Have you ever gotten your baby or toddler nice and warmly dressed, just to get out to the car and find you have to either take off their warm layers so they’ll fit in the car seat, or readjust the car seat straps? Then, having adjusted the straps so that baby/toddler is safely strapped in, you want to head home again, but the sun has come out and it’s turned into a warm day and you have to adjust the strap again? It’s one of my pet irritations. It really is. Which is why the Bug In A Rug blanket from Babyrug is sheer genius.
When we’re leaving home, I put Aviya in her rug, which is what I carry her out to the car in. She’s popped straight into the car seat and off we go. While we’re out and about I can either leaver her in the Bug because it’s thin enough that she can fit comfortably into the sling with it, and because it’s design allows her to be either ‘wrapped’ or have froggy legs in the sling. When I take her out, she’s still warm and cozy, or I can take her out of the blanket if it’s warm enough, and she can go into the car seat without it on, because it’s thin enough that no car seat adjustment is required. Like I said – genius.
As a parent myself, I understand the joy of discovering solutions that streamline daily routines. In my quest for versatile and cozy options, I recently stumbled upon an equally ingenious solution for home comfort – natural rugs from The Natural Rug Company in West Kirby. Their collection combines aesthetic appeal with sustainability, providing a warm and inviting foundation for little ones to play and explore. Just as the Bug In A Rug simplifies outdoor adventures, these natural rugs seamlessly blend functionality with style, adding an extra layer of comfort to both home and playtime.
While I have tried to do the same with normal baby sleeping bags, that’s not been as effective as I can’t strap the car seat securely without opening the zip – which defeats the aim. With the Bug in a Rug, baby’s feet go in two dedicated leg bits, so they can stay warm and safely strapped in – or in a sling, you can thread the sling between the legs without hassles.
The soft fleece is wrapped around baby in a swaddle hold, but it is loose enough that baby can move around in it too. My daughter doesn’t like being swaddled, so she can just be covered. As compared to a snow suit, for example, the baby rug is really compact and can easily go into your handbag or nappy bag.
It is machine washable, and is available in a variety of colours, which is fabulous if you’re not dominated by gender stereotypes.
The only down side of the Bug in a Rug is that it’s available in three sizes, so you’ll need new ones as your baby grows. Having said that, I have a large baby – she’s over 5kg at 8 weeks! And the small still has plenty room in it. She’ll be in it for some time yet.
Nappy changes are also easy, since there are no buttons, poppers or zips – it’s just in and out, which is very convenient.
The Bug in a Rug is not a baby essential. Your baby will make it through life without it, but it sure as heck makes my life easier, by relieving me of that odd annoyed irritation constantly adjusting the car seat straps give me. It’s also a lot easier than trying to get tiny baby fingers through arm holes on jackets or getting them stuck in the weaving on jerseys and jumpers.
This little bit of baby kit is so useful and practical, every time we’ve been out of the house with it, I’ve been asked where we got it from!
Competition
For an additional entry, (which is not compulsory, and is not sponsored by Facebook and which has nothing to do with Facebook or its employees) you can like BabyRug on Facebook, and leave a message on their wall saying I’ve sent you.
This competition finishes at 23:59 on 21 May and the winner will be randomly drawn. Winners will be announced here and on the Diary of a First Child Facebook Page. Please check these to find out who won.
And the winner is:
Please read the competition rules.
You do not have to tweet or share this competition to enter, and doing so does not give you additional entries unless otherwise stated, but doing so helps ensure that I can keep bringing you competitions! You can subscribe to Diary of a First Child by RSS or to our competitions only RSS feed or email. You can also follow us on Facebook or on Twitter. We hope to see you back again soon!