Crane {Review & Giveaway} Adorable Animal Humidifiers

{This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to those who entered!}

Cough, cough, hack... sniffle... cough, COUGH.... sneeze, hack, cough...

I'm ready for cold and flu season to end and it's not even technically winter yet. Every year moms around the world keep their fingers crossed that their child won't catch the flu and this year it's even more worrisome with H1N1 going around and causing the fear level to be even higher than usual. Aside from barricading your children in at home and avoiding all interaction, you do all you can to prevent them from catching a cold... but if it happens, what can you do to help provide relief to cold symptoms in hopes that they won't turn into the flu?

Thankfully, Big Sister E and Little Sister B got over the last round of colds that they had and have been relatively healthy ever since. However, now that we have Peter Penguin around, our chances of staying well are even higher.

The level of cuteness in our house is quite a bit higher, too.
Although sorry about the unoriginal name, Peter. That's what happens when a 3-year-old decides.

Upon opening the box, the first thing we found out about our Crane Penguin Cool Mist Humidifier was that all it needed was water and it was ready to use. No screwdrivers, no pliers, no assembly required - definitely a plus. After setting the base in her room, I told Big Sister E that we were going to fill Peter up and he would be ready to protect her from the dry, scratchy air that has been hanging around lately.

I loved the convenient handle at the top of the water tank that makes it very easy to insert and remove it, as well as carry it back and forth to the sink. As for filling the tank, I was very happy to find that it fit right in the sink and the hole is plenty large enough that the faucet can be turned up high to quickly fill Peter. Filters? Not necessary, which is one less thing to worry about.

After putting the tank on the base and putting Peter's head on top, one flick of the switch (which is very smartly located on the back so little hands aren't tempted to turn it on and off) and the cool mist came flowing out of his beak. Crane stated that their Penguin Humidifier "Runs Whisper Quiet" and I was amazed at how accurate that is. I couldn't even hear the motor or fan over the other sounds going on in the background of our house.

As for Big Sister E? She is slightly a big Peter Penguin fan.

What? Maybe your humidifier needs a hug, too. Ever thought of that?

Crane's humidifiers have a long list of great features, starting with the most obvious: the delightful styles. Almost as much as she loved Peter Penguin, Big Sister E was infatuated with the card that came with him showing pictures of the whole line of the Adorable Animals. No matter what the design of your child's room, there is an animal that will surely fit in perfectly. Not your thing? Crane also offers humidifiers in Traditional, Sports and Licensed themes and is coming out with a Nursery Style line in pink, yellow or blue (see one option at right) to match any new baby's room.

As well as the eye-catching design, I love the automatic shut-off function of our Penguin Humidifier, meaning I never have to worry about it running while it is out of water. That really doesn't tend to happen anyway, as the one gallon water tank runs for up to 11 hours (more or less depending on the output level you determine with the dial).

Leaks? Not Peter. No water comes out from the tank when filling or moving it and we haven't had a single leak come from anywhere since trying it out. There are no need for towels with Crane (they recommend not using them underneath their humidifiers to prevent overheating) and I don't have to worry that the wooden shelf ours is placed on will get wet. As with any humidifier, as long as you don't have the moisture level on too high of a setting, the mist will go up into the air and not down to condense onto any surfaces.

Best of all, however, the moisture our Crane Penguin Cool Mist Humidifier provides allows Big Sister E relief from nasal congestion, dry cough, sinus irritation and dry skin and allows her to breathe easier and get a good night's sleep. And that just makes EVERYONE happy.

During this cold and flu season, pediatricians are highly recommending cool mist humidifiers to help moisten the air and keep children breathing comfortably. For one person, it will be easy to take this advice as, due to the generosity of Crane...

One lucky person will win their choice of Penguin, Cow, Dragon, Duck or Pig Adorable Animal Humidifier from Crane!

To enter to win your choice of Crane Adorable Animal Humidifier: Visit Crane and tell me which of their products is your favorite. Please do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile. I have to have a way to contact the winner.
Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Don't let colds or dry air get you down! Crane Humidifier #giveaway @thxmailcarrier! Penguin, Cow, Dragon, Duck or Pig! http://bit.ly/4A2MHY

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Giveaway will end on December 3rd at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to US residents only.

A big thank you to Crane for providing me with a Penguin Cool Mist Humidifer for review as well as their choice of Penguin, Cow, Dragon, Duck or Pig for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.