Review: Cloud B Constellation Night Light

As I searched for "Must Haves" for Babies & Toddlers this Holiday Season, one product intrigued me more than the others. We have battled all types of sleep problems with my toddler: Nightmares, Bedtime Stalling, Playing when he's supposed to be sleeping. You name it, we experienced it.

Years and years ago, we bought glow-in-the-dark star stickers for my daughter to gaze at while she sleeps. They were a big hit striking bedtime snuggling and pretend play as astronomers. Momma Findings has found a toy that goes beyond fading stickers, transforming your child's bedroom into a soothing starlight wonder.

Cloud B - Twilight Ladybug



About the Ladybug Nightlight:

Float away in peaceful slumber under a beautiful star-filled sky. Twilight Ladybug makes bedtime fun and helps ease children’s fear of the dark by projecting a starry night sky onto bedroom ceiling and walls. Stars and Ladybug shell illuminate in three magical colors to help children sleep easier. The perfect sleep companion for children of all ages!

Features:

* Full night sky projection on ceiling and walls
* Three color options: Sapphire Blue, Emerald Green & Ruby Red
* Shell illuminates for a calming nightlight effect
* Auto shut-off — 45 minute sleep timer
* Twilight Ladybug Star Guide to help identify constellations
* Includes Twilight Ladybug story and adoption certificate
* Three AAA batteries
* Dimensions: 14" long, 5.5" tall
* Ideal for ages 2 to adult

What We Liked:

• Lighted Stars: Lets face it, there's nothing more comforting than falling asleep underneath stars. When I was a child it seemed so magical. Stars are projected onto the ceiling and surround walls making it feel like you're literally outside underneath a Starry Sky. Very soothing!

• Colors: Adding to the Starry Sensation are the colors. There are three buttons to change the color to Red, Blue, or Green. Perfect way to change the dynamic of the night or teaching colors to younger children. My son has learned blue and green thanks to our Twilight Ladybug.

• Automatic Shut-off: The ladybug actually shuts off after 45 minutes, helping your child drift off to sleep. There is no need to sneak into their room to shut it off, saving the "Wake-Up Headache" and battery life.

• Shell Lights Up: When you look up onto your ceiling you see lighted stars, however, the actual shell illuminates as well.

• Easy to Carry: The Ladybug is very light and easy to carry from room to room or when traveling for the Holidays. I know my toddler gets nervous and scared sleeping away from home, so having the comfort of a Starry Sky and his new Ladybug Best Friend is a life-saver.

• Star Guide: In the box, there is a Star Guide included, which helps you, as the Parent, strike up the conversation about constellations! As you tuck your children in you have a soothing atmosphere, yet educational identifying each grouping of stars. You never know, they might want to be an Astronomer when they grow up!

• The Moon: This seems so simple, but when my toddler turns his Ladybug on the first thing he looks for is the moon. Sometimes it hides behind the ceiling fan and it's fun to move the Ladybug around to better see our favorite constellations and The Moon.

Momma Improvements and Suggestions:

• Hard Shell: I didn't realize my toddler would be so attached to his Twilight Ladybug. He sleeps with him, cuddles with him, and often naps with him. It would be great to have a soft shell making it more comfy for cuddles such as this.

• No Handle: Something I didn't think about till a few days ago, is the lack of a handle. You'd think Why do we need one? If it's easy to carry? Well this is why:



If you look closely, our sweet Ladybug has now lost it's antennae. My toddler carries his bug around using the antennae because it sticks out like handle. Now our Twilight Ladybug has to undergo surgery to fix the missing antennae on the top of his head (if we can find it).

• Light Brightness: Each color that displays the stars is clear and bright, except for the Ruby Red. It seems faded compared to the other colors, making it the last option when we are star watching.

• Time of the Shut-off: I love the fact that the light shuts off after 45 minutes, however, it would be awesome if there was a switch that helps you set the amount of time before shut off. I know with us we go through sleep patterns. My toddler is developing at such a fast rate that his sleep phases change throughout the year. A few months ago, before the Daylight Savings Time change, it took him longer to fall asleep, where we would need longer time with our Ladybug light. Now that it gets darker faster, he falls asleep more quickly where we only need about 15 minutes of starry light.

All in all, the Constellation Night light by Cloud B, has been an amazing addition to our family helping my toddler fall sleep without fear and soothing his anxiety of being in his own big boy bed. We're so impressed we added the Twilight Ladybug to our 2009 Holiday Gift Guide as a perfect Christmas Gift for Babies & Toddlers.

Buy It

To purchase your own Twilight Ladybug visit the Cloud B website or click here to find a store near you. Night Lights retail for $34.00 plus shipping & handling and are available in Ladybug, Turtle, and Sea Turtle.

This post made possible by Cloud B who sent us the Twilight Ladybug Night Light. Opinions here are solely my own and have not been wavered by the products I received or compensated in any other way.

Perfect Bedtime Stories for Christmas

With Thanksgiving behind us, households everywhere are busy shopping, traveling, and enjoying family. We had a wonderful Turkey feast full of laughs, love, and pumpkin pie, but the excitement comes this weekend when I head to the Houston Ballet to see the Nutcracker with four women I love: My Mom, Sister, Niece, and Daughter.

It's events like this that really bring the Magic of Christmas into our home and our hearts. That's why I'm happy to introduce you to two Christmas Books, by Scholastic, that will warm the hearts of both you and your children. What better way to create memories to cherish?

About The Christmas Magic:



Far, far North, when the nights are longest and the stars shine brightest, Santa begins to prepare for his big night of giving. He gathers his reindeer, feeds them parsnips and berries, and polishes his bells and his sled. Then lovingly, he chooses toys for every child in the world. For Santa loves them all, and he knows what each child at heart wants most. Then, with the thrum of magic that makes reindeers fly, he spreads the Christmas joy and warmth throughout the world--as he always has -- and always will until the end of time.

About The Nutcracker and the Mouse King:



In this gorgeous telling of The Nutcracker, Gail de Marcken brings E.T.A. Hoffmann's richly enchanting world to life. With beautifully detailed illustrations, the story of THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING will become an instant classic . It's a story readers of all ages will delight in.

What We Liked:

• Hard Cover: The book is hardback, which we love. Our two older children (ages 6 and 7) have learned how to take care of their books, however, we have a 2-year-old who is still learning. With special Holiday books, we like to have them sturdy to withstand "The Toddler" and being packed away from one year to the next.

• Magical Colors: Nothing says "Magical" to me more than the mixture of Blue, Silver, & White. The cover of The Christmas Magic, itself screams READ ME. My children merely saw the cover and HAD to know how they can experience what was inside this story.

• Memory Maker: Yup. I said it. I'm a sucker for Holiday Books. We have an extensive library dedicated just to Christmas, but books provide so many awesome memories for my children, it's hard for me to invest money into something that will fade by the end of the day. These books and titles last a lifetime with sweet memories of reading by the dim lights of the Christmas Tree or the edge of the bed.

• Size: These two titles are bigger than they look! The pages were easily seen from across the room and when we snuggle we all help holding it, bringing us that much closer.

• Life Events: As I mentioned before, we're heading to see The Nutcracker at the Houston Ballet this weekend. A perfect way to help us get prepared is reading The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. My daughter relates this book to the magic and excitement of the Ballet and Christmas.

This is usually where I insert my Momma Improvement, but not today folks. These are amazing Christmas stories that are perfect for bedtime stories or gift giving for the entire family!

Buy It

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King retails for $18.99, while The Christmas Magic can be purchased for $16.99 at Scholastic's Online Store.

WIN IT!

Thanks to our friends at Scholastic, two lucky Momma Findings readers will win one of two prize packs with both The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and The Christmas Magic books.

How to Enter:

Required Entry:

Tell me, in the comment section, what you do to make Holiday memorable for your children. Are there specific books you read, activities you do, or events you look forward to?

Extra Entry Options:

- 3 Extra Entries if you blog about how you make Holidays memorable and link back to this post. Leave 3 separate comments with the url to your post.

- 2 Extra Entries Add the Momma Findings 2009 Holiday Gift Guide button (on your left, complete with html copy/paste code) to your blog sidebar. Leave two separate comments stating you have, along with your blog url.

- Sign up to be an email subscriber right there on the right side

- Follow Momma Findings on Facebook Networked Blogs.

- Follow Momma Findings and My Sippy Cup Runneth Over (my personal blog) on Google Friends.

- Follow me on Twitter (@Sarann) and send out a Tweet linking to both this contest and replying to @Sarann. Leave a comment with the URL link to your Tweet.

- Tell me your thoughts about my 2009 Holiday Gift Guide by leaving a comment on that post. Once you do, come back here post a separate comment stating you did.


Contest starts today November 27th - December 5th Midnight Central Time and open to US residents only. Leave each entry in separate comments. You don't have to be a blogger to enter, but please leave a valid email address for contact purposes.

This post made possible by Scholastic who sent us The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and The Christmas Magic books. Opinions here are solely my own and have not been wavered by the products I received or compensated in any other way.

Inspire Creativity with K'NEX Building Sets

With the Holiday Season among us, my children are steadily coming to me with ideas of what they want for Christmas. It's really interesting because everything they have chosen is something we can all do as a family.

One particular item that's ALWAYS on our list EVERY year is a Building Set for kids. Last year is was wooden blocks, this year we're into building complex structures such as a Ferris Wheel, Airplanes, and even a Merry-Go-Round.

K'NEX is the leading brand in building sets for children and helps parents, such as me, interact with our children, inspire creativity, and build self confidence. Thanks to Team Mom, we had the opportunity to check out the K'NEX 400PC Tub and the Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection Building Sets.

About the K'NEX 400PC Tub:

Loaded with 400 parts, including bricks, for lots of open-ended fun and endless building and play opportunities! Includes instructions and ideas for 20 models or use your imagination to dream up your own creations. The convenient storage tub means there is always a place to put your parts or take the fun with you wherever you go! For ages 7+.

What We Liked:

• Storage Tub: Right away, I'm ecstatic that it comes in a storage bin. I can tell you how many times I've had to pick up the blocks we bought last year, that DIDN'T come in a storage bin. This gives us a clear place to store the 400PC set, along with other sets that my children are begging me to buy. It's also really easy to carry when traveling to Grandma's house.



• Instruction Book: I have two types of children. One is very orderly, structured, and "By the Book". He wants instructions and thrives on direction. The fact that the building set comes with a book telling you EXACTLY what pieces to use for particular models is awesome.

• Creative Flexibility: As I said before, one child is very orderly, but the other is so "Fly by the seat of her pants" type of girl. She doesn't want instructions, but instead wants to build the abstract structure she has already built in her head. K'NEX lets her do that giving us endless building possibilities!



• Movement: This set is our very first "movable" building toy, meaning there are wheels for cars, propeller on airplanes, ferris wheel and merry-go-round's spin. This gives us the opportunity to bring our creations into real life!

• Works with Other Brands: If you've invested countless hours and money on other brands of building sets, such as Lego, you can easily merge K'NEX to your existing collection.

• Made in the U.S.A: I've said it countless times here at Momma Findings. We are BIG supporters in US companies. We can now add K'NEX to our growing list of American Made brands like Label Daddy and Weil Baby.

What We Didn't Like:

• Small Pieces: The pieces are really small compared to the bigger blocks/sets we're used to. We were really surprised at just how tiny each piece is, posing a chocking hazard for younger children. We have a two year old who still puts things in his mouth, but with proper supervision he's learning it's more fun to build with the pieces instead of eating them.

About the Sesame Street Police Car Set:


Your child can build the NEW smaller scale police officer Elmo - dressed in his blue uniform and police cap - along with his police car! A "Play & Learn" activity sheet filled with educational fun for parent and child, plus additional building ideas, is also included. This 19-piece building set pairs perfectly with the Neighborhood Collection Police Station Building Set. Look for all the Neighborhood Collection Building Sets so your child can build his own SESAME STREET Neighborhood!

What We Liked:

• Big Pieces: Loved that each piece is sized for small hands. My toddler didn't have any trouble building his set while sister and brother built their Ferris Wheel next to him.



• Sesame Street Characters: Let's face it, we all love Sesame Street, right? My toddler is in love with Elmo and Big Bird, so it gave him that extra encouragement to build and practice his fine motor skills. Individual Sets include either Elmo, Ernie, or Cookie Monster.

• Movable Parts: The Police car comes with actual wheels making it easier to "push" the care around the house during imaginative play.

• Coordinating Sets: Kids and parents can build their very own Neighborhood with four different sets to buy- Ice Cream Truck Building Set, Police Car Set, 1-2-3 Brownstone Building Set, and the Police Station Set.

• Play and Learn Activity Sheet: The set comes with a sheet of ideas for parents and children such as, facts related to the theme of the set, activities to learn to count, recognize colors and identify shapes.



What We Didn't Like:

• No Storage Tub: Seriously, this is a big decision buying factor for me. If I don't have a good sturdy place to store blocks, legos, K'NEX, etc. then we probably won't buy it, unless we already have a place to store the pieces.



In review, both K'NEX Building Sets are the perfect way to stimulate your child's creativity and imagination. They also help with fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and encourages thinking and problem-solving skills. In fact, we were so impressed by the 400PC tub, we included it in our 2009 Holiday Gift Guide as a a perfect gift idea for boys ages 6-12.

Buy It

K'NEX Building Sets can be purchased at Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys R Us. The 400PC tub has a suggested retail price of $20.99, while the Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection can be found for the suggested retail price of $9.99-$19.99.

Win It!

Now you have the chance to win $1,000 worth of K'NEX Building Sets and be featured on the KNEX.com website. All you have to do is make a video that showcases your child's K'NEX building skills and features your child building with select K'NEX products. Official rules and guidelines can be found at Knex.com.



This post made possible by Team Mom and K'NEX who sent us the 400PC tub and Sesame Street Police Car Set. Opinions here are solely my own and have not been wavered by the products I received or compensated in any other way.

Nintendo DS Game Review: Petz Nursery

We're gearing up for the Holidays here at Momma Findings with our Holiday Gift Guide debut. In the coming weeks, you'll see reviews and giveaways of several of those Gift ideas, helping all of you decide what to buy your sweet ones this year.

As a gaming family, Momma Findings has compiled an exciting list of Family Friendly Gaming options from Nintendo DS games, to game accessories, and Wii games that will thrill even the YOUNGEST in the family!

Today, I'm itching to let you guys in on one of our favorite games for the Nintendo DS:

Petz Nursery Nintendo DS Game



About the Game

In Petz Nursery, players can care for and bond with a variety of the cutest newborn animals.

Features

Take care of lots adorable baby petz. Give them milk, keep them clean and warm, and help them grow.

Build relationships with your petz as you witness their most memorable moments, and influence their personality.

As you progress, unlock more exotic baby animals, like tigers, polar bears, and pandas. Then you can watch them play together – such as a baby puppy and polar bear.

Send your baby petz from Petz Nursery to Petz Dogz Talent Show and Hamsterz Superstarz wirelessly to continue to watch them grow.

What We Liked:

• Variety of Animals: Other games give you the ability to take care of one type of pet, Petz Nursery has a variety! You start off taking care of one, however, as your learn to be a Petz caregiver, you unlock more! Our favorite is still the Lab!

• Lifelong Skills: My daughter is learning how to take care of a pet and having fun while doing it! We discuss what would happen if we didn't feed or play with our pet and how it affects his/her wellbeing. She's learning and understanding how it feels developing a reltionship where she's in the position of caregiver as she witnesses her pet grow and develop.

• Fun Activities: It's so fun to play games with your Petz, however, our favorite if feeding and preparing their food. My daughter and I got a kick out of Lab not wanting her bottle because we weren't holding it right.

• Cute Factor: It has to be said. Each Pet in Petz Nursery comes to you as a baby. Even my 2 year old was giggling when he saw how cute they are, especially when your baby isn't happy. She turns away pointing her "end" at you. Definitely makes us want to keep ALL our Petz happy!

• Works With Other Games: You have the ability to send your Petz Nursery baby to other DS games such as Hamsterz Superstarz(which we don't have yet, daughter was not happy about that) and Petz Dog Talent Show.

• Petz Give Back: New Petz games, including Petz Nursery, is part of Petz Sharing and Caring Month with ASPCA and famous pop band Honor Society. Kids and their parents can also go to the Petz Cause House on ubiworld.com,to play a variety of Petz mini-games and earn “pointz” to show their support for the ASPCA in protecting animals. From now through January 4, 2010, the total number of pointz that visitors earn will be announced weekly in the Cause House and to further support teaching kids about responsible pet care, Ubisoft’s Petz will donate funds directly to the ASPCA. How awesome is that?!

• Rated E: Petz Nursery is rated E for Everyone, which means it's family friendly! My children are young ages 7 and under so this is a perfect gaming option.

What We Didn't Like:

• Direction: As we first started there weren't clear instructions on what to do, where to go, and how to do it. For younger children, such as my 6-year-old daughter, it started off in frustration and confusion. Momma loves playing DS games, especially with my children, so I was happy to sit with her and "figure" out the game. Once she learned exactly HOW to do some of the activities and what was expected of her, she was happy to be the "sole caregiver" pushing me to watch on the sidelines. :)

In summary, we really took to playing Petz Nursery! Spending family time together and teaching our children the importance of responsibility all in a Nintendo DS game! Not only that, but it's a perfect Christmas Gift for girls 6 and up.

Buy It

Petz games are now available on store shelves in North America. They’re rated E for Everyone at a suggested retail price of $29.99 each (Nintendo DS and DSi). You know I love saving money so I've got the "budget scoop" for you guys! For $27.99 you can purchase Petz Nursery at Amazon.com! Sweet.

To learn more about Petz Games head over to Ubisoft's Parents Corner, where you'll find a list of family friendly games, where to buy, tips on ratings, and more!

WIN IT!

Thanks to our friends at Ubisoft, one lucky Momma Findings reader will win a Petz Nursery DS game just in time for Christmas!

How to Enter:

Required Entry:

Tell me, in the comment section, how you teach your child responsibility with their Pets. What feature from Petz Nursery do you think would be most beneficial when caring for the pets in YOUR home?

Extra Entry Options:

- 3 Extra Entries if you blog about Petz Sharing and Caring Month with ASPCA & UbiWorld.com. All the info you need is under Petz Give Back above. Make sure you link to both UbiWorld.com and this post. Leave a 3 separate comments with the url to your post.

- 2 Extra Entries Add the Momma Findings 2009 Holiday Gift Guide button (on your left, complete with html copy/paste code) to your blog sidebar. Leave two separate comments stating you have, along with your blog url.

- Sign up to be an email subscriber right there on the right side

- Follow Momma Findings on Facebook Networked Blogs.

- Follow Momma Findings and My Sippy Cup Runneth Over (my personal blog) on Google Friends.

- Follow me on Twitter (@Sarann) and send out a Tweet linking to both this contest and replying to @Sarann. Leave a comment with the URL link to your Tweet.

- Tell me your thoughts about my 2009 Holiday Gift Guide by leaving a comment on that post. Once you do, come back here post a separate comment stating you did.


Contest starts today November 20th - November 30th Midnight Central Time and open to US residents only. Leave each entry in separate comments. You don't have to be a blogger to enter, but please leave a valid email address for contact purposes.

This post made possible by Ubisoft who sent us Petz Nursery for the Nintendo DS. Opinions here are solely my own and have not been wavered by the products I received or compensated in any other way.

So Smart! Productions Launches Baby's First-Word Stories DVDs

It's the Season of baking, shopping, organizing, wrapping, partying, traveling, and.... stressing.

With the Holidays in full bloom, Mommas can feel really overwhelmed. I know when I feel like it's all too much, I tend to be really grouchy. Sometimes, the "Go-Go-Go" makes me "Snap-Snap-Snap"! Sometimes, it EVEN makes me wish the Holidays would simply be over.

Last year, I urged Parents to take time to relax with your children, snuggle, and enjoy family togetherness. My toddler and I did just that, by enjoying quality time cuddling in front of the TV with a Baby Einstein DVD. This year, however, we have a new favorite, So Smart! Baby's First-Word Stories - House.



About the DVD:

In this DVD, So Smart! friends Edward, Iggy, Larry and Dee Dee will first introduce your little one to simple words about objects in the home, and then build sentences and stories around them. A deliberately gentle pace, engaging imagery, and soothing music make So Smart! a winner for both parents and young children 1 to 3 years old, who are just beginning to explore the rich world of language. Features 5 vocabulary adventures with your So Smart! Friends: Bathtime!, Who's Hiding in the House?, Sounds in My House, Where is Edward's House?, and Clean-up Time. BONUS: Printable Activities for each Adventure Included—10 Total! (PC and Mac Compatible)

My toddler and I were asked to review this new line of DVDs designed for 1-3 year-olds. He's two so I knew it would be a hit in our home! I love introducing him to movies that will help him engage with he world around him, giving him more understanding of the new vocabulary he learns every day.

What We Liked:

• Storyline: The events in the storyline are activities your child sees and experiences every day such as: playing outside in the mud, hearing the telephone ring, and seeing Momma vacuum the floor.

• Pictures and Quality: There is no over stimulation with graphics. The pictures are simple, gently paced, yet engaging with bright colors.

• Animals: So Smart! uses easy recognizable characters. Our favorite happens to be Iggy the Piggy. My toddler was laughing hysterically when I asked, "What's the Piggy's Name?" He says, "Iggy the Piggy" out loud and THAT's when he recognized the rhyming sound. Of course, it had me laughing just to see his discovery.

• Short Segments: With short clips, my toddler isn't easily bored or sidetracked by the sounds in OUR house. It keeps him engaged and interested with the next story. The DVD is 30 minutes long, however, it's divided into 5 different segments - Bathtime, Who's Hiding in the House, Sounds in My House, Where is Edward's House?, Clean-up Time.



• Printable Activities: What better way to continue the activity and practice your vocabulary than to COLOR! There are 11 printable activities for your child that are both PC and MAC compatible.

• Continued Series: There are additional DVDs in the Baby's First-Word Series with the same lovable characters. We reviewed the House DVD, but your child can discover - Pets, Outside, Get Dressed, We-Go, and Nighttime.

Momma Improvements & Suggestions

• Price: We loved this DVD so much and want to create a WHOLE library of Baby's First Word Stories, however, with the Holidays comes Budget Crunch time. We are a family of five and I'm a Stay-At-Home Mom. Being a One-Income family, it's a little difficult to spend $15.99 on one DVD my older children wouldn't watch. My suggested price range for DVDs my children pick out are usually $9.99, unless it's over an hour long, newly-released full length movie, or neutral for the entire family.

Simply typing the price, makes it sound like it's not worth it, but it's actually the exact opposite. We're trying to be more creative with our budget to allow our toddler more movies just for him and with the Holidays it makes a perfect Christmas present for Babies and Toddlers.

Buy It

To purchase any DVD out of the So Smart! Baby's First-Word Stories line head over to SoSmart.com. Suggested retail price is $15.99.

Become a Fan of So Smart! on Facebook. You'll find other like minded parents, hear breaking news, and learn about their new products!

Win IT!

Thanks to our friends at So Smart! Productions, three lucky readers will win one copy of Baby's First Word Stories - House

How to Enter:

Required Entry:

Tell me what you do when the Holidays have you frazzled? Do you take the time to cuddle and do activities with your children? If so, what engaging activities do you do?

Extra Entry Options:

- 3 Extra Entries Add the Momma Findings 2009 Holiday Gift Guide button (on your left, complete with html copy/paste code) to your blog sidebar. Leave three separate comments stating you have, along with your blog url.

- Sign up to be an email subscriber right there on the right side

- Follow Momma Findings on Facebook Networked Blogs.

- Follow Momma Findings and My Sippy Cup Runneth Over (my personal blog) on Google Friends.

- Follow me on Twitter (@Sarann) and send out a Tweet linking to both this contest and replying to @Sarann. Leave a comment with the URL link to your Tweet.

- Tell me your thoughts about my 2009 Holiday Gift Guide by leaving a comment on that post. Once you do, come back here post a separate comment stating you did.


Contest starts today November 19th - November 29th Midnight Central Time and open to US residents only. Leave each entry in separate comments. You don't have to be a blogger to enter, but please leave a valid email address for contact purposes.

This post made possible by So Smart! Productions, who sent us a copy of Baby's First Word Stories - House. Opinions here are solely my own and have not been wavered by the products I received or compensated in any other way.