obsessed: favs for mama + bebe + toddler! PLUS! a giveaway with SmartyPants vitamins! [closed]

so, okay… it’s true that i have obsession lists going for preg favs round 1 and round 2, postpartum essentials, must-haves for the first 6 months of baby, and 6-12 months of baby. sure sure sure! and i still stand by aaaall those. when i really have a fav, i don’t tend to change much. but! at this point, i’ve collected a few more notable favsies from the various pre and post baby chapters… a handful of things that take life up a notch! that are gonna get their own little shout out riiight abouuut… now! [oh, and spoiler alert! there’s a super great giveaway at the end!]

1. burt’s bees organic cotton striped crib sheet – we have this little sheet in all its beautiful soft blue striped glory, and i looooove it! it’s insanely soft and cozy. and when it’s dirty, i swap it out with a cream colored american baby organic cotton crib sheet, which is also incredibly soft. it’s hard to find the perfect color + softness + price options in organic sheets, i feel like! but these are completely amazing.

2. west coast baby bamboo blankets – when maddalena was born, we were given a few of these  wonderful little things, and they have remained my very favs!! i’m not a huge swaddler, for the most part [my babies prefer the use of their arms], but i do like to wrap up rocco’s lower half to keep his legs all snug and cozy… and i lo-o-ove the way these bamboo numbers wrap around a baby in the. coziest. fashion. possible. it’s like a second layer of skin, and i wish someone would wrap me in them! they’re lightweight, buttery soft, and they wash and hold up well. we also have a few of their amazing onesies and i’ve definitely got my eye on a few more in larger sizes for fall!

3. lillebaby airflow carrier – this has been a lifesaver for functioning with both a big girl and a baby! i have always, always loved wearing a tiny baby in a wrap… and i have also loved wearing an older baby in the ergo carrier. however!! this time around, i’ve needed something i could take on and off super quickly that can also hold a newborn without an extra insert. as it turns out, the lillebaby has been the perfect marriage of both my wrap and carrier preferences… and i am so so thankful for this sucker! it’s adjustable in like 500 million ways [seems like] to accommodate tiny babies and bigger babies, facing in, facing out, etc. so we’ll see how it grows with him, but so far it’s been amazing!

4. oli & carol extra-large spotty ducks – hello, most beautiful childrens toys ooon the planet! i can’t ever get over these beautiful duckies! they’re made from 100% natural latex, and they also don’t have a valve so they can’t suck up water and get icky. and i mean, they’re gorgeous. i’m completely obsessed. plus! oli & carol are actually two really adorable sisters from barcelona who started this company to design safe and healthy toys for babes! the sweetest, right?

5. zoli d.lite vacuum insulated thermos – i seriously need one in my size. this is legitimately the best thermos ever! it keeps water cool for EVER with whatever magic goes on with vacuum insulation. and it’s not plastic. gloryyyy!

6. SmartyPants prenatal gummies & children’s gummies – okay, these!! these are delicious, first of all. it’s an actual challenge to not gobble down more than a day’s share of vitamins [which they advise against doing, fyi! haha. oops?]. but they sure make for a perfect a guilt-free goodie! i first discovered these as i was searching the internet for a gummy vitamin for maddalena that contained methyl-B12 and L-methylfolate… aka. B12 and folate in natural forms as opposed to artificial versions that your body has to convert. [especially important if you are one of many with some level of the MTHFR gene defect. i don’t know if i have it, but i suspect so!] it’s actually surprisingly hard to find a multi-vitamin that provides all of this. everything you find at the grocery, for example, is typically going to contain synthetic forms of things, because that’s easiest for the companies to use. so! i was on my mission for a high quality, child-friendly vitamin when i came across SmartyPants and realized… hey, wait! i already had an email from them in my inbox!! soooo, i contacted them, they sent me a bunch to try, and WOW! they’re fabulous. maddalena will take them. my brother will take them. [haha. the regular adult version, that is!] and seriously, for any pregnant gals suffering from morning [ahem, all day] sickness, gagging over their big ole prenatals… these are a must! i will say, though, they do contain sugar. so, if you’re going sugar-free like my husband is currently, and like i have in the past, then that’s the only hitch. although, their fiber formulas have no added sugar. 🙂 anyway, check out their FAQ! it’s a good read! *AND! coming back to say, i totally forgot to mention the best part… for every bottle purchased, SmartyPants gives a bottle to children in need!! isn’t that amazing?!*

7. piko 3/4 length top – how many times will i shout my love for these pikos? how many? probably a jillion. they’re amazing. and they’re not maternity, no no. they’re just perfect for everything in life. they’re slouchy and flowy [my fav kind of top!] and perfect for a long torso or a huge baby bump [or both]. the bamboo is lightweight and awesome for nursing. i also have and love the long sleeve, the short sleeve, which i often layer over my fav tanks for super easy concealed nursing… and then there’s also the short sleeve v-neck, and oh, i have such a weakness for a good v-neck!

8. traditional medicinals raspberry leaf tea  – raspberry leaf tea is supposed to be really great for women’s health in general. among the many benefits, it’s high in things like B vitamins and magnesium [which apparently, as i’ve read, way too many people are deficient in!] so it can help a lot with common pregnancy issues like leg cramps and low energy… and it’s supposed to tone the uterus, so it’s great for birth prep! i made sure to start drinking this toward the end of pregnancy and i’ve been continuing to drink it since. plus, it has a very soothing taste. 🙂

…and now!! back to those SmartyPants vitamins!!

the fabulous people of SmartyPants are offering one friend of charmings a really, really cool baby gift package!! the lucky winner will receive… 

SmartyPants prenatal gummy vitamins, a SmartyPants #bornsmarty onesie, sophie the squeeky, teething giraffe, a skiphop activity owl, babyganics baby wash, and a bunch of SmartyPants vitamin samples!

yay yay! to enter this giveaway: check out the SmartyPants web site and leave a comment here! also, be sure to find them on twitter // instagram // facebook // pinterest // youtube. whichev social media outlet floats your boat, right! 😉 a winner will be drawn and contacted in one week! and make sure there’s an email attached to your comment, please please and thank you muchly!