Checking Our List #19: Hayneedle Jump O Lene Castle Bouncer {Review & $100 Gift Certificate Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Kathy S!}

Among the things that I don't like about winter (the snow, the layers and layers of clothing that we have to put on, the runny noses that we already have, etc) a big one is the feeling of being trapped inside.

Instead of just opening the door and heading out into the yard to play and run around and burn off some energy, we're just stuck indoors. If we have nowhere planned to go then we stay inside (usually in our pajamas) and try our hardest to come up with something fun to do. Inevitably though, the kids get bored, I get bored and, unsurprisingly, the days just feel long and cold.

But, for this winter (and every subsequent season), that's all in the past. Because is there really a way to be bored when this is sitting in your living room?

The Jump O Lene Castle Bouncer from Hayneedle is the perfect thing to have to chase away the winter blues, as well as pull out in the summer for a great afternoon of fun. Strong and durable, this 69" x 69" x 53" inflatable castle can be used both indoors and out and will withstand the jumping, bouncing and playing that young children provide. Really, are there kids that don't have a blast with bounce houses?

Right out of the box the Castle Bouncer felt thick and well-constructed and, knowing that the inflated size was going to be an almost six foot square, I was surprised that it came folding up so compactly.

Getting this ready for play was fast and easy, as all that was required was an air pump. Each of the four walls and mattress floor has its own valve, as well as one main one connecting the four turrets and base. In around 15 minutes, I had the entire thing fully inflated and, as it only weighs 27 pounds, I didn't have any problems lifting or sliding it around to get it into the best position in the room.

After that, all that was left to do was send my testers in to bounce, bounce, bounce!

Although the description from Hayneedle mentioned two removable swords, our Castle didn't come with them - which was probably for the best considering what my kids might have done with them. Instead, they loved hopping and jumping and climbing in and out the cute little curved door until they were just too tired to do it anymore and needed a rest.

However, that didn't last long, as this Castle Bouncer not only inspired their imaginations in terms of making up stories and adventures, but they realized that the soft floor and high walls weren't only a safe bouncing platform, but could double as a great ball pit as well.

Even better, the holes along three of the walls were the perfect size for the ball pit balls to fit into and a new favorite game was instantly launched. I watched as Big Sister E put a ball in each hole from one side and Little Sister B popped them back through from the other side. And then they played again. And again. And again.

The number of hours that they have since spent playing that game... well, if they are indication of the entertainment that the Jump O Lene Castle Bouncer is going to provide this winter, then I have nothing to worry about.

Designed for ages 3 - 6 and with a 120 pound maximum weight limit (it is suggested for no more than 2 children at a time), the Jump O Lene Castle Bouncer is the perfect small inflatable for use at home. This isn't one of the massive inflatable houses that Hayneedle also sells (although boy are those cool!) but just right for encouraging exercise and fun whenever you need it.

When it comes to shopping online, Hayneedle's 200+ specialty stores make it easy to navigate their huge selection of products and their great value. Their tagline of "Variety, Sweet Variety," is found at each of those sites and they make it simple to narrow down to the items for your home, kids, baby, furniture and more that you're looking for.

For home, work or play, the range of product options, well laid-out stores and the overall caring feeling you receive from Hayneedle's customer service just can't be beat. And with their competitive prices (the Jump O Lene Castle Bouncer sells for $89.99, which is 25% off of the list price!) you'll always walk away with a bargain.

Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to find the perfect holiday gift for themselves or someone on their list this year, because...

One lucky person will win a $100 gift certificate to Hayneedle!

To enter to win: Visit Hayneedle and tell me one of the great items that you might purchase with this gift certificate.

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).

1 Extra Entry if you head over to A Mom's Balancing Act and enter to win a $100 gift certificate to Hayneedle over there as well!
1 Extra Entry if you Like Hayneedle on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed of the Hayneedle blog and/or Like them on Facebook. 1 more Extra Entry if you leave the following message on their wall: Variety, Sweet Variety! I just entered to win a $100 gift certificate to Hayneedle at Thanks, Mail Carrier! http://bit.ly/aZro77
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the Holiday Gift Guide giveaways (Checking Our List giveaways ONLY) running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
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!

Checking Our List 19: #WIN a $100 gift certificate to @Hayneedle for incredible shopping! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/aZro77 #giveaway

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Giveaway will end on December 17th at 11:59pm CST. 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. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to Hayneedle for providing a Jump O Lene Castle Bouncer for me to review as well as a $100 gift certificate for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.