...

and a card from Ajdin, Uncle Tibbs, Miss Feathers, Oogie and Parker with an elephant and balloons! Thanks a bunch

And the Winners are...

We're beary pleased to announce the 3 4 winners of our

Annual Beary Spooky Halloween Contest!

Contest 1: Spooky Halloween (any entry: costume, art, etc.):

Sandy and his Spider Fodder costume. The spiders might be radioactive, ...as a result, Sandy might be the first Stuffie Super Hero, Spiderbear....or this might be a Hobbit-inspired attack of the spiders in Mirkwood Forrest, inspired by Harry Potter expert Miss Rose! Great costume Sandy!

Contest 2: Humorous Halloween (any entry: costume, art, etc.):

Ajdin and his creative and humorous Sushi Platter costume. Notice the attention to detail! There are of course some yummy sushi on the platter....

and a soy sauce label (beary important for sushi)...

and of course the essential chopsticks. Great funny costume Ajdin!

Contest 3: Pumpkin Carving / Jack-o-lantern:

Beanie and company for their great SPOOKY jack-o-lantern...

which looks amazing with the lights turned off. Beanie has won this category several times and is now clearly an expert at pumpkin carving! Great job!

Contest 4: The Just-Added Contest: the shameless, yet yummy, attempt to bribe the Halloween Judges with images of amazing chocolate within a pumpkin theme:

LIttle Fox with his "Pumpkin and Chocolate Coconut from Packer Ochards Still Life"

Congratulations to all the winners! Prizes go out shortly.

Finally, we wanted to share a fun postcard we received from our pal Droopy who recently visited Iceland (and whose postcard caused a lot of little bear grumbling at our house about not getting to travel abroad this year...)

Such a beautiful place, thanks Ajdin!

Happy Halloween everyone!