From the makers of Charley the Chameleon and Nighty Night Owl comes the latest and greatest from Cloud B - New Twilight Buddies Horses. For review, our family received an adorable plush unicorn to help bring some magic to our bedtime routine. Not only does it light up the room with a soothing glow, it also projects a starry night sky onto the bedroom ceiling and walls, similar to Dreamz To Go Octo. This is probably the neatest feature because hidden among the stars are three constellations. Twilight Buddies include a handy Constellation Star Guide to help you point them out as well as an adoption certificate. The built-in timer automatically turns off the lights after 45 minutes to ensure complete darkness while your child is in a deep sleep, recommended by pediatricians.

Twilight Buddies Unicorn features quality construction and uses long lasting LEDs which stay cool and extend battery life. The three soothing colour choices are perfect for creating unique ambiances associated with positive moods. For example, amber projects warmth; blue is peaceful; and green inspires feelings of harmony and renewal. Since it so easy to use and help eases fear of the dark (did I mention it's utterly adorable?), Twilight Buddies Unicorn would make a great gift idea. Other horses include a Palomino and a Pegasus. Requires 3AAA batteries, which are included, and retails for $35.99 each.

Disclosure: I received product to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

For as long as I can remember, bedtime has always been a challenge with my first-born. As a newborn, she would often fuss and cry at night but I thought if we could just implement a routine as she got older, things would get easier. And sometimes it did. But mostly, it didn't. It turns out, she needed someone with her in her room every night. Yet for me, I needed her to go to sleep on her own. I was often tired and if I were to lay down next to her, I would inevitably fall asleep in an awkward position on her twin bed and wake up with an arm resting on my face. I'm sure many parents can relate. Lots of fun, right? Nope. I needed to sleep in my own spacious bed and I needed my daughter to find ways to self-soothe. My husband, however, would prefer to lay down next to her than have her call us repeatedly to her room out of fear of the dark. We have tried a few different night lights but, even at nine years of age, she was still afraid of being alone in her room at night. Until we met Charley the Chameleon, that is.

Initially, I had intended for my six-year-old son to have Charley because it was designed for babies and toddlers, I thought to myself. Surely the novelty would wear off and then I could pass it on to my baby nephew or my three-year-old goddaughter. While my son loved it, he really didn't need it. He's always been a pro at sleeping and would often sleep for 10-11 hours a night since he was one month old. But because Charley is so cute, my kids decided to take turns with him each night. What ended up happening? My daughter kept him in her room and my son really hasn't asked for him in weeks. Which is perfectly fine because for the first time in a very, very long time, my daughter will go to bed without asking me to say with her. I'm still having a hard time believing it myself, but it's true! I feel like bowing down to the Cloud B gods and saying, "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"

I have mostly overcome that fear now that I am thirty-six -something. But if I am home alone with the kids at night, the dark can be a very scary thing. I seem to harbour some deeply embedded fear that 'bad guys' will break into my home at night with malicious intent. I distinctly recall memories from my childhood of laying perfectly still under the covers at night, peering into the darkness and listening for possible intruders in the middle of the night. I would lay awake for what seemed liked hours just waiting to have the bejeezus scared out of me. And if it wasn't the fear of some stranger lurking in the darkness, then it was that one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people-eater that was surely hiding under my bed ready to pounce as soon as I nodded off. 

It's amazing, though, how much more stupid confident I feel when the lights are turned on and I discover that there really isn't anything to worry about. It's all thanks to something we take for granted every day - light. If light can offer a sense of security to me, a fearless warrior mom, imagine how much reassurance it could give to a baby or young child, especially when sleeping in a new place. With the new Dreamz To Go Octo, both parent and child can enjoy a better night sleep thanks to its soothing light.

From the makers of Nighty Night Owl Smart Sensor, Dream To Go Octo is based on the original Twilight Turtle by Cloud B. It is part of the dreamy lites collection and offers a compact solution for soothing sleep. My favourite part? It runs on 3 AAA batteries (included) which means you can take it with you virtually anywhere you travel. It is lightweight and small so it doesn't take up a lot of space. Octo also has a built-in projector which sprinkles the walls and ceiling with bright stars and friendly little fish blowing bubbles. There are two buttons on the back; one to change the colour between blue, red or green, and another to turn it on, off or to rotate between all three colours. After 45 minutes, it automatically shuts off on its own.

From the makers of the Toy of the Year Award recipient Tranquil Turtle comes the latest in smart technology - Nighty Night Owl Smart Sensor. This super cute plush owl is incredibly soft and is made with different textures and patterns. It comes with a sound box that has a built-in sound-activated sensor which automatically restarts its soothing white noise to help ease baby back to sleep. Wait. Mom and dad get to stay in bed while this smart owl does the work? Seriously, where was this thing when my kids were babies?