Yes, I’m reviving this long-dead blog based on a thoroughly horrible experience I had at the movies this weekend with my children, now 6 and 9. We went to see Alpha and Omega.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s a kids movie about wolves that’s in 3D. The premise is fundamentally flawed. I mean, if the wolves looked remotely realistic than it would be too terrifying for children, right? I knew that and i was prepared to suspend disbelief. I really was.

I really, really was.

Here’s the plot in a nutshell: The main character whose name is forgettable (I forgot it) is an Omega wolf who digs an Alpha wolf-girl who is in line for the throne, or whatever doubles as a throne in wolf-ville. They were friends as children but now Alpha-chick is all grown up and she’s forbidden to mate with an Omega. Oh, and in case you’re worried that the term “mate” might crop up – don’t fret. They conveniently substitute this word for “howl” – so the two main characters aren’t allowed to howl together. And, yes, I cracked up hysterically at this bad metaphor. Through unfortunate circumstances, Alpha and Omega are relocated to a different forest and must find their way back to their main pack before all holy hell breaks lose between two separate wolf packs (Alpha is engaged to marry another Alpha wolf from a rival pack).

This movie is so cookie cutter, it takes almost no effort at all for me to list ten other (better) movies and/or stories that were cobbled together to create this hot mess: Aladdin, Lady & the Tramp, Beauty & the Beast, The Lion King, A Bug’s Life (it’s Flick!), Romeo & Juliet (I swear there was a moment at the end when I thought both characters were going to die in a moment of ultimate sacrifice and I nearly threw up), Happy Feet (particularly when the wolves howl together in unintentionally hilarious “song”), West Side Story, Bolt, Madagascar, The Wild and Spirit (those last four represent the epic journey to return home). I’m pretty sure that was more than 10..

This is thinly veiled plagiarism and soulless character production at its best, folks! It wasn’t even funny, except for the scenes where the wolves howl together and that was only funny because it was supremely disturbing (it was nervous laughter). Then there were the scenes where the mother wolf (mother of the Alpha chick) said unexpectedly vicious things which were supposed to be funny (because she was a motherly cute and sweet looking character.)  She literally said something like, “I’m going to rip your eyes out and stuff them down your neck so you can see me tear your throat out.” And, actually, these comments from mom were the most authentically real moments in the movie because, after all, they’re WOLVES.

Still, I’m sure I’m not the only parent who shifted nervously in my seat and wondered how I was going to erase that image from my 6-year-old’s brain before it got lodged in there forever, contributing to what must be a host of disturbing junk that she’ll have to eventually work out with her therapist.

And, again, this movie is in 3D, only not in the theater where we went. There were many pointless scenes which were obviously created to capitalize on the 3D effect, which only ended up dragging the movie on longer than it needed to go. I counted at least 4 scenes where the wolves rode down a mountain or hillside in the hollow of a tree. This was done purely to show trees rushing towards the camera (I suppose). But come on, it gets OLD after the first two minutes.

Don’t go. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, DON’T GO!

Tomorrow I’ve promised to take the girls to see Legend of the Guardian. Help…me…

So, online virtual worlds for kids are big. Huge, even. This probably isn’t news to those of you who have to chase your children away from Webkinz.com or Club Penguin.

I had a little fun looking up some of the stats involved with virtual worlds aimed at kids (I’m an online marketer in my other life). Not surprisingly, they have tremendous reach which grows larger each year. I found a rather alarming FTC report that revealed explicit and/or violent content was found on 19 of 27 virtual worlds aimed at children (mainly within chat and bulletin board sections of the sites). I know to keep my kids out of the chat and bulletin board features, but the 5-year-old can’t read yet. What happens when kids get a little older and more autonomous online?

The report also shed some light on the sheer size of the online virtual (kids) world industry.

**There may be as many as 200 youth-oriented live, planned, or beta virtual worlds (with these numbers expected to grow)

**There were an estimated 579 million virtual world accounts (globally) in the second quarter of 2009

**Nearly 60% of accounts are for users aged 10-15

**About 20% of users were aged 5-10

**About 15% of users were aged 15-25

**Research by eMarketer demonstrated that approximately 8 million U.S. children aged 3-17 visited virtual worlds on a regular basis in 2008

**The number of youth participants in online virtual worlds is projected to grow to over 15 million by 2013, with the most significant growth among the pre-teen (ages 3-11) segment of users.

The FTC seems to have gotten most of its stats from a site called Virtual World News. Fascinating stuff.

So, what does this mean for our kids? I’m not sure. My kids don’t go online much at this point. They’re 8 and 5. My older daughter can now navigate this new online frontier without much help from me, but she doesn’t have her own computer so that helps keep her offline.

She did get involved with Webkinz a couple of years ago and, with lots of help from me, registered many new Webkinz and spent time playing on the site. She did a bit of high-level social networking too (she sent and received pre-written messages to her cousins). We didn’t allow her to go into the free chat area and probably instilled a horrible fear of strangers in her at that point in time (e.g., “sometimes creepy grown ups hang out in those chat rooms and they want to take you away.”) Yep, great parenting skills, I know.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t recognize how much time and money and sheer talent has gone into the creation of the top online virtual worlds for kids. Many of them are free, or cost a minimal amount of money (e.g., one just needs to purchase a toy to gain entry). But I don’t know. I’m a worrier. I mean, stories of social networking addiction abound these days and I can’t help but wonder if these online worlds are just more high-tech versions of pseudo-creative toys.

Let’s face it, a child with a stuffed horse and a Barbie can invent amazing things when left alone with their imagination. On the other hand, tethering my child’s imagination to an interactive world sort of limits the possibility of Barbie turning the horse into a fire-breathing dolphin while she goes off to seek assistance from Greek gods or long-dead Vikings. I mean, I’m just saying.

So, yeah, I have all sorts of reservations ranging from stunted imaginations, to stranger danger, to online bullying to social network addiction.  For now I have no problem keeping my kids away from these cyber temptations, but in a few years I’ll have to reassess the situation because I’m pretty sure I’ll be hearing things like, “everyone else in the class is doing it!” Life was so much easier when all parents had to worry about was Lite Brite and Barbie!

One final reservation and then I swear I’ll be done. All these sites seem so animated and inviting (hello Joe Camel!) I think it may be impossible to keep the kids from logging on. I visited a few today which I refuse to list or link to, and they all looked completely AWESOME. It just seems like all these companies are dangling cyber candy in front of impressionable children. At the end of the day, are we teaching our kids to be happy little office drones? Is this training for a life of cubicle drudgery? I suddenly have the urge to sign my children up for bungee jumping and outdoor survival camp. I mean, someone in this house needs to learn how to survive without a flat screen in front of them, right???

THE BIG WIN – Only Hearts Club Dolls

Only Hearts Club dolls are not new to my house – I bought each girl one of these dolls a couple of years ago hoping to pull the younger one away from the tantalizing temptation of Barbie. Alas, it didn’t work. Barbie’s charms are far too great, at least where Emily is concerned. Ana, however, is a different story. Ana is the child who loves to climb trees and dress up as Star Wars characters for Halloween. She’s loved stuffed animals since the tender age of one. In fact, I think we have more stuffed animals in our house than any other item, except perhaps my husband’s drum equipment.

So when Ana started playing Barbies with Emily (much to my intense shock),  she had only a grudging acceptance of the joys of pretend doll play. She did it for the greater good because she wanted to play with her sister and couldn’t tear her away from Barbie. It is my belief that Ana actually began to enjoy playing with Barbie, though she would not admit this to herself or to me. She also  couldn’t bring herself to ask me for a Barbie for Christmas, but when I suggested another Only Hearts Club doll (they come with their very own tiny animal), she was enthusiastic.

I pushed doubt aside and bought Ana and Emily each an Only Hearts Club doll for Christmas – I think it was the first toy I bought. The dolls are manufactured by OHC Group which seems to be an independent toy company (not affiliated with some of the bigger companies like Mattel). They sell the dolls at Target, which is where we stumbled across our first one. I was unable to locate them at our Toys R Us and the ones I bought the girls came from small independent toy retailers via Amazon.com.

These dolls are very affordable, ranging in price from about $14 – $20 and they’re made very well. The clothes are stunningly detailed. So much so that I really wish they made one of the little camouflage print hoodies in my size as it’s simply adorable. The best part? Ana loves the doll (I got her one named “Anna Sophia”) and she plays with it a lot. Emily still gravitates to Barbie, but she likes hers too. So, I’d say these were both wins. My one complaint is that the dolls are hard to dress, particularly for Emily (who is 5). It’s hard to pull the tiny little clothes over the cloth body, particularly jacket and shirt sleeves. Also, the feet aren’t really feet -they’re sort of fabric nubs and you kind of have to jam the nubs into the doll’s shoes in a way that’s borderline violent. Or that just may be how I handled it…

THE BIG LOSS – LEGO people set

Sometimes a great toy idea doesn’t materialize into a successful gift, and that was the case with the LEGO people set I ordered from LEGO.com and gave to both my girls with instructions to share. There were enough LEGO people in the set for both of them (31 to be exact). I know what you’re thinking. They fought over the set and it ended in tears, but actually, that wasn’t the case.

What actually happened was that all 31 characters and their tiny accessories got absorbed into our large LEGO bin and the impact of the 31 new LEGO characters was very minimal, when looking at the larger toy-related picture. I thought the girls would play with the LEGO people for hours, but in truth they barely played with them at all – even from day one.

Part of the problem was that Ana got about three other LEGO sets for Christmas from various sources, Santa included, and each set came with its own characters. Emily, as it turns out, isn’t all that interested in LEGOs. So, this was sort of a Christmas toy fail, mainly because it got lost in the shuffle and not because it’s not an awesome set – which it is! It cost about $50.00 from LEGO.com. That’s kind of a high price tag for a toy that evaporated once we put all the people together and removed it from the box.

Me: Oh, really, sweetie, where did you hear that?

Emily: Ana (her sister) told me

Me: What else did she tell you about unicorns?

Emily: A unicorn needs to charge its power at night or it will die

Me: maybe it won’t die – maybe it’ll just sleep until it can charge its power

Emily: no, it will die

Me: ok…

Let me break in here to say that my older daughter, Ana, who is now 8 – was infatuated with Unicorns between the ages of 5 and 6. Here’s a snapshot of her partial collection:

The big white unicorn was $45 at F.A.O. Schwartz – it’s a Melissa & Doug Unicorn and was truly the love of Ana’s life for about a year. So, I approached Ana to see what sort of rules she’d come up with for unicorns. I know you want to know.

1. Unicorns can’t get their horns wet. I’m not clear on what happens if the horns get wet, when I asked what they do when it rains Ana shrugged and said they flew home

2. Unicorns can fly. How can they fly? Because of the horn! (makes perfect sense if you’re 5)

3. Unicorns were originally born from horses (p.s. don’t use this as a learning experience to introduce your child to the concept of “evolution” -  trust me on this)

4. Unicorns recharge their power via a special stone which is located somewhere in a forest

5. Unicorn horns can shock you (as stated above)

I’m sure there are more rules, but the bus came and carried the children away at this point. I’ve forgotten half the rules now. I hope I don’t get stung by a unicorn for my forgetfulness.

Oh this isn’t a riddle, IT’S BARBIE’S WORST NIGHTMARE! Seriously, though, I stumbled upon the coolest photo collage of The Making of Barbie, on a site called designboom which I’ve now added to my bookmarks.

I’ve been on a quest to find a video showing Barbie (or any doll, really) being made in a factory setting. Emily (my 5-year-old and lover of dolls) keeps asking me how “they” make doll hair. I can only assume by “they” she means the great and all-knowing toy makers in the magical land of brightly-colored-object-ville that exists in her head.

Maybe I don’t want to show her the above linked-to photo collage (though I HIGHLY recommend you click through all the photos because it’s just so completely fascinating). Will it ruin the magic for her if she sees Barbie’s face stripped of make up or with head(s) perched at the top of a tiny metal spike?

But as fascinating as they are,  the pictures in this photo montage of Barbie don’t really reveal the mechanical engineering that must go into mass producing Barbie dolls. She still looks lovely in these pictures, even with her hair being stitched on by a mechanical arm. I really NEED to see a behind-the-scenes look at how these dolls are created. If only to answer Emily’s incessant questions about the origin of doll hair.

I’m trying to remember when the first Webkinz entered our home. Let’s see…I think it was Valentine’s Day 2007. I’d read about Webkinz online and thought – now, that’s a great idea for a Valentine’s Day gift for my kids. Yes, I buy them both treats for Valentine’s Day because I have a shopping problem. Please see my Target-related post for more information on that.

Here’s the premise re: Webkinz (in case you haven’t heard). Webkinz are stuffed animals manufactured by Ganz. Each one comes with a code which is securely attached to the animal via razor wire and a spring-loaded buzzer which gives you a shock unless you have the proper key to unlock it. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating, but the tags are VERY securely attached to the animals because the code that comes with them unlocks an online virtual world where each pet you buy comes to life. You need to create an online account at www.webkinz.com and, using the code that came with the animal, “adopt” your Webkinz. My daughter Ana particularly loves this process because she gets to name the animal and print an adoption certificate. We have a folder of all her Webkinz adoption certificates going back to 2007.

Once you’re all registered, the online world of Webkinz is accessible. The Webkinz code unlocks a “virtual” version of the doll (e.g., the above llama has an online alter ego llama) which kids can move around on the screen. The site contains a bunch of games and activities that are appropriate for most kids with basic computer skills. Being able to read also helps. The Webkinz site also uses a virtual money system which enables kids to buy various items from the virtual Webkinz store. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I remember when Ana was about 6 she blew through her money in about 10 minutes by buying things like bedroom sets and a grand piano for her pet. You can also add rooms to the account (each animal starts off with one virtual room). As in the real world, it’s very expensive to add a room to one’s virtual house.

Kids can earn more Webkinz money by performing certain tasks within the site such as playing games, taking quizzes or performing virtual work (I kid you not). The other way to get more virtual money is, you guessed it, by buying more Webkinz which they then adopt within their existing account. The first Webkinz is worth 2000 “KinzCash”, the 2nd – 10th is worth 2500 each and after the 11th Webkinz they’re worth 3500 each.

The plush toys themselves range in price from $10.00 to as high as $20.00. There are small versions of Webkinz which are called “lil Kinz” and these are usually in the $10.00 range. I like them for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that they’re very well made. They also come in an amazing variety of real and fantasy animals including unicorns, dragons and I think Ana even has a DoDo bird. They’re the perfect size for playing with and collecting (this is almost unfortunate in our case, because we have so very many of them). Ganz has brilliantly marketed these things – they come out with new versions every month, which makes for a very wide variety of animals. You can get them just about anywhere, so shop around for the best price (they seem to be the most expensive at Justice, but if you have a 40% off coupon then you can get them for a great price there). When I first started buying Webkinz, there was only one store in the area that had them and they were almost always sold out. In fact, half the fun of Webkinz (in my opinion) was hunting them down. Now the thrill of the hunt is gone, but we still buy them occasionally if they come out with a really cool one (e.g., the llama, above!)

So what’s my final recommendation? Honestly, I really like Webkinz, though I don’t necessarily like the online world but then my kids really don’t go online much at this point. We probably have about fifty Webkinz in our house, most of them owned by my 8-year-old daughter, Ana, who loves stuffed animals. We’ve gotten these as gifts, (for other people) but I don’t recommend it unless you know the child you’re buying for doesn’t have the Webkinz already since you can’t return them (because of the issue with the code). Still, they make great gifts (for your own kids) for stockings, Easter baskets, Valentine’s Day, etc., and are the perfect “allowance toy.” That is, they’re not that expensive so kids can easily save their own money to buy them.

Dear Target,

I am a shopaholic and while I don’t completely blame you for my condition, I can’t help but notice that you seem to be encouraging the problem.

First of all, when did you start sending me catalogs in the mail that had nothing but pictures of products and prices? I’m in the store 2-3 times per week – I don’t need photographic reinforcement of everything you’re selling. Obviously it’s a tactic to get me back in the store.

As such, during a visit to the store yesterday, I realized you are also contributing to my propensity to raise both my children as up and coming shopaholics.

As you know, there is a selection of cheap, easily accessible toys at eye level at EVERY register. I know it’s standard practice to put a wall of candy next to the register, but the toys are literally killing me. In fact, yesterday I noticed that virtually every end cap next to every aisle in every conceivable corner of the store contained something brightly colored and attention grabbing.

This explains why I own so much plastic childrens’ themed tableware which is not microwavable or dishwasher safe.

In my fifteen minute romp through your store, my kids asked for the following:

>>A laser light cat toy (cat chases laser, children laugh) approximately $12.00

>>A plastic cup with a built in straw (they both begged for this) approximately $4.00

>>An Ariel Polly Pocket (even though we own at least three of them) about $5.00

>>A hand held voice recorder which actually works, but is just a toy and made my child’s voice sound like one of the Chipmunks – about $7.00

>>A greeting card – ANY card (I convinced my daughter it was much more meaningful to make a card)

>>Candy and/or junk food of various shapes and sizes – all of which were located at the end caps of the aisles

>>To go to the mall arcade. Okay, this one wasn’t your fault but I needed to mention it because I said no, then asked my daughter if she wanted to have a home video game challenge instead. She was delighted which makes me brilliant-mom. I love being brilliant-mom.

I left the store having spent only $28.00 (an all-time low!), but with two angry children. They felt gypped and, frankly, so did I. It was that moment that I realized that just about EVERY trip to your store with my children involves buying them something. A candy bar, a “small” toy, a brightly colored t-shirt, a bag of popcorn from the horrid little cafe, etc., etc.

The scariest part of the whole thing is that I felt hollow and empty because I didn’t have something special (e.g., “new”) for my children in any of my shopping bags. I cried for a few reasons when I got home.

1. The kids had completely forgotten their disappointment in not having a new toy and were busy playing with one of the MANY toys they already own…a good thing, yes, but…

2. I realized in that instant that the eye level stuff was more to play me, than my kids – and I’d been being played for EIGHT years (about the time this particular Target store has been open)

3. I’ve been training my kids to expect something new every time I go shopping, but I buy them something new because I get more out of it than they do. Together, you and I have created two monsters who ask incessantly for things while in the store and feel cheated if they come away empty handed. We’re creating little consumers and while that works out well for you, I find it extremely disturbing.

So, Target, I’m not sure what to do about this. I think I need to break up with you. You’re getting way more out of this relationship than me. Please, don’t say anything, I realize this isn’t all your fault. We’re both to blame – that really cute, but worthless snowflake t-shirt that I’ve never worn, but only cost $10.00 is the perfect example. Shame on you for selling an adorable, yet thin and seasonally inappropriate t-shirt in DECEMBER in the Northeast! And shame on me for thinking that it was okay to buy a light blue t-shirt with snowflakes on it in DECEMBER! I mean, I can wear it in summer, but it has SNOWFLAKES ON IT. What the hell?

Turns out it’s a Juniors size small, so it’s a bit too tight on me too. Will the humiliation never end??

We’ve had a lot of good times, and I admit that half of the items in my home remind me of you, and the fun we’ve had. But now I have Netflix, so i don’t need your $15.99 movie deals. I’ve also bookmarked a lot of different toy retail sites and I’m happy to say I’d rather spend a little more on really cool toys a lot less frequently, then $10-$15/week on crap that my kids stop playing with ten minutes after we get it home.

It’s true. I’ve changed. No really, I have!

Thanks for the good times, Target.

Kind Regards,

The Toy Maven

Bla Bla Dolls, sold at blablakids.com, are the latest cool trend among the tween set, or so my 9-year-old niece informed me on Christmas day when she received one from her grandmother. She found me examining the toy with a very puzzled look on my face because, quite frankly, it looks like a baby toy and she’s definitely past the baby stage.

I have to admit that the dolls are adorable, and very funky with a sweet hand made quality that makes them utterly unique (yes, I’m happy to write catalog blurbs for your company, feel free to send me an email at toymaven@toygraveyard.com).

Anyhoo, being the self-proclaimed toy expert that I am, I decided to investigate the company further. The back story behind the dolls is very sweet. Two friends who are also designers were visiting Peru where they stumbled upon an entire village of expert knitters and the idea of Bla Bla Kids (hand knit products for children) was born! See for yourself I don’t make this stuff up, folks.

The dolls are $34 or $44 depending on the size. Yes, that seems like a lot for what is essentially a sock monkey (at least that was my first thought when I saw my niece’s doll), but these are HAND KNIT in PERU using all NATURAL FIBERS. I bet they don’t come packaged in lethal plastic pod-like containers that take an engineering degree to open without incurring bodily harm too. I’ll find out around May, because Ana wants one and that’s when she turns 9.

OH MY GOD, MY BABY’S TURNING 9!

Sorry. The best thing about the doll was that my niece carried it around with her all day on Christmas. Her mom (my sister in law) informed me that she has another one that she takes with her everywhere. In my experience, there are very few toys that earn that kind of worship.

A favorite toy is something magical. I think these dolls may have a bit of magic sewn into them because the minute I held my niece’s Bla Bla, I felt like I wanted to play with it and love it forever and ever.

1) Barbie can wear any outfit in any season at any time day or night, and still look FABULOUS. That’s right, strapless evening gowns with strappy sandals in January or thick wool pants with a turtleneck in August, it matters not to Barbie. She doesn’t sweat, she doesn’t shiver, and her body is  always completely hairless whether Ken’s around or not. The rest of us mere mortals can only look on and sigh.

2) Barbie never looks monstrous, even when she’s half woman/half fish or is sporting wings that are twice her actual body size (for example). Don’t believe me?

Giant butterfly women and bedazzled mermaids all stare at the wonder that is Barbie. That’s right. Never doubt me again.

3) Barbie looks good even as a corpse. You heard me right. For most of us, if we were to say – drown and turn blue, or choke on a Swedish meatball (and turn blue) or suffocate because of a carbon monoxide leak (and turn blue), we wouldn’t be at our best. Not so for Barbie. Oh it’s creepy, but true…

I’m sure Mattel didn’t mean for Barbie to look like a zombie, but it definitely has that effect – particularly when it’s in its coffin-like packaging. She’s still pretty though!

4) Barbie doesn’t get PMS (or a period) even though she has clearly hit puberty.  What fun would that be? PMS Barbie, packaged with a tiny bottle of Pamprin, a box of tampons, and a little plastic copy of Bridget Jones’ Diary and garbed in baggy sweat pants, ratty slippers and Ken’s old t-shirt? Yeah, I’d SO buy the doll, but that doesn’t make it right.

5) Barbie is the Virgin Mary. Oh I’m right about this. I know I am! Think about it. Even though Barbie doesn’t menstruate she can somehow procreate. How else do you explain all those Barbie sets with babies and kids in highchairs? What about the Barbie minivan?  I mean, I can’t currently find any proof that these Barbies exist via my 30 second Google search, but I know I’ve seen them in Target! I’m onto something here. My time has come!!

6) Barbie does not need to eat. Oh it’s true. In spite of the many tea parties our many Barbies have attended in this very house, not one single morsel of food, nor one single sip of tea have ever passed her lips. Barbie likes to display food as though it were art – it is a mere oddity to her. Other favorite past times are dabbing napkins daintily at the corners of her mouth, carrying (empty) picnic baskets and collecting food accessories such as plates and spoons.

7) Barbie is ALWAYS the bride and NEVER the bridesmaid. Each and every time I go down the Barbie aisle at any given store, there’s always a bride Barbie and a Groom Ken (never in the same box of course). I secretly suspect that Ken’s getting ready to marry Prince Charming who is patiently waiting for him in the Disney aisle, but I digress. I’ve yet to see a Bridesmaid Barbie, so I can only conclude that Barbie is a perpetual bride and she will perpetually await her groom at her perpetual altar of perfection.

Okay, I really love this thing and since I’m handling it on a daily basis I couldn’t resist a quick write up. Get this – it’s a night light, that’s cordless AND rechargeable! Every single night I remove it from its magical charging base in E’s room, and put it on the nightstand next to her bed. She’s now old enough to put it back on the base in the morning (but I often do it for her if she forgets). My older daughter uses hers as a reading light sometimes at night (not that I know she’s reading when she should be sleeping, but I digress..)

I bought one for each of my girls in yellow (they also come in white, pink and blue) a couple of years ago and A (who is 8 going on 15) still loves hers. The cool thing about them is they have about 8 hours of light after they’re fully charged (charging takes a full 8 hours). The product description claims 10 hours but I think we only got that much juice for like the first month.

This was my solution to making sure both kids had a night light even when we lost power. We’re in a rural-ish area of New York and it gets absolutely pitch black in the house when the power is out, causing much terror, shrieking and stubbage of toes. I’ve actually used this light in a power outage more than once to navigate safely to the flashlight (which is never where it should be) and/or candles.

My one complaint is that E’s light went a bit wonky after a year and would flash wildly on the base. It still held a charge and we used it for another year after the flashing started, though we had to throw a towel over it while it was charging because it was highly annoying. Now it won’t seem to hold a charge, but A’s night light is still going strong. I don’t know if E dropped hers or what.

I’m delighted to see they’re still selling this on Amazon for about $20 – $25 (same price as I paid). Here’s that link again…
Mobi TykeLight Portable GloMate

Makes a splendiferous gift too!