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!