News: Bibs

We’re officially in December! Thanksgiving is done and Channukah is underway. We have diligently been building our holiday book stash and it’s honestly one of my favorite traditions. I remember watching holiday movies growing up but I don’t think we had a holiday book collection. There’s something so fun about unboxing all of the special books with the rest of the decor. In this year’s books and bibs guide, I paired one of our modern holiday baby bib sets with one of the kids’ favorites from our book collection. 

First up, we have the Lit Baby Bib Set with Stick Man by Julia Donaldson (illustrated by Axel Scheffler). If I’m being honest, this book is a little stressful for me to read as the papa stick man gets separated from his family and attempts to get back home to his family. Spoiler alert: he’s successful and even makes it in time before the holidays! Despite the stress, I included this book because it’s one of my kids’ favorites. 

Next, we paired the Beary Merry Baby Bib Set with Together by Heather Stricter (illustrated by Martha Ratcliff). A sweet book about family and connection during this season. An idea I can definitely get behind especially with all of the distractions and hardships that also accompany this busy time of year. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss seemed like a classic that must be included. The Grinch is paired with the Tropical Holiday Baby Bib Set. I mentioned in a previous post that this bib set was inspired by my mom’s “grinch-y” attitude to do away with the holidays and just go to Aruba for all of December. Seemed like this was a pair meant to be. 

Our Challah Baby Bib Set is paired with Freddie the Farting Snowman by Jane Bexley. I think kids just really love a good fart joke. While it is not my favorite, the cute little giggles coming from my kids as we read are my favorite. 

The fifth and final bib set, Holi-Baby Bib Set, is paired with Little Penguins by Cynthia Rylant (illustrated by Christian Robinson). I love this book for my youngest. The words and sentences are short- perfect for someone with a short attention span just beginning to experiment with word mimicking.

Just a reminder that all of our Casey Sheila Quilts bibs are handmade and can be back with either organic fleece or organic terry cloth. The holiday bibs come with a bright fleece (as opposed to a cream organic fleece used on the non-holiday bib sets). Hope you enjoy some of these book suggestions and feel free to send me an email with your family’s favorite books to read during this season: casey@caseysheilaquilts.com.

We’ve published a Baby Boy Bib Guide and a Baby Girl Bib Guide so naturally, today is the Gender Neutral (Team Green!) Baby Bib Guide. Whether you’re waiting to find out the sex at baby’s birth (but obviously need to stock up on bibs before then) or wanting something gender neutral so the bibs can be passed down to future babies- we’ve got you covered. 

These are our five top picks for our handmade baby bibs, but you can find all of our gender neutral baby bibs under the bib section of our menu. 

Our first pick is is the Panda Baby Bib Set. The grey is light and the pandas are so adorable. There’s a dark grey bib in the set with white spots and I just love that one as a neutral for any outfit. 

Our next pick is the Taco Baby Bib Set. All babies need tacos in their life. Rather, baby’s caretakers need tacos (and maybe margaritas). The suns and bright turquoise bibs in this set make this set so bright and cheery. 

The Donut & Sprinkles Baby Bib Set is a cult classic for a reason. Donuts are always in season. My favorite treat on the weekends when Alice was a newborn was a fresh batch of donuts. Nutella icing was a must.

Apple Bottom Babies Bib Set is one of my personal favorites, and not just because of the clever name. The bright green always lifts my mood and I love those fresh apples. 

And for a holiday pick, we had to go with the Tropical Holiday Baby Bib Set. Every baby needs palm trees and gold stars.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at casey@caseysheilaquilts.com. We love to recommend baby books to go with our bib sets if you’re looking to gift a bib set this holiday season!

The Holidays Are (Almost) Here! The Casey Sheila Quilts Holiday Baby Bib Sets Are Here! These modern baby bib sets are beary, merry, and bright. We brought back a few of the favorite sets from last year and added two brand new sets. We hope you love them as much as we do. Without further ado, we are pleased to introduce you to: Tropical Holiday Babies Bib Set, Lit Babies Bib Set, Challah Babies Bib Set, Holi-Babies Bib Set, and the Beary Merry Babies Bib Set.

Tropical Holiday Babies Bib Set

This set was inspired by my mom. I grew up listening to my mom fantasize about going to Aruba for the Holidays instead of organizing a 20+ person dinner for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Family was far more important to her than Aruba so we never actually went but it sure was fun to dream about. 

Lit Babies Bib Set

There is nothing cozier in this season than getting your tree decorated and ready for the holidays. Just add a sleeping baby, Christmas music, and a crackling fire. 

Challah Babies Bib Set

Inspired by the gorgeous blues in the Hannukah season, this set is one of our softest sets. Two of the bibs are made from a woven fabric and is sure to feel amazing on baby’s skin. 

Holi-Babies Bib Set

There’s no way to resist these polar bears. They spread cheer, light, and love. 

Beary Merry Babies Bib Set

The holiday collection would not be complete without a pink baby bib set, of course. Polar bears, gifts, and the sweetest checkered pattern checking all of the merry holiday boxes. 

Like all of our bibs, these sets are machine washable. They come in either the bandana or long styles. And they can be backed with bright white organic fleece or a natural colored organic terry cloth. Please send us an email at casey@caseysheilaquilts.com with any questions!

Wishing you and yours a Messy Christmas and a Happy New Bib. 

Xoxo, Casey

Spooky Season is upon us. To celebrate, we’ve paired some children’s halloween books with our modern baby bib sets. It’s like a book club but for our babies. That works, right? Some of the things I look for in children’s books before I commit to a a recommendation are: how is the plot? Will I mind reading this 50 times before Halloween? (Major bonus for humor). How’s the character development? Can my children relate? What’s the message? What kind of themes or lessons can my children pick up from reading it? 

Using the above criteria, we settled on two children’s books and a third suggestion (more on that below). The first is Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace. A strong female lead trying something new supported by her large family? It’s quirky and cute. And there’s pink on the cover so my four year old was immediately in love. We’ve read this one a number of times and I’m still not sick of it. We paired this lovely read with two Casey Sheila Quilts bib sets: Purple Dino Babies Bib Set and the Wild Things Baby Bib Set. 

Dinosaurs are always appropriate for spooky season. The purples in this set are rich and luxurious and will translate nicely into the winter. 

The black and golds in the Wild Things set are a weakness for me. I’m obsessed. And the crowns bib is a great option if your family is dressing up as royalty or as Max from Where the Wild Things Are for Halloween. My daughter is dressing up as a princess this year and she could not be more excited. We got my son a dragon costume and so far, he is petrified of it. 

The second book, Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler, is a personal favorite. The main skeletal character is scared about surviving school when all of his limbs keep falling off. His friends relentlessly try to come up with solutions to help him. Children solving problems without adult intervention? Check. Friends being supportive and kind? Check, check. We paired this book with the Orange Dino Babies Bib Set and the Turtle Dude Babies Bib Set. 

The oranges in both sets fit in nicely with the spooky season orange color. And the orange solid color in both sets remains relevant for the rest of fall. *The solid orange bib in the Orange Dino Babies Bib Set is a reddish orange while the Turtle Dude Babies Bib Set has a bright orange solid. 

And last but perhaps the most important, is the teal set for this Halloween’s Books and Bibs series. It’s not a children’s book, but it was a book I needed as a new mom to a small child with food allergies. Allergic Girl by Sloane Miller helped give me confidence that we could raise my daughter without food being a stressful trigger for her. Neither my husband nor I had any personal experience with food allergies, and we desperately needed guidance. I also loved Don’t Kiss the Birthday Girl by Sandra Beasley. She walked me through her life managing food allergies and made it easier to process how to keep my daughter safe without creating too much anxiety. 

The Teal Pumpkin Project was created to help raise food allergy awareness. By putting out a teal pumpkin at Halloween, you are letting families know you are giving out candy or toys that are safe from the top 8 allergens. So, we included the Pop Babies Bib Set and the Taco Babies Bib Set for this book suggestion. Unintentionally, they’re both food related sets. They were really chosen for the teal solid color bib in each set. 

If you have any questions or a recommendation for a children’s book about allergies, I’d love to hear them: casey@caseysheilaquilts.com. Wishing you and your families a very fun and safe Halloween. 

We certainly kept you waiting long enough, the new bibs for 2021 are now available! We’ve got a little bit a Spring, a little bit of Summer, and a little bit of Fall all in one release. Some baby girl bib sets, some baby boy bib sets, and some gender neutral baby bib sets. The bibs are available with Organic Fleece or Organic Terry Cloth backing. As always, the bibs are available in the Bandana or Long style. Without further ado, here are the seven new bib sets: 

1: Adventure Baby Bib Sets

 Obsessed with these little bears and polar bears exploring the grounds with their mommas. Paired with star constellations and navy blue fabric, this set will be there to keep up with you and your adventurous baby. 

2: Panda Baby Bib Sets

What’s cuter than a baby panda? A baby panda bib on the baby in your life, of course. Grey dots and a solid light grey round out this sophisticated and adorable set.

3: Surfer Girl Baby Bib Sets

 All about harnessing that female energy. Feminine and strong. These girls are ready to ride those pink waves with whatever strength and power may be needed. 

4: Turtle Dude Baby Bib Sets

Inspired by Florida’s marine life, these awesome dudes are ready to bring a smile wherever they go (And of course, catch the drool, spit up, and food). Checkered beach blanket and a solid orange bib are ready to accompany you and baby to the beach, or anywhere life takes you on a given day. 

 Little sandpipers with bright yellows and pinks are meant to fill up the room with warmth and curiosity. When was the last time you got to just watch the sandpipers do their thing at the beach? Taking those 5 minutes for yourself to just sit and be present, it’s a wonderful gift to yourself. 

6: Toothy Baby Bib Sets

Playing with food and toothy walrus grins just go hand-in-hand. These guys are ready to catch baby’s first avocado or sweet potato (and every other food baby goes for!). 

7: Taco Baby Bib Sets

Last but certainly not least, Taco Tuesday will never be the same. Tacos from the local taco truck on a golden summer night with baby in tow, what could be better?

We hope you love these sets as much as we do. If you have any questions about the materials or sizing, please send an email to casey@caseysheilaquilts.com.

What’s pink, blue, and cute all over? Flamingo baby bib set! This limited edition handmade baby bib set just launched. It’s tropical and has all the right feels for summer. If you live in a warm climate like Miami, then it’s summer basically year round. Except for January when we all pull out our sweaters and boots. But if you live in a colder climate, it might be nice to have some tropical looks year round. Something to remind you of warmer days. 

It took me two babies to realize how many things you can use baby bibs for. When I had Alice, I pretty much exclusively used bibs for feeding at meal times (aka 6 months- 1 year). At some point, when her drool rash was getting hard to manage under her neck, I realized bibs could help protect her from the relentless faucet. By the time I had Dylan, a few more of my friends had their babies and I got to see all the ways they used baby bibs. A bib to wear while bottle feeding? Genius. A bib to catch spit up instead of holding a burp cloth underneath them at all times? Why didn’t I think of that? Oh yeah, I was in a sleep-deprived survival mode. I still haven’t mastered the art of cute baby bib storage. For now, they all perch on a hanger in Alice’s closet.

The best part about bibs from Casey Sheila Quilts is the longevity. Two babies later, and my original, handmade baby bibs are still in great condition. They’ve been soaked with unspeakable amounts of fluid and washed countless times. And yet, the snap closures still snap tight and the fabric hasn’t pilled or lost its luster. As with each of our bib sets, this limited edition set comes in the bandana bib or the long bib style. You get to choose either organic fleece or organic terry cloth for the back. Whatever choices you make, this bib set is sure to bring some warmth. 

The Enneagram is a fun way to learn about yourself and the people in your life. At a basic level, it’s a way to characterize your personality. There are nine “types”. Although there are qualities that you relate to in each of the types, there is one that resonates most- that’s your “basic personality type.” I’m a 4, the “individualist”. Did you know you can tell which personality type your kids are as young as 4 or 5 years old? I find it to be a very helpful way to understand my relationships and myself. 

I was taking stock of the Casey Sheila Quilts samples I have on hand, and realized the personalities in all of these bibs were waiting to be characterized too! So without further ado, here are the baby bibs matched by Basic Personality Type: 

1. The Reformer: The Rational, Idealistic Type:Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic

2. The Helper: The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, and Possessive

Strawbabies Bib Set. You know the classroom mom who sends in Pinterest-worthy Valentine’s Day Gift Bags for all of the kids that are safe, all-inclusive and beautiful? She might be a 2. And yeah, I want to be her too. The Strawbabies likewise are perfectly matched, full of vitamin C, and of course, super cute. Can’t go wrong with the pink Strawbabies to accessorize that onesie. 

3. The Achiever: The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptive, Excelling, Drive, and Image-Conscious

Les Fleurs Babies Bib Set. These flowers are gorgeous and pragmatic. The full package. Everything is blooming and bright. Baby is ready to try some homemade, organic baby food? She needs this set to accompany that first bite (well, more of a gum really than a bite). 

4. The Individualist: The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental

Mer-Babies Bib Set. Each mermaid in this set is feeling herself. They have their own personalities and they know it. They’re not hanging out with each other because most of them are introverts and need to recharge for a bit. As a 4, I don’t love the description of the 4… because really, everyone needs a 4 in their lives. We are generally great listeners and excellent cheerleaders. And also as a 4, this is one of my favorite sets (please, don’t tell the other sets I said that though). 

5. The Investigator: The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated

Purple Dino Babies Bib Set. Could dinosaurs be anything but intense? These guys are figuring out the world, just like your baby. Watching your every move, taking it all in, and then letting out a cry here and there to keep you on your toes. Maybe all babies start out as 5s and move into their real personality type as they get older?

6. The Loyalist: The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious

Pop Babies Bib Set. The Pop Babies are committed to keeping your baby safe from drool, food, and spit up. Always on the look out, easy to wash, and reliable enough to use over and over again. Every baby needs a 6 looking out for them. 

7. The Enthusiast: The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, and Scattered

Party Babies Bib Set. I mean, this one speaks for itself. No one is sleeping tonight. It’s time for snuggles with momma and lots of milk. Let’s get the party started, am I right? 

8. The Challenger: The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational

Wild Things Bib Set. Max certainly seems like an 8. He’s not scared of those wild things. He looks them straight in the eye and tells them who’s boss. And when he’s ready to leave, he does just that. Home to momma and supper. Because that’s who loves him best of all :)

9. The Peacemaker: The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and Complacent

Lazy Babies Bib Set. These sloths are stirring up any drama in your life. They’re cute and ready for the ride. Maybe new baby has a few older siblings? The sloth set might be for that baby, then. Lots of people to watch and observe as baby acclimates to life outside the womb.

Need some other bib suggestions? Please email casey@caseysheilaquilts.com, I’m more than happy to help you find the perfect bib set. 

P.S. If you’re curious about the enneagram and want to learn more, check it out: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions. Fair warning- it’s a lot of fun. 

When Alice was born I questioned whether I should be reading to this really cute, but kind of a sleep, eat, poop/fart machine. I felt kind of silly talking out loud to myself- even sillier when I made up voices for the characters. She didn’t smile or give any indication that enjoyed the activity. But, I embraced the notion that kids are sponges and kept on. I can tell you that both of my kids now love books. At 3.5 years old, Alice will have you read all day to her. At 1.5 years old, Dylan loves to rip the pages out. You gotta start somewhere. 

If you’re embracing the books, then when do you read to your kids? Do you follow the popular “Bs” sleep routine: bath, book, bottle or some version thereof? Do you make-up your own story time circle when you’ve done all the activities and its only 10 am. Do you go to the local library’s story time? Maybe after nap #4 of the day? We’ve dabbled in all of the above.

What I read largely depends on the time of day. Am I desperate for a quick bed time so I can go rest for 15 minutes before cleaning up from the day? If so, then I reach for a quick book- Sandra Boynton is always good to me in that regard. If I’m starting nap time early because we’ve done all the things and the kids are destroying the house, then I’ll go for a longer one to stretch us to nap time. Maybe some Berenstain Bears. If it’s a middle of the day circle story time, then a long one with lots of characters to act out. Love the George and Martha collection.

However you break it down-  books are such a big part of our everyday lives. There are lessons to learn, heroes to love, villains to hate, dance moves to try out… stories to be told. I find them downright inspiring. Hello, Where the Wild Things Are and Pout Pout Fish collections. Even if you’re not purchasing from one of story-inspired collections, there are some really great books that might go with one of our bib sets for a unique and truly thoughtful gift (baby shower gift? new baby’s arrival gift? momma is finally accepting visitors gift? can’t visit but want the parents to know you’re thinking of them gift?):

1. Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman

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Dino Babies Bib Sets.

                                         

A small T-Rex wants to give his sad, very best friend a hug, but his arms are so small. He spends most of the book working at it until he figures out how to best give his friend a hug. Doesn’t that just pull at the heart strings? The Orange and Purple Dino Babies are just waiting to give your babe a hug and comfort (I feel like I have to plug how soft our fabric is here and how the both Fleece and Terry Cloth backings are organic cotton). 

2. Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman

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Pink Rainbow Babies Bib Set

 My doula gave me this book the morning Dylan was born. It’s a really sweet read on the unconditional love between a parent and child. The artwork is so good, too. The Pink Rainbow Babies sends a similar message with the sweet pink and gold rainbows. Hope, love, and growth. As Mr. Rogers says, “Everyone longs to be loved. And the greatest thing we can is to let people know they are loved and capable of loving.” Oh baby, you are so loved. 

3. Big Dog…Little Dog by P.D. Eastman

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Party Babies Bib Set

Two friends (okay, dogs) who are very different in their physical attributes and have opposite tastes love to go adventuring and spend time together. One night, they’re both in beds that are not quite right (a la Goldie Locks) and a helpful, observant bird swoops in at the end to point out the simple solution (switch beds). The Party Babies Bib Set sends a similar adventure friendship vibe. Lots of balloon animals that are different in color and facing different ways, but they’re all there having a party and enjoying their time with you and babe. 

Let me know if you have a particular book or bib in mind that I didn't mention here. Happy to help pair them up! Just send an email to casey@caseysheilaquilts.com.

Also, I am really excited for when I get to start chapter books with the kids. I’ve been waiting and waiting to introduce Alice in Wonderland to her namesake.