Now I Can Swaddle with The Seatbelt On!

Disclaimer: Technically this is a car seat no-no as after market products are not to be used on car seats. You need to make a choice you feel is safe for you.

A Friend of mine 

(I never know if anyone wants to be blogged about, so I don't name names, in case you feel like "Hey why doesn't she say who!?" I'm not trying to make anyone feel left out -- just given privacy.)

Anyway, a friend of mine, sent me a link to a cool tutorial for a carseat swaddle blanket you can make.

We already have one of those car-seat zip up blankets,

so Ruby is warm in there,

but I had been wishing there as a way to swaddle while in the car seat -- swaddling is magic!

And sometimes during long car rides, you need some magic!

So when I saw this thing it was a light bulb moment of joy!

The morning before we left town for Thanksgiving, I rushed to throw something together for our 4 hour ride.

I took the easy route:

We have oh, about a million, swaddle blankets from Jasmine's baby shower two years ago.

So I grabbed a flannel one 

and did the cuts shown in the tutorial.

And then just stitched around them quickly on the sewing machine, so the blanket won't fray in the wash.

(If you really can't sew, you could get away with just cutting the holes in the blanket. Just count on your blanket fraying in the wash.)

Also, so the blanket won't fall in her face, 

I sewed the top corner down.

(I can't figure out how to word it -- but if you look at the photo it might make sense. And if you try it, you'll see what you need to do.) 

(If you can't sew, you could just cut the top off the blanket and be done with it!)

Ruby loved it!

It keeps her so much more calm and she stays asleep so much longer.

She also can't grab the pacifier out of her mouth, like she would if her arms are free -- 

hence the more calm and better sleep!

This was an awesome trick!

I wish I had known to do it for Jasmine when she was tiny.