Time To Potty Train With the Kolcraft Elmo Adventure Potty Chair Review & Giveaway

When it comes to potty training, I have to admit I have not had much luck. I have two boys and, from my experiences, boys are definitely extremely difficult to train. This time around, I am determined to make potty training as painless as possible and fun for Liam, too!

There are certain TV shows Liam could watch all day, including Sesame Street, and when he saw the new Kolcraft Elmo Potty at Target, it immediately expressed interest. Was this his way of telling me he would start using teh potty? How could I not get it out as soon as possible for him to try?

Yes, Liam is a huge Sesame Street fan and, of course, loves Elmo. He already had one Elmo potty, but a part got lost when we moved, so I was very excited to receive this one. With Josiah, we just had a plain potty, which was not fun and did not really intrigue him at all or encourage him to use it. The Kolcraft Elmo Adventure Potty Chair is just the opposite! This adorable potty is perfect for little ones attempting to use the potty, especially for those who are fans of Elmo. Decorated with Elmo and his little fish, Dorothy, in a aquarium themed scene, the potty is cute and fun for little one.

A very proud boy on his new potty!

What I love about this potty is that it looks so much like a real toilet! I think this is such a great potty and will help him eventually transition to using the grown-up potty one day. The seat looks similar to a real toilet seat and there is even a flush handle on the potty. Liam loves to flush the toilet, so this was a huge point of interest for him. He absolutely loves the handle! Plus, it emulates using a real toilet because he can go through all of the motions from using the potty to flushing just as he will with the big potty when he gets older.

Flushing the potty!

How is Liam doing with potty training? Well, this weekend something clicked with Liam. Before, he was dead set against potty training. I've tried everything... besides the Elmo potty, anyways. I got this out of the box, put it in the bathroom and the next morning he was talking about using the potty with his grandma. She asked if he wanted to go sit on the potty and he said yes... and he used the potty for the first time!!! I cannot believe it! I knew he was ready to use the potty and I suppose his new Elmo potty gave him the incentive to do so. With the Kolcraft Elmo Adventure Potty Chair, we've definitely reached a turning point in the training. He shows much more interest in sitting on the potty and, each time we go into the bathroom- be it for brushing teeth or getting in the bathtub, he wants to sit on it. Since using the potty on Saturday, he has continued to do so several times a day. I'm such a proud Mama and I know he is super proud, too. That's why he is smiling in the pictures I took of him on the potty.

Now that you've heard all about the new Kolcraft Elmo Adventure Potty Chair, how about a giveaway?

Giveaway Time

One Lucky Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Receive Their Very Own Kolcraft Elmo Adventure Potty Chair!

GoodNites Bed Mats Build Confidence For Kids

When I was a toddler, I took to potty training quite quickly, but still had accidents at  night. This occurred well into 6 years of age. Do you remember those dreams where you think you are going to the potty, but you are really still in bed sleeping, only you don't realize this until you are completely soaked? I remember those all too well. My five year-old also has some issues with bedwetting at night, but is completely fine during the day. The same goes for my 3 year old, actually.

The most important thing to remember when going through this with your child is to be patient and supportive. The more pressure you put on them, the harder it will be on them. Most children do outgrow bedwetting, as was the case with me, and I am confident the same will happen with Josiah and Liam. In fact, Liam's doctor reiterated to us today that we should let him take his time with potty training and not to stress about bedwetting, that we would readdress it if he is still having issues at six years of age and go from there.

My boys will always be my  babies, but they do NOT want to be called babies or to be associated with babies at all! This means Josiah prefers not to wear any type of nighttime protection that resembles a diaper. However, I don't want to spend each morning cleaning up sheets either. There is a way to keep both Josiah and myself happy and mess-free, thank goodness. GoodNites Bed Mats are the perfect solution. Josiah can still be a big boy, wearing his Angry Bird undies, and the bed mats are there just in case he has an accident. This has really empowered him with the confidence he needs at bedtime and, for that, I am so grateful.

What does Josiah think? The GoodNites Bed Mats are soft and fit down onto the bed sheets, so they stay put and do not hinder a good night of sleep! They are big enough to cover an area on the bed where the accident may occur, but is now overly large or covering the entire mattress. There are sticky tabs on the bottom to keep the mat in place, too, which I love! When I was a kid, I remember the rubber mattress covers that made all kinds of noises when you moved, so I was afraid the bed mats would do the same, but nope! They are unnoticeable, so the entire family can get a good night's rest and Mama does not have to clean up much the next morning. I just have to pull the sheet up and place in the garbage! It's simple.

I want Josiah to feel confident and comfortable, which is sometimes tough when bedwetting is involved. GoodNites Bed Mats have been so popular that over 50,000 American Shoppers voted for them as the 2013 Product of the Year in the Children's Product Category! So, we aren't the only ones who loves our bed mats. Considering they are easy to use both at home and on the go, are discrete and can give kiddos more confidence at bedtime, I can see why they are so liked. Click Here to read more about this award via Parade.

Plus, you can print out a $1.50 coupon for GoodNites Bed Mats by clicking here! 

Ready for a Giveaway? 

Thanks to GoodNites, One Lucky Reader Will Win The Confidence Booster Prize Package Below:

The Confidence Booster Kit includes some awesome gifts just for kids, including:

GoodNites Bed Mats, a color changing alarm clock, bedroom slippers, a projector lamp, removable star stickers for walls and some other fun room decorations. This kit is valued at $150!

Celebrate Potty Training With Pull-Ups First Flush Program & Photo Contest

Before having children, I always told my mom that my kids would be potty trained before their third birthday. Of course, I was destined to give birth to two boys who held on to their diapers as long as possible. I'm actually in the process of potty training Liam and will never forget the first time he used the potty! I think I was just as excited as he was, if not more. It was an important milestone for both of my boys and I have pictures of both to mark the special moment.

My big boy's first time using the potty!!!

Pull-Ups knows just how exciting and important the "first flush" is for parents and children alike. That's why they are celebrating with their new First Flush program. Potty training can be long, frustrating and tough for parents and kids, but Pull-Ups wants to help ease our pain and make potty training less stressful and more fun! How? Well, I'm glad you asked because they have created a variety of ways to encourage the potty training process, including:

The Pull-Ups Big Kid App

The awesome Pull-Ups Big Kid App includes a timer for parents to help remind kids to use the potty! This is so helpful and something I always forget to do. There are also articles, tips and suggestions about training along with videos and more. In addition, there is a reward system to encourage children. They receive a start for each time they attempt using the potty and, once they receive a certain amount of stars, they can play games via tablet or mobile phone. Kids can also get calls from their favorite Disney characters. Imagine how excited your little one would be to receive a phone call from Mickey Mouse? My son, Liam, loves Disney characters and this would definitely help excited him about using the toilet more often.

First Flush Moments Photo Contest

As I mentioned earlier, I have pictures of both my boys during their potty training. I know many other parents who have, too. Pull-Ups is calling for parents to share their toddler's potty training success, or First Flush Moments, for a chance to win some amazing prizes! There is a chance to have their photo featured on a billboard in Times Square during a larger-than-life First Flush celebration on January 29th. Plus, one lucky family will win the Ultimate Prize-- an All-Expenses-Paid Trip To Disney World! 

How To Enter Your Photo

Just visit the Pull-Ups Facebook Page and share your child's photo from now until January 29th for your chance to win the trip to Disney! Be sure to submit the photo today, January 22nd, for the chance to be featured on the billboard in Times Square! 

The first time Josiah used the potty, we celebrated with finger paints. Here's a picture of him covered in paint, standing happily on top of his potty! He had finally conquered the potty and was so proud! 

Do you have a cute picture of your little one? If you don't, snap one and submit this week before time is up! You may just win the ultimate potty training trip to Disney World! My kids would love to go to Disney World... what kid wouldn't? I love it, too, so it really is a celebration prize for the entire family. 

Good Luck with potty training and don't forget to download the Big Kid App from the link above! 

Disclosure: This post was written for Huggies Pull-Ups.  I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

GoodNites Bed Mats Review, Potty Training Confidence Booster Training Kit & $50 Visa Gift Card Giveaway ($250 Value)

I have yet to meet a parent who has had no issues with potty training. It isn't easy and, from what everyone tells me, boys are the hardest to train. Of course, I have two and, yes, it has been quite a struggle from the get-go. I was excited to have Josiah trained at 2.5 yrs when Liam was born, but once we bought the little baby home, he reverted and refused to go to the potty anymore. Over a year later and much practice, he was daytime trained again, but occasionally has nighttime accidents. Now we are entering those years again with Liam, too! He's nearing 3 years of age and not at all interested in his Elmo potty other than pushing the button to hear music. We are training with cloth training pants, which means much cleaning up, accidents in his toddler bed and lots of stress for Mama and Papa! Now we have 2 boys wetting the bed and we end up washing sheets several times a week. Recently we were contacted by GoodNites to try out their new product for bedwetting and we jumped on the opportunity!

About GoodNites Brand & New GoodNites Bed Mats

The trusted GoodNites brand is known for their Underwear for children 4yrs+, helping them feel more secure at night when bedwetting has become an issue. They are discrete, absorbent and help keep sheets dry throughout the night. GoodNights has now launched their new GoodNites Bed Mats, an amazing new product that gives families a choice to manage bedwetting.

GoodNites Bed Mats minimize late night clean-ups and help children participate in their own bedtime routine. The mat can be easily placed on their bed so that it stays in place and keeps the sheet/mattress dry! All you have to do is place the mat on top of the fitted sheet. The adhesive strips keep the mat in place all night. You can protect the bed and have a better night of sleep for the entire family!


My Thoughts
I remember being around six or seven years old and having a dream that I was on the toilet, only to wake up completely soaked in my bed. It was embarrassing and meant that not only I had to get up and redress, but my very grouchy parents had to help me change the sheets. Thankfully Ry does not have this issue, but now that Josiah is 5 years old, we've reached this stage with him. About once a week, I'm up in the middle of the night cleaning up a mess, so I was very excited to not only try the GoodNites Bed Mats sample, but to receive the Confidence Booster Kit with a variety of Pottery Barn goodies to help stabilize Josiah's bedtime routine and help minimize accidents.

Inside a very cute tote, we were sent the GoodNites Bed Mats, a Pottery Barn Twin-size sheet set, Pottery Barn retro alarm clock, bathroom accessories and a $50 Visa Gift Card! I think I was just as excited to receive this package as Josiah was. He absolutely loves his big boy clock and couldn't wait to start using it just like his Papa. The great thing about the clock is that he has established a routine where he sets it at night so that he can get up in the morning and go to the restroom without oversleeping and wetting the bed. For the bathroom, he received a soap dispenser, trash can, cup and toothbrush holders, all to make the bathroom his own, about which he was very happy. Now he cannot wait to go brush his teeth and get ready for bed. We used the $50 Visa Gift Card for him to purchase a few other items for his bathroom like some bath toys, a rugs and a cute shower curtain.

I keep the GoodNites Bed Mats in the tote beside his bed so he can easily pop them out and adhere them to his sheet before going to sleep at night. I am amazed at how quickly he has taken to his new routine and he really has enjoyed becoming more independent and confident. I can definitely say all of this has helped with bedwetting over the past weeks and am so excited for him. We all want the best for our children and, of course, for them to be happy. Bedwetting effects over 5 million children in the US over the age of 6 and it's something I think many of you can relate! Finding something that really works to keep the bed nice and dry, helps us all sleep better at night and helps my little man feel more confident is really everything we needed to help us in this department.

Thanks to GoodNites, One Lucky Reader Will Win Their Own GoodNites Sample, $50 Visa Gift Card & Confidence Booster Kit!! 

Potty Training Part 2 : Liam's Potty Training Experience

About 2 years ago I posted about my first son's adventures in potty training. Boy, was that quite a ride for all of us and I was not looking forward to the time Liam would be out of diapers... However, the time has arrived and it's time for him to begin using the potty. I'm not so certain he agrees, but it's definitely time!

From our first experience, I learned just how difficult potty training can be, so I'm going to post about our new journey this time. Hopefully it will give us all some extra insight into this foreign concept... and we won't go insane in the process! :)

So, for our first post, how do I know Liam is ready for potty training?

  Here are some top signs that your child is ready to use the potty!

1. Your child shows signs of controlling elimination. They can hold their bladder for longer periods of time and when they do pee, they release a good amount instead of a little at a time.
2. They are aware of when they need to use the bathroom and when they are wet.
3. Knows words to verbalize they need to be changed. (Liam always comes up to me and says he needs a new diaper!)
4. Can follow simple instructions like sitting, getting a toy, etc. They must be able to understand directions so they can learn all the steps to potty training from going to the potty, pulling down pants/undies, sitting, washing hands, etc.
5. Shows interest in others using the potty and wants to sit on the potty, too. (We got Liam a potty for Christmas so he could get used to it and he always sits on it when we are in the bathroom.)

So, is your child ready for potty training? If so, keep an eye out for more posts! Wish us luck. I'm hoping this will go more smoothly than with his big brother, but at least I can say Josiah is potty trained, so that gives me something to go on. :)