Because Babies Grow Up

I’m so ready for spring! I love the warmer weather and the chance to get back outside. The girls have been missing the park so much, but it’s just been so cold/muddy/snowy over the last little while that I haven’t felt good about taking them out to play. This week we’ve spent recovering from ear infections {blah} so I’m definitely ready for some warmer weather.

The girls are itching for warmer weather, too, as they’ve taken to wearing summer dresses around the house. Most of Sammi’s dresses are pretty long, but poor Elli’s toddler dresses barely come to her knees. I keep searching through her clothes to find leggings for her. That’s when it {finally} hit me how ingenious baby leg warmers really are. I never really saw the need with Sammi, but I totally get it now with Elli and am dying to get my hands on some!

In the meantime, I have some to give away to one lucky reader! I recently reconnected with a long-ago friend on Facebook {gotta love it!} and she happens to have an etsy shop where she sells leg warmers, among other beautiful creations. Amanda has offered a pair of leg warmers to one of BBGU’s readers. First, a little about Amanda and second, the guidelines for the giveaway.

Amanda Sews

“My business mostly started by accident. My mom liked sewing things for me when I was a child, and I learned to sew from her and some of her friends and family members. As an adult, I’ve often sewn things for myself and even made a few things for friends. After I had my daughter, I started making things for her. I had people approach me asking about some of the things I’d made for her, so I decided to open an etsy shop selling some of my creations. Through local boutiques, I’ve had the opportunity to make some custom adult things too. I’m learning to design my own patterns, when I can’t find patterns for what I want to make. Coming up with my own sleepsack pattern was a process that took me a couple months and lots of trial and error.

“I have always collected fabric and have a huge stash (some of it inherited from family members), so having a place to keep it all is important. When we moved into our house, I had my very own room for sewing. But, when Jess was born, that room became her room. Luckily, we have a very large master bedroom, so I use part of it as my sewing area. I love having enough space to keep my machines set up, so when I only have a few minutes and feel like some quick sewing, I can do so. I periodically go through my fabric to see what interests me or fits with ideas I have floating around in my head. For example, lately I’ve been thinking about spring/summer dresses, so when I rediscovered some vintage Hawaiian shirts and muumuus my grandmother gave me several years ago I knew they would be perfect for refashioning into little girl’s dresses.

“Family always comes first, so most of my sewing is done when Jess takes her daily nap (along with everything else we Moms have to do during naps). When things get more busy, I also end up sewing at night after she’s gone to bed or on Saturdays when John is home. There are always more projects than there is time for and I always seem to have at least half a dozen projects in various stages of completion (not counting the list of ideas I haven’t even started yet). Sometimes I get a little burnt out, but it usually doesn’t last too long. ”

Leg Warmers Giveaway

The deadline for the giveaway is Wednesday, March 10 at midnight EST. There are multiple ways to enter. You can tweet and post on Facebook as many days as you’d like with one entry for each day. Here are all the ways you can enter:

REQUIRED:

• Visit Amanda’s etsy shop and pick the set of leg warmers you would choose if you win. Come back and leave a comment saying which ones you’d like to win.
• Please leave a separate comment for each entry to make sure all your work is rewarded.

Optional:

• Subscribe to Because Babies Grow Up (if you’re already subscribed, leave a comment saying that)
• Become a fan of Because Babies Grow Up on Facebook
• Tweet “@ajpassey has a #giveaway for a pair of leg warmers for little ones. Come join the fun: http://bit.ly/bLVN7w”
• Post on Facebook “Because Babies Grow Up is giving away a pair of leg warmers for little ones. Come join the fun: http://bit.ly/bLVN7w”

Good luck with the giveaway! Please leave all your comment entries by midnight EST Wednesday March 10. The winner will be announced Thursday March 11.