Wednesday, July 22, 2015

sleep as snug as a bug : a snugbags giveaway

this is a sponsored post

As I near the end of the witching hour(s) each night, I look forward to dressing the children in their pyjamas and tucking them into bed with a hot water bottle and a teddy. I'm not sure there is anything quite as comforting for a child than a soothing bedtime routine complete with a story and lots of cuddles. And let's be honest, it's a good feeling when the beautiful quiet of evening descends on the house and I can drink my tea without interruption (if only for half-an-hour, or so).

It's been cold here of late; Daniel and I will often add a log to the fire in the early hours of the morning to make sure the house stays as warm as possible. Percy sleeps between us and I often swaddle him but he's nearing that in-between stage where he wants to sleep with his arms free but still startles himself awake. Give it a few more weeks and I'm not entirely sure if swaddling will work for us anymore, hence I've been on the look out for a safe sleeping alternative that will keep him warm and content.

When I shop for the children I look for quality fabrics and beautiful design. But I also seek clothing that will stand the test of time; I like to think that if I spend a little more I can purchase something that will be worn across seasons for a year, maybe more.

Introducing Snugbags; a New Zealand company that creates high quality sleeping bags and pyjamas from the finest NZ Merino wool. The extra-long design (the longest on the market) ensures that your child will fit the sleeping bag for at least two years (Percy should still fit this in two winter's time). Owner, Kim Snel, is very passionate about the niche business she has created. "I first came across Snugbags when my daughter, Neeva Rose, was 18months. I loved the sleeping bags so much that I purchased the company. Since then I have added new ranges, styles and colours, including the organic range for the eco-conscious parent who wants the purest chemical-free sleep environment for their child and the Winter Duvet Deluxe as I felt there was a need for a super cozy sleeping bag that keeps baby warm when the temperature really drops," she says.

A keen surfer, Kim lives with her partner and daughter in Piha, a small beach town on the West Coast of New Zealand. Their sun drenched house is sweet and quirky; it looks out onto an expansive garden and the ocean beyond (the view is awe inspiring). Originally from The Netherlands, Kim admits that now, New Zealand is home. "New Zealand is a magical country with untouched nature and an amazing energy...I couldn't imagine living anywhere else."

Snugbags' entire manufacturing process takes place in NZ which gives Kim the opportunity to oversee every single step. "All our sleeping bags are made here and we only ever use NZ Merino wool as it is superior quality; it's silky soft and therefore beautiful against baby's skin," she says. "Merino is called nature's wonder fibre as it has the unique ability to regulate your baby's temperature by drawing moisture away from the skin and preventing overheating. It's the safest fibre to dress your baby in as its fire resistant and keeps baby warm in winter and cool in summer."

Beautiful and functional, Snugbags are the highest quality sleeping bags I've come across. Second to the soft Merino, I am particularly impressed with the tailoring (such fine attention to detail) and the fact that I can throw the sleeping bag into the washing machine (a real bonus!). They are available in size 0-2 and 2-4 in either Standard, Winter Duvet and Winter Deluxe Duvet weight.

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Snugbags is offering Practising Simplicity readers a discount off all sleeping bags as well as $5 postage (worldwide). If you're interested, head to the VIP page and enter the password SNUG. Discount ends midnight 26th July. 

Kim is also giving away a set of NZ merino pyjamas (size 1-4). To enter, simply leave a comment and tell us a bit about your children's bedtime routine. What makes it so special? The comment that resonates most will win. Open to international readers. Entries close 5pm Sunday 26th July. 

Good Luck!

Comments closed. Congratulations, Lauren! I hope little Eve stays snug and warm in her new PJs. 


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28 COMMENTS

  1. Oh they do look gorgeous, I'm a huge fan of sleeping bags for keeping little ones warm and toasty. And as for what makes our bedtime routine special, it's the moment when we come together at the end of the day. The children will have had their bath and be all snuggled up in PJs, the girls in their beds and Pip roaming the floor of their room, and while they snuggle down or Elma has her milk, I read stories and H potters around, fetching blankies and straightening duvets. The magic moment is when that's all done and we're still, just together and at peace.

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  2. We only started doing this last week, so I feel a little sheepish calling it our routine, but for the very last thing we light a candle in a beautiful stoneware candle holder made by some potter friends of ours and sing "Day is Done" to our toddler in her little bed and her baby brother next to her in his crib. "Goodnight Everly, goodnight Oskar. We love you so much."

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  3. We splash in the warm or cold water of the kitchen sink depending on the time of year (right now we're all craving cool water rinses after these hot and humid days). Rye prefers to stand up and knock at the glass pane of the window, call out to the birds on the grape vine and reach for dirty dishes that have inevitably been left in the opposite basin. We then drip-dry our way to pjs, singing the Spanish song that was sung to me as a girl by my mother as she rubbed us down with a towel (la cucaracha, la cucaracha, da da da da da...) and then wrangle on the bulky cloth diaper with it's nighttime insert. Papa tucks our little Bug into a sleepsack and rests him in my arms in our rocking chair, kisses us goodnight and dims the light. A beeswax candle is lit, a board book read (which gets interrupted halfway through with the impatience to nurse.) When Rye is sleepy enough, I heave-ho and carry him to his crib where he settles in on his belly, an arm above, an arm below...

    We've tried to forgo the sleep sack on a hot night or two here in Southern California, but our Bug has formed quite the attachment to the cocoon-like coziness...

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  4. We have a very basic bedtime routine for our 1-year-old which involves quiet play, some milk, a story and change into sleep gear and then a slow walk down the hallway, chatting through the days' highlights. It's relaxing for all three of us.

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  5. Oh wow! Those sleeping bags. Our little lady really loves to be toasty! I will be having a look at the site. Eve is a little bit younger than Percy, she is 3 and a half months. We love to have a bath in the evening (so does she). We then put her in her pjs and do some tummy time. We then go a relax in the lounge for a cuddle before her feed, which I do in her bedroom. I was saying to my husband yesterday morning that in those moments that she is enjoying her milk eyes half closed, she's relaxed. I'm totally in awe of the miracle she is and the blessing she is in our lives.

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  6. How wonderful. My son Jack has autism and sleeping at night has always been a fight. I am due with baby boy number two in Sept. and would LOVE to have this for him. Thank you.

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  7. My favorite part of our bedtime routine is when we light a beeswax candle,
    Say a verse together while holding hands and then we read stories. I remember the night before our second was born, lighting the candle and sitting together, it marks a special moment in our days and life.

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  8. Oh wow. I love sleeping bags for our boys.
    I love our bedtime routine for our two year old. Our three month old will join him when he's old enough.
    About fifteen minutes before his bedtime, we ask our two year old if he wants to brush his teeth. He usually potters up to the bathroom five minutes after. Then he kisses Mum/Dad and his brother and finds his dummy on the shelf (he only has a dummy at bedtime and is very particular about putting it back on the shelf when he gets up). He chooses a book, Mum/Dad chooses a book and we snuggle into the big chair in his room. We read one or both stories talking about pictures, making animal noises, etc. He hops off the chair and climbs into his cot. We zip him into his sleeping bag, pull a blanket over him and then it's lots of kisses and tight cuddles. Then he's ready to sleep. He's usually happily asleep within five minutes.
    Nicole (for some reason my profile isn't coming up and it's making me comment as unknown.)

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    1. And then, my name did pop up as usual. Strange.

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  9. Bedtime is so special because then... the kids are in bed! Ha. Even on the best of days, I relish the peace and quiet. But we all enjoy bedtime, my partner and I take turns to read a story. Tin tin and Asterix are the big hits, and we enjoy small chapter books like the Flat Stanley series. When I just put my 5 year old to bed now, he also articulated something he was upset about earlier in the evening: 'I felt left out when... happened.' That space and ability to express feelings makes bedtime pretty special. And we're looking forward to growing our family with a new addition in September.

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  10. Our child's bedtime seems to be like most others: We brush our teeth, get in pajamas and then snuggle up on a floor bed and read a bit.

    foxesandfigs@gmail.com

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  11. I love reading to my kids. When my 3rd baby came along (a little girl called Pipi now 2) I found it a little more difficult as I was often trying to juggle a book and a baby - that's when I invented the 'naughty fairy Pipi' stories. Instead of reading a book I'd use Pipi in the story and make up a story off the cuff. In the stories Pipi would do naughty things like turn the kid's bunk bed into cheese or turn me into a dog or something, but she'd always make amends in the end. I'd hold her and imagine my chubby cheeked baby with little fairy wings on her back. The kid's loved the stories so much I actually photo shopped pictures of Pipi to give her wings and got our very own book printed. Now the older 2 are old enough to read Pipi bed-time stories and will often pull out our very own book :) So special xx

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    1. PS ... Wee Percy is adorable and those sleeping bags look so luxe! Being a Kiwi is great to see more awesome Kiwi companies like this!

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  12. Manech is almost two. He usually drinks a small bottle of milk laying either on me or his dad. While he drinks I read him a story or talk about the day that has just gone. Once he is done drinking we make it a game to run to the bathroom to brush his teeth and we all clap our hands and throw high fives once he is done. He laughs! Then pyjamas and snuggles while I nurse him. He is almost completely done with breastfeeding. I can tell he just really likes the comfort of it before turning the lights off. We found out last week that baby number 2 was on its way. It makes all of these moments even more precious as I realize that soon enough, Manech will be a big brother and not a tiny baby anymore. One thing about him: we had big plans on swaddling him for the first few weeks/months of his life. It did not happen, our little boy hated it. From day 2 he'd move his little body as much as he could until he could get his feet free and out of the swaddle which took us by surprise. I was afraid he would get cold at night and found myself scrolling all over the internet to find the perfect sleeping bag. I wish I knew about snug bags then! He has been sleeping in a sleeping bag ever since he was 1 week and loves it.
    ps : the password doesn't seem to be working for me on the VIP snug bags' page... :(
    www.happy-bandits.com

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  13. We read lots of bed time stories perched in a comfy rocking chair. I am still breastfeeding my 18 month old before bed as it is such a special bonding time that I don't want to let it go!

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  14. At around 7 30 p.m. i get my toddler into pjs. Depending on his level of stinkiness, i may give him a bath first. He will linger in the bath as long as possible to avoid going to bed. After he has his pjs on, we brush our teeth together. Finally, we go lay into bed together. I tell him "one story and then it is lights out." He tells me, "okay." So, i read him his one story that he picks out but then he begs for another. I turn the bedroom lights off and say "it's dark now, it is time to sleep." He screams "NO!" And turns the light switch back to on. He also comes up with a dozen excuses as to why it isn't bedtime yet...he has to eat, he has to poop, he wants to read more, he wants to wrestle, he wants to play with his monster trucks, he wants to watch his favorite show, etc etc. I do normally oblige to "wrestling" him in hopes of the extra physical activity (on top of the bicycle riding, playing at the park, swimming, and everything else we already did earlier) wearing him out...instead it just wears me out and i sit in the middle of his bed while he jumps around me singing "10 little monkeys jumping on the bed!" Or "ring around the rosy!" Finally, no sooner than midnight, he will finally lay down and go to sleep.

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  15. Like most others, we have a routine based on showers, teeth, stories and snuggles. For our little girl, this ritual has become increasingly important over the past 12 months, ever since she has become a big sister to her little brother. Although the steps to bedtime are a great wind down, the hands-on care giving of my husband and myself provide great reassurance to our girl and it is a special time for her to have one-on-one time with each parent. Recently we have started doing massages of little feet with essential oils which has been a big hit. It is really nice to end each day on a calm note - as sometimes the volume of living with a 12 month old and a four year old can be overwhelming.

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  16. We're expecting our first in early October. I wish I could describe our favourite bedtime routine, but instead I can say this: I cannot stop thinking about how much I want to meet this little guy. I am so looking forward to reading him bedtime stories while snuggled in bed. My mother-in-law just recently gifted us a huge set of childrens' books she had saved specifically for her first grandchild, so it will be nice to come together as the day winds to a close, reading from the very same books my husband grew up with.

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  17. We whisper sweet nothings into our 8months old ear just before bed and he smiles while snuggling into his much loved comforter 'rabbity' then we lay him down in his cot and whisper ' we love you Oliver, we will come and check on you soon"

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  18. First... if I win, I am donating to our hospital to help raise funds. When my babies were tiny little guys, I would first bath them with a nice gentle scented bath wash. Then I would gently massage them with a nice baby cream before dressing them for bed. While in there beds, I would sing to them. This would last for about half an hour or less. If they weren't sleeping by then, they did when I left the room. Gosh, I miss that.
    Doreen Lamoureux
    dorcontest at gmail dot com

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  19. Bath, massage, feed, book bed. That is my babe's routine.

    mandaoverturf at yahoo dot com

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  20. Bath, massage, feed, book bed. That is my babe's routine.

    mandaoverturf at yahoo dot com

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  21. Our Ivy is only 9 days old as I write this so bedtime is very much a work in progress! It always includes at least one (but usually more!) breastfeeds, discussions on whether to wake her up by changing her nappy (or can it be left til next feed..), swaddling, and snuggling down in between us until the pattern begins again. For me, I usually spend at least 15 minutes rubbing my lips over her silky soft head, breathing in her beautiful smell, and feeling so incredibly grateful that she picked me to be her mama!

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  22. Percy looks so adorable in his sleeping bag. I only ever used ours for camping as I found they got too hot when our babies were snuggled in between us in bed. And once they were big enough for their own bed, they wanted to be able to walk places (like back to our bed!) so they needed something with feet. I am very interested to see the pyjamas, as I love merino and find it the best material for layering up my little ones through these cold southern winters.
    Our bedtime routine starts with an overly elaborate toothbrushing and flossing performance, extends through filling up the hot water bottles and tucking them into beds (if they haven't already been filled and wrapped with pyjamas to warm up them during bath time) and ends with a picture book or three and a chapter from a longer book for the boys while Grant carries Thea around to kiss us all goodnight. There are giggles and laughter with many an upside down kiss, then nursery rhymes in bed ("cat and fiddle", "kings' neigh" and the mysterious "cock!" - aka Hickory Dickory) and perhaps a made-up story or two from Dad as they all settle down to sleep.

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  23. My seventeen month old, partner, and I all head up into the sleeping loft a bit before it is time for bed. We darken the room--closing the blinds on the skylight and drawing the curtains--and then collaboratively put away any toys and books that are lingering from the day. My partner gets the baby into a clean diaper, wool cover, and pajamas while I pull down the covers and lay out a swaddle. Getting into cozy pajamas is our baby's signal that it's time to sleep, and after she and her Lala (my partner) say goodnight to one another, the baby is handed to me and my partner heads downstairs to wash the dinner dishes.

    My daughter has been falling asleep in her S.B. sling since she was an infant, and that is still our habit now. I wrap the top half of the babe in her swaddle, slip her into the sling, and tighten the linen around her while I cradle her and she nurses. Then I rock, bounce, sway her to sleep while she nurses and I sing the same Neil Young song she has been hearing at sleep times since she was born.

    Sometime in the future I too will tuck her in with snuggles, a hot water bottle, and her song. But for now, I'm happy to be the warmth she falls asleep against.

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  24. I wish I could tell you a sweet heartwarming bed time routine story but it all changed about 2 weeks ago.... our smart Sammy is 19 months old and we live in the Waikato / NZ. We used to have the best play time between 8 - 9pm each night with lots of laughter and fun, daddy putting him into his PJ's after I clean him top to bottom and those two would religiously clean his teeth and then have a chamomile spray for a better sleep. He would kiss his daddy take his blanky and I would carry him in his room, I would pray with him and finally while walking out the door revisit our "insider" jokes once again with lots of laughter and he would very happily fall asleep with no crying.
    One day it all changed and he is now fighting it as soon as we get the PJs out! No kisses, no "nite nite", no daddy! So, at the moment we are trying to come to terms that this precious boy has worked it out ... that bedtime is only fun for mommy and daddy and he wants to join us until we go to bed ourselves - remember he goes to bed at 9pm each night which doesn't leave us much time as a couple!
    Geeeeee I reckon if we win this PJ he would be soooooooooo happy and will look forward to bedtime ;-))))) I am from Austria and my hubby from NZ so we have a lot of different traditions that we want to bring our kid(s) up but bedtime is definitely challenging!!!!

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  25. When lour second baby arrived, Daddy took over tucking our oldest into bed for the night. He started a special ritual: three questions. I overhear from the couch feeding the baby, "what was the best thing you did today, did anything make you sad, what did you learn". After 3 years of having beig the last one to tuck him into bed, letting go of the reigns to my husband, and seeing the special father-son bond get stronger with the help of their nighttime routine has been very special (not to mention, giving me time for precious newborn snuggles for myself!)

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  26. We've recently welcomed a baby girl
    Into our family and it's been lovely to see my partner and our two year old work out their own routine, although I must admit to feeling a little left out as I'm usually feeding out daughter during this time (she's a firm believer in the witching hour). An enforced stepping back on my part has allowed my partner the room to work out his parenting style and they know song the alphabet song, read books and then have a cuddle in bed while they discuss all the nice things they'll do the following day.

    My daughter's routine at this stage is relatively simple - bath,feed, cuddle and sleep. On the nights the witching hour is particularly vexing I try and remember how quickly these days go, and how one day I'll yearn for a milky newborn cuddle.

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