BabyLegs: Super Cute & Super Convenient

LB & her BabyLegs: What a Feeling!

It's back to the 1980's for Little Bear! While consignment store shopping last week I found 2 pairs of BabyLegs that looked almost brand new. I decided to spend the $2.00 and try them out! I'm so happy I did. I read about BabyLegs in Mothering Magazine last year and thought that while it was a cute idea, I wasn't sure if I'd actually use them. Cute, yes. Useful? Not so sure. And if I have to choose between the two, I'll go with useful almost every time.

BabyLegs got their start in 2005 when a mother decided to opt for useful (as many, many mothers do). Her little one had a bad diaper rash and she wanted to air her bum out - but also didn't want to freeze her to death. In a moment of inspiration, she snipped off the toes to a pair of socks and used them as leg warmers for her daughter. She soon discovered that diaper changing - and eventually potty training - became much more practical when she didn't have to fight with pants and bottoms all the time. Brilliant. The company BabyLegs has now expanded to include more - but they got their start from a baby with a bad case of diaper rash and a desperate mother. Click here to visit their homepage. It's pretty cool.

So Little Bear tried out her first pair of BabyLegs yesterday and they were a big hit (for me, at least ... she didn't seem to notice the difference). Diaper changes have never been quicker or easier. And she did look awfully cute, I must admit. Because we use cloth diapers (read here about reasons why we chose cloth), I find myself doing more diaper changes than if we were using disposables (this is actually a good thing because it means Little Bear is not sitting in her own pee, like disposables allow). Not having to take pants off - and then put them back on - really does save A LOT of time. Needless to say, I'm sold on the idea.

BabyLegs makes two sizes: newborn, and one-size-fits-most. Obviously, if you have an extremely chunky monkey, you may be out of luck. But the pair I picked up fits Little Bear very well at 7 months and should fit her for quite some time (even another year?). If that's the case - or, if you just have a creative streak in you - you can always make a pair of leg warmers yourself. I found a wonderful tutorial on Prudent Baby's website on do-it-yourself-leg-warmers. I think they'd probably take all of about 5 minutes to complete.


BabyLegs cost about $10-$12/pair on their website. Again, consignment store shopping can save you tons of money if you have a little extra time and patience. There is a knock-off brand called My Little Legs which cost about $7.50/pair on their website.. Supposedly Target has a brand, as well, but I couldn't find them on their online store, if so. Then, of course, Amazon.com offers both BabyLegs and My Little Legs - selling them for less than on each individual store's website.

However you find them, and for whatever cost you find them at, I'm sure you'll enjoy them. They come in an endless assortment of colors, and really are quite practical given certain circumstances. We probably won't wear them every day, but Little Bear will definitely be sporting the 1980's "Flash Dance" style from time to time.

Tag Blankets!

Over the past few weeks I have watched Little Bear (who is now almost 7 months old) become absolutely fascinated with tags. Whether it is on a stuffed animal, a piece of clothing, or a soft toy ... she zeros in on the tag and ignores everything else! I've watched her sit for 10 minutes with a multitude of toys around her, playing only with a tag. She is getting better at her fine motor skills and enjoys using her fingers to make the tag move. She also seems to love the feel of tags in her mouth and can chew on one longer than almost anything else. One of Kyle's friends informed me about "tag blankets" - something I had never heard of before. I looked them up on the internet and knew instantly that the idea would be a hit with Little Bear. 

Two sets of tag blankets & bibs.

A "tag blanket" (or "taggies" ... as I've also seen them called) is simply a small double-sided blanket that has a multitude of tags sewn around the edge of it. It's a simple yet brilliant idea. They are made in many different sizes and cost anywhere from $15 - $30. I thought it would be a lot more fun to sew one myself since I could not only save money, but also personalize it with the colors and patterns I wanted. Little Bear and I made a trip to Jo-Ann Fabrics (in between snow storms) and spent a solid 30 minutes looking at fabrics, ribbons, and iron-on patches. It was a lot of fun - and Little Bear enjoyed riding around in the cart looking at all the colors around us. 

Close-up of blanket & tags.

I always recommended going to the "scrap" section of a fabric store where you can find remnants of fabric at really good prices! If you are really feeling thrifty, you can usually find fun shirts/skirts/etc. at Goodwill and re-use that fabric. If you aren't feeling very creative, you can always rely on little bundles that the fabric store cuts and puts together of fabrics that go well together. These usually cost around $10 and will supply you with enough fabric to make several blankets. When choosing ribbons, I suggest buying several different widths of ribbon in order to add more contrast and something a little different. 

Soft material with sew/iron-ons added.

Because there are so many websites explaining how to make a basic tag blanket, I won't re-explain the process. My only recommendation in addition to the instructions on the websites would be to have fun with adding iron-ons and sew-ons. Make sure that all iron-ons are also stitched, just to make sure they are secure and can withstand multiple washings and many hours of baby hands pulling on them. Here are several links I found that explain how to make a blanket:

http://extraordinaryordinarylife.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/tag-blanket-tutorial/

http://www.chicaandjo.com/2008/07/22/make-your-own-taggie-blankets/

http://www.ehow.com/how_4870092_make-baby-tag-blanket.html

It only takes about 30 minutes to make a tag blanket ... less time once you know what you are doing. They would make a wonderful home-made gift to give a friend with a little one. I went ahead and made matching bibs out of the same material (I just traced a bib onto fabric, sewed them wrong-side out with a few inches to pull them through right-side out, then did a final stitch around the edge and a little velcro on the ends - takes about 10 minutes). They make a great looking gift set! I love receiving home-made gifts from friends and am trying to give more of them this year, as well.