Baby Names, Baby Foods, Baby Gear. What are the Essentials? {HALO SleepSack Swaddle Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Nikki!}

When one of my closest friends from high school was pregnant with her first child, I can recall a phone conversation we were having about her recent baby shower.

"There's such a difference between the gifts that came from moms and the gifts that came from people who don't have kids!" She marveled. Mmm-hmm, I agreed. That's because moms know what stuff you actually need. She laughed and went on to tell me about how one mom-friend of hers had wrapped up a bucket with her favorite stain remover in it and added a note saying that it would come in handy for soaking clothes after spit-up or poop accidents.

I told myself I'd remember that one. It was definitely practical.

So lately when I come across posts online from pregnant women and new moms all asking for advice on what to buy for their baby, it makes me stop and think about what the essentials truly are. The must-have, can't-live-without-it, don't-waste-a-minute-missing-it type of products that are the most important for moms, babies, the nursery and more.

And who better to help me come up with that list than HALO Innovations, the company fully committed to providing a healthier and safer sleep environment for children of all ages?

Having been introduced to their innovative products last year with a HALO giveaway and knowing how much this company is an expert on the true must-have products for babies, particularly safe ones, I knew that they would have some great insight into what new moms actually need.

As it turns out, they did. A recent poll of HALO's Facebook community on the top gifts received at baby showers resulted in a list including the following items:

• Diapers
• SleepSack wearable blanket
• Outfits and other clothes
• Car seat
• Pack 'n Play
• Activity gym
• Stroller
• Carrier or sling
• Breast pump

Not a bad list at all! As I'm someone who tends to consult the new mom's gift registry and then narrow down what she has chosen to the items that I think are ones that are sensible (while also hopefully being cute), many of these would fit the bill.

But, of course, being that HALO is the leader in all things SleepSack, it's hard to overlook just how appropriate their products are for gift-giving. In fact, their already-amazing SleepSack Swaddle has been nominated for a Cribsie Award in the "Best Sleep-Inducing Swaddle Blanket" category, an award that this product definitely deserves.

Available in Target stores, the SleepSack Swaddle is the only product to carry seals from leading SIDS organizations in both the U.S. and Canada. I love that it not only replaces loose blankets for safer sleep while keeping your baby warm, but that it incorporates the adjustable, removable swaddle feature as well.

As we used both sleepsacks and swaddle blankets when my girls were younger, being able to have both incorporated into one would have been great. Plus, with the high quality and durability that HALO is known for, I have no doubt that we would have utilized it with both kids and then still passed it on for even more use!

Be sure to head over to the Cribsie Awards from now until March 18th and get your votes in!

Plus, thanks to the generosity of HALO, one person will have a wonderful baby shower gift (or to keep for themselves), because...

One lucky person will win a SleepSack Swaddle (available in sizes newborn and small) from HALO Innovations! ARV $26.95!

To enter to win: Tell me your favorite baby shower gift (whether to give or that you received or are hoping to receive).

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow HALO Innovations on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN a HALO SleepSack Swaddle (ARV $27) for comfort and safety - a great new baby gift! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/ekYYMz #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on March 25th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

A big thank you to HALO Innovations for providing a HALO SleepSack Swaddle for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.