I am a frugal mom. I shop consignment sales, happily accept hand-me-down baby toys and think hard before buying high-ticket items for my kids.

Thankfully, I have generous friends who don’t pinch pennies, because without them, I never would have discovered the magic of aden + anais products.

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I received two sets of aden + anais swaddle blankets and almost returned one pack, thinking that a blanket was just a blanket, and that we’d never go through eight of them anyway. But I put them aside until the baby was born, and thank goodness I did. Three years later, we’re still using those swaddle blankets. They’ve gone from newborn nursing and car seat covers to infant tummy time spots to toddler and pre-schooler security blankets.

For baby #2, we bought all-new aden + anais blankets, knowing that she’d likely keep them for life. And luckily for her, she has something even more special: aden + anais clothing. AKA the softest, sweetest and most comfortable outfits my kids have ever owned.

Aden + anais sent us three things to try:

• the pink star romper
• the twinkle star muslin tunic top and pants
• the long-sleeve kimono one piece

The romper is my favorite, visually, but is still a bit large on my 4-week-old. The other outfits, however, are in heavy rotation. They are perfect for warm weather (we live in Florida) because they cover her little arms and legs from the sun but are so light and breathable that she doesn’t overheat at all. They’re soft, have not left any marks on her very sensitive newborn skin and wash beautifully, without any pilling or other damage.

I’m planning on buying a few of the tank bodysuits for both my baby and some of my friends who are expecting, and I won’t flinch one bit at the price tag — you get what you pay for and in this case, it’s worth every penny.

(Now, when are they going to come out with adult clothes?)

Buy It:

You can buy from the aden+anais clothing collection here. The clothing is size 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, and 6-12 months. OR you could enter to win a clothing outfit of choice from aden+anais!

Win It:

aden+anais is offering one Our Knight Life reader an outfit of choice (based on availability). Please use the below rafflecopter form to enter. Prizes will be sent directly from aden+anais. You must be 18+ to enter and located in the US.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today one of my most favorite brands aden + anais launched their all new (aden+anais) RED line. I’ve long said that aden + anais is my favorite go-to baby shower gift. There is just nothing like their muslin!  The limited-edition line of swaddles, dream blankets, and bibs are to benefit the well-known AIDS charity. 10% of every retail price goes straight to (RED) to help prevent the spread of AIDS specifically from mother to child.

The medication that prevents a mother from transmitting AIDS to her child is only about 40 cents a day.  For many women it is unattainable, but with the help of this collection, we can make a huge difference.

Available at adenandanais.com and at key distributors in the USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Europe, the new (aden + anais)RED Special Edition Collection includes:

• a four-pack of swaddle blankets ($49.95)
• a two-pack of swaddle blankets ($32.00) (<– I bought these today!)
• a three-pack of snap bibs ($19.95), a two-pack of burpy bibs ($22.00)
• a dream blanket ($49.95)
• a three-pack of Musy Mates ($19.95) (Europe only).

This post is not sponsored in any way. Just sharing one of my favorite companies doing something pretty awesome!

This holiday season I’m excited to be able to not only showcase some amazing companies in my Holiday Gift Guide, but also to be able to give away some of those family gift suggestions to my amazing readers!!

For nearly 4 years when I would buy my friends baby shower gifts or welcome home baby gifts I would always buy a few key aden+anais pieces that I couldn’t live without as a new mom and put them together!  Finally aden+anais has made it easy to introduce their products to new and expecting parents.

The New Beginnings Baby Gift Set retails for $59.95 and is filled with everything a new baby needs and a new parent would want.  If I found this under our tree this year I would be one happy mama!!

The gift set includes:

• two swaddles: 100% cotton muslin breathable blankets that are as versatile as they are beautiful-complete swaddling instructions inside
• one burpy bib: a bib and burp cloth all in one to provide maximum coverage during feedings
• one musy mate lovey: a cuddly muslin companion that puts a fun twist on traditional security blankets at bedtime and beyond
• Swaddle Love Book: an entertaining guide full of heartwarming humor that explores the history and techniques of swaddling

WIN IT!

One Lucky Our Knight Life reader will win an aden+anais New Beginnings Baby Gift Set of their very own!

Please use the below rafflecopter form to enter. Giveaway is open to US/CAN and ends 12/8/13.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Compensation and/or product was provided for this post.  Our Knight Life is not responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping.  While the sponsor will try their best Christmas delivery is NOT guaranteed.

aden+anais has moms everywhere seeing green with their newly expanded GOTS-certified 100% organic cotton muslin line!

The expansion makes a lot of moms (myself included) very happy!  Like many moms I strive to provide organic options for my children where ever possible.  We use organic skin care products, organic food, and now I’m happy to add some organic aden+anais to my home.

Baby D was sent some of the new organic line to check out, and I’m not sure who loves it more me or him!!

Baby D is dreaming in green with his starstruck organic sleeping bag! I love this option at night to make sure he is warm all night long!  I rest easier knowing his sensitive skin is snug inside the breathable organic muslin.  We use aden+anais sleeping bags nearly every night, they are Baby D’s sleepy time signal that it is time to rest and go to sleep.  The organic sleeping bags retail for $39.95.

When I need to add a little bit more warmth to the equation I reach for his starstruck organic dream blanket.  We love this for strolling on cool mornings, snuggling on the couch, or even rolling around on it as a play area!  The organic dream blanket retails for $69.95.

If you come over during nap time, you are likely to find baby D snuggling with his new organic swaddlers in “wise guys“.  I couldn’t love this pattern more if I wanted to! These sleepy owls are a great addition to the aden+anais family!  They also have several other new prints including “into the woods” and “once upon a time”.  The 3 pack of organic swaddle blankets retail for $54.95

Other items in the expanded line up include the organic burpy bib ($14.95), organic changing pad cover ($29.95), and the organic easy swaddle ($34.95).

As if I couldn’t be more obsessed with aden+anais I swear the organic cotton is even softer than the original cotton products. I really don’t know how they do it – softness and sleepy dust (and now a bit of green) built into each organic aden+anais product!

You can find more information about the new organic line and patterns offered online, or by following aden+anais on facebook and twitter.

When I think of soft fabrics for baby’s nursery I think of aden+anais.  Known mostly for their amazing swaddle blankets, aden+anais also makes a line of crib sheets and changing pad covers.  Baby D loves his blankets so much and is never without one or his issie security blanket, so I knew when I was designing his nursery that an aden+anais crib sheet and changing pad cover would be the most perfect thing for him.

Since we were using aqua and orange as accent colors I was thrilled to find an aqua changing pad in bamboo and the azure beads bamboo crib sheet with complimenting colors.

This is the bamboo changing pad. I picked it mainly for the color, but the softness is perfect for baby’s delicate skin. The changing pad is also offered in the classic cotton muslin as well. Both are super easy to wash, and both only get softer the more you wash them. I recommend buying two changing covers as I seem to be washing these very frequently! It is a changing pad after all!

The crib sheets come in classic (cotton muslin), organic, and bamboo.  I love the classic when it comes to our swaddle blankets, but the bamboo is an amazing crib sheet as it offers a silky softness for sleeping.  Again, I recommend purchasing at least two of them as they get washed often in our home.

Clearly this is a company that I love and recommend to any new mom. The products offered are so superior in quality and get better with every single wash.

Connect with aden+anais

Facebook  – Twitter

Win It!

One lucky Our Knight Life reader is going to win a changing pad AND a crib sheet of their choice!  Giveaway is open to US/CAN and ends on May 3st.  Please use the below rafflecopter form to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck

About mum+bub:

mum+bub a naturally-derived, pawpaw fruit infused skin care collection for baby & you.

Gentle enough for baby, yet sophisticated enough for you, mum + bub is infused with fresh, fermented pawpaw fruit and was formulated with the help of Ellen Gendler, M.D., a leading New York City dermatologist who specializes in cosmetic contact dermatitis. Known for decades in Australia for its skin care benefits, pawpaw fruit relieves, cleanses and protects skin when applied topically.

Free of: phytoestrogen + parabens + added hormone disrupters + petroleum oils + phthalates + dioxanes from sulfates + gluten and soy + petrochemicals + DEA + artificial colors.

Made in the USA.

My Review:

I had the privilege of reviewing 3 mum+bub products and boy oh boy are they some AWESOME products! I have heard of aden+anais, but mainly because of their swaddle blankets. I never knew they made a skin care line until I was sent the 3 products! My boys and I had fun sampling the mum+bub soothing ointment, mum+bub hair+body wash and the mum+bub lotion.

We started out with the mum+bub hair+body wash.  Jacob, my 4 year old, thought it was pretty cool that the container had a pump top that he could work himself!  I first noticed the wonderful sent that the product had.  It was nice and light, not to strong, yet just enough to give a very refreshing clean smell.  I of course loved it because it is an all-in-one product, and lets face it when washing little ones, the less products you have to use to get them clean the better!

Once out of the bath, we moved onto the lotion.  We are not a family that uses a lot of lotion, so I am particularly picky when it comes to lotions that I will buy.  I don’t like ones that leave you feeling greasy, or ones that make you feel like you have a thick paste on your skin.  Thankfully the mum+bub lotion was up to my standards and was a really nice lotion to use.  Both my boys enjoyed getting all lotion-ed up after their baths.  I even enjoyed it on my hands.

The final product I used was the mum+bub calming ointment.  I wasn’t to sure what I was going to use this on, and then a couple days later the skin on my elbow cracked.  This happens to me a couple times a year and I usually have to slather it with some kind of lotion and cover it with the largest band aid I can find.  I decided to give the calming ointment a try and it worked wonders!

As you cans see from the pictures, my skin was very dry and cracked. With just a few days of using the calming ointment and the cracked skin was healed!  The only thing I was not a fan of was when first applying the ointment it was a little greasy, however after I got it rubbed in that feeling went away.  I never had issues with it rubbing off on my clothes.  And after all it is an ointment so that greasy feeling didn’t surprise me to much.

Overall these three mum+bub by aden+anais products is that they are awesome products that I will continue to buy for my family!

Buy It:

You can find the mum+bub products on their website, each retailing for $15.95.

Connect:

You can follow aden+anais to stay on top of all their new products!

Facebook – Twitter

Each week I am going to feature a new product that my family has given the Knight seal of approval! All products featured in Mom Pick Monday are things my family uses regularly and really really loves.

I’m really excited to have my very first Mom Pick be from a company that I absolutely adore!  aden+anais has been in my family’s home for 3.5 years since the birth of my first baby.  We love the swaddle blankets, dream blankets, sleep sacks, and recently I was gifted the Daydreamer for Christmas.  (Talk about absolute luxury.)

aden+anais released the Serenity Star last year, and I think it is a product that every mom needs!

It features:

• Clock
• Feeding Diary
• Sound Machine
• Temperature Sensor
• Nightlight
• Ultra-Portability

All the controls are easy to use and located on the back of the serenity star!  Volume, feeding diary, clock settings, and even temperature display can all be adjusted on the back of the monitor.

The simple star design fits in easily with any nursery theme and is very gender neutral!  Currently it resides next to my bed as my son is in a co-sleeper, and I must admit I will be sad to see it move into his nursery when he gets older as I really love the soft light!

The temperature sensor makes it super easy for me to know if the temperature in our room is ideal for baby’s sleep!

The feeding diary is super easy to use, and you can go back and check via the display which side and what time your baby last ate!  In the picture below you can see my baby ate on the Right side at 9:34 pm.

Check out my video review!

What is your favorite aden+anais product?

If you have a product you would like featured on Mom Pick Monday, feel free to reach out to Emily at familyandlifeinlv(at)gmail.com.