Sleep Sacks for Baby

Baby is outgrowing his cozy sleepsacks so I am on the hunt. He is a tosser-and-turner, often ending up lengthwise or turning to face the foot of the bed. That means blankets end up far away from him, all bunched up in a pile. (At 11 months, he's not likely to smother in his bed, which is the fear that leads lots of people to put infants in the sacks).

The softest ones are the Swaddle Designs zzZipMe Sack, a dooming kind of name. The fleece on Baby's has stayed incredibly soft and comfy for more than six months. They have double zippers, so you can go up or down, which is handier than it sounds for getting baby bundled into the sack at night. They also have pretty, soft colors and matching swaddle blankets. Sadly they don't come in sizes above 6-12 months.


I am impressed with the Smart-Dream sleep sacks, which are 100 percent percale cotton (like nice sheets), and they come in sizes up to 18 months. They also have subtle but cute decoration, like the cute little sheep at left.
Baby DeeDee sells sacks that look adorable and comfy and warm. But too warm for summer? It's hard to tell. These are available at Amazon (where else?) and at Baby Deedee.com.

Halo Sleepsacks pretty much own the market, and we have a nice big one with applique farm animals that Baby stares at in fascination. The polarfleece doesn't do a great job in the wash: like most polarfleece, it gets kind of clumpy. However, they have hilarious versions for big kids whose feet stick out the bottom. They look like mushroom costumes.

Dwell Studios have interesting graphic prints. I also have towels and washcloths from Dwell and they are very absorbant. But I think that the graphics are a little bland and the colors slightly odd. Very stylish but not quite my style.

Aden and Anais has marvelous soft muslin bags. I already have these washcloths and they are fabulously soft. They have a single-layer version for summer but, though it is April, it is barely above freezing. My only issue is that the patterns are a trifle banal for such lovely material and I hear rumors that they are less than sturdy. Yet this is what I ordered--suckered in by softness--and so time will tell!

ChildrenSalon

The UK has a great shop, ChildrenSalon, where it's possible to order glamorous outfits for the young. The outfits are classic without being too cute. I was so pleased to see that this outfit by Torres costs about what I would pay at an online site in the United States, if not less, despite the lovely details. The shorts are linen and the shirt is cotton.

The baby shoes (by Cuquito, among other hard-to-find brands) are gorgeous. I did not find them at any sites in the states, which makes this site even more pleasant to peruse.

Baby clothes

At least in Minneapolis, there is a dearth of high-end children's clothing shops. That means that the internet is invaluable.
I like Alex and Alexa but, wow, it is expensive for major-market clothes.  But the clothes are darling. I especially admired one of the Paul Smith pajama sets. For some reason my graphic popped up showing the back; there are incredibly cute rubber duckies on the front of this.
I also visited Kayce Hughes, where the clothes for children are as cute as the frocks for ladies. Dress daughters of different ages in dresses of age-appropriate styles in the same fabric, or get brothers and sisters to match for a holiday. Mama can wear a funky retro shirtdress. She also sells cute toys and other odd bits and pieces.

Boden and Lilly

Oh, I wish it was really Spring here in chilly Minnesota!
Baby Boden has fabulous little light-weight sweaters and this adorable little pink dress.  I am very happy that Baby is a boy, but it would be so fun to dress a little girl. However, adorable sweaters like the one at right are very fun to shop for, too. I fingered this at Nordstrom's and it is of a very, very light mesh-like fabric.