I love to sleep!  And I have been sleep deprived – I bet you have been there!  When I had my son a few months ago, I was worried when we got home from the hospital and John left to go back to work.  I was going to be on my own with a 20 month old who still doesn’t sleep through the night, and a newborn baby whose sleep patterns I wasn’t sure of just yet.  

Meet Charlie

Charlie was lucky enough to review some bamboo swaddle blankets from Aden + Anais.

In case you haven’t heard of Aden + Anais, let me introduce you.  Aden + Anais started with Raegan, a native of Australia.  When she moved to the US and started a family, she discovered how much had changed from her mother and grandmothers days of raising children.  One thing that hadn’t changed – swaddling babies.  In Australia, muslin swaddling seemed to keep babies as cool as they needed in the hot Australian summer, yet kept them warm when the air was chilly.  The problem was, the swaddle blankets she found were too small, too thick, too heavy, too restrictive or too unattractive.  So, what did she do?  She started aden + anais.  She designed a swaddle blanket big enough to not only swaddle baby, but serve many other purposes – stroller blanket, nursing cover, spit up rag, blanket, who knows what else.  And then…she designed them to be modern and attractive. 

Raegan started out working out of her kitchen and making deliveries from the back of a cab.  Now Aden + Anais has expanded to include much more than swaddle blankets; hooded towels and washcloth sets, muslin sleeping bags, muslin blankets, muslin bibs and more! Plus – they have a few new products you are going to want to check out!  Serenity Star – a new multi – functional electronic feeding and sleep system; a new collection of fitted crib sheets, and a new skincare line – mum + bub made from pawpaw fruit. 

Why muslin?  It is durable and gentle.  Soft and strong.  Breathable and comfortable.  Time tested and pure.  

Aden + Anais also gives back to the community through the non profit *still working on gaining this status* Aden + Anais swaddle blanket foundation to help understaffed orphanages hire women to care for the infants.  Babies become conditioned not to cry because they know nobody is coming <---this made me cry.  Even $100 can staff one person to care for these babies.  The goal is to eliminate touch deprivation in these babies. 

If you have never read my blog, you may not know this, but I LOVE BAMBOO!  I kind of wish everything was made from it.  The bamboo swaddle blankets are no different.  When I opened the box, I was stunned by just how soft they were.  I couldn’t stop touching them and was really excited to try them out with Charlie man.

The bamboo swaddle blankets come in a 3 pack – we received the Azure bamboo muslin swaddle blankets.

  Aren’t they beautiful!  I love these colors! 
Each swaddle blanket is 47″ x 47″ and made from rayon from bamboo fiber.  They are very breathable and lightweight, and they get softer with every wash!    I don’t exactly remember where we were headed the day we received these and washed them, but we took them out with us and I remember my sister and her kids commenting on how soft the blankets were.  We took a trip to Wisconsin and stopped at my best friends moms house so she could meet the new little guy, and a few weeks later, she called to ask what blankets these were because she was going to order some for a baby shower!  The softness definitely leaves an impression on everybody who touches them.
I am really glad they come in a 3 pack, although I definitely want more of these.  We used these blankets a ton since Charlie man was born.  It was so hot out, but I still wanted him covered from the sun when we had to be out in it.  I would drape this blanket over his car seat or over him.  Then when he spit up, which he tends to do, I would use the blanket to wipe it up – I know, I was unprepared and never remembered a spit up cloth.  Then we would just toss the blanket in the wash.  And I promise you – these blankets have washed up so well after being washed at least a few times a week.  You would never know by looking at them that they have been washed so often and used so much.

If you haven’t used swaddle blankets before, don’t be intimidated, they are really easy to use.  3 simple steps – well, 4 if you count laying down the baby.  Wrap one side around baby and tuck it in, fold up the bottom and tuck it in, then wrap other side around baby and tada!  Cozy happy baby.  As you can see, Charlie would not let me tuck his arms in!  When he is really ready to sleep he does, but otherwise, no way! 

Our bamboo swaddle blankets have so many uses!  They have been impromptu changing pads, sun shades, spit up rags, floor blankets, nursing covers, my daughters swaddle blankets for her babies – that one was fun to watch, a light blanket for Maggie to play on or cover up with, and so much more.  And because these are so lightweight, I know that we will use them for years to come because kids fall asleep at the oddest times, and we are always doing things outside and I want to keep them protected!  I always have one of these in my truck just in case.

I love the many different patterns and colors that you can get.  No matter what your style or whether baby is a boy or girl, there is a 3 pack for you!

I highly recommend the bamboo swaddle blankets to everybody!  Whether they are for you or for a gift, every baby will love these!  Did I mention these are bamboo…the greatest stuff on earth – in my opinion!  If you haven’t figured this out, these are my FAVORITE swaddle blankets! 

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Do you swaddle your little love bug?  Does it help them sleep better?  Have you used swaddle blankets before? Besides swaddling, what else do you use them for?  Have you used Aden + Anais products before?