Category Archives: Bedtime

Fisher Price Zen Collection Swing

Age 0-1 year, Bedtime, Nursery & Room Decor

Zen_swing
Fisher Price's Zen Collection combines style and function with beautiful wood accents and a plush reclining seat that swings back and forth and side to side.  Younger babies prefer to rock side to side but I imagine that older babies might bet a little 'sea-sick' swinging side to side so bath and forth seems more comfortable for them.

The Zen Collection swing is sturdy and has exceptional features.  Most of our rooms are full or dark wood furniture so I would have loved to have the Zen swing instead of the bright colored swing with a metal base, that we had for Madelyn two years ago.  She loved sitting in her swing.   The Zen swing has a variety of gentle songs and musical styles that will stimulate baby’s auditory sense or instantly calm her down. 
The entire seat is removable so you can carry it from room to room and the fabric is machine washable.  The Zen swing is the first (that I know of) to have a plug-in option which is a huge money saver!

The maximum weight is 25lbs which equates to an average of two years old.  I doubt a two year old will sit in a swing very long, or at all, but the possibility is there.  

Price: around $200

You can buy the Fisher-Price Zen Collection Cradle Swing at Amazon.com
.

See other products from the Fisher Price Zen Collection, here.

Nana Star books and poseable doll

Bedtime, Books, Toys, ,

Nana-star-book-cd

Nana Star is a beautifully illustrated book for kids ages 3+. 
Madelyn, 2 years old, loves to read this book at bedtime and must have her Nana Star doll with her when we read the book.  I'm sorry to say that there have been times when I couldn't read the book because Nana Star was enjoying a  'hiding spot' somewhere else in the house and didn't want to come out.  Anyway..

Nana Star comes with a CD containing an enchantinNanastar-doll_6
g audio version of the
story and the sing-a-long Nana Star Song.   The CD is great for long car rides.  It doesn't seem to get old no matter how many times it loops during a trip.

The poseable Nana Star doll is intricately crafted and comes with her own baby star to take care of.   Nana Star is not too tiny and not to big.  Just right for snuggling with and taking in the car.

Cost: Prices vary depending on book or doll purchased.

You can buy the Nana Star books and poseable doll at NanaStar.com.

Mo Smells Red – a scentsational journey

Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Bedtime, Books

Mosmellsred
Did you ever think you could smell color with your nose?  I didn’t but I’ve been given a new appreciation for smells since reading Mo Smells Red.  Mo Smells Red is a cute story about a dog, Mo, who goes on a scentsational journey and takes readers with him.  Throughout the book Mo enjoys the smell of red roses, juicy red strawberries, chocolate, and fire.  Readers can actually smell what Mo
smells through the Press-2-Smell technology.  Embedded within the pages of the book are
scent-dispensing packets good for thousands of “sniffs” containing
safe, non-toxic scents that truly mimic real life smells.

Both you and your child will enjoy the story about Mo, an adorable little dog, and the real life smells are sure to leave you craving a juicy red strawberry, a walk through a rose garden, a piece of chocolate.. or maybe all three.  The book is short and sweet making it perfect for kids two years and older.  My daughter is two years old and wants to read Mo Smells Red every time she sees it.  The concept is fascinating.   I thought surely after reading the book a few times, the smell of the roses would combine with the smell of the strawberries and so on, but that’s not the case.  Each smell stays true to what it is and will for thousands of sniffs.

The embedded scent pouches contain natural essential oils and the pages
are printed on 10% post-consumer paper stock and printed with soy-based
inks.  A portion of the proceeds will go to Best Friends Animal Society
(www.BestFriends.org) and support their initiatives to work with humane
groups across the country — to bring about a time when there are no
more homeless pets.

You will also find baby tee’s, tote bags, stickers, notebooks and more in the Mo’s Nose store.  Mo Smells Red will make a gift for a child ages 2+.  Even tweens enjoy Mo Smells Red because cute story and fun scents.  Mo Smells Red is the first installment in the Mo’s Nose series of books created by long time friends Margaret Hyde and Amanda Giacomini.  I can’t wait to see what the next installment is!

Price: $17.95

Available at: Mo’s Nose

Giveaway alert! We have two Mo Smells Red books and tee’s to give away.  Join our newsletter to learn how and when you can enter to win.

NAP26, a power nap system

Bedtime, Relaxation

Nap26Taking a sleeping pill has been part of my bedtime routine for almost a year now because I can’t fall sleep if I don’t take it.  It’s the craziest thing.  I am exhausted when I go to bed and want nothing more than to drift off to lalaland but my brain just won’t let me go there.  I finally told my therapist (yes, I go to a therapist) that I can’t sleep she said "oh, ok let me prescribe a pill for that".   The sleeping pill helps me go to sleep but the problem is staying asleep.  Almost every night, Madelyn wakes up yelling "mama mama".  Tim usually gets up to check on her but once I hear a noise and wake up, I can’t get back to sleep easily or at all.  Tim gets back to sleep within about 20 seconds while I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, counting sheep, reading, or playing games on my iphone until I go back to sleep about 2 hours later.  Needless, to say I don’t get a lot of quality sleep and if you are a parent you probably don’t either.  Enter NAP26.

I was recently given the opportunity to review NAP26, a power nap system that claims that you will feel like you have slept for 3 hours and feel refreshed and rejuvenated after a 26 minute power nap.  My immediate thought was "when am I going to be able to use this? I can’t find 26 minutes to spare".  I was finally able to try NAP26 one afternoon when my husband was home and able to watch the kids.   I snuck into Sebastian’s room where it is nice and dark (our bedroom is where all the cool super nova’s hang out during the day), put on my eye mask and headphones, and played Nap26 on my ipod.  Whew!  Although I didn’t fall asleep the first two times I listened to NAP26, I did hit that point when you feel like you have just fallen from the sky which I think indicates that I was pretty relaxed and almost on the brink of falling into a deep sleep.  Now, when I use the NAP26 system, I am able to fall asleep.  Exactly 26 minutes after starting Nap26, I wake to the gentle sound of birds chirping and feel refreshed and rejuvenated! 

NAP26 is something that I think hospitals should put in the coming
home bags for new parents.  I feel like NAP26 helps me be a
better parent because I can be a total grouch when I am tired.  It’s such a simple process but makes a big difference in my everyday life.  I don’t use it everyday, but when I feel lethargic and really stressed, I pop in my headphones, get in bed and enjoy the soothing sounds of NAP26 and usually fall asleep within just a few minutes.

So what is NAP26?  It is a scientific digital modulation process that inserts precise pulses

and beats that the brain hears. The difference in vibration

between one ear and the other stimulates either deeper

relaxation or alertness.

Now, I just need the Easy2Sleep system so I can stop taking a sleeping pill at night.

Website:  Nap26

Zoobie Pets, a stuffed animal with three uses

Bedtime, Toys, Travel

Who needs a favorite stuffed animal, a favorite blankie, and a favorite pillow when she can have all three in one super cuddly, wonderfully soft, Zoobie Pet?

Zoobieskojothecroc

It didn’t take long for Madelyn and Sebastian (2 & 8 respectively) to warm up to and fight over the Kojo the Croc we received a few months ago.  Ultimately, Madelyn won the fight and has spent many hours snuggling with Kojo but Sebastian has to help her get the blanket back inside Kojo when Madelyn is ready to use him as a pillow or stuffed animal to carry around.   I know it’s not fair.

Zoobie Pets are available in two collections, Zoo and Safari.
The Zoo collection includes a lion, giraffe, monkey, panda, a hippopotamus and seven more animals.  The Safari collection includes a zebra, rhinoceros, an elephant and ten other animals.  Just about any child should be able to find a Zoobie Pet of his favorite animal.

Zoobie Pets are a three in one plush animal.
When your Zoobie Pet arrives it is a plush animal that is just the right size for your child to carry.  Release the two hook and loop velcro tabs to turn your Zoobie Pet into a super soft pillow, and then unzip your Zoobie Pet to reveal a super soft, removable blanket.  The blanket can be removed and machine washed and tumble dried.

Zoobie Pets are a stuffed animal that your child will have and use for a long time.  And with three different uses, it can replace all those blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals that your child packs in the car to take to Grandma’s house.

Website: Zoobie Pets