Good night, Sleep tight {Philips and Disney new lighting range}

Try to sleep now, close your eyes. 
Soon the birds will start singing. 
All the stars wish you goodnight. 
So I’m switching off the lights. 

One more hug, one more smile. 
Kiss you once, kiss you twice. 
I’ll be here, for awhile.
Try to sleep now and close your eyes.

This was one of my favourite lullabies to sing to Angel when she was still a toddler. She wasn't that hard to put to bed - all she needed was a bottle of milk, a good pat, a night light and my hair. Yes, somehow she liked to pull my hair which helped to calm and soothe her.

When she was four, we moved her to her own bedroom and even though she had grown out of the hair pulling and could do without the milk and patting on some nights, up till now, there is one thing that she always, always needs - a night light. We have tried a few night lights over time just to see which works best for her. In my view, a perfect night light must meet the following criteria:

1) Create a warm and cosy ambience
2) Emit a soft and comforting glow
3) Can be easily switched on and off by the child
4) Has an appealing design

Alas, most of the lights we have used could only meet two or three of the above but not all, especially in terms of design. So when we heard that Philips has partnered up with Disney to create a new lighting range and were invited to the launch, you bet all of us were thrilled.

To me, it seemed like a perfect match - Philips, to ensure high quality and innovative lighting products and Disney, to create enchanting and highly likeable designs for kids.

It was a pyjamas themed party and we were more than happy to be dressed in loose-fitting shirts and pants. The moment we stepped into the studio, we were greeted by a homely atmosphere, complete with shining stars, warm lights and Disney characters everywhere.

The Philips and Disney lighting range comes in a dynamic and exciting variety of forms namely:

1) Philips and Disney SoftPals (in classic Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Sulley and Mike from Monsters Inc.)
Whoever thought night lights can be huggable pals too? These familiar Disney characters can be your child's most comforting companion throughout the night.

2) Philips and Disney Light and Image Projectors (in Cars and Princess)
These can be used as night lights when set in table light mode or as projectors for story-telling and playtime which display scenes from Disney Princesses stories and Cars.

3) Philips and Disney Night Lights (in Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Cars and Princess)
A simple wave will turn on these motion-sensing lights which give out a gentle and soft glow.

4) Philips and Disney Torch Lights (in Winnie the Pooh and Jake the Pirate)
These are great tools for children to find their way in the darkness when they need the bathroom. They are also perfect accessories for travel and late night adventures.


Can you guess which is Angel's favourite light of all? Yeah, she is very much in the I-love-Disney-Princesses phase and the moment she saw Rapunzel on the Light and Image Projector, she almost didn't want to let go of it. 

While the mum bloggers listened to an interesting presentation about bedtime monsters, shadows behind doors and biggest fears of children, the kids were engaged in fun activities in a separate area. Once again, I have to thank the hubby for taking time out to accompany us so that I could concentrate on taking pictures and listening to the speakers without having to worry about the girls.

Some interesting things I learnt from a recent Philips survey conducted with over 350 parents (with children aged 2-8 years old) in Singapore:

• 69.7% of children do not sleep on their own
• 68.2% of children take up to 30 minutes to fall asleep
• The top two fears of children are being alone and scary monsters
• Every 1 in 2 children are afraid of the dark 

It all makes sense to me because in our case, although I have a brave girl who does not repel the idea of sleeping in her own room, she still takes a long time to fall asleep, wakes up in the middle of the night to pee and freaks out when the room is completely dark. Having a good night light not only comforts and eases her to bed, it also chases away her fears, trains her sleep behaviour and makes bedtime a less stressful affair for not just her, but both of us.

A big thank you to Philips and Disney for having us at the launch and we really can't wait to light up the magic in our home!

******

Meet Philips and Disney SoftPal in Mickey Mouse

We received our Philips and Disney light recently which came as a surprise because we had no idea of which one we were going to get. Even though Angel did not get her dream Disney Princess Light and Image Projector, I was actually glad to receive the Philips and Disney SoftPal in Mickey Mouse because he will always be the most classic Disney character and everyone just loves Mickey, right?

The first time I laid my hands on it, I was pleasantly surprised by how soft and squeezable it felt. In fact, when Ariel saw it, she simply cuddled it tightly like a new best friend and took it with her everywhere she went. I like that the new Philips and Disney lighting range comes with child-friendly features, for instance it does not contain BPA and the smart Philips LED ensures that the lamps are long-lasting, cool to the touch and safe for the little hands.


In addition, for the SoftPal range, there is no worry that the girls would be cut by any sharp edges because there aren't any, and it has been proven that the light would not be smashed into pieces or easily damaged if accidentally dropped onto the floor. Since there is only one Mickey SoftPal in the house, I am still in the midst of teaching the sisters to share because both of them share a common love for their new huggable pal.

I had assumed that there would not be a need to read the instructions for a night light but I was wrong. To be frank, it took me quite some time to figure out the manual which came with pictures and no text.

Once you understand how it works, everything becomes quite straightforward. To charge, place the SoftPal on its docking station and press the button to start induction charging. When it is fully charged, which can take up to 12 hours long, the light indicator on the dock will switch off automatically. To turn on, all you need to do is to tilt the light and the LED light inside will switch on and off with every tilt.

I find that the tilting part is really sensitive and a little movement can cause the light to go off. So when Angel sleeps at night, I prefer to sit the Mickey SoftPal on the library beside her bed.

When we are in the mood for play, we put him on the bed with us as we make stories up and go on imaginary adventures. He becomes our guide, our hero and our friend. I totally enjoy and cherish bonding family moments like this because they just feel so magical.

And when it is time to sleep, the Mickey SoftPal now becomes my girl's best companion. Bedtime has never been more fun or worth looking forward to, so we're really grateful to Philips and Disney for this wonderful invention.

A perfect night light that meets, and exceeds, my expectations? Well, I guess I just found it.

******

The Philips and Disney lighting range will be available at www.philips.com.sg/shopLED, and from June 2014, at selected departmental, and mother and childcare stores. Retail prices (in SGD) are as follow:

Philips and Disney SoftPals: $72.90
Philips and Disney Light and Image Projectors: $38.90
Philips and Disney Night Light: $24.90
Philips and Disney Torch Lights: $19.90

Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation between Philips and Disney and A Happy Mum. All opinions are my own.