Mommy Must-Haves The 1st Year with Halo Sleepsack Giveaway!

I’m a mom, two times over and have definitely made some excellent (and not so excellent) purchases when it comes to baby gear.  I saw through the lines of the baby registries and realized there are some things I just didn’t need.  For example, baby wipe warmers (hey, I live in Southern California and it does NOT get that cold here).  And, I’d also like to get out of the way the obvious must-haves, the ones you’ve already thought of: diapers, wipes, plain white onesies and bottles.  After my 3.5 years of mommyhood, I’d like to reflect on some of my all-time favorite items for mom and baby in the first year…the products I didn’t think of and really couldn’t have survived without, as well as a couple cool new products I wish I’d had for the 1st year!

For baby:

Aden & Anais swaddling blankets:  For swaddling, keeping the sun off, or an impromptu picnic.  Aden & Anais was one of the original blankets to come out with the now-popular muslin baby blankets and their designs are still my favorite.

Boudreaux’s Butt Paste:  No description necessary—this stuff is amazing.

Bla Bla dolls:  My 3.5 year old was given one as a baby shower present.  She still clutches to her Bla Bla Bunny every night.  These organic dolls are so soft and SO adorable, and have definitely stood the test of time.

Halo Sleepsacks:  For my babies that were Houdini’s at breaking out of even the best swaddle, these kept them safe and warm all night long.

Lollacup:  Drinking from a straw at 9 months?!  Yes, your baby can with this nifty cup.  Read our original review here.

MacLaren bedding: I’m so over pastel blue for baby boys.  I love the bold colors (like, Spicy Orange) and animal prints that will continue to carry my little guy through toddlerhood.  More styles can be found on www.maclarenbaby.com.

Patemm Changing Pads:  The unique circular design and awesome patterns are not only stylish, they are functional, too!  As soon as my son started rolling (at 10 weeks!), I was thankful for these.  Sometimes I had to do diaper changes on a bathroom floor while we were out, and this kept him from ever reaching those dirty floors!

Plum Organics: These tasty, portable treats are still a lifesaver for food on the go without a spoon.  Spinach, peas & pears?  So yummy my picky 3.5-year-old will eat them!

Waterproof bibs: They rinse off clean…no need to launder!  Anything that makes less laundry that first year is a winner in my book.  We used bumkins.

For mama:

Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover: I love these because they are long enough and wide enough to cover everything.

Ergo Baby Carrier:  Thankfully a friend let me know about this one for my 2^nd.  I used a sling with my first and it became obsolete after she passed 10 pounds as it just put waaaaay too much pressure on my poor neck!  Ergo was comfortable even as my son approached 20 pounds and he had fun riding in it for almost the entire 1^st year.  That’s IT Mommy contributor, Erika, also told me that wearing her in the Ergo was the only way she could get her daughter to sleep!

Sally Spicer Diaper Bag:  Pretty, feminine, and best of all–it doesn’t scream “DIAPER BAG”.  I’ve had many, but this one is compact and has space for everything, and I love that it will serve a purpose beyond the baby years. Oh!  And if you enter “thatsitmommy” at checkout, you’ll even save 15%!

Luna Lullaby Nursing Pillow:  The Bosom Baby was the most comfortable for nursing (I tried 2 others before I thankfully discovered this one).  I also loved this for supervised tummy time, too!

Medela Breast Pump:  My Pump in Style lasted me through a total of 26 months between both my kids.  And it was used heavily with both kids.

Sophie the Giraffe:  Every mom I know swears by it.  This soft, vanilla scented teething toy is a favorite among new moms especially.

My Nikon D-5000 to capture every moment and share with friends and family that live far away. A good camera makes a HUGE difference.

-Heather

GIVEAWAY: PR for HALO Innovations, Inc. is kindly offering one That’s IT Mommy reader one (1) HALO Cotton SleepSack (U.S. and Canada only, 18+). Ends 5/15.

REQUIRED ENTRY – To enter,  let us know: 1) if you would like a SMALL or MEDIUM SleepSack and 2) the gender of your child.  Leave your comments in the reply box below this post. That’s IT!

Remember if this REQUIRED ENTRY is not followed then no other entries will count.

Optional Bonus Entries – All entries MUST BE in a separate comment. All are worth 1 point unless otherwise noted.

• “Like” HALO Innovations on Facebook
• Follow HALO Innovation on Twitter
• Subscribe to our e-newsletter (or tell us that you already do)
• “Like” us on Facebook (let us know who you are)
• Follow us on Twitter (leave us your twitter ID)
• Grab our button on the right sidebar and post on your website (leave the link) (3 extra – 3 comments #1, #2, #3)
• Follow us on Networked Blogs
• Enter another one of our current giveaways (3 extra – 3 separate comments #1, #2, #3)
• Leave a comment on any non giveaway post and let us know you did (2 extra – 2 separate comments #1, #2)
• Tweet about this giveaway (Copy – Win a SleepSack from @halosleepsack http://thatsitmommy.com/?p=10896 via @ThatsITMommy #giveaway)  come back daily and leave us the link to the tweet (1 extra/day)

This giveaway will run through midnight on May 15, 2011 (PST). Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact us before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian (18+) residents only.

* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. Halo Innovations PR team is providing the giveaway item.
 We are also a Brand Ambassador for Plum Organics.  This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
 The review is in our own wordMAs and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.