The holiday season is nearing it’s peak here at Sleepytime Store and it looks like Kidorable may be the most popular gift of the season. Barefoot Dreams Robes and Throws are a perennial favorite, and Little Giraffe blankets are as hot as ever, but Kidorable is turning out of be one of the hottest gifts of the year! It’s no surprise really, Kidorable is popular year round and one look at the cute collections will tell you why.

It can be hard to get your child to dress weather appropriately. I remember my parents could never get me to wear a coat, much less shoes! When it came to rainy days, my mother always despaired that I was sure to catch a cold and ruin another pair of socks in the mud. Well that’s certainly not the case with Kidorable. Kids love the cute designs! We have stories of little boys using their Fireman Raincoats for make believe adventures and little girls who wore their Dinosaur Towels to be Tyrannosauruses for Halloween! When children come into our showroom, they are always attracted to the bright and smiling faces of the Frogs and Ladybugs. And then there is the little girl who trumped around the showroom refusing to take off her pretty new Lotus Rainboots!

With such whimsical and colorful designs, it’s no wonder that so many children, and parents, love the Kidorable collections. They are more than just rain gear, they are a way of looking at the world. Kidorable believes that every child is beautiful and deserves to feel wonderful. They believe that life should be fun and colorful and their collections are made to match. It really isn’t surprising that Kidorable is such a popular holiday gift. In fact, I wouldn’t mind getting some in my own size, if they made it!

Well, Halloween has come and gone, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which can mean only one thing: The Holiday season is upon us! If you haven’t’ already finished your Holiday shopping (I know I haven’t!) then I definitely recommend you get started now! At Sleepy Time Store, I am lucky enough to get some of my shopping out of the way just by coming in to work. For instance, I know my mother will LOVE a Barefoot Dreams Robe! And while I’m at it I plan on getting a throw for my grandmother. On the cheaper side, my sister will love an Uglydoll, and my cousin’s new baby will definitely be getting a new set of Trumpettes! Then, of course, my niece will be getting one of those cute Usborne Books. All in all I think I hope I’ll get my shopping done early this year and avoid that last minute rush to overly crowded stores. Of course, it’s always easier to shop online in the first place and we here at Sleepy Time Store want to make it easier for you, so keep you eyes open for some Holiday Gift Guides!

Have a baby shower coming up? Not sure what to get the mother-to-be or her new bundle of joy? We’ve put together this list of greatest hits to help you out.

1.) Little Giraffe Luxe Faux Fur Blankets.

These amazing blankets are a huge sensation right now, and are definitely our most popular items. You’ve probably seen them all over the place since celebrities can’t seem to stop buying them for their babies. I have to say, this is one trend I will happily join in on myself, and when you buy one for that precious bundle of joy, you’ll see why. I promise you’ll want to keep one for yourself! Plus they come in a wide variety of colors, so whether you know the new mother’s nursery colors or not, you can’t go wrong. There may be nothing softer than a baby, but the Little Giraffe Luxe comes very close. Buy one and try it out, I promise you will not be disappointed! Plus, you can make this gift truly unique with a specially monogrammed name or initials on the blanket’s edge. How much sweeter could a baby gift get?

2.) Barefoot Dreams Nap-to-Go.

The Barefoot Dreams Nap-to-Go Set is simply amazing. It is my favorite Barefoot Dream’s gift to give. This amazing little set includes a soft and fuzzy CozyChic chenille blanket and a squishy-soft satin pillow. Any parent will tell you of the difficulty of getting a child to sleep in an unfamiliar setting. With the Nap-to-Go, they can take their favorite sleepy time cuddles with them wherever they go. This one is sure to be a hit for years to come.

3.) Organic Anything.

Everything is going green! Not only is organic great for the environment, but its super safe for baby too. Luckily there is a very wide variety of organic cotton baby goods to choose from. Check out the Coyuchi Natural Baby Blanket, it’s incredibly soft, and the Playful Lion Jumpsuit, the embroidered details are super cute! We also have tons of other organic bedding and clothing for baby in many different styles, proving that going green isn’t just ecological, it’s trendy too!

4.) Halo Sleepsacks and Cloud b Lullabags.

What better gift can you give a new parent than piece of mind? With Halo SleepSacks and Cloud b Lullabags, they get just that. You see, loose bedding in the crib increases the chance of baby re-breathing, that’s the re-inhalation of carbon dioxide, and suffocation, both of which are linked to the development of SIDS. That’s pretty dangerous stuff. That’s why Halo and Cloud b created wearable blankets. Their blankets keep babies snuggly and warm and allow baby to move around without the risk of loose bedding. Truly Award winning ideas! Try the Cloud b Lullabag, for a temperature controlled blanket ,and the Halo Swaddle, for a cozy night’s rest.

5.) Trumpette Baby Socks.

Whether you’re shopping for a little girl or little boy, you can not go wrong with Trumpette. These little socks are the most adorable things you have ever seen, guaranteed! And, they have non-slip soles, so they keep baby’s feet soft and safe! They come in a huge variety of patterns and colors, each with an adorable little gift box, ready for the baby shower. Whether the socks or the box is cuter is still an object of much debate around here.

We hope this helps you in picking something out for that upcoming shower!

What is so ugly about Uglydolls? I ask myself that every time I take a look at these little guys. I mean, sure, they are a far cry from the traditional stuffed animal, but I think they’re cute! And I am not alone- kids love them!

Uglydolls are artist designed and created and each doll is handmade, so they are all unique in their own little way. They also each have their own personality and story to go along with them, often filled with an adorable love of cookies and cute hobbys. My favorite doll is Secret Mission Ice Bat. He is a little bat who live in an icebox in an ice cave and turns everything he touches to ice, but he warms my heart with his simple charm. He is on a mission to steal your snacks.

Uglydolls really do have their own element of cute, and they are soft and cuddly, too. I know a lot of customers say their sons especially love collecting the Uglydoll Keychains to hang on their bookbags for schools, which is a great way for them to identify their own bags. With a name like Uglydolls, you would not suspect them to be so popular, but just one look at the critters and you’ll see why they are. They were even the 2006 Toy Industy of America’s Special Toy of the Year!

I know I plan on giving a few Uglydolls as Christmas presents this year to friends and family. I’m sure my sister would love a Bop’n’Beep or Cinko! These little fellows may be unconventional, but that is a huge part of their charm. They are unique and make a wonderful alternative to the toys kids see everyday. Besides, they teach a great lesson: there is nothing wrong with being a little ugly. In fact, this ugly is cute!

How many new parents have you met who want nothing more in life right now than a good night’s sleep? And how many cranky little baby’s are there who can’t make it through the night? I suppose that’s a rhetorical question. I haven’t met one yet who gets a full 8 hours of rest each night. And, boy, do they celebrate like crazy the first time their new bundle of joy makes it through the night!

Well, apparently I’m not the only one who noticed the bags under every new parents’ eyes. Two new mothers, determined not to join in others fate and to end the tyranny of sleepless nights, noticed too. And they did something about it. They created Cloud b.

Cloud b is a company founded on the belief that every baby deserves the sound night’s sleep they need to grow and develop healthily. And that is music to new parent’s ears, sometimes quite literally. Their most popular products are from the Sleep Sheep & Friends Collection, a line of plush little animals that each soothe a different sense. The Sleep Sheep himself, and his little travel companion, Sleep Sheep On-the-Go, are audio pacifiers, playing four calming sounds.

Then, there is the Sleep Sheep friend and my favorite of the Cloud b products, the Twilight Turtle, a plush-bodied turtle beneath a hand-painted shell. When you turn him on, his shell projects a starry pattern modeled after the real night sky, complete with constellations! I love him because he is cute, educational, entertaining, and a soothing nightlight all at once.

Cloud b also makes LullaBags, wearable blankets with two way zippers that maintain comfortable body temperature. The Lullabags are especially neat because the reduce loose bedding in the crib, a factor associated with SIDS. With the Lullabag, babies not only sleep better, but safer.

Best of all, Cloud b’s sleep products are all created in conjunction with an advisory panel of sleep experts and pediatricians. Their products have won many awards, including the iParenting Media Award, NAPPA Gold - National Parenting Publications Award, and National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.

In the end, however, you really can’t put a value on a good night’s sleep and the peace of mind Cloud b provides. I heartily recommend Cloud b for all parents, especially those with bags under their eyes.

The other day a customer asked me to help her pick out a backpack for her son. “He’s only two,” she said,” but I want him to start transitioning from the diaper bag to a book bag, and I want something he will really like.” I led her straight to our Stephen Joseph Preschool Backpacks. Stephen Joseph has a huge collection of designs, from happy bugs to prima ballerinas. Then she asked me a very good question: “Should I get the quilted backpack or the Go-Go backpack? What’s the difference?”

Quilted Kid’s Backpacks VS. Go-Go Backpacks
What is the difference, indeed? Both have the same bright colors and fun designs, and both will carry a fairly equal load. The main difference, I must say, lies in the materials, which make each bag suitable for a different end.
The quilted backpacks are made of soft and durable cotton in bright colors and appliquéd designs. My favorite Stephen Joseph feature, in fact, is the quilting on these adorable bags, sewn in patterns to match each bag’s theme! The Go-Go backpacks, on the other hand, are made of a durable vinyl that is bright and long-lasting. Their motifs are sewn on in a cute appliqué style. The quilted toddler backpacks are often better for younger children, while the Go-Go kid’s backpacks work better as book bags when the child starts school. In fact, that’s another feature of Stephen Joseph that I love: the bags are designed in matching characters and themes! That way, you can get your toddler a bag they love to use for going to grandma’s, carrying toys, and play dates, then switch to the matching Go-Go bag AND lunch box when they go off to school! And the designs are so distinctive; you will always recognize your child’s bag.

In the end, our customer did just that: she chose the quilted Stephen Joseph Pirate Backpack (our most popular design, what with the recent craze for pirates!) for her son now and will get the Go-Go Pirate backpack and Pirate Lunchbox when he starts school. A perfect transition from diaper bag to book bag!