When my baby outgrew her first swaddling sleep sacks, we were ready to enter the wide world of the wearable blanket. We tried the gunapod Wearable Blanket and are so happy we did!

What I really like about the gunapod Wearable Blanket are the different zipper options, which add so much flexibility in terms of how your baby likes to get into and out of the sack. We mostly use the traditional front zipper up the middle, as this seems to be the easiest way to use the sack, but the other options do come in handy on occasion. During one attempted nap where my daughter was crying more than usual, I was able to use the zipper around the bottom and sides to open the sack and take a peak at her diaper. Another time when it seemed she was over-heating, I unzipped the bottom and opened the blanket to allow some cooler air in without having to take her completely out of the sack. Unfortunately, while the zipper around the bottom is very flexible, it’s harder to use because it gets caught on itself, so it often takes a few back and forth attempts to get that zipper closed all the way. I’ve occasionally had the same sticking issue on the front zipper, but it seems to close easier most of the time.

The snaps that secure the top near her shoulders are one of the most convenient and helpful options. As opposed to the small arm holes in other sleep sacks that required me to bend my baby’s arm in awkward directions in order to slide her arms in and out, these top shoulder snaps allow me to assemble the sack around her shoulders while she lies with her arms in a natural position. Especially at the end of a long day, when my daughter is really tired and ready for sleep, this is a solution that adds a lot of peace to the bedtime process.  And in the morning, when I go into her room and lift her out of her crib, I just unsnap the shoulders and open the front, leaving the blanket behind in the crib. This allows me to pick up and hug my daughter and move on to the next activity (diaper change, feeding) without having to then get her out of her sleep sack.

The blanket material is incredibly soft, and a little thinner than your average fleece, so I feel it keeps her body warm without overheating. It’s winter here in California, so we wear fleece footy pajamas underneath it, and that seems to be the perfect combination. After machine-washing the gunapod Wearable Blanket, the material seems equally soft, and hasn’t pilled up. I do recommend washing it separately the first time you wash it, as it seemed to have shed some of its white fuzziness in the dryer onto some of my darker items (You’d think I would have learned by now, not to mix light and dark loads like that!)

Overall, if you like using sleep sacks, you won’t be disappointed by the gunapod Wearable Blanket, as it’s super soft material, flexible zippering options and roomy fit make it one of our bedtime favorites!

My husband and I are big fans of baby carriers.  However, as our baby has grown into an active and curious 20+ pound 11-month old, we’ve become more desperate in our pursuit of a comfortable carrier that doesn’t constrain our daughter.  When the Belle Baby Carrier arrived in a compact box, we were skeptical.  Unlike a lot of carriers, Belle is made with relatively minimal materials.  How could it possibly provide enough support?  Surprisingly, it does and it has much more going for it!

As a test, I strapped my daughter on for a family trip to the Farmer’s market.  Here’s how it did.

Pros:

• After an hour-long trip walking up and down hills, I felt great.  Shoulders and back were ache-free.  Even without a lot of padding, the waist straps did a great job distributing my child’s weight across my hips.
• The carrier keeps baby close to the body, and the minimal material helps the carrier feel like a second skin.  Without the bulk, maneuvering through the market crowds was a breeze, and less material helped me stay cool with fewer of those gross sweaty spots that sometimes show up under more padded carrier straps.
• The cut of the carrier is just right, allowing my baby to freely turn her head and reach out without having the material cut into her neck, arms or legs.  With easy access to her mouth, I was able to feed my daughter plenty of fresh fruit samples.  And, because the material doesn’t come right up to her head like some other carriers, I didn’t end up with a big drool spot right in the front of the carrier.
• With less bulk, the carrier can be packed very compactly.  This is the only carrier that I’ve been able to roll up and tuck into a bag with other items.  So great since having a kid usually mean travelling with a ton of stuff.  The less you have to carry, the better.
• The crossover strap design is brilliant.  No awkward pulling of the carrier over your head or reaching behind you to fasten buckles.  Simply put on the waist belt, hold your baby in front of you, pull the carrier up over the baby, throw the straps over your shoulders so that they cross in back of you and grab the ends to snap into place at your waist.  So simple.
• Two positions allow you to accommodate both a young infant who needs to face inward and an older child who wants to face outward (the carrier can hold babies from 8 to 35 pounds and includes a detachable head support for inward facing infants).  Although my child is older and generally prefers to face outward, I did put her facing inward when she was getting tired, and she feel asleep within minutes.  Makes me think this carrier is pretty comfortable for her as well!
• The material used for the carrier is both fashionable and organic.  I have the Organic Jubilee model which is a stylish black and white design on organic cotton and hemp with a dye-free fleece liner.  Look good and feel good about having the carrier so close to your baby’s skin.

Cons:

• While most of the carrier is very comfortable, the waist strap connects with two stainless steel rings that happen to sit right on my hip bone.  Heavy baby combined with somewhat bony hips makes for a little bit of a sore spot.  It’s not horrible, but I did notice it.   
• The stainless steel rings make attaching the waist belt a little more complicated than other carriers that utilize a buckle.  However, it’s just a minor inconvenience and does feel like it might be more secure and more durable than a plastic buckle.

Overall, this is a great baby carrier.  It looks great, feels great, and packs up better than anything else I’ve seen on the market.  Don’t be fooled by its relatively lightweight and clean design.  Apparently, you don’t need all the padding and buckles to make a really durable and supportive carrier.  This one absolutely does the trick!

Cybex is a German baby gear company that manufactures a sleek car seat called the Aton. I love all of the safety features and the easy to install base. Plus it’s great that there is absolutely nothing cutesy about this baby gear!

Pros:

• The Aton is lightweight and easy to carry. The handle bar has 3 positions, for carrying, storing, and resting.  I love the resting mode for when we are at home because it keeps my toddler from rocking the car seat and sleeping baby too roughly.
• The car seat is deep so my baby is well protected. Everything is nicely padded, including the sides and the straps. There’s a newborn inlay for the bottom and an infant insert for the head and shoulders. I am still using the infant insert at 5 months and it keeps my daughter’s head and upper body nice and secure in her car seat. I also tuck the shoulder strap padding in a little so that the chest buckle can rest higher on my daughter. 
• The base is easy to install and the car seat snaps in and out with ease. My husband likes the proprietary belt tensioning mechanism that works when installing using the latch connectors or seat belt. You simply press down and the lever clicks into place resulting in a snug and secure installation every time. It is also easy to use without a base, in case you need to take the baby in someone else’s car.
• When my daughter spit up ALL over her car seat, it was very easy to wash and clean. The seat cover is on snug but it was easy to remove and to reassemble. The seat belt is also very easy to adjust to the correct level.
• The sunshield is made of this nice black mesh fabric that blocks the sun but is breathable to let air through. The sunshield also “disappears” when not in use, making it less tempting for my toddler to play with and potentially damage.
• The Aton won awards in Germany and is a popular car seat in Europe. You’ve got to love German engineering! The only reason we are just hearing about Cybex now is that they are breaking into the US market.

Cons:

• The Aton does not fit in our Kolcraft Universal Infant Carseat Carrier (stroller similar to a Snap N’ Go or Car Seat Stroller Frame). Unless I purchase the Cybex Callisto stroller, there is no way I can keep my baby in the Aton car seat and go for a leisurely walk or on errands. I did not try the Aton on other infant car seat/ stroller adapters (like the one for the BOB) but I’m guessing the base of the Aton would be too large for any car seat adapter. When I looked into purchasing  the Callisto stroller, I found it was close to $350. I guess if you figure it’s the only stroller you need from birth on up, the cost seems more reasonable.
• The cost of purchasing a second base is pricey (about $100 for the base alone). My husband and I both drive our baby around in our cars equally so we have to factor this cost into the total cost of the car seat. If you don’t need a second base, then the price of the Aton is comparable to the other car seats out there.

If safety is a priority, I would recommend the Cybex Aton as a smart way to drive around with your infant. It’s a great car seat with an easy to use, safe base attachment that will give you peace of mind on the road. However I would highly recommend buying the Cybex Callisto stroller in addition to the car seat to make it into a travel system.

My 3 month old got really sick with a cold virus and spent every sleeping moment, day and night, in my big bed.  I had just gotten the Madii & Dyl Sooki Babe Pillow and decided to test it out on her and it was perfect in making her more comfortable and helping her sleep soundly.

The doctor recommended elevating her head to keep the nasal drip from bothering her so she could breathe better and the Sooki Babe Pillow did the trick, safely. There is a contoured spot for her head to rest and the pillow raised her just enough so that she could lie comfortably. And since the pillow is made of all natural materials that are breathable and prevent moisture and heat build-up, it worked to keep her cool despite her fever.

Now that baby is feeling better, she continues to use the Sooki Babe Pillow for naps in my bed and play time on her activity mat. We live in a house that is carpeted and we have 2 dogs, so I appreciate that Madii & Dyl pillows are hypoallergenic and naturally resistant to dust mites, mildew and bacteria. If she spits up, it's super easy to take the cotton pillowcase off and throw it in the wash. Much easier than always having to wash the entire activity mat! The pillow would be great in a house with hardwood floors as well; it provides great cushioning for a little baby that is lying around all day long. The Sooki Babe Pillow isn't a necessity as much as a luxury but it has made my baby girl more comfortable.

www.madiidylan.com