An Everyday Parent’s Advice for Buying the Perfect Baby Blanket - What baby needs a toy when they have a fun blanket?

Maggie, 27, Union Township, Ohio
Proud mom of Benjamin

Have you ever seen a young child open a present and throw their new toy to the side?  To the gift-giver’s dismay, the child was more interested in the colorful wrapping paper or imagination-provoking box than the new toy.

Below, real-life mom Maggie gives our readers some advice for selecting a baby blanket that may have the same effect.  Your baby will pass up the toys for the chance to play with their favorite blanket.  Maggie says:

When buying a baby blanket, softness is the most important factor, followed by baby-friendly colors, textures and designs.  I like unique blankets that have strings hanging off that my baby can pull on or a fun trim that he can play with.  Ben likes bright colors and various designs all over the blanket…it keeps him entertained!

I own a baby blanket that is small with a giraffe coming out of the middle.  Ben likes to hold it and chew on the giraffe.  It serves as a great play blanket.  When he tires himself from playing, I can just wrap him up and carry him to the crib!

Christmas Baby Blankets - Baby Blankets for Special Occasions Series

Unique Baby Blanket Ideas for Christmas

Make Your Own Christmas Baby Blanket

Visit the Michaels site to learn how to make the Caron Christmas Baby Blanket.  You can purchase Caron’s Simply Soft Yarn at Michaels and download a free pattern for knitting and then embroidering a Christmas baby blanket.

The blanket can double as a baby carriage cover.  This blanket pattern is rated as a 1 out of 5 for level of difficulty with 1 being the easiest.

The design is classic or country Christmas style and makes a great gift, keepsake or family heirloom.

The Royal Nursery First Christmas Blanket

This Christmas baby blanket can be personalized with your baby’s name and features an embroidered rocking horse.  The rocking horse design gives the blanket a very classic Christmas style.

The blanket is made of soft, white micro-fleece.

All you have to do is type the baby’s name into the web page!  As with most personalized items, order in advance because it will likely take a few weeks to embroider and ship.

Baby’s First Christmas Blanket from Blueberry Babies

Blueberry Babies carries a blanket made of white fleece and trimmed in satin.  Babies love to touch soft trims and other textures. A comforting fact (given that this Christmas baby blanket is stark white) is that it is machine washable.

The blanket comes with one of the embroidered designs pictured above: a reindeer, Santa or holiday tree. The chunky, rounded designs of the embroidery give the blanket a cutesy, contemporary Christmas feel.

The blanket can be personalized with your baby’s first name. If you want to use this blanket for multiple children, you can skip the name, or why not embroider your last name only and use it as a family blanket?  It would be a fun item to get out each year a baby in your family celebrates a first Christmas.

Do you own a great Christmas baby blanket or have feedback on one of the blankets showcased above?  Tell us about it by posting a comment so that our readers can have all the information they need before making their Christmas baby blanket purchase.

A Baby Blanket for the First Trip to Grandma’s - Baby Blankets for Special Occasions Series

The Corner Stork - Here I Come Sleepover Gift Set

The Corner Stork sells a “Here I Come” sleepover gift set for your baby’s first trip to grandma’s.  This may be one of the most fun and unique baby blankets on the market.  You may have to decide who gets to keep the set at their house.  I know in my family, grandma always wins!

The set comes in either blue or pink and can be personalized.  Both blanket options are made of fleece, and same-day embroidery is available.

The first trip to grandma’s is such an exciting occasion, why not celebrate with a blanket?  As the child gets older, it will still be fun to pack the suitcase and head to grandma’s.

A Baby Miracle

One of my best friend’s from college and his wife, Ryan and Keeley White, recently had twin boys, Braden and Reed.  The tragedy was that Reed was born with a bad heart, and was in need of a transfer.  So, for the past 70 days or so, my friends have spent days upon days in the ICU unit at Vanderbilt with one of their twin sons, and then going home to the other.  How gut wretching!  The horrible irony of it all was that in order for their son to live, they needed a heart from somebody else. 

So, after 70 hard days of tears and prayers, God gave them a miracle.  Reed was given a new heart from a donor, and immediately was rushed into surgery.  It’s been 3 days now, and he seems to be getting stronger every day.  If you would like to read more about this amazing miracle, check out Ryan and Keeley’s Blog.

Organic Blanket at Happy Mothers

Happy Mothers has a great selection of all kinds of unique baby products.  Seen here is the adorable Eazz Wraps Organic Blanket - Elijah. 

The Organic All in One Blanket is designed to be used from birth until five years old. It is the perfect nursing blanket. This blanket is large enough to cover mom, which allows mom to nurse anywhere. On one side of the blanket are ribbons, which can serve as a signal that it is time to nurse. This blanket takes the frustration out of nursing in public because your baby will know that it is time to nurse by feeling the ribbons. The blanket can connect to the sides of your stroller, and the ribbons will keep baby occupied. The Organic All in One Blanket can be used in the crib, for traveling, in the car seat, or for a play date. The Organic All in One Blanket measures 45 X 45, which is a perfect fit for the double side-by-side stroller.

The blanket normally lists for $59.99, but you can get it here for $44.95.

Christening Blanket - Baby Blankets for Special Occasions Series

If you plan to attend a Christening or dedication ceremony, why not gift a blanket that will be a lasting reminder of the special occasion?  Below is a list of a few places to find a Christening blanket.

Personal Creations Christening Blanket

Personal Creations sells a white blanket made of cotton/poly blend fabric that can be monogrammed.  What a classic, beautiful blanket.  The blanket can be personalized with the baby’s name and birth date or Christening date.  Don’t fear the fragile appearance–it’s okay if your baby loves it and wants to cuddle with it over and over.  It’s machine washable!

Babies also love to play with textures and trims.  The eyelet trim on this blanket is decorative and adds to the classic style of the blanket.  The same trim may serve as great entertainment for your little one.

Anna Bean Cotton Embroidered Christening Blanket with Ruffles

If you’re willing to spend a little more money, Anna Bean has several Christening blankets to choose from.  These unique blankets can be purchased specifically for boys or girls, or a unisex option may be selected.  The pictured blanket is made of 100% cotton broad cloth and was hand embroidered in South America.  It features a cotton ruffle trim and tiny beads to accent the detailed embroidery.

Christening Essentials Generic Silk Christening Blanket with Celtic Cross

If your looking for a traditional Christening blanket with an image of a cross, this may be the option for you.  The pictured blanket from Christening Essentials is made of natural silk, and is backed with 100% cotton flannel.  This unique baby blanket is handmade in the U.S.A.  It is slightly off-white and features an embroidered Celtic cross.

Christening Essentials has a wide variety of other Christening blankets for babies and numerous other Christening products.

Baby Blankets for Special Occasions Series

Are you looking for a baby blanket for a special occasion?  We at blanketmybaby.com can help you find a unique baby blanket for a variety of occasions.  Every occasion calls for a memorable blanket!  Check our blog frequently for updates on where to find baby blankets to commemorate birth, Christening, baby’s first birthday, baby’s first trip to grandma’s, holidays, etc.

Do you own a unique baby blanket you purchased or received as a gift for a special occasion?  Share it with our readers by posting a comment.

What are the benefits my baby receives from an organic blanket? - Organic baby blanket series

Benefits for baby:

- Organic products are typically free from harmful chemicals and toxins. Some baby blankets are made using dyes, flame retardants and non-organic fabrics that may contain harmful chemicals.  Other blankets may be packaged in unsafe plastics or pre-cleaned with non-organic cleansers.  Choosing an organic baby blanket (as well as other organic products) reduces the amount of chemical exposure your child will experience.

- Organic products have increased benefits for babies and children.  Because of their high metabolism and low body weights, children are especially susceptible to toxins.  The young brain develops rapidly from conception to age three.  Babies absorb more toxins per pound of body weight than adults.  It is especially important during these years to choose toxin-free products.

Luxury organics company Robbie Adrian has a web page detailing why you should buy organic baby blankets.  The page tells readers that it takes 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to make one conventional cotton t-shirt and that 7 of the top 15 chemicals used in conventionally grown cotton are classified as “known” or “suspected” carcinogens by the EPA.  For more fun facts and information on organic baby blankets, check out the Robbie Adrian “why organic” page at http://www.robbieadrian.com/whyorganic.php.

You can watch the video below to learn more about Robbie Adrian’s unique organic cotton baby blankets trimmed in silk.  The blanket business is owned by two real-life moms turned entrepreneurs.

An Everyday Parent’s Advice for Buying the Perfect Baby Blanket - Winnie the Pooh, Homemade and Brand New

Vicki, 35, Villa Hills, KY
Proud mom of Tiffany, Brian and Isabella

Are there any drawbacks or things to look out for when buying organic products? - Organic baby blanket series

Organic products are known for having a positive impact on the environment and their users.  Despite widely know benefits, there are some things to look out for when making an organic purchase.

To review the benefits or organic, click here (What are the benefits of buying organic products?), or read below to investigate the negatives.  Once you’ve discovered both the advantages and the drawbacks to becoming an organic consumer, it’s up to you to weigh your options and decide which product best suits your needs.

Drawbacks to buying and using organic products

- One of the most obvious drawbacks is price. Organic products are often more expensive than standard products.  There are many reasons for this difference in price which could include variables such as the cost to farm/produce the product, labor costs, transportation costs and the cost of organic certification.

- Another drawback is that the requirements of organic certification are not widely known or understood. Just because a product is labeled organic does not mean that it is 100% organic or even that it is organic at all.  The current specifications for organic certification are not as stringent in the U.S. as in many other countries.  You may need to do some research to find out just how “organic” a product is.  Look for specific organic certifications or product ingredients, not just the word “organic”.  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a document outlining the details of their National Organic Program.  The USDA document explains organic labeling and marketing information in easy-to-understand terms.  Click here (Labeling and Marketing Information Sheet) to find out more.

- Supply and demand also present some difficulties when it comes to organics. Currently, more people want organic products than the quantity being produced, so products may be hard to find or out of stock.  As mentioned above, this also leads to higher prices.

- Organic doesn’t = safe in all cases. Allergies may still apply.  Be sure to check the list of ingredients.

If you have experienced any other drawbacks to buying organic, please share.  Let’s post away and help each other become more informed consumers.

Since this is a blog about baby blankets, let us not forget to mention that the above drawbacks apply to this product as well.  For the reasons mentioned above, organic baby blankets are typically more expensive than the average baby blanket.  They may be more difficult to find and may require some certification research.  Also, just because a blanket is organic does not mean it is entirely safe for your baby.  Even though they may be free of chemicals and toxins, wool and other fabrics may cause allergic reactions in some children.