Thanks to the lack of sleep, diaper blowouts, and milk leakage that comes with new motherhood, entertaining well-wishers isn’t always easy during those first few weeks with a wee one. And the ladies behind the Dallas-based swaddle company Buttermilk Babies know the struggle is real. For all parties.
“Even for those who want to send gifts, it can be awkward. You wonder, ‘Do I come over? Do I drop something off on their porch and run? Do I stay?’” says creative director Nicole Broadhurst. “So we thought it would be a great idea for new moms to get a gift that we can deliver, and we’ll make sure it gets to the door in a timely manner.”
Thus was born the Buttermilk Bundle: a curated collection of handmade and local goodies, all artfully packed in a gift box and hand delivered to your favorite baby mama. Broadhurst and owner McKenzie Mitchell made a point to get Dallas purveyors on board so they could ensure treats would arrive fresh and ready to enjoy.
The large bundle ($250) includes a seasonal bouquet from Bows and Arrows; a colorful selection from Joy Macarons; Vim + Vigor’s organic, cold-pressed juice blends; coffee from Village Baking Co.; a handmade soy candle from the Los Angeles-based P.F. Candle Co.; and, of course, a couple of Buttermilk Babies’ super-soft, oversized swaddles. There are medium and small options for $125 and $75 each, respectively.
Mitchell and Broadhurst began delivering to Dallas moms in March and hope to expand into other Texas cities in six months.
It’s a major endeavor for the year-old company, which Mitchell, a former actress, launched after noticing that every swaddle out there had babyish designs and pastel colors. Pregnant with her now-toddler, Mitchell’s nursery style leaned toward kitschy.
So she enlisted artist friends to come up with cool designs. One swaddle features rows of old-school boomboxes. Another style, aptly named “Graffiti,” is scrawled with naughty words such as “boob” and “poop.” Perfect for the mom with a sense of humor.
The Buttermilk Babies product is twice the size of the average swaddle, which means they can be used for just about anything — the basic sleep-time wrap job, a light blanket, a nursing cover, or maybe even a makeshift diaper in the most extreme circumstances (nobody’s judging). The fabric is a blend of cotton and bamboo rayon that, according to Broadhurst, gives the swaddle extra pull to keep the swaddle snug.
And she should know. Broadhurst — previously a prop, set, and food stylist — officially joined the Buttermilk Babies team last fall, but her first experience with the company was a crash course in the art of wrapping tots.
“What initially pulled me over to the swaddle side was when McKenzie brought me in for a photo shoot,” Broadhurst says. “We had six babies and I didn’t know how to swaddle, so I pulled up some YouTube videos. By the end of that shoot, I was a swaddle pro. It was like a factory. One would be put in front of me, and I would wrap them up like a burrito and pass them along.”
A handy skill considering Broadhurst is expecting her own bundle of joy in June.
Of course, swaddles can be purchased sans bundle, priced at $75 for a four-pack and $45 for a two-pack. Gift wrapping also is available.
The Buttermilk Babies large bundle ($175) comes with swaddles, macarons, coffee, flowers, and a candle.
