zazoo kids :: photo clock {giveaway}

A couple weeks back it became apparent that we needed to move bedtime a bit earlier for our girls.  While changing bedtime (and consequently wake up time) for the 16 mo. old isn't that difficult, convincing the 3 1/2 year old to go to bed was... exhausting.

After fighting this battle for a few days our ZAZOO photo clock showed up in the mail and it was promptly set up for use.  Basically the ZAZOO photo clock is an multi-media photo alarm clock for kids that visually shows them if it's awake time or sleep time.  The ZAZOO photo clock can be used for older kids as well, but the ingenious part is that it really does help get younger kids to recognize when they should be in bed from when it's okay to be awake.

From day one our 3 1/2 year old Michaela has been excited to use this clock.  In fact, she didn't argue with use "But I'm not tired..." when it was bedtime because her ZAZOO photo clock was showing her photo for night time.  We have yet to do so, but you can also personalize the ZAZOO photo clock images with photos of your own.

We have the Pink Stars (above right) which is perfect for our girls, but for those of you who need something more boyish or even gender neutral there's a total of 5 different design options.  A neat feature that I didn't expect was that the ZAZOO photo clock glows at night, thus eliminating our need for an additional nightlight in the room.

There's a lot of other cool features with the ZAZOO photo clock that we haven't even used yet because our girls aren't of an age where they'd be necessary.  You can learn more about all these great features and details on the ZAZOO KiDS website and the below video.



ZAZOO photo clock :: $89

A SIMPLE GIVEAWAY!

One SIMPLE reader will win a ZAZOO photo clock of their own! Here is how to enter:

• Check out ZAZOO KiDS and come back here telling me which photo clock feature excites you the most! (Required)
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• Twitter :: Daily - Leave a link :: Need some help teaching little ones AM from PM? Win a @ZAZOOKiDS photo clock with @simplereviews!! http://tiny.cc/jv18j #contest #giveaway
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Winner will be randomly chosen on July 14, 2011. Please reference Giveaway Rules at the top of the page before entering. Good luck!

*I received product to facilitate this review and promotion. The opinions expressed are my own.*

toytoy :: cardboard armchair

Simple. Eco-friendly. Reasonably priced. Playful. Colorful. Portable. Lightweight. FUN!

When I first saw the ToyToy armchair design I immediately started thinking of all the places my son would have fun sitting in it. Part of the beauty of this simple product is how versatile it can be in the ever evolving life of a child.

Created by two parents who wanted products that would help build the world instead of taking away from it, ToyToy products help families consume less and use materials in a smarter way. The ToyToy armchair is constructed out of one piece of cardboard. It comes in a flat package (incredibly portable) that you can quickly assemble anywhere. With solid attention to design engineering this piece cardboard transforms into a very functional and fun chair. From a parent's perspective it's a little bit awesome.

• My son and I are able to transport this chair anywhere (it is incredibly lightweight)


• I don't have to worry about my son tumbling off the chair or scratching the floor as he pushes it around -- the design is child-friendly and very forgiving


• Creativity is inspired through the design -- I have watched my son climb on it, use it as a table, hide things in the cubby hole, push it around like a car, store his stuffed friends on it and flip through countless books while sitting atop this very cool chair
  


• It is at a price that any parent can love -- children work hard to tear things apart, but at this price that idea doesn't induce fear

Again, there are so many great ways to use this chair and places to sit in it. And think of what a great gift this could make -- it comes in transport friendly packaging (gift when visiting friends or relatives with kids), it is at a very reasonable price point (all those neighborhood birthday parties), it can be stored easily just about anywhere for occasional use (grandparents homes).

You can visit ToyToy over on Facebook as well!

ToyToy Cardboard Armchair : $14.99

A SIMPLE COUPON:

The ToyToy chair is already reasonably priced at $14.99, but today through June 30th, 2011 you can save an additional 25% off! At such a great deal you might want to consider getting one in each color -- and don't forget those gifts. Just make sure to use the coupon code: SIMPLE at checkout.

*I was provided the chair shown above to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own*

ne kids :: the dream bunk bed for your kids

In the search for finding the PERFECT bunk bed for my beautiful girls, my search landed at NE-Kids. Oh my goodness, this bed is AMAZING! It is the Stair Loft from their Schoolhouse Collection. I have had a chance to get to know this company deeper and they have been just great to work with! Here is a picture, what do you think?


When I first posted this picture on my personal blog and facebook page, the response was outstanding. Over 30 people commented and about 5 asked where they could get one themselves. People just love it. I posted on my personal blog a little about it too, you can take a peek if you want for additional pictures. I wish I could include all the pictures in this review, but it would be WAY too long :) So, here are a few for you:

And now that it is up in our home, and the girls have been in it for about a month now, it has sure passed the 2 and 5-year old test! The quality of this bed is great.

Here is a description of the bed followed by a couple things I wanted to specifically note:
"Imagine how cool it would have been to climb a staircase complete with handrail to the second story of your very own room, now it’s possible. The Stair Loft has it all, Sleep: A twin bed on top with a choice of twin or full size lower bed Study: A fully integrated desk Storage: Four built-in drawers in the staircase steps. The bottom drawer is giant, it can roll out into the room and store almost anything."

• You get to choose what side you want the stairway and the desk on depending on your room set up.
• The drawers in the steps have so much space! I was shocked to find the dresser is now only half full after installing them. They make having two kids in the same room a cinch.
• The lower bed is on wheels so it has made moving it around very nice for cleaning.
• The desk is awesome! It not only has a space for my oldest to color and be by herself, but it has more DRAWERS! :)
  

Now let me tell you about the assembly. My husband and a friend spent one very short evening putting this together. They had planned for a long evening, but didn't even make it through a six pack! We have assembled a lot of furniture related items over the years and NOTHING has gone together as smooth as this bunk bed. I say that with complete confidence. The directions were just plain simple and there were not nearly as many steps as you would expect considering the size of the final product. Also, the quality of the hardware was impressive. It allowed pieces literally to just fall into place. There were absolutely no shortcuts taken on the design or material when this bed was on the drawing board.

Schoolhouse Collection Stair Loft : $1,599

*I purchased the bed shown above at a discounted price to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own.*