ROSE:
MiliMili was inspired by a home-sewn sleep sack gift that I gave to Kelsey and her new daughter, Remy, for her first birthday. I love making gifts for friends and family, and wanted this to be special — bright and bold, like the Searles family style.
I’m not a mom (yet! I’m currently in my second trimester with my first kid!), so I planned what I thought was perfect — an adorable baby quilt. I started gathering pattern and fabric inspiration. Luckily, I happened to mention my idea to another mom friend of mine, who very kindly let me know that it’s no longer recommended for babies to use blankets in cribs. She shared all the blanket risks with me (terrifying), and said that a beautiful handmade quilt would be so appreciated, but would probably either end up stored in a cupboard for later or as a wall hanging.
What new parents now rely on are sleep sacks. Sleep sacks? A wearable blanket — a kids snuggie? I took a deep dive on Google and Pinterest, and got inspired to try my hand at designing something fresh and stylish. It wasn’t perfect — it needed a few mom-friendly adjustments — but it did inspire Kelsey and me to start this small business together, creating incredibly soft, easy to slip on and off, cozy sleep sacks for our kids — and yours!
KELSEY:
For our family, the sleep sack holds a very important role. At 20 months, Remy uses it for every nap and every night — even though, technically, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says she'd be fine using a regular blanket.
Why have we stuck with it so long?
In the beginning, the choice was all due to safety purposes — it kept Remy warm at night, without worry of blanket suffocation or strangulation (yes, those are, sadly, very real risks).
But the sleep sack also provides so much more.
- It provides her comfort. My daughter is obsessed with snuggling soft things. When she doesn’t feel well or when she’s tired, she finds something soft to hold and rubs it against her cheek for comfort (sometimes it’s the soft side of velcro!) Since its not recommended to have blankets, pillows, bumpers or plush toys in the crib, the sleep sack provides this comfort for her instead. She pulls it up close to her face to smell and snuggle each night (why we keep using it, even in hot climates).
- It stays on her and keeps her cozy — even as she rolls back and forth through her crib at night. That girl can't keep a traditional blanket on her body for the life of her.
- It's part of the sleep routine we established for her as an infant (bath, PJs, sleep sack, books, bed), and as such it signals bed-time for her. This has been an awesomely useful thing while traveling and on-the-go. When you're flying, etc., and need to force a nap, just pop that sleep sack on — and bam! — her eyelids start to droop.
- And, most importantly at this age: it keeps her in her crib.
To that last point, let me explain further:
Beyond the fact that the sleep sack keeps Remy from falling out of her crib as she attempts escape, I cannot tell you how many friends had a kid who became expertly mobile and decided they wanted to shirk the confines of their crib and roam the home. They read the signs, and decided their kid was ready for a toddler bed — only then to deal with a babe who was constantly trying not to escape the crib now, but their room! A wearable blanket keeps Remy in her crib at night.
Pro Tip: Remy has yet to figure out how to unzip her sleep sacks, but if your kid is on the genius track, just put the sack on inside out or backwards, and you should be set.
I’ll also add that IF Remy escaped her room to cuddle me, and slept still at night, I'd welcome her with open arms. Unfortunately, she sleeps like a frickin’ ninja — kicks and moves around constantly — resulting in a terrible night’s sleep for all of us. Basically, she’s not a good bed-sharer, and thus shall remain in her crib, in her sleep sack, until she is a teenager. JK... Kinda...
Long story short — we love the sleep sack because it helps Remy sleep better; which in turn helps Mama sleep better. And I’m far more capable and pleasant to be around when I’m well rested. Just ask my husband. ;)
Long live the sleep sack!
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Want to reap the same benefits, and have your child happily and safely sleeping in their crib? Get your hands on our gorgeous and crazily soft sack now! (there is a joke in there somewhere...)
