Naptime Nanny: Sweet Dreams for your Little One {Review & Giveaway} ***Giveaway Now Closed***

By the time Greenleigh was 6-8 months old, she understood nap time.  I could put her in her crib, rub her back, and tell her it was time to sleep.  I would leave the room and she would do just that – go to sleep.  Hazeline is now over a year old and has yet to gasp this idea.  We’ve tried everything from making her room extra dark to allowing her to sleep in our room, but for some reason she doesn’t seem to get the idea of sleeping during the day.  I mean, she’ll happily snooze in her carseat from one location to another, but once we get in the house, it’s time to play.  She doesn’t want to miss a thing.  And that’s a problem for me, because I need nap time.  Bad.  I need that time to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, walk Maddie, load the dishwasher, or do one of the million other little things that need to be done on a daily basis to keep our house running.  Or, um, you know, catch a little extra sleep myself.  Because God knows I don’t get enough sleep, but I suppose you’ve heard enough about that if you read my blog regularly (or at all).  Recently, we had the opportunity to try the Naptime Nanny CD set, and I’m so glad that we did, because it’s helped us a ton.  And not just with Hazeline – My biggest surprise in doing this review was how much it’s helped Greenleigh.

Started by a pre-school and daycare teacher, Naptime Nanny is a collection of 3 CDs, each of which contains 6-8 stories.  Volumes 1 and 2 feature a collection of classic, everyday children’s stories, while Volume 3 is a special Christmas edition.  Classic favorites include Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood, but there were also a few others that I hadn’t heard before like, Cora Jane’s Cat and The Shoemaker and the Elves.  Whimsical music and mild sound effects are used to accentuate each story, which is told in a soothing tone.  The stories vary in length from 3 minutes to just over 20 minutes and are perfect for any age.  Each CD contains about an hour of children’s stories, and incorporate an important life lesson.

We’ve been using the Naptime Nanny CD set for over a month now and couldn’t be happier.  Hazeline has really responded well.  She loves the music and sound effects and often claps during the stories.  While they don’t necessarily put Hazeline to sleep, they help calm her down, which is most of the battle.  It’s fun to watch the smile she gets on her face the minute I turn the stories on.  I’ve also noticed that she takes longer naps after hearing the CDs.  It could be a coincidence, but like I said, we’ve been using the CDs for a month, so I’m not so sure.

Although I originally intended these CDs for Hazeline, it’s actually been Greenleigh who has probably benefited the most from Naptime Nanny.  Greenleigh needs a little bit of time to wind down before nap time or bedtime.  We are in that weird stage where she has outgrown the need to nap, but she needs rest and quite time.  These CDs facilitate that quiet time.  Sometimes she sleeps, sometimes she doesn’t, but she relaxes, and that’s important.   I’ve found myself playing the CDs on the way home from daycare each day, because although I don’t need her to go to sleep, I do need her to calm down a little.  Sometimes I think they feed her pixy sticks all day long…kidding, of course…but wow, does she come home hyper.  The stories are great to get her listening and calm before we head into the house to do our nighttime routine of dinner, bath time, jammies, etc.  And after playing the CDs in the car, I normally find Hazeline asleep in the backseat.

The only CD I haven’t used is the Christmas CD, but that’s because I’m still trying to get Greenleigh to understand the idea that Christmas is over (despite her constant demands for “Jingle Bells”), and I’m afraid that CD might send a mixed message.  I’ve listened to it myself though, and I can’t wait until this November/December when I can play it for the girls.  They are going to love it.

If you are looking for a program to help at naptime, bedtime, or even just to get your child to relax and unwind at the end of the day, I would definitely recommend the Naptime Nanny CDs.  They have been a lifesaver for us.  But then again, I you know that I fully endorse anything that helps facilitate sleep and/or quiet time in our house!

Want to try a Naptime Nanny CD for yourself?  Great idea!  And today is your lucky day because Judy from Naptime Nanny has graciously offered one lucky reader a CD of their choice.  Whether it be the Christmas CD or one of the traditional story volumes, these sleepy time tales are a great way for your little one to drift off to dreamland.

 The Rules:

Want to enter?  Just visit Naptime Nanny and click on each of the CD covers to reveal which stories are included in that volume.  Select the story that you think your child will like the best, and leave me a blog post comment letting me know what story it is (please include the volume as well, i.e. 1, 2, or 3).

But you want bonus entries (because you’re really tired and are willing to try anything to get your kids to sleep…)?  How could I refuse?

• Like Naptime Nanny on Facebook
• Go to the Naptime Nanny website and listen to the FREE sample story.  Come back here and leave me a comment letting me know if you’ve ever heard that story before and your favorite part (music, tone, a particular part of the story, etc.).

Good luck everyone…and Sweet Dreams!And the winner is…Tracie with Comment #24!  Congratulations!  The winner has been contacted and has 48 hours to respond.  If you didn’t win, there are tons more giveaways going on right now and several more to be posted in the next couple days.  Stay tuned!