Celebrate Special Kids This Valentine's Day with Hallmark (Review and Giveaway)

"We generally think of Valentine’s Day as a time for romance…a chance to tell our sweethearts how much they mean to us (and vice versa!) And, while that’s certainly true, love comes in many forms – none of which is greater than the love a mother has for her child. Parents show (and tell) their kids how much they mean year-round, but Valentine’s Day provides a special opportunity to shower little ones with notes of adoration and share gifts they’ll love now and treasure for a lifetime."

To help celebrate the little loved ones in their lives, Hallmark recently sent along a sampling of their kid-themed greeting cards and card presenters, in addition to their "Until We Hug Again" bunny for me to share with my daughters.

o   Until We Hug Again: Miss a special child? Record your voice into a cuddly Until We Hug Again bunny or bear and they’ll be able to hear your words each time they give the plush a hug. These also make great gifts for grandparents or aunts and uncles who want to send their voice to a beloved child across the miles.

o   Special Delivery Card Presenters for Kids: These cute critters and characters  have Valentine messages tucked inside. After a child removes the valentine, he or she can keep this little friend around to store little reminders of how much they’re loved.

o   Valentine’s Day Greetings for Kids: Tell a special little one what makes him or her your Valentine with kid-friendly Valentine’s Day greetings.

As soon as the girls saw the cuddly pink bunny, the couldn't wait for me take it out of the box.  And, when I pressed the foot to let them hear the pre-recorded message, they got so excited.  I told them that the next time we see Nana and Papa that I would have them leave a special message for them, so that they could play it back whenever they were missing them.  Luckily, we were seeing my parents that weekend, so I brought eh Until We Hug Again bunny up for them to record a message.  My mother thought the bunny was the cutest thing, with its colorful patches and big, floppy ears.  And, recording a message was a breeze --even for them, who don't like new technology. :-)  They asked that I wait to play the recording when I got home that night with the girls, and I did. If only we were able to get home sooner, as the girls kept asking during the entire hour and half car ride, "Are we there yet?," as they wanted to cuddle with the bear and hear the special message left by Nana and Papa.  

Before I played the message, I had the girls get into the pajamas and do their hygiene. And, then, once in bed, I brought this cuddly plush bunny into the room, and placed it in between the girls on the night stand.  Like magic, Nana and Papa began talking and telling the girls how much they loved and missed them.  My mother said her special line she always tells the girls "I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and peck, and a hug around your neck," while Papa gave them big lip-smacking kisses and great big bear hugs from afar.  You should have seen how excited the girls were to hear these messages of love from their Nana and Papa.  And, for a good 15 minutes before lights out, they took turns pressing the button on the bunny's foot to activate the recorded message from my parents to them.  

The fun didn't stop there with the Until We Hug Again bunny.  Since receiving and having had my parents leave a special heartfelt message of love for the girls, both Savannah and Arabella take turns throughout the day, each and every day, to play this recording.  And, each and every time they hear Nana and Papa's voices, their eyes light up with excitement.  It makes the days that they can't see their Nana and Papa in person easier to bear, just being able to hear their voices.  I especially like how the girls follow up at the end of the recording with a kiss back to the bunny and "I love you, too," as if the bunny will magically send their messages of love to Nana and Papa. :-)

The Until We Hug Again bear or bunny would make for a great gift idea for families who have a parent in the military and is stationed overseas, as well as families with family members spread all over the globe.  Who wouldn't love to be surprised with these cuddly plush animals, and hear voices of those they love so dear sharing a special message of love with them -- which they can play whenever and wherever they want.  Truly a gift that would make any child or adult's day. :-)

As for the greeting cards, the girls had a blast with the character greeting cards and choosing who to send these fun Valentine's Day greeting cards to.  I ended up using the Special Delivery Card Presenters for Kids that were sent to store greeting cards I had picked up during a recent trip to Hallmark, which I will be giving them on Valentine's Day, along with a Storybook Buddy for them to enjoy.

So, even though Valentine's Day is known to be a holiday for sweethearts to enjoy together, don't forget those other sweethearts in your life -- your children (and grandchildren).  Hallmark is making it easy to celebrate the little ones in your lives with these wonderful gifts and greeting cards, made especially with them in mind. :-)

--BUY NOW--

You can find the Until We Hug Again plush bear and bunny, along with Hallmark's extensive line of Valentine's Day greeting cards and gifts at your favorite local Hallmark store.  So, make sure that when you are picking up a greeting card for your spouse that you don't forget to get one for the special children in your life as well.  :-)

You can even buy the Until We Hug Again plush bear and bunny online at Hallmark for only $29.95 each, by clicking here: http://www.hallmark.com/products/anytime/interactive-plush/until-we-hug-again-bunny-1KID2077_DK/?searchTerm=until+we+hug+again.

---GIVEAWAY---

One lucky reader will win a wonderful Valentine's Day prize pack from Hallmark, which will include an Until We Hug Again bear or bunny and greeting card gift pack, to share with their children/grandchildren.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.