My baby is now a preschooler, but stick around for video and written reviews of the best baby, toddler and preschool products out there. Because even when as they grow up they're still our babies! And if you're a new Mama, check out my archive for fun and funny video reviews of the baby products that saved my life in those early months at home with a wee one.
Baby crying? Mama’s in the exercise room…Daddy’s in the home theater (hey, a girl can dream). What’s a family to do? With three way digital communication you and Daddy can argue about whose turn it is to soothe junior without pausing your elliptical trainer. Digital sound quality. Sleek streamlined design. Rechargeable batteries. Built-in nightlight.
Baby Monitor? Baby Must-Have.
Disclosure: The First Years provided me with the digital baby monitor reviewed in this post . I was not compensated monetarily, and all views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.
If you are a new or expecting parent, odds are that you’re doing some reading about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. My understanding has always been that SIDS is a bit mysterious. Doctors can recommend steps to sharply decrease the incidence of SIDS, but can’t really explain what causes it. The good news is that the wicked smart docs at Children’s Hospital Boston have just published new research linking SIDS to low serotonin production in the brainstem. The great news is that this finding may lead to a concrete test to identify babies at high risk for SIDS, bringing us another step closer to eradicating this devastating syndrome.
The CJ Foundation for SIDS has given millions of dollars to support SIDS research and provide public education and awareness about SIDS risk reduction. As the largest non-governmental funder of programs meeting the needs of the SIDS community, they participated in funding the research cited above. And I am so excited to share with you the CJ Foundation’s new initiative: Sleep in Safety, Grow in Style. According to the SSGS site,
“The CJ Foundation’s Sleep in Safety, Grow in Style campaign
aims to educate consumers and raise public awareness about
what constitutes a safe sleep environment for infants.
We will help parents and caregivers learn how to create nurseries with style and safe sleeping environments for babies that can cost less, be beautiful and comforting, grow with your child, and most importantly
significantly reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep related infant deaths.”
Let’s decorate our babies’ nurseries with an eye toward style and sleep safety! SSGS offers a webpage with Design Safety Tips as well as Sleep Safety Tips. Let me share their list of Sleep Safety Guidelines with you here (check out the site for more detail about each guideline:
Always lay your baby to sleep face up
Remove all loose bedding, bumpers, stuffed animals, and pillows from the crib
Don’t let your baby get too hot
Control room temperature where baby is sleeping
Consider using a fan to increase circulation in baby’s room
Lay your baby to sleep in an approved crib, on a firm-fitting mattress
Don’t share sleep surfaces
Don’t smoke while pregnant and never smoke near your infant
Create a healthy lifestyle for you and your baby
If possible, breastfeed your baby
Offer your baby a pacifier at all sleep times
Put your baby on his or her tummy to play when your baby is awake and supervised
Share these tips with everyone who cares for your baby
One of my favorite baby and toddler products companies, aden + anais, has partnered with SSGS to promote safe sleep. The CJ Foundation recommends the use of wearable blankets and sleepsacks in place of blankets to keep infants warm while sleeping. Each aden + anais cozy sleeping bag is made of 100% breathable muslin cotton, which allows baby’s body temperature to adjust naturally, reducing the risk of overheating. This time of the year I feel like I am always cold. And I have really turned to sleepsacks and wearable blankets to keep my Little Bean warm and snuggy in the winter months without overheating her to a dangerous degree. aden + anais sleeping bags are the perfect solution, and the muslin they are made of just gets softer and softer with each wash. I have absolutely observed this with the washcloths I bought on babysteals.com! So what’s the deal with muslin? This ancient fabric, traditional for swaddling, has an open, loose weave that is breathable and allows air to circulate around your baby.
And their mod, stylish patterns are to die for. No need to sacrifice appearance when you add these wearable blankets to your nursery. They are adorable. And I’m delighted announce that the great people behind aden + anais are giving one Babies Gotta Have It a sleeping bag of your choice! Want to enter? Read on!
MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Browse aden + anais’ selection of stylish cozy sleeping bags. Come back and leave a comment on this post saying which pattern you would chose if you won. Entering is that easy!
***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did! Maximum of nine entries per person.
Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway just cut and paste): Win a cozy sleepsack and learn about the CJ Foundation’s SIDS education & awareness efforts @BabiesGottaHavT http://tinyurl.com/ydly8tw
Become a Fan of aden + anais on Facebook. Click HERE!
Become a Fan of the CJ Foundation for SIDS on Facebook. Click HERE!
Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left sidebar
Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook. Click HERE!
Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart
Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. and Canadian addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Friday February 5th and ends on Monday February 22nd at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Tuesday February 23rd, Random.org will select the winner, and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!
Disclosure: aden + anais offered the cozy sleeping bag to the winner of this giveaway at their expense. Additionally, they gave me a cozy sleeping bag as well for my time and effort in writing the post. I was not compensated monetarily, and all views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.
Update! We have a winner! Random.org says “ 70″ Congratulations Kara! Thanks so much to everyone who entered! Come back soon!
And to celebrate, we are going to shower you and that sweet baby you’re dreaming about, loving from afar, or holding in your arms right now! You’ve seen the videos. You’ve drooled over the products. Today is the day to enter! I’m so glad you’re here.
Talk about the best of both worlds…a baby shower with hundreds of dollars worth of wonderful products, but no silly games. I do wish I had some cake though…
I just want to say a big thank you again to all of the wonderful companies that have contributed items to the first ever Babies Gotta Have It Online Baby Shower Giveaway.
Here again, is everything that the winner of this unbelievable giveaway will receive:
MANDATORY ENTRY #1: First, watch all of the videos featuring the products included in the giveaway. When you’re done, return to this post and leave a comment telling me 1. Who is this baby that you want to shower with beautiful things and why & 2. Which product you are the most excited about winning and why. This is a huge prize package, so entries that don’t provide complete answers to parts 1 and 2 will be discounted. And it’s absolutely wonderful to want to win this for your very own baby! One who is here or one who is on the way! Tell me a little bit about you and your babe!
***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did! Maximum of seven entries per person.
Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): @BabiesGottaHavT is hosting an Online Baby Shower! Enter to win today! http://tinyurl.com/mfdmwl
Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
Email your friends about the giveaway! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart
Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Sunday August 9th and ends on Sunday August 30th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Monday August 31st, Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my baby called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my baby, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!
Update! We have a winner! Random.org selected number 249! Congratulations Danielle Donohue! Hope you and your baby love being showered! Thank you so much to everyone who entered!
Here now is Part 3 of my Online Baby Shower Video Series, “Beyond Your Birthday Suit”! Tune in to learn about the fantastic clothing and linens that the winner of this giveaway will be showered with!
It’s April! It’s Earth Day! And everyone’s going ga-ga for green. So you’ve got a new baby on the way or one who is very lightly sleeping while you’re typing with one hand and trying to snap your nursing bra shut with the other…and you want to slather her in green. But the prices of some of those absolutely exquisite green items at those absolutely delicious green boutiques are sometimes enough to make you green around the gills. BPA-Free bottles, organic mushed apples, dye-free wipes, bamboo hooded towels…your friends and family were generous when the baby was born, but this stuff starts to add up.
So does living green have to be crazy expensive? No! And here’s proof! I went scouring the internet (okay I browsed Etsy) for great green independent craftspeople who are making amazing Earth-friendly products using amazing Earth-friendly processes every day! Here are just a few of their lovely items. And bear in mind, Etsy items are often one of a kind so if a product link doesn’t work, check out the Etsy seller’s store which I’ll also link to in each listing!
Using glass bottles? Afraid of what will happen when you drop them on the ceramic tile floor during your 2 am feeding haze? Organic Cotton Bottle Covers from Peanut Tree Designs are maybe not a must-have, but they are a really nice little bit of luxury and security for you and your baby. Starting at $9 for a pair, they are also great for catching wayward drips and keeping baby’s sweet organic cotton onesie clean and dry for another hour anyway. Pair a set of these with some glass bottles for a really thoughtful baby shower gift.
SewnNatural is another Canadian-based Etsy shop full of gorgeous hand-crafted, green, and upcycled things for baby. At $15 for two, these Organic Cotton Burp Cloths are a really nice price for a gorgeous item. If you check out this Etsy shop, be sure to look at her organic fall-winter sleepsacks. For $39 they are on par with some and cheaper than many online boutiques.
“Handmade. Eco Friendly. Baby Safe.” That’s LocoMOmomma’s motto. For seven dollars you can buy this gorgeous Organic Cotton Rattle, crocheted with 100% organic cotton yarn and stuffed with natural wool. Pair it with the matching baby toy ball for a lovely shower gift that will run you only $12.75. That’s the kind of green Mama loves.
TickiTackiToys wooden toddler and baby toys are all handmade in Quakertown, PA by a couple. He does the woodworking. She cooks up the dyes in her own kitchen, and does the sanding, staining, and finishing. The dyes are all natural, and made of beets, blueberries, concord grapes, and molasses. Each piece is finished with beeswax and flaxseed oil. You may very well lose weight if you gnaw on your baby’s toys. Which you can do with no fear. The glues are all non-toxic. These rattles, teethers and stackers are gorgeous and unique works of art. And for $26, this All Natural Wooden Stacker will not break the bank.
This gorgeous Organic Bamboo Fleece Baby Blanket from OrganicByNature’s Etsy shop will run you $35 plus shipping. Seem like a lot? Search “organic bamboo fleece baby blanket” on Google and come back to me. Yeah, it’s a lovely deal on a lovely blanket which would make an even lovelier baby gift. This Canadian based company is family owned and operated and offers reasonable shipping to the U.S. Check out all of OrganicByNature’s beautiful organic blankets including gorgeous cotton and merino wool items. Luxury you can live with.
So who are you really sleeping with? You may think you’re only sleeping with your partner and your pets…maybe a child thrown into the mix every now and again. Oh yeah and that box of Girl Scout cookies you have been nursing for the last week while you watch late night TV.
But if you are also sleeping with your beloved pillow…the one you’ve had since you got married, let me clue you in on what and who else you’re sleeping with. In a small sample taken from a typical five year old pillow, analysts found: 180,000 skin cells, 1,200 pollen spores and 700 fungus spores. Gross. But oh yeah, there’s grosser on the way.
If you’re sleeping with the beloved pillow you’ve had since high school…in a very small sample from a 30 year old pillow, analysts find 170,000 skin cells, 9,800 pollen spores, and 8,200 fungal mold spores. Per sample! And wanna know why the skin cell count actually goes down? Trust me, you don’t, But I’m gonna tell you anyway. Because the dust mites eat them.
But, let’s talk about ME. I recently went to meet Dr. Clifford Bassett, an allergy specialist here in New York, and the lovely people behind Aller-Ease products, and I (gulp) gave them one of my pillows. That had been on my bed until that very day. In the small sample they took from it, they found: 130,000 skin cells, cladosporium (a fungus that causes, among other things, tomato leaf mold) pithomyces (a mold often involved with eczema in sheep!) as well as what appears to be an herbal tea mix of pollens: birch, elm, grass, pine and sycamore! Then, under the mold category, there also is simply “other brown.” I can only assume that this is the dust mite poop which apparently can double the weight of your mattress in ten years! Let me say, I have had horrid tomato disease on my tomatoes the last few summers, and I have also recently developed equally horrid eczema on my hands. Is my pillow to blame for this? If so, it should be severely punished. Which I guess it was when it was eviscerated and studied in a lab. So there.
So this is allergy season. Ahhh April and May…the lovely months when it’s finally warm enough to throw open the windows, go jog in the park, and smell the flowers…only to wake up the next morning with itchy red eyes and a nasty runny nose. And don’t you dare mow the lawn without a level three containment suit and a mask. Allergies are weird. According to Dr. Bassett, most people become less allergic as they go through life. But it’s not uncommon for allergies to recur in adulthood, or even worsen, and no one really knows why. What they do know is that our homes are full of nasty little particles that can trigger these allergies. So the more we can do to contain and eliminate them all year round, the better off we will be.
So what about our kids? Two interesting things. First of all, there seems to be a genetic component to all of this. If you have asthma, hay fever or eczema and/or your husband does, your children are at higher risk of developing allergies. Also, Dr. Bassett also filled me in on a pretty interesting phenomenon called “The Allergy March.” I do not pretend to be an expert on this, and if you suspect your child is developing allergies, you should definitley talk to your doctor. But there seems to be a phenomenon in which the evidence of eczema in infancy can trend toward rhinitis (ie runny noses) and then to asthma in children. And I have learned that eczema, like runny noses, can be triggered by allergens. My baby has been diagnosed with mild eczema. My husband had childhood asthma. I have recently developed the nastiest hand mange eczema (more on that in a later post)…
Okay, dust mites, you have my attention.
Now just to confuse us more, there’s also evidence that the presence of some allergens in the home via dog and cat dander, can help prevent allergies. So that’s just another wrench to throw into this whole debate. But it’s complicated and there’s still a lot to learn, that’s for sure.
But I think we can agree that pillows and mattresses filled with dust mite poop and funguses that induce sheep eczema are a bad idea. So Aller-Ease has created a line of really nice products from pillow and mattress covers, to pillows themselves, designed to keep the nice fluffy comfy stuff in your pillows and the nasty cooties out. I have tried them. They are excellent. The cool thing that Aller-Ease has done is to make the covers primarily out of cotton! These covers are not plastic. They are not vinyly and wrinkly and crackly. They are cool, soft and quiet and honestly, I have completely forgotten that I put them on our pillows. Which I pretty much think is the deal. They’re like the non-flashy silent superheroes whom no one notices when they are doing their jobs exterminating monsters.
If you’re looking for waterproof mattress and pillow covers, they have them too. They are not cotton (cuz let’s face it, cotton is never going to be waterproof no matter how tightly you weave it), but they are a microfiber made from polyester and they are still soft and quiet. I’m definitely getting the waterproof mattress cover for my baby when she moves into a big girl bed.
So we can re-cover our pillows and mattresses to prevent us from inhaling these nasty things all night, but what else can we do to prevent allergies? Here are a few other suggestions:
Don’t line dry your laundry in the Spring. (I know it totally stinks because that smell is so awesome, but if you’re really allergic, you’re just coating your sheets in pollen. Try a drying rack in the laundry room instead.)
Wash your kids’ stuffed animals or (and I so love this) put your kids stuffed toys into those giant ziploc bags and stick them in the freezer for 3 - 5 hours. Bye bye dust mites.
Make sure your vaccuum has a HEPA filter.
No smoking in the house! (duh)
Avoid strong odors and fumes in your home.
Ged rid of roaches - a lot of people are allergic to roach poop too.
Pull up that wall-to-wall carpeting.
Wash your curtains (I know my grandmother did this regularly and I so never do).
That’s a start, anyway. And to get you on the road to an allergen-free good night’s sleep, the people at Aller-Ease have given me two Aller-Ease Cotton Zippered Pillow protectors that I’m giving away to you!
Also, cuz I know you have more than two pillows in your home, the Aller-Ease website is now up and the first 50 people who visit that site each day from March 30th - April 5th will win a free pillow cover. Click HERE for more info and to win!
Just leave a comment on this post. Yup, that’s it. Entering is that easy!
***Want extra chances to win? Do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did! Make sure you include your email address with your entry. Maximum of three entries per person.
Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily)
Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): @BabiesGottaHavT is giving away 2 Aller-Ease Allergy Preventing Pillow Covers! http://tinyurl.com/dkxy3p
Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
Email a friend about the giveaway and cc me in the message at babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com (I promise I will not spam you or your friends - cross my heart)
Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses. Giveaway begins on Tuesday March 31st and ends on Tuesday April 14th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Wednesday April 15th Random.org will select a winner, and I’ll give someone some nice news on tax day. After my baby called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my baby, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!
UPDATE: And the winner, as selected by random.org, is:
Is daycare naptime on your horizon? Preschool? Dare I say it (gulp) Kindergarten? If you want your kiddo to feel as snuggy and safe duirng nap time at school as he does at home, consider the Nap Pack nap mat by Crafty Baby. This 48″ fleece sleep sack comes with a built in pillow and easily roles up and velcros closed for storage and toting. It’s machine washable and dryer safe. And it’s super soft and cozy. I should know. I tried it. Watch the video to see me and my baby (that’s right I’m tryin’ out the Nap Pack too) snuggle up in the Nap Pack.
This video post also features the super-sweet bib that Jill from Crafty Baby sent us. Check out the adorable selection of fabrics she uses! I love the 2-D Zoo fabric my little bean’s bib came in. Crafty Baby is a mom-owned and mom-run company and all her products are lovingly made in the U.S.A. Hooray!
And thanks to Jill, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win her choice of either a Nap Pack nap mat or a Bib! Want to know how to enter the giveaway? Read on…
Take a swing by Crafty Baby and check out Jill’s selection of Nap Packs and Bibs. Then, leave a comment on the post letting me know if you’d like to win a Nap Pack or a Bib and what fabric you’d choose if you won. Entering is that easy!
***Want an extra chance to win? Blog or twitter about this giveaway, leave me an additional comment letting me know you did (please include the url), and I’ll put your name in the hat twice! Not a blogger? Subscribe to my blog using the button to the left, leave me an additional comment, and you’re entered twice. Or, email a friend about the giveaway, cc me in the message at babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com (I promise I will not spam you or your friends - cross my heart) and you’ll have two entries. Make sure you include your email address with your entry. Maximum of two entries per person.***
Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses. Giveaway begins on Monday March 9th and ends on Tuesday March 17th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Wednesday March 18th, my baby girl will draw the winning name, and I’ll email you and announce it immediately. It’s not a terribly scientific drawing, but I assure you it could not be more random. Thanks for entering!
UPDATE: And the winner is…
Thanks to Random.org which is much quicker than my baby girl but far less entertaining as far as I’m concerned…the winner is: “34″ And just think, Random.org didn’t have to cry or call Larry the Cable Guy once to pick that number.
Congratulations Andreah! Check out Andreah’s blog: Moody Mama Says!
I didn’t take a childbirth class. Is this horrible of me to confess? I didn’t. Nor did I take any kind of formal breastfeeding or baby care class. Now in my defense, childbirth classes in New York start at $400. I am not exaggerating. Even the ones given by the hospital. This seemed like a lot of money to me. And honestly I was a little bit squeamish about them. I really didn’t want to see videos of people pushing out babies. I didn’t even want to see myself pushing out a baby. Not only did I decline the mirror when I gave birth, and forbid any video cameras from being in a thirty foot radius, my glasses were halfway across the room on a shelf. I can’t see my own belly button without my glasses on. To prepare, I took prenatal yoga and read books. My birth really went okay. But a wee bit more knowledge would not have been a bad idea.
I recently had a chance to watch the Laugh and Learn About Childbirth DVD. Now, I’m guessing that when I say “childbirth” the first word that comes to your mind is probably not “laughter.” I had a smooth birth, but I can’t say that there was much guffawing going on in that labor and delivery room. I have considered sending the anesthesiologist who administered my epidural flowers every year on my baby’s birthday, but she was no Seinfeld. But watching this DVD I found myself actually wishing I was pregnant again. Even when Sheri Bayles, the genuinely funny and very personable Lamaze Educator and OB/Gyn nurse who conducts the video classes, talked about the difficult parts of childbirth, I got a little yen. I had a pretty uncomfortable and yarfy pregnancy. So this is saying something.
The “Laugh and Learn About Childbirth” DVD is divided into 6 classes and runs four hours and fifteen minutes. It is comprehensive. The video quality and editing are excellent, and the information is thorough, accessible, and practical. Sheri discusses mucous plugs and pre-labor symptoms, for example, in the kind of detail that only an experienced OB/Gyn nurse (and Mom of twins) can offer. She demystifies a LOT. Several expectant couples participate in the series, and you really do feel like you’re right there with them. I also really appreciated how Sheri included the husbands and partners in the discussion. While she used diagrams and charts as visual aids, no videos of live births were included. And I was grateful.
Laugh and Learn also offers “Laugh and Learn About Breastfeeding” and “Laugh and Learn About Newborn and Baby Care.” Both also feature Sheri Bayles and are structured as classes with couples participating. I don’t think the video qualtiy and editing are quite as good in these two, but they do offer lots of wonderful information. The Breastfeeding DVD covers positions, burping, breastfeeding twins, schedules, obstacles, diet, pumping and bras, pads and nightgowns. This offers a good overview of breastfeeding, but does not discuss latching on or the nuts and bolts of pumping in the same detail as other issues. You will need to look elsewhere for that. The Newborn Care DVD includes bathing, diaper change, dressing, swaddling and supplies in nice detail. It is extremely useful to see the bathing, diapering and dressing done on video–these things are just much more difficult to understand from reading about them.
This 3 DVD Set runs $79.95. If you just want to buy the Childbirth DVD, it will cost you $39.95. Did I mention that childbirth classes in New York start at $400. This is a seriously good buy. And I can honestly say I wish I had seen them before my baby was born.
The really good news in all of this…the wonderful folks at Laugh and Learn have offered a 3 DVD set to one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader! Want to enter? Read on!
To Enter the “Laugh and Learn 3 DVD Set” Giveaway:
Head over to the Laugh and Learn Website, take a look around, and tell me one other product from the store you’d be interested in owning. It’s that easy!
***Want an extra chance to win? Blog or twitter about this giveaway, leave me an additional comment letting me know you did (please include the url), and I’ll put your name in the hat twice! Not a blogger? Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right, leave me an additional comment, and you’re entered twice. Or, email a friend about the giveaway, cc me in the message at babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com (I promise I will not spam you or your friends - cross my heart) and you’ll have two entries. Make sure you include your email address with your entry.***
Giveaway open to those with U.S. addresses. Giveaway begins on Wendesday January 21st and ends on Thursday January 29th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Friday January 30th, my baby girl will draw the winning name and I’ll email you immediately. It’s not a terribly scientific drawing, but I assure you it could not be more random. Thanks for entering!
We are so excited that this giveaway is being done as a part of the Bloggy Giveaways Winter Carnival! Beat the winter blues! Win free stuff! Read great blogs! Woo Hoo!
And the winner is… #31 Karrie Lorene Wilson! Thank you so much to everyone who entered! I hope to return to my video drawings soon! Have been away due to a death in the family but I’m back now and the baby is ready to pick some winners!
What better time than the holidays to celebrate the new baby in your life! Whether it’s a grandbaby or nephew, godchild or “adopted” niece, this gorgeous blanket from the hip, fun website for kids, Spunky Sprout, would be the perfect gift. It’s a girl! It’s a boy! It’s a baby! And that would be reason enough to celebrate…even if it wasn’t late December!
A few weeks ago I talked about how super soft blankets are a Baby Must-Have. I love these “It’s a Girl” and “It’s a Boy” blankets from Austrian designer David Fusseneger. The colors and patterns are scrumptious. The vintage inspired design is so whimsical. You’ll love wrapping your baby up in it after bath or first thing in the morning. The blankets are 28″ by 36″, crazy soft, and perfect for play or crib.
Thanks to the wonderful folks at Spunky Sprout, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win your choice of an “It’s a Boy” or an “It’s a Girl” Blanket. This would make such a wonderful holiday present or gift for that New Year’s Baby! You know those hip and funky friends for whom Carter’s or Toys R Us just won’t do? Check out Spunky Sprout! Started by two sisters in Florida, Spunky Sprout offers trendy and modern gifts for babies and kids up to 6 years old. From environmentally friendly baby bottles to independent music, furniture made from sustainable materials to dresses, lighting and mobiles, Spunky Sprout has it all!
Only one reader will win the giveaway…but just in time for your holiday shopping, Spunky Sprout is offering a 10% discount to all Babies Gotta Have It readers! From now until December 24th use the coupon code: haveit10 when you check out to get your discount!
To Enter the Spunky Sprout Giveaway:
Just take a swing by the Spunky Sprout Website, come back and leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite item is aside from this beautiful blanket. It’s that easy!
***Want an extra chance to win? Blog or twitter about this giveaway, leave me an additional comment letting me know you did (please include the url), and I’ll put your name in the hat twice! Not a blogger? Subscribe to my blog using the button to the right, leave me an additional comment, and you’re entered twice. Or, email a friend about the giveaway, cc me in the message at babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com (I promise I will not spam you or your friends - cross my heart) and you’ll have two entries. Make sure you include your email address with your entry.***
Giveaway open to those with U.S. addresses. Giveaway begins on Sunday December 14th and ends on Sunday December 21st at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Monday December 22nd, my baby girl will draw the winning name and I’ll email you immediately. It’s not a terribly scientific drawing, but I assure you it could not be more random. Thanks for entering!
Even for older babies, the sleep sack is a definite must have item! Have you ever watched your baby do contortions in her sleep? Hard to keep a blanket snugly and safely fitted around a wiggly snoozing toddler! I wish I had found the Halo swaddling sleepsack last year! But my little gal seems to really like the cotton and fleece Halo SleepSacks she’s sporting now. Check out their organic options as well.
For the most luxurious, beautiful, and yet still completely practical sleep sack out there…nothing is more lust and drool-worthy than Agoo’s 3-in-1 Sleep Sac. It comes with a quilted winter liner, a fleece cool-weather liner, and can also be used without a liner in the summertime. It is even engineered with snaps and a bottom zipper so you can easily get your sleeping baby into it after he’s gone to dreamland. Extra bonus: The Agoo Sleep Sac is big enough to be used until your baby is three!
I also happened upon the Zutano Snuggle Sack when I was browsing at FAO Schwartz a few weeks ago. It’s pretty sweet too.
