Category Archives: baby wearing

Mum’s Joy Wrap Conversion Onbuhimo

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I love babywearing. I started off with a woven wrap when our oldest was born and used it a lot with her. Over the years I have bought and sold various woven wraps but never used them like I did when I started. So one day I discovered Cari Slings, a wrap maker. They have the most amazing wrap called Owl Post which is themed after Harry Potter, I am a huge Potterhead. I found one in the colour way Fleur and bought it. But Zalah was terrible at being wrapped and I just didn’t have the time to get her up or the patience to re-learn. So I thought that getting it converted into a reverse Onbuhimo would be awesome.

Through a friend in our local babywearing group I discovered carrier maker Mum’s Joy. Vita is the mother of an amazing boy. They live in Langley, BC, Canada. A little about Vita in her own words,
“Sewing became my hobby when I was 12 years old. When I was 14 years old I started to design and sew my own clothing and décor items for my home. Later on I went to Fashion Design School and studied Sewing & Apparel Design Arts.
The love for babywearing began shortly before my son was born in 2012 and after his birth babywearing became a firm part of our life. Babywearing felt wonderful and brought the joy of closeness with my son.
Sewing is my hobby and I am dedicated to making high quality, safe and comfortable baby carriers and other wearable art.”

I love hearing about women who use their passions and their gifts to do fun and cool things. Vita has taken her talent as a seamstress and her love for babywearing to create a business. And her work is fantastic.

I shipped my beloved Owl Post across the country and in 6 weeks time Vita mailed me back this work of art. When having a custom carrier made with a certain pattern on it I find it is very important to convey to your converter what you want. I asked Vita for an owl to be centered and she didn’t disappoint. I decide on a toddler size (for children wearing 18 mos – 3T: Seat 17.5″, 21″ long, 20″ wide at its widest point), and asked for long straps. My wrap was only a size 3 which is very much on the smaller side for a conversion but some how Vita gave me everything I asked for.

Zalah who is just 18 months old is just beginning to fit into our carrier, which means we have many days of wearing ahead of us. One of my favourite parts of a Onbuhimo is how high up baby is on your back. Zalah can see right over my shoulder, but it also means she can lay her head on my neck and sleep.

The reverse onbuhimo is so nice when it comes to quick ups, and getting Zalah up and tightened is getting easier each time I wear her. Like any new style of carrier you try there will be a learning curve. The fun thing with the long straps is I can tie around my waist like in this photo, or I can do fancy chest passes for extra support.

The craftsmanship on the carrier is amazing. You can tell that Vita puts a lot of thought and effort into each of her carriers. If you check out her instagram or facebook page you can see more of her work. One of the questions that is always asked with Onbuhimo carriers is about the padding on the shoulders and legs because of how the weight of baby is distributed. I have to say the padding is wonderful. It is just thick enough that my shoulders are comfortable, but not bulky. And on the body of the carrier there is a great amount of leg padding so that no matter how you need to adjust your carrier baby always has something soft under their legs.

If you are looking for a converter I recommend Vita. Her prices are fantastic, she puts each creation as its own priority so you know that much thought and care goes into each one. Vita was a joy to work with. She will be on vacation until May, but she is worth the wait. She is a BCIA member and compliant with all Canadian regulations for making baby carriers. (but not USA).

So go check out her work. Give her different social media platforms a like or follow and see what beautiful creations she can make you!

 

What Babywearing Means to Us

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first timeIMG_6714“You’ve got your hands full”
The comment most said to me as I’m out with my four young daughters. This comment always gives me a chuckle because my hands are free and usable thanks to babywearing.

Being able to do life without the stress of keeping our kitangeIMG_7293little ones close is an amazing thing. Babywearing has allowed us to do and see so much.

My journey started the first time I wrapped my oldest at 3 days old in a woven that was poorly wrapped and not tightened properly (She is 3 days old in that picture on the top left). Now 5.5 years later I’m able to swing my fourth baby onto my back in a traditional African Kitenge without breaking a sweat.

IMG_2563Babyweariimageng allows me to keep those little pieces of my heart that I have birthed into this big world close to me for just a little longer. It calms the spirit of the most wild toddler, and the inconsolable infant. It takes our family on adventures and creates memories to cherish always.

Babywearing can take you to places you never thought possible with a young child. TIMG_6303o get through a busy IMG_0808airport, on your way to a grand adventure. Or to go on a hike to find the perfect sunset while keeping baby close yet still apart of the show. Babywearing gets you where you need to go.

Babywearing is not always flashy and exciting. Some days it allows supper to be made or a room to be vacuumed. It 248656_10150197706218796_72571_nallows a hot meal to be eaten, or one more cup of coffee to be consumed. It is the moments when you are able to pace your halls with a sick little one and your arms don’t grow tired. It is the times
when an older sibling can get some one on one time with Mama while the baby naps on your chest. It allows work to get done in a job that never slows, in a world that never stops spinning.IMG_1252

Babywearing is both a sanity saver and a life giver. An extension of yourself, and an extra set of hands. A long lasting hug, and a kissable head. A place for a small head to rest while life moves all around them. That is what babywearing is to us.

Slingyroo Babywearing Bag

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slingyroo

slingyrooI have been on the look out for the perfect bag to use while babywearing. When baby is little and in the front you can get away with a backpack, but once you move to back carries it makes it really awkward to wear a backpack on your front. Cross body diaper bags work in a pinch but the straps are usually uncomfortable and dig into you and baby.

I have found a ton of babywearing bags that are specifically designed for use while carrying your baby (in a separate carrier, the bags are not carriers themselves), but for the most part each of the companies had wait lists and prices that were out of my budget. And then someone pointed me in the direction of Slingyroo bags, after a quick Google search I realized I had actually stumbled across these bags on more than one occasion but never would have guessed that I could afford one.

slingyrooSlingyroo bags are created by a company in Finland that also sell amazing and beautiful wraps and carriers. Liinalapsi –WearABaby is a company run by Niina Hallikainen and you can find her website here. I decide to contact Niina about doing a review and was so excited when she agreed. In the babywearing world you learn quickly that baby carriers tend to have a price tag that scare people, but once you learn more you understand why. The workmanship that goes into creating some carriers is incredible and well worth the price tag. The Slingyroo is made from a few different baby wrap brands which is why it is not a $20 diaper bag (but really, none of my diaper bags have been $20 so this is not something that scares me).

torsoSlingroo bags are made from Girasol, Vanamo, and Kokadi wraps and start off around $94 USD, you can pick from in stock bags which is awesome, or you can have a custom bag made from a specific wrap that Niina carries; which is what I did. I picked the Girasol Double Rainbow Pacifico wrap for my bag. From ordering my custom bag, to them making it, and me receiving it from Finland took exactly 4 weeks – which is super awesome. I mean Canada Post takes that long just to ship a package from one Province to the next.

This bag is so comfortable. The strap is wide like you would find on a wrap conversion Mei Tai, so it comfortably fits over your shoulder and spreads the weight of all the junk you carry around. The bag has a pocket on the inside perfect to fit your phone in, and then you can zipper the bag closedtorso so you don’t lose any precious soothers, toys, or your wallet and keys. The strap is 1.5M long and attaches at one end to a pair of small ring slings so you can adjust the length. I was able to wear the bag over top of Lyra when I quickly tossed her up for a Costco trip and it didn’t dig into either of us. While wearing her in a wrap on my front I put the bag on my back and tightened the strap around my chest like a torso carry and we were both very comfortable.

While using our ring sling it is easy enough to toss the bag over my opposite shoulder and cross body and have an easy distribution of weight. You can wear the strap under baby and carrier or you can throw it over top. I found both ways very comfortable, and easy to pick what worked best for the outing we were on.

tandemA friend asked me how the bag would work for tandem carry so I gave it a try. Now mind you I have my 3 year old on my back, my 19 month old on my front, and I am 29 weeks pregnant, but I managed a picture. I put the girls up and then I was able to take the strap and go under both the ring sling and between Payson and I on my back. I figured if it was between the girls and I it would be the most comfortable. I was able to quickly do it up through the rings once it was in place. And to take it off I just reversed getting it on. It was very doable, though I was squishing poor Zalah in my stomach.

I was able to throw a few cloth diapers, sunscreen, my wallet, keys, wipes, random stuff, and my ring sling into the bag. I like the size of it because I don’t want to be carrying around my 50lb diaper bag and my 25lb kid at the same time. This allows me to have a bag that fits what I need for outings but doesn’t allow me to throw in the kitchen sink (which as an over packer tends to happen). And I will totally use this as more than a diaper bag, because it is awesome looking and I want to take it everywhere.

You can find Liinalapsi –WearABaby on Facebook here, and Twitter here. And check out the hashtag #slingyroo on IG to see all of the beautiful bags that are out there.

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All feelings, opinions, and sentiments are my own. I was not paid to say anything, but was given this amazing bag to try.

Babywearing and Teething Toys

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bw and toys

yummy mommyLyra decided that our trip to Florida (work conference and a few days vacation) was a perfect time to cut her one year molars. I realized this about a week before we left and I quickly contacted Jen from Yummy Mommy Teething Jewelry to see if she could make me a teething toy that I could attach to my Boba Carrier. Lyra would be on my back for the majority of almost 2 weeks and I needed something for her to play with besides my hair, and something for her to chew on for her teeth.

bumpsWell Jen totally delivered. She made this amazing teething toy with a cute elephant and beads. Her product is made with food grade, non toxic, BPA free silicone so perfect for little people to chew on.

chew

Even when she was not on me she still played with and chewed on her new teething toy. It really helped make teething a bit more bearable. Also babies in shorts are super adorable.

My only concern that was quickly dashed was that she would pull the cord hard enough and we would lose the toy in an airport or when we were out and about. But she was never able to pull it off and it survived all of our adventures.

Yummy Mommy Teething Jewelry is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia which is great because I love supporting local. Her necklaces make great gifts for new moms.

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Boba 4G Carrier and Boba Hoodie

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Boba 4g

I was so excited when I found out that a new Boba Carrier was coming out. I have been using Boba carriers and wraps since Capri was 5 months old (she is now a little over 3.5 years old). I have had the joy and pleasure of using all 3 versions of the Boba and have loved the improvements with each one. The biggest new feature for the Boba 4G is the infant insert that comes with the carrier, and since I was due to have Lyra a month or so after the release of the 4G I had the great privilege of being sent one from Boba to try out.

The 4G has the same great features of the 3G like multiple pockets, foot stirrups for toddlers, an easy to pack away hood, and of course the wonderful patterns you can pick from. BUT the new features of the 4G are specifically for carrying your brand new babies.

infant pillow

The Boba 3G carrier allowed you to carry babies as small as 7lbs by folding up the bottom and flipping the buckles around, this was great except when I needed to take out a newborn and put my toddler on my back in a rush. That is what I love about the 4G, instead of flipping the bottom up and having to switch the buckles you just snap in this small pillow which helps put your new babe up high enough in the carrier that you can kiss their head. When they get a bit bigger you un-snap it to the second setting so that they can put their legs out more and sit a bit lower. So when I need to quickly put Payson on my back because she is tired of walking I just have to unsnap the pillow and toss it in my diaper bag for later use.

settings

The sleep hood also has longer straps on it now so you can cross the hood over to help support your little ones head while still being able to see their face.

hoodieThe second amazing  product that Boba just introduced is their new and improved Boba Hoodie (previously the peekaru hoodie). This is a product I have been dreaming of. I remember wrapping blankets over top of Capri in order to keep her warm when we would go on walks, so this hoodie solves that problem.

The hoodie has a side zipper so that you can put baby in your carrier or wrap and just slip the hoodie over top. Lyra is still small enough that I can put my wrap and hoodie on first and slip her in the top opening which is great on cold days when we go to the grocery store. One of my favourite features is that there are two openings around the sides (think of where you would have pockets) so that you can easily adjust baby, or lower them so you can breastfeed with the hoodie still on. There are also hidden pockets on the inside of those slit openings.

reversibleThe great thing about the hoodie, is it is reversible. It does take some practice to put the hoodie on backwards and slip the opening over your child’s head, but once you do it a couple of times it is easy. The hood is made in a way so that you can adjust it a bit and it looks like a cowl neck sweater.

And the material of the hoodie is amazing, it is light feeling, but still nice and warm (kind of an athletic type material), and the bottom of the sleeves have thumb holes which I LOVE!!

So check out both products on the Boba website, and enjoy wearing your little ones close.

Disclosure: I’m a Boba Ambassador. I participate in Boba events and online conversations, and receive thank you gifts for my participation, but all opinions and experiences expressed are my own.

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