Nightbuddies: Award-winning Plush Toys for Bedtime

Is bedtime trouble with your toddler?
This plush toy is for you.

A recipient of Dr Toys Best Picks along with multiple awards for Best Plush Toy of 2014 & 2015 NightBuddies® in Napa, California, is a toy company offering soft sensory plush toys for children three years old and older. Afraid of the dark? Ease your child’s fear of going to bed with this cute collection of cuddly stuffed characters whose eyes light up, a soft sensory sensation, creating an emotional response unlike any other plush.

Bedtime can often be a scary and lonely part of a small child’s day, said Sally Connolly, Napa mother of two and creator of NightBuddies®, an ultra-plush cuddly friend to share with kids as young as three years old. “What makes NightBuddies so special is the soft backlit eyes,” she said. In our first generation “It’s this illumination that truly brings the characters to life with a soft magical glow giving a level of connection for children. With a simple hug, children can activate the illuminating eyes whenever they need comfort and companionship while going to bed.”

With 6 mommy/daddy size characters to choose from, all at s/r $19.99, and 4 baby buddies at s/r $11.95, along with 4 new Bed Bugzzz finger puppet night light play just launching now at s/r $11.95 Connolly is confident that there is a friend for every child. Patent #7,566,258 B ensures it is a proprietary product, toys are tested by toddlers. NightBuddies® guarantees to be soft safe, and cuddly a nighttime child’s best friend.

From submitting the request for a provisional patent in 2004, less than a year after getting the idea, to actually receiving a utility patent five years later in 2009, Connolly admits the journey to this point has not been easy. “The patent process was changeling and difficult to keep pushing forward, showing the patent office what makes NightBuddies® unique,” she said. “It was an uphill battle but patent issued in 2009 with back up patent issued in 2011.

Since officially launching NightBuddies® at the Atlanta Gift Show in 2013, Connolly has taken them to several trade shows throughout the country. She said she has received super feedback from parents as well as 8 toy awards. “We have had a successful launch,” Connolly said. “We are currently working with Fiesta Plush for manufacturing and excited to start our dream of international sales”. Connolly shared, she has a vision for a platform where parents around the world share stories on raising children, sharing in our commonalities, not our differences. Connolly stated, “At age two our imagination starts to develop, we can ‘all’ be afraid of the dark, wouldn’t be great to share more love & light around the world. We are all from the same race, under the same moon, the same stars, the same place, the human race.” Now with interest from other countries Connolly is so eager to get started on that.” Asia, Japan and Malaysia are ordering.

We need South America, Africa and Europe, Connolly said that “it’s going to be interesting to see if we can connect all the dots and share NightBuddies® around the world. The whole thing is about connecting, and sharing stories, building global communities.”

Connolly admits that while she feels accomplished receiving the patent, she is proudest of how her children have been influenced throughout this journey.

From designing the characters, writing poems, to going on trips to China to source manufacturing, Connolly kept her sons, Wes and Austin, fully immersed in the process of making NightBuddies® a reality. Austin just interviewed for the US Embassy internship in Beijing, we could not be more proud of him.

“It’s kind of a crazy process, but fun to learn. For me, it has all been a lesson and exposing my boys to entrepreneurship and global responsibility in the business world,” she said. ‘social entrepreneurism’ before we knew that name, we called it ‘mom entrepreneurism’ “It’s been a fun process all these years while raising my boys, who are doing fantastic in school and business.”

Along with global distribution, Connolly said she has big dreams to expand into licensed characters. “I would love to get into licensing. I believe this application is sweet and special. Kids really react to the illuminating eyes and this patent is perfect for so many characters on the market today,” she said.

As for now, Connolly said, “I’m very confident with where I’m going with NightBuddies® but there are no guarantees in entrepreneurship. The only guarantee is to try to enjoy what you do. For me, it is about sharing the love and companionship NightBuddies® bring and teaching my kids to go for it and not let fear hold you back.”

Our baby buddies introduction hashtags ~

#followyourowncurrent #swimwiththesharks #itsnotalwaysblackandwhite #reachforyourdreams

Cuddle up tonight! Sweet dreams happen with NightBuddies®.

View NightBuddies’ entire product folio.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2015 at 4:28 am. It is filed under Blog, Holiday Gift Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.