Metropolitan Mama

Celebrating Sleep {a giveaway}

June 19, 2009 By Stephanie 79 Comments

Currently, my husband and I are pretty “spoiled” when it comes to sleep.

It hasn’t always been this way though.

I remember the sleepless, walking-the-floors-with-restless-baby-at-2-am, “zombie days” when my older daughter was an infant…quite well. I can still remember that overwhelming exhaustion like it was yesterday.

In fact, our older daughter was still waking up several times per night (or a lot of times, depending on the night) up until I weaned her at around 21 months.

I was expecting a “repeat” of that same experience with baby #2.

Not so.

Our new baby girl is, as a I mentioned before, some kind of prodigy baby. She’s been sleeping through the night pretty much since day one.

Lately – Both our girls (ages 2 1/2 years old and 3 months old) sleep all through the night, almost every night. It’s a beautiful thing.

I’m so very grateful for that.

To celebrate sleep (it’s totally something to celebrate, don’t you agree?), I’m going to give away one of my very favorite sleep-related products: a receiving blanket (or muslin wrap, as the company calls them) by aden + anais. Aden + anais wraps are soft, lightweight, pretty, and generously-sized. I mentioned in a previous post that we gave away all of our other receiving blankets because aden + anais blankets are soooo much better. I stand by that statement.

Would you like to see the difference for yourself before stocking up? Aden + anais now sells Single Wraps, one cozy blanket in a matching fabric bag for $19.95. There are 6 fun designs to choose from.

In case you’d like to take a peek at the blanket “in use,” here are a few snapshots (that’s the Hot Pink Stars design):

aden anais 1 Celebrating Sleep {a giveaway} aden anais 5 Celebrating Sleep {a giveaway}

***Sorry. Baby not included with purchase. She’s 100% mine.

WIN IT! One winner will receive a Single Wrap by aden + anais {$19.95, your choice of design}. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Saturday, June 27 at midnight (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).

*UPDATE* The winner is #6 randi. Congratulations!

Filed Under: Giveaways, sleep Tagged With: aden anais, best receiving blanket, muslin wrap, oversized receiving blanket, single wrap

Metropolitan Mama bestows aden + anais with “Best Receiving Blanket” award

May 10, 2009 By Stephanie 94 Comments

I should send out a press release with that title.

Even though I don’t really have an award to hand out.

But, IF I did, aden + anais would get it.

yhst 70545335102369 2048 45063 300x174 Metropolitan Mama bestows aden + anais with Best Receiving Blanket award These receiving blankets trump all other receiving blankets and swaddling blankets that we have tried (yes, even the highly-acclaimed “Miracle” Blanket…).

Actually, we recently put all of our other blankets in a bag to giveaway to charity or to friends. That’s how much we like these blankets.

They’re soft and snuggly, yet not too thick/warm. They’re also generously sized so you can use them beyond the itty bitty newborn stage. We don’t swaddle our baby super tight like some people do (you can use the blankets for that as well though…), but they are great for wrapping her loosely or blocking the sun from her precious skin. They’re just great – period.

If you’re registering, add these blankets to your list. Yes, they’re a little pricey ($29.95 for a 2-pack; $44.00 for a 4-pack), but they’re also awesome. We use them every single day.

Speaking of registering, feel free to peruse my previous posts on the topic if you’re interested:

WIN IT! One winner will receive a 4-pack of aden + anais muslin wraps {in his/her choice of design}. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, May 18 at midnight (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).

*UPDATE* The winner is #3 Sara. Congratulations!

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: aden anais, best receiving blanket, best swaddling blanket, muslin wraps, receiving blankets, swaddling blankets, what to register for

New Skill: Swaddling Baby When Half-Asleep!

May 26, 2008 By Stephanie 140 Comments

One of the first “lessons” to be learned after childbirth is how to swaddle a baby. It’s amazing to watch nurses do the trick so gracefully. They do it instinctively – grab the blanket here, tuck it there, fold it in here – almost in one motion.

I have to admit it took me much longer to master the art than my husband. He somehow knew how to turn our daughter into a “little burrito” without any practice, while I had to recite the steps in my head (“fold across, tuck in arm…“).

After we returned home, we both soon learned that swaddling was a very important thing to know about. It calmed. It soothed. It provided us with a little extra sleep. Our receiving blankets definitely made it on to our newborn necessities list.

Two Australian mamas had them on their list too, but they couldn’t find exactly what they were looking for so they created aden + anais Muslin Wraps: swaddling blankets “crafted from soft, breathable muslin fabric for air flow and ultimate comfort.” Named after the creators’ sons, aden + anais blankets are larger than normal U.S. receiving blankets to allow for easier and more secure swaddling.

I love the way this fabric feels – sturdy, yet soft – and I’m impressed by the larger size. I remember thinking that perhaps the Gerber receiving blankets that I had were just a tad bit too small so I have a feeling that these ones will be better. I’ll let you know how we like them when we get pregnant with and have #2…

WIN IT! One winner will receive a pack of aden + anais Muslin Wraps for swaddling. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post prior to Monday, June 2 at midnight (don’t forget to follow the rules). The winner will be announced and contacted on Tuesday, June 3. * Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.