Swaddle Designs Receiving Blanket and Lovie

Are you hooked on swaddling or considering it? I’m a huge believer in the wonderful benefits of swaddling and used this soothing technique on both my babies for as long as they would let me. I used a velcro swaddler but both of my boys were able to get their hands free and eventually become unswaddled. There is nothing I hate more than picking my baby up and finding cold baby hands! Sleep sacks are also great but they don’t keep arms and hands warm. Normal sized receiving blankets are simply inadequate.Earlier this year I was lucky to win the above swaddling blanket from Swaddle Designs during a blog anniversary giveaway at Baby Luxe {daily}. At the time I was desperately looking for a large receiving blanket for my infant son who was swaddled each night. Of course I LOVE this blanket. (I wouldn’t be telling you about it if I didn’t.) I have never found a more generous sized receiving blanket in any retail store. It was perfect. I would wrap him in it and then use the Velcro swaddler on top of that and he was snug as a bug and warm all night long. It isn’t thick so you can use it year round and feel safe with it in your baby’s crib. I’ve also used it as a play time mat, sun protector on the stroller and an all purpose blanket that is perfect for summer!

Lynette is the founder and was such a pleasure to work with when selecting my blanket. The blanket came beautifully packaged and she even included this lovie as a bonus. It was above and beyond and totally made my “I haven’t gotten much sleep and am struggling with two kids under the age of two” day.
Swaddle Designs also has lots of different types of blankets, sleep sacks and burp cloths. This would be the perfect shower gift or splurge for your own baby. You can see all she has to offer here.

Lug Puddle Jumper Overnight/Gym Bag

This past May I was fortunate enough to win this wonderful bag from a blog contest held by Metropolitan Mama. It was my first blog contest win and it got me hooked reading blogs and entering contests. Normally I'm very practical and would choose the black but the teal was so bright that I could not help but branch out and get it in this wonderful color. I remember the first thing I noticed when I got this bag was the wonderful quality. Everything down to the stitching, strong zipper, and the metal feet on the bottom screams quality workmanship. I've been using this bag for almost a year on a regular basis and the condition still looks brand new. I now know why it made Oprah's O List. The separate space to hold your shoes and separate pockets for smaller items like makeup and jewelry is invaluable.I strongly recommend this bag if you are looking for either an overnight bag like I was or a larger gym bag since it is quite roomy! You can purchase it directly from the Lug website or on Amazon.