It is hard to believe that it has been nine years since the invention of a product that revolutionized children’s comfort and precipitated a spate of dual-purpose As Seen On TV products for kids.  What was the groundbreaking product launched in 2003?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrU-TWUA9Hw

Pillow Pets sold like crazy, becoming one of the most popular Christmas gifts in 2003.  As a stuffed animal/pillow combination, Pillow Pets appealed to kids’ love of cuddly things and it appealed to their parents’ desire to comfort their children without adding more clutter.  By serving as both a soft plush animal and a pillow, travel became easier, naptime became easier, TV time became easier.  A child playing with his favorite stuffed animal could take snuggling a step further by just falling asleep on it.

Since then, several other As Seen On TV products for children have followed the dual-purpose model of Pillow Pets:

• Happy Nappers – Unzips and reverses from a play pillow shaped like an animal’s home to a plush animal that resides within it.  For example, a castle reveals a dragon, a doghouse reveals a puppy, and an igloo reveals a penguin.
• Blankid Buddy – Blankid Buddies take the two-in-one animal/pillow idea to the next level.  Each Blankid Buddy is a backpack, blanket, pillow, and stuffed animal–a four-in-one cuddle companion that is ideal for travel.
• Pawggles – Pawggles differentiate themselves by breaking away from the pillow idea.  Rather, Pawggles (from “paws” plus “giggles”) are stuffed animals that convert to funny house slippers.

The newest As Seen On TV kids’ offering in the animal/bedtime genre is CuddleUppets.  A CuddleUppet is most similar to a Blankid Buddy in that both are animal/blanket combinations.  However, each CuddleUppets animal is a puppet rather than a regular stuffed animal.  In addition, CuddleUppets feature a large blanket measuring 28″ by 39″, big enough to wrap around your child.  A CuddleUppet can be used as a puppet alone, and it can be used while your child is swaddled in the blanket.   Even as your child sleeps, the CuddleUppet puppet head can be used much as any “lovey.”

CuddleUppets come in six styles and colors:

• Poodle (pink)
• Monkey (purple)
• Puppy (yellow)
• Crocodile (green)
• Elephant (blue)
• Bear (brown)

CuddleUppets features special quantity pricing; the more you buy, the more you save.  Because CuddleUppets are puppets and not mere stuffed animals, having the full menagerie can make for some fun puppet shows for your kids.

As Seen On TV products have always been marketed on the premise that they make life easier.  Chores are done more quickly, more efficiently, more easily, and with less mess than ever before when you use the latest, greatest infomercial products.  It’s a premise that works well, as the As Seen On TV industry continues to grow and reach record profits despite a persistently deflated economy.

In recent years, infomercials have gone beyond the idea of making chores easier and have started touting As Seen On TV products that even make leisure more . . . well, leisurely.  These products make relaxation an art.

I’m not sure if it started with the Total Pillow, which conforms to just about any possible shape one might want for proper and perfect cradling of the head while lounging, or if that icon of relaxation and warmth, the Snuggie, was the instigator.  I do know that I am all about any product that make relaxing and staying warm even easier and cozier than it was before, and that any As Seen On TV product that glorifies laziness is totally making my Christmas wish list.

Enter “Forever Lazy.”

No, that’s not just a description of your SeenOnTV Express blogger.  It’s the actual name of  As Seen On TV loungewear that makes comfort, warmth, and coziness priorities and takes laziness from the list of Seven Deadly Sins and makes it practically a virtue.  If you thought Pajama Jeans were designed for ultimate comfort, wait until you get a load of Forever Lazy.

Forever Lazy is footless, one piece fleece loungewear.  It looks, in short, awesome.  If you have ever seen a baby in pajamas, and saw that baby sleeping like . . . well, like a baby, and thought to yourself, “Why don’t they make pajamas like that for adults,” THEY DO.  Forever Lazy is like the perfect onesie for grown-ups.  You can swaddle yourself head-to-toe in cozy, warm fleece and still have complete range of motion to get up and grab another cup of coffee or hot chocolate before curling back up with your book or Netflix or whatever.  It even has flaps like the old “union suits” for quickly taking care of your, um, business.

I’m not kidding.  This is on my Christmas wishlist.  If Santa sees fit to bring it to me, I promise you this . . . I will not take it off from December 26 until sometime in April.  Bring on Snowpocalypse 2012.

On a side note, I think it is important to instill children with the virtues we hold dear.  As Seen On TV coziness extends its benefit to children as well:  Pillow Pets, Happy Nappers, and BlanKid are all combination cuddly stuffed animal/blanket/pillow sets that help your kids stay comfortable and comforted.  And while you are snuggling in front of the TV for family movie night, you and your honey can snuggle up under your Couples Snuggie while your kids are warm and toasty in their Snuggie for Kids.  Even your pets can get in on the action inaction with Snuggie for Dogs or the PetZZZ Pad pet bed warmer.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but with As Seen On TV blankets and more, inside it’s so delightful.  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

We’ve got a great new product for the kiddos.  It’s Pillow Pets (an iParenting Media Award Winner) which are a stuffed animal and pillow all rolled into one.  There are 14 different animals, including:

• Frog
• Lady Bug
• Cow
• Duck
• Dolphin
• Unicorn
• and several others

And great news if you have more than one kid you want to get a Pillow Pet – save 20% on each additional Pillow Pet (they have limited this to 5 at discount… sorry Octo-Mom)