Fave Friday: SleepSacks

I’m posting my favorite products and programs because they’re just that – my favorites. I'm not being compensated by anyone. Shame though.
 
At the suggestion of a good friend of mine, I’m going to try to add a weekly post about something that helps me better do my job as a mom. I’ll call it Fave Friday. We all have those items, programs, concepts, whatever that make caring for baby, toddler or preschooler just that much easier. I’d love to hear some feedback from all of you too.

For my first fave, I’d like to tell you about the Halo Sleepsack. Honestly, I must first admit that I’ve never even tried another brand of those little zip-up sacks that save you from having to cover baby with a blanket. It’s like the grande burrito at my favorite Mexican restaurant. After trying something sooooo good, why would you even consider ordering anything else?

That’s how I feel about the Halo sacks. I purchased one for Natalie at about four-months old, when we finally stopped swaddling her. I was nervous about using a blanket and wanted to keep her warm and comfortable in her crib. She’s also always been a spinner – you know, those babies that twirl around on their back while they sleep, so they’re never in the same position or location for more than a few minutes. The SleepSack was a perfect solution.

And it worked for two years! I bought a larger size to start with and she graduated to the next size up by about 14 months. We would have used them for another year or two, but the little stinker eventually figured out how to unzip them from the bottom up and there’s really no point after that. She’d strip herself from SleepSack and jammies and I eventually just tossed a warm blanket in her crib instead.

Now there was a time at about 9 months when I thought, nah, I could probably just be using all of the beautiful blankets people gave us. So one naptime, I tucked her in with a blanket and left the room. I checked on her five minutes later and she literally had the blanket ONLY covering her head. Are you kidding me? So, back to the SleepSack.

These things are such troopers that I’ve used the same ones (well, not the pink ones) for Gavin and they’ve held up beautifully. I had one zipper break, but it was after nearly a year of constant use by each kid.

Gavin’s now in the toddler versions of the sleepsacks, in larger sizes with little foot holes at the bottom. He loves snuggling in them and even wearing them around the house in the morning.

And BONUS (the thing they don’t tell you on the packaging): By putting your kids in SleepSacks their legs are all bundled up so they’re far less likely to try to swing a leg over the crib rail and escape. I’m convinced the only reason Gavin’s still in his crib at almost 2 is because of the sacks. The little monkey already hauls over stools so he can climb up the outside of his crib when playing in his room.

Recently, I sent four of our outgrown SleepSacks over to my niece’s house for her to test-drive. You’d have to ask her mom for sure, but I think they’re a hit!

You can find these at Babies R’ Us, Target.com, Diapers.com, Amazon and JCPenny.com. It’s $25 you won’t regret spending.