I was fortunate to be invited to a special launch party in Minneapolis for Elo: The Storytime Pillow, invented by a Minneapolis mom!
Elo Pillow was invented by Killian Rieder, a Minneapolis mom of 2 and jewelry business owner. I got to meet Killian and learn about how Elo began. Like many parents, she was having trouble getting her 2-year-old to sleep. It would take her 1-2 hours. A friend of hers suggested a technique that might work for her daughter- to pretend she had a magic pillow that read her stories but only when her head was resting on it. Turned out – it worked (!), and she decided to see if she could make a business out of it.
Two and a half years later, through trial and error, her idea is now a reality – and is available for purchase online, at the Mall of America, and soon in retailers nationwide.
TRYING OUT THE PILLOW WITH MY KIDS
I brought my kids to the Elo Pillow launch party to try out the pillow themselves (then we received one to try out at home).
My kids enjoyed listening to the stories as they rested their heads on the pillow. The gentle reader’s voices (different voices often used for each character) and calming music are so comforting that my kids were easily engrossed into the stories. What’s neat is that the Elo Pillow only tells stories when one is resting their head on the pillow. If you child’s head is lifted, the reading will pause and a voice gently reminds the child “Lay your head down to hear the rest of the story.” It automatically turns off after a few minutes of non-use.
One concern that people often have with Elo Pillow is if it is designed to replace a parent.
Killian and her team made it clear at the launch party that Elo is not intended to replace story time with a parent. It is designed to aid in the going to bed process. Many parents – including myself – struggle with getting their children to bed at night. Restless kids will find every reason to get up and delay actually going to sleep at night.
For a long time I’ve had a hard time getting my own 4-year-old to bed at night. I go through the whole routine with my kids…baths, books and bed, and then usually work on my computer for a while. But he likes to get up and sit with me, ask me what I’m doing, and tries to stay up late with me. It usually involves many trips back and forth to his bed, rubbing his back, etc. It’s tiring! So I know that as a parent, you can do everything right, and still have a struggle with getting your kids finally to bed! The Elo Pillow just helps with that final step of just encouraging your child to stay in bed.
The ELO PILLOW WEBSITE
To learn more, visit the Elo Pillow website at www.elopillow.com.
On their website, you can also order SleepLists for your Elo Pillow. These SleepLists were created specially for the Elo Pillow, last around 30 minutes and each one includes 3-4 stories each and a sound effect at the end like Nighttime, Rain or Waves. They are also customized for an age range like ages 2-5, or 3- 9. You can preview the SleepLists on their Store page.
Your Elo Pillow includes one SleepList, and each additional SleepList is priced at $6.99.
WI-FI COMPATIBLE
The Elo Pillow is actually Wi-Fi compatible, and this is how you add SleepLists to it. You purchase a SleepList online, then sync up your Elo Pillow with your phone, tablet or computer. You must have access to a stable Wi-Fi network. It takes a few steps but it’s pretty simple, and once you set it up once, Elo will automatically sync up with your account and download any SleepLists you’ve purchased.
TRYING OUT ELO AT HOME
My kids have enjoyed Elo at home. Thankfully they’ve learned to share it and will lay their heads down together to listen to stories.
Though we haven’t used it every night, it has helped a few times to get them to stay in bed. My daughter actually fell asleep last night with the pillow telling stories (we put a blue pillowcase on it).
DEAL FOR TWIN CITIES FRUGAL MOM READERS!
The Elo Pillow retails for $149 (so yes it’s a bit of a splurge, but for desperate parents it can be very well worth it!). However, right now through the holidays you can get $30 off with the following coupon code: TCFM30
For more information, visit their website at www.elopillow.com or at their kiosk at the Mall of America (in front of the Apple store near the south entrance)!
(Disclosure: I received a complimentary Elo pillow to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.)