Pictured above are Hoptom and Topsy-Turvy.  They live in Alphaland.  Seriously, they do!  Where else do you think Alphabeasts would live?  Anyway, these two cuddly, plush beasts are just two of twenty-six.  Twenty-six Alphabeasts, that is.  You can check out the entire collection HERE.

These plush toys are soft and make perfect companions for movie-watching, long car-rides, or sleepovers.  They are flat, like a pillow and very easy to transport.

One side of the Alphabeast has a capital letter and the other has a lowercase letter and kids kinda love ‘em, as you can see.

The MSRP of these little dudes is about US$20 and you can purchase them HERE.

*Congratulations to our winner, Jill!

Wow. We have some pretty sweet giveaways this week.  This one is one of my favorites. The Juno Company is back with their original orchestral music and stories and this time, geared toward the growing preschoolers.  Not that the toddlers wouldn’t like it; my toddler swoons over anything Juno.

New Juno Jr. DVD: One Bunny Band:

After Bunny’s “serenade stand” doesn’t live up to her expectations, Indie hires her to be his own, personal “One Bunny Band.” Indie gets more than he bargains for as Bunny misses the music mark time and time again. But in the end, Bunny and her friends learn how to put feeling into their music through concepts such as tempo, dynamics and articulation.

New Juno Jr. CD: Welcome to Harmonia Springs:

Sing along with Juno, Murphy, Bunny, Indie and Rai Rai to this collection of songs from the Juno Jr. series. Featuring all tracks from “One Bunny Band,” “The Day the Music Stopped” and “Friends Make a Symphony,” “Welcome to Harmonia Springs” features the original, orchestral music composed by Belinda Takahashi, Ph.D., as well as the fun, thoughtful vocals of Juno and her lovable friends.

Bunny Plush Doll

Always the shining star, Bunny can’t be missed! Outfitted in a necklace and pompom accessories, Bunny adds a little color to your child’s plush collection. Adventurous and fearless, Bunny is always ready to explore.

Do you want this stuff?  Ok!

We’re giving this prize pack away.  It includes the new DVD and CD, along with the Bunny plush doll, limited edition canvas tote bag, 20% off coupon valid on the Juno Company website and Juno & Friends magnet.  The prize package has a retail value of around $50.

To enter, we ask that you please subscribe to the Juno newsletter so you are in the loop on the Juno happenings.

Click here to enter this giveaway AND subscribe to the Juno Company newsletter

(Psst: Please list “ParentSphere” for how you heard about this giveaway.)

A random winner will be chosen on April 1st – April Fools!  No, just kidding.  A winner will definitely be chosen that day.  You can enter up until 2:00 am CST on the 1st.

We recently added the following LeapFrog products to our ever-growing collection:

Zippity

Zippity is quite popular with my preschooler right now.  It is very easy for her to grasp the concept of how this gaming system works.  She gets to use her whole body, which is a plus because I swear, the kid never stops moving.  I like it that she’s on her feet playing the game, rather than staring at the screen while sitting on the couch.  This is an excellent gaming system for kids around the ages of 4 and up.

I am somewhat of a technology snob and pay attention to graphics.  The graphics and animation of the games for this system are exceptional, in my opinion.  I am pleased with the look and feel of Zippity.  Good job on this one, LeapFrog!

(Picture of Hailey using Zippity coming soon)

My Pal Scout/Violet

Pictured above is My Pal Violet.  Cute, cute, cute!  We love this puppy.  Once again, LeapFrog has outdone themselves with technology.  Violet and Scout can be connected to your computer via USB cable and personalized.  I’m not kidding, we walk around the house everyday singing the little tunes that come from this puppy.  Violet says our baby’s name (which grabs her attention); she sings personalized songs (for instance, right now, Violet likes the color black and meatballs are her favorite food.  For a while, it was bacon).  I absolutely love that you can connect and change options any time you want.  This is a stuffed animal that is worth having around.

(Teagan and Violet)

Tag Junior Book Pal

I’ve been itching to use our Tag Junior with the baby.  I can’t wait to see her chubby hands wrapped around this chubby reader.  Even our preschooler enjoys the Tag Junior but ultimately, her favorite is the regular Tag reader and books.  Tag Junior is less pen-like, compared to the regular Tag Reader.  It is much easier for babies/toddlers to grasp in their little, uncoordinated hands.  The board books are just the right size for the smaller hands, too.

(Picture of the girls using Tag Junior coming soon)

Before I close, I will also mention that LeapFrog has the technology to tell you what your child is doing/learning.  It’s just a matter of connecting your LeapFrog products to your computer and checking out the LeapFrog Learning Path that gathers information from the activities your child does on his/her LeapFrog products and calculates their progress.  This is a fantastic, educational tool.

As far as I’m concerned, LeapFrog is blowing their competition out of the water with their quality and technology.  I love that I’m able to experience these learning products with my kids!  They have been such a huge part of our lives.  Thank you, LeapFrog, for taking the time to make products that will make a difference in a child’s life in the future.

I recently learned about FairIndigo.com and if you read their About page, well, it doesn’t get any more transparent than that.  This company stands behind its values.  They are a Fair Trade company, paying workers what they’re worth and manufacturing and selling quality recycled and organic products.

A brand new product on the Fair Indigo roster are the Joobles.  The Joobles are soft, knitted stuffed animals that would make a perfect baby gift.  They are manufactured using eco-friendly dyes and organic yarns.

There is a handful of these adorable stuffed animals to choose from, as well as matching sweater, hat and mitten sets.  An excellent gift for the baby.

There are other gift options at FairIndigo.com besides gifts for the baby.  They have apparel and accessories for him and her, as well.  I believe they offer $5 shipping to boot.  Happy shopping!

This is Sammy.

Look, he has a front pocket, perfect for a night of trick-or-treating!  Sammy’s creator is Tara of Tara Ross Studios, over at Etsy.  Stop by and check out her work when you have a chance.

Me: “Are you ready for a change?”
Hailey: “Nope”
Me: (Looking her straight in the eyes) “Are you sure you don’t want mommy to put a brand new, clean diaper on you?”
Hailey: (As she pats her backside, very matter-of-factly) “Nope. It stays in my diapee.”
Me: (Shrugging) “Alright, sister. It’s all you.”

and like this:

Me: “Uh oh! This is your LAST diaper! We’re all out of diapers”
Hailey: “We are?” (concerned)
Me: “Yep. No more diapers.” (thrilled)
Hailey: “But there’s some in that basket over there.”
Me: “Nope. I just used the LAST one.”
Hailey: “But there’s some downstairs.”
Me: “Nope. There isn’t.”
Hailey: “But there’s more at the store. We can get some after Traci’s house.” (Traci is the sitter)

I bribe her all of the time. Currently, I’m using the “You can’t take a ballerina class unless you’re wearing big girl pants.” That makes her stop and think but then, nothing happens.  Eric has even resorted to writing “special” potty songs and only singing them if she sits on the potty.  They’re generally only played once.  Maybe we could bribe her with this:

Or will that just give her the wrong idea, that she should play with her pee and poo?  Oh well.  They’re cute anyway.  You can get them HERE at the Pee and Poo Shop.  Does it gross you out?  Not me.  I’m a mom.

I don’t really remember life before Nana Star. Seriously. This book and all of the magic surrounding it has consumed our family. Even my husband! Actually, he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. We are true Nana Star fans (or “Twinkles”, if you will) and it didn’t take long for that to happen.

As soon as my toddler got her little hands on the Nana Star plush doll and attentively listened to me read her the story of a little girl in a blue princess dress, she was hooked. Ever since that day, the accompanying book and narrated story/song cd that came with the doll has been played continuously at naptime and bedtime. I even had to go so far as to loop the cd in her player, because she would keep getting out of bed to replay it.

In the story of Nana Star, a little girl finds a lost baby star. The little girl (aka Nana Star) pledges to help the little baby star find his way home, to the heavens above. When I read this book to my toddler, I see her get lost in the story and virtually put herself in the shoes of the little girl.

The authors of the Nana Star book series, Elizabeth Sills and Elena Patrice (“ee publishing”), are granddaughters of the real life Nana Star, Elizabeth Owens. What a wonderful way to preserve and share their grandmother’s special story. This is one of the most enjoyable children stories I’ve read yet.

*Our readers can enjoy a discount of 10% off the already discounted combination price for any plush and book together until 7/31/08. Just enter code “mum10” at checkout.

WIN IT!

We are thrilled to be able to offer our readers a giveaway! One lucky reader will have a chance to win a Nana Star plush doll and book combination (MSRP: $38)

TO ENTER:

Leave your entry comment on this post. Let us know if you have any special stories from your childhood that you’ve passed along to your children or grandchildren. Don’t worry if you don’t, you can still enter. Deadline to enter is Friday, July 18 at midnight (PST). A winner will be chosen at random (not based on comment) and notified via email.

Good luck!

*Original MumsTheWurd post

Good for the Kids is a boutique that carries loads of affordable items for the kids and the parents. A great place to start your holiday shopping!  They stock brands that help you nurture like Lindie & Friends; brands that help you engage like Brainy Baby; and brands that help you decorate like inSTAMPables.

One brand that Good for the Kids carries is Zoobie Pets. These soft, cuddly, adorable pets have many different uses. There are plenty of adorable Zoobies to pick from and we love them all!

We have Lencho the Lion. Lencho makes a great friend for Hailey. He provides her a place to rest her little head, as he turns into a pillow.  If she’s cold at night, he provides her warmth with his coral fleece blanket.  He has a cuddly soft body and his face is filled with micro beads, which is really fun to squish!

Good For The Kids also carry a lovely assortment of inSTAMPables note cards, papers, pads, calling cards, wine tags, gift tags and personal stampers and embossers by Three Designing Women (insert breath here). I have one word for all of that and it’s “FUN”! I love this kind of thing. Anything I can personalize is alright by me.