A Sweaty Baby Is An Unhappy Baby. So Is a Cold One.

I haven't put a small baby to bed in a long time, not since Brady was enormous seemingly moments after birth. However, when he and Kyle were infants and the nights were chilly, I never used blankets to keep them warmer. Instead I reached for the sleep sacks that were given to me as shower gifts.

Like overalls that end in a bag instead of pant legs, or like a miniature sleeveless Snuggie, the sleep sacks were the perfect solution to keep the babies warm without adding another risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). One might blow this risk off as minimal, but if you are the mother of a young baby you do not care how minimal a risk is, you just don't want to take it.

The CJ Foundation for SIDS has released a reminder about the risks of SIDS and a list of guidelines to follow when caring for your infant to reduce them.

* Consider the use of fans to increases ventilation
* Room temperature should be comfortable for a lightly-clothed adult, approximately 61-67 degree Fahrenheit
* Cribs should be totally free of all loose blankets, stuffed animals and crib bumpers
* Lay baby to sleep in an improved crib, on a firm mattress; do not let the baby sleep on soft things, like a couch, pillow, sheepskin, foam pad or waterbed
* No smoking when pregnant or near baby
* If possible, breastfeed baby
* Offer a pacifier at bedtime
* Co-sleeping should be in the same room but not the same bed or other sleep surface as parents

Even when it's cold, it is very important for babies to be dressed lightly and comfortably to avoid overheating. The muslin swaddling blankets by aden + anais® were not widely available when my kids were infants (do I sound so old already?) but now everyone has one and they even make the sleep sacks now too. Cuter than the sleep sacks that I used, these are really adorable and they help you keep the baby warm and safe at the same time.

Do you have a baby to keep warm and safe this spring? aden + anais® will give a cozy sleeping bag to one of my readers. Typical giveaway rules - leave a comment here with an obvious way to contact you and I'll use Randomizer to pick a winner by the end of the week.

Stay warm!

It's Not Too Late To "Whip It"

Sometimes, when you're mired in the humdrum day-blending life of a suburban working mother, it helps to watch a bunch of bad-ass chicks beating the crap out of each other while traveling at high speeds around a rink wearing miniskirts. While the story of Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, "Whip It," turns out to be predictable, fitting right into the typical sports team-comes-from-behind-because-of-plucky-unlikely-hero format, not to mention the teen rebellion/coming of age format, the action and characters were satisfying to not just me but also my hard-to-impress husband and even my 2-year-old who couldn't sleep last night. "It's da race!" he exclaimed during the final sequence.

Ellen Page is just as adorable as she was in "Juno," although with considerably less script to chew on, and the supporting characters are all nice to look at and listen to. For me the standout was Barrymore herself, whose every appearance was the indulgent equivalent of punk rock mosh pit melee. It was fun to see her go balls out for once, gleefully partaking in a food fight, hurling her body at other skaters, tackling her character's fiance, and on and on.

This film appealed to my husband on the sports level, and I was just curious. I would definitely recommend this as a rental, and if you're into that sort of thing, purchase it for the bonus features, because any chance to get inside Drew Barrymore's head is pretty priceless. Also, Juliette Lewis, an actress I've always loved ("How sexy am I NOW?!") plays a 36-year-old menace. The scene in which she gives Page's character the older woman smackdown is just...awesome.

My review copy was provided by Fox, who has given me three copies for my readers. Leave a comment here and pass it on - comments will be open until Friday, February 12, 2010 at 8:00PM Pacific Time and winners will be chosen from them by Randomizer.