The Cute Awaking Reverse Onbu Traveler Review

To start off - I was not asked to write a review for this product. I was selected to host this reverse onbu for one week while it made its journey to a line of other hosts to try out.  I decided to write a review because, well, that's what I like to do. And it's been a while.

I am a wrapper - as if you couldn't already get that.  I love everything about woven wraps and tend to geek out over them quite often. As I plow down the path towards becoming a Volunteer Babywearing Educator (VBE) for my local Babywearing International (BWI) chapter, I find it is important to branch out and be familiar with all types of carriers, and one that has been harder for me to grasp and actually physically get my hands on has been a reverse onbu. I have a buckle onbu and sure I like it, but something about the reverse caught my attention. It was probably the long straps and fancy finishes. I was ready to try it out and see if it really was as life changing as some caregivers say it is!

Carrier: The Cute Awaking Reverse Onbu with 90" straps

Wearee: My daughter, Ray: 16 months, 21lbs, 28" tall

Image: A white woman with dark hair in a bun on top of her head is wearing a small white toddler girl with blonde hair in pigtails in a grey carrier with black line design.  They are standing on a bridge.

Upon opening the package, I immediately got excited to see the fancy, yet not overwhelming pattern. The neutral colors let me know I would feel more comfortable using it daily no matter what my outfit for the day was.  I also noticed how long the straps were.  I typically grab for my base and base+ sized wraps, so being overwhelmed with fabric is not something I am used to. The width of each strap threw me off, as they were half the width of a typical woven wrap.  While the shoulder straps had nice cushy padding, the wrap straps were very narrow and made me worry how supportive they would actually be.  I have used and still own a buckle onbu. I am aware of the basics of how to use it. I am able to get my baby on my back easily and sort of get it comfortable. Finding a sweet spot has always been difficult with the buckle onbu and I was expecting the same challenge with the reverse.

Our first time using it, it was pretty simple to adjust, felt nice on the shoulders, but I was feeling overwhelmed with what to do with the length in the straps.  For the first two days, I tried reinforcing passes and tied tibetan with a knot, but the tails hung down to my knees! Granted, I am a very short human being, so this isn't a very difficult thing to accomplish, but still! I wasn't sure how to get a candy cane chest belt (CCCB), let alone how to use up even more length that I already was.

Posting on The Cute Awaking chatter page (The Cute Connection - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1016543138400161/1103897159664758/?notif_t=group_activity&notif_id=1475023922224908), owner and seamstress Tasha quickly suggested a tie-off and included a quick tutorial to go along with it.  The next day, we gave it a shot, and it was absolutely perfect.  I like a little bit of tail at the end of a carry, just to make it feel fancy, and that is exactly what I got.  I typically do chest passes with wraps, and I got that as well.  And for some more icing on the cake, I was even able to get a tiny CCCB! I was hooked.

Image: A white woman with dark hair in a bun with glasses on is wearing a small white toddler girl with blonde hair.  The little girl has her arms in the grey and black carrier and is looking wearily toward the camera.

We used the reverse onbu while shopping, at big brother's football practices, and on our daily walks/hikes.  For the most part, we stuck to the chest pass, reinforcing pass, CCCB finish as it felt less overwhelming and met so many of my personal style criteria.  We wore for anywhere from 30 minutes up to 90 minutes. Each time, Ray started with her arms out but always ended up with her arms squashed in at her sides, as if she had been captured and lassoed.  I prefer when her arms are in, because at 16 months old, it is way too much fun to see how far you can reach around you in all directions. So when she squeezed in, I made sure to try to adjust to accommodate that.  I found that adjusting was actually really difficult once I had tied off.  I really couldn't pull the padded shoulder strap any higher up to make room for her arm, and honestly, it just helped solidify how supportive this carrier is.  I also favor having Ray's arms in, because it helps her to relax and move away from all the stimulation that keeps her awake. We go up daily while waiting for her brother at football practice, which goes until 8PM - way passed bedtime - and wrapping is our way of settling in for the night.  While Ray attempted to keep her arms in on the chilly fall nights, she was finding it quite difficult, and would instead proudly scream "down" in my ear until I let her run wild and free with the other toddle-beasts waiting for their older siblings. For a carrier to get your child to sleep or nap, I would suggest something else, as this carrier is ideal for outings in which your child will be able to observe and interact.

A frequent problem I have is my hands will go numb due to my lack of shoulders.  I don't find soft structured carriers particularly comfortable as they feel as though they are going to fall off my shoulders. Again, I didn't find that issue with this carrier.  My hands didn't even swell (which is the first sign of discomfort for me) on an hour and a half hike! I also usually don't complain about my back, but with weaving in full swing in my house, my back cannot take much weight without feeling it by the time I get into bed.  Again, after an hour and a half hike, though, the only thing that hurt was my ear from again, more toddler screaming (this time for my friend's chocolate protein shake). The carrier didn't slide down, and Ray stayed up nice and high with my shoulders. Her weight was so nicely supported, she was (dare I say it?) weightless.

Image: A close up of a grey carrier with dark and light grey designs on a woman's body. You are unable to see the woman's head.  The carrier is tied with a chest pass and candy cane chest belt. A child peers over the woman's shoulder. The woman is holding the child's foot, which has a red shoe on.

Who I would recommend this carrier for: anyone who has a baby who can fit in it and can sit unassisted. Whether you are a wrapper or not, you don't need to worry about all the passes being weight bearing, holding other passes in place, or distributing weight properly.  Even for my most obvious discomforts, they weren't a thought while wearing this carrier. My tiny toddler fit really well, and was even a bit big for the fit! She definitely would not fit into a toddler carrier, but I appreciate that she probably would have fit when she was able to sit unassisted, as with other structured carriers, we needed to wait months and months until she fit into the panels. The Cute Awaking makes reverse onbus with all different wrap strap lengths, and is even working on coming out with their own buckle onbu! If you ever get a chance to try one out - do it! And custom slots are so affordable, the only thing holding me back is finding the perfect wrap to be converted.

Joyfully Woven's Serenity Review

Brand: Joyfully Woven

Wrap name: Serenity
Blend: 100% Cotton

Weave structure: Pebble

Length: 4.5 meters (177" STIH)

GSM: 312

Wrappee: 19 lb, 13 month old Ray

Photo credit: Victoria Brown Photography

I was lucky enough to host this handwoven tester for 7 days. In that time, Ray was 13 and a half months old, weighing in at about 19lbs. She was thoroughly enjoying being wrapped as I had just began my time as a SAHM. We mainly did back carries with chest passes or chest belts, but did test some front carries, carries that had ruck straps, and multiple knot types. While Serenity was visiting, we were beginning our small vegetable garden. I had been collecting books and toys on vegetable gardens, farms, and where our food comes from for Ray to see something familiar in multiple places (cue the teacher in me). The yellows and oranges, greens and browns with the black weft in Serenity truly made me fall in love with the look of my seedlings garden. Wrapping with Serenity every morning, we would walk to the garden and admire our work. We would water the plants and play with the dogs. Serenity fit in beautifully, both physically and aesthetically.

Our go to carry is double hammock (DH) with candy cane chest belt (CCCB), so naturally it was the first carry we attempted. My first thought while running my hands down the rails was how thin it felt in hand. The handwovens I have felt, specifically 100% cotton, were thick, kitten belly fluffy. I was pleasantly surprised as the heat of mid-June in New England was upon us. The chest belt was beautiful; thick, cushy, the lines of the weave flowed together effortlessly. And the best part was it didn't leave a deep mark on my chest. We walked around the yard, checked the garden, played with the dogs, and Ray couldn't have been happier.

I love tactile middle markers. By habit, I run my fingers down both sides of the wrap until I run by a tag, a lump, something tactile. Serenity's middle marker was blessing threads of orange. While they were very obvious, I found I needed to look for them, mainly because they were located on one side of the wrap vs. two. I find this to be a personal preference, and I know the owner/weaver is working on having middle marker tags for future wrap releases.

Serenity's medium weight was perfect, as tightening was easy, creating a seat on my tiny toddler was ideal, and I was able to accurately gauge which carries I would be able to do as it wrapped true to size. Knowing this, I would suggest it to someone who is new to handwovens as it would be very easy to wrap with. As a more experienced wrapper, I found this wrap met all of my priorities in quality. Ruck straps didn't make my hands go numb, the wrap didn't swallow my tiny toddler, and yet the knot was always nice and juicy! When tying a slip knot, I found it was easy to get the actual knot tight and the sliding pass was able to be tightened very easily with minimal bouncing. I did find it difficult to loosen the slip knot and actually take the knot out once Ray was down. In my opinion, this is NOT an issue!! I love knowing my girl is safe and my carry won't slide.

Photo credit: Victoria Brown Photography

Overall, this tester was incredible. Ray isn't one to reach for a wrap. She will snuggle them in when you hand her one, but to choose one is very, very unexpected. Clearly, the magic in Serenity was strong, as she grabbed for it while exploring. I am so glad I was able to get my hands on this tester! There is nothing I love more than snuggling my girl into a cushy, cozy wrap, and Joyfully Woven's Serenity definitely delivered!

Motherhood is a Bitch

The past 72 hours have challenged me more than I could ever imagine as a mother. I've loved this beautiful transition in my life, and while I've carried my baby outside the womb for 10 months, even the 9 in were desirable. We have had mild panic attacks - baby's first fall while trying to sit up, baby's first fall while trying to stand, to severe colds and temperatures. I've always had a solid core to help me on these undesirable moments in motherhood, but this time was different.
Huzz went to a training session in NY with some coworkers. They took the train, so he left early one morning and was expected home late the next night. No biggie - we are used to weekends away for the army, and two days really is a cake walk with these two little people. I was having a great day at work, which is totally unexpected at this point. I got through the majority of the day and we hit recess. For those of you who aren't teachers, schedules are everything. For kinders, you need to cram as much learning and thinking time in the morning. You may have some stragglers who will quickly catch up once they've had breakfast, but by the end of the day, they will be dropping like flies. And you'll probably throw crumbs at them to help them keep going! Recess for us is right before snack, which is right before Unified Arts (the fun stuff), which is also right before dismissal. During Unified Arts, I take my plan time. I download my thoughts from the day to my team and we plan on the next steps for our kiddos. I finally made it to that point and was ready to download - my phone rang. First thought: my husband.
Nope.
Daycare. 😭
Ray has vomited twice and needs to be picked up. 😭😭😭😷😭
Even that went smoothly. I told my principal, she sent me a sub. I made sure my plans were labeled and clear for the next day, put in for a sub, and left. By the time I got there, she had vomited again. I walk in and she broke everyone's heart. There she was, in a boys onesie because she ran out of clothes, sitting miserably in the high chair watching her BFF paint. She looks up at me and completely breaks down. I don't know if it was relief that her comfort was finally there, her way of telling me she feels horrrible, or both. I scooped her up and she fell right into me. I was relieved she seemed to be happy with me. I thought the worst was over. I get her into her carseat, drive home, get her out of the car and into the house, and it happens. All over her clean clothes and my clean coat. So strip her down and snuggle her in. Instincts were saying "strip down and wrap that baby up!!" But she had no fever, and I didn't want to contain her if she needed to up chuck again - especially not in our wraps!
I'll save you all the gorey details and fast forward two hours, when I'm sobbing on the phone with my mom because the doctor told me there's nothing to do except keep offering her sips of pedialyte and check for constant wet diapers, and if anything seems off to bring her to the hospital. We had a solid nap and held off on needing another bath or new clean clothes, so we went and picked up big Brother, pedialyte, and microwaveable dinners. We were on survival mode at this point, there was no way I was going to risk staying out longer than necessary.
She slept all night and had a huge smile on her face in the morning. I gave her a small bottle before bringing Brother to school. She played and laughed with him before we left. He picked her up, and with her came her meal. Poor kid was so upset. He was wearing his favorite outfit (red football hoodie and black athletic pants. Probably a t-shirt with a cat that is a disk jockey on it). Welcome to my life, kiddo! The rest of the day, the baby had sips of pedialyte while playing. She would grab her sippy cup and drink, then laugh at me, or share with me, or crawl over and cuddle up with me. She snuggled and slept for about 6 hours that day. Daddy came home a couple hours earlier than we expected and we were thrilled to have everything back to normal. And it was normal for the entire day Friday. Huzz worked and Ray and I played/cleaned/wrapped, and Brother played video games. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Cue 4AM. I hear loud cries coming from Ray's room. The stupid monitor volume got turned down (thanks husband) and I didn't hear her as quickly as usual. I kick one dog out of my way, trip over the other one and stumble to her. I pick her up and snuggle her in and feel her cool, tear-soaked cheeks on my warm neck. I settle her by holding her close and hashing her, rocking her, and letting her know she was okay. I told her we were going to get a bottle - "you are still hungry from your tummy bug!" I grab the water out of the fridge, and I suddenly realize how hot I am, despite my attire being minimal. I take a deep breath, and suddenly, I feel my body struggle to stay up. I give the baby an empty bottle and place her on the floor. Luckily, she smiled at me in approval and I debated running my face under the cold water in the sink. I called my husband to pick up when I left off and ran to the bathroom - the cold tiles felt so good, just laying there a minute helped so much, I thought it was just a crazy hot flash. I sat with my husband and sleepy, satisfied baby and let him soak in her snuggles that he missed out on the past 3 days. Little did I know, 12 hours later and I have yet to touch me baby again.
I caught it. Her stomach bug. It took a lot longer than I expected, but just a short hour after I selflessly let me husband nurture our baby, it really hit me. I quarantined myself in my bedroom while my husband got her ready. I took a nap and so did she, so he Lysol sprayed the house  (that will work), so I decided to infect it again by moving to the couch. I missed Easter with my in laws, I missed taking a shower, I missed eating. But most of all, I miss my girl. I miss grabbing her and wrapping her up. I miss showing her the world around her and seeing what she does. Motherhood has made me so selfish. I'm glad she is healthy again, and I am even more glad I have an incredible partner and son that I can rely on when I'm down. Motherhood has given me a whole knew meaning to motherhood. It has helped me appreciate my own mother more, and has made me realize that children can be awful. They can be mean, they can be gross, they can be scary, smelly, messy, but mothers love you all the same. Motherhood is awful, but it's the best thing I could ever have in my life.

Artipoppe Casanova Housekeeper Review

In the past 10 months, I have decided that I need to try all the wraps.  I've satisfied this desire through impulsive purchases, mystery boxes, and tactical trades.  I've finally had the pleasure of gaining the trust of another mama to host her beautiful, high-end wrap for a week and thought - what better way to document this trip than with a proper review? As I have more travelers and visitors making their way towards our home, I am excited to be able to write more reviews to better help not only myself, but other babywearing parents to discover wraps they may just need in their stash, even if only for a week!

Wrap: Artipoppe Casanova Housekeeper
Size 6 (base), 343 gsm
Fiber Content: 47% Alpaca/53% Cotton
Wrapee: 17lbs, 25.5 inch, 10 1/2 month daughter

Stock Photo courtesy of: slingofest.com

My first impression was excitement over its thickness, but worry over the purple/pink wool side which was very fuzzy. I wasn't sure how it would feel on my girl with the most sensitive skin I know.

Double Hammock

I quickly threw my girl up into a double hammock, color side out as I was nervous of how alpaca would feel on baby skin. It was a bit sticky, as I'm so used to silky fibers, ones that glide with ease. But I managed to get the middle marker on point (very rare), and had a nice thick knot.  My shoulders are insanely picky and my hands quickly go numb or turn colors with ruck straps, but even after a 45 minute walk, I didn't want to put her down when she was ready to play! The thickness made the straps so manageable that I didn't feel the need to constantly adjust.  The wool helped keep us warm enough for 50 degree New England weather without jackets and cool enough to enjoy the sunny outdoors close together. I was so excited to get into it with this wrap and really find its sweet spot and get it ready to soften up.

Poppin's Hip Carry

I soon realized I never truly understood "thick" until this wrap. I thoroughly enjoy wraps close to 250gsm, and always thought "the thicker, the better!" But this baby helped me really understand the definition of thick. I consider myself an above average wrapper, but even simple carries that we use as our "go-to" with various sizes were really difficult to make aesthetically pleasing.  It didn't take long to get over the fear of how it would feel on Ray, and I'm glad I lost that feeling.  The white cotton side had a lot more glide that I am used to.    I found that while this wrap measures at 204" STIH (technically a size 7), it wraps more similarly to a short size 6, medium-weight wrap.  It's incredible how much length is taken away due to its thickness! I was not a fan of bunched passes going under my peanut's little legs or spread passes on my shoulders.  The bunched passes seemed to push her legs into uncomfortable places - carries that do not require reinforcing bunched passes such as Poppins Hip Carry, Robins Hip Carry, or a Rebozo carry would be ideal for smaller babes with this wrap.  The spread pass over my shoulder seemed to engulf my neck/arm.  It was as if the wrap was all of a sudden twice as wide, and it was hard to pleat it so it didn't feel uneven (says the woman who cant wear two socks of differing thicknesses).  I would say that the shoulder pass is a total OCD personal preference, so if you're very sensory driven as I am, you may only want to stick to carries with bunched shoulder passes or torso carries.

Double Hammock with Sweetheart chest pass

This wrap has the perfect class and sass contrast to it, and the wool properties help with temperature control, and if it were in a size 3, it would be my everyday ruck wrap.  This wrap would be ideal for bigger babes and toddlers, as my girl was a bit overwhelmed in it unless we used a single or double pass carry.  I would also suggest this wrap for more experienced wrappers, as the alpaca would require special care, and for a new wrapper, a meduim weight wrap is ideal in my opinion.  For anyone with a toddler who is curious about wool, this is the perfect wrap for you! Go scoop it up! Seriously, go!

Double Hammock with Robin's Finish with a ring

I hope you enjoyed this review and you are as curious about this wrap as I was! Every wrapper should have the pleasure of stepping out of their comfort zone to truly explore and try all the wraps!

I am Mama Bear, hear me Roar

I don't think being an adult really clicked until I was pregnant. I remember wanting to just grow uplease and move out of my parents house. I was dating my husband and helping him raise his 3 year old son. I would drive between New Hampshire and MA twice a week to go to college and be with them. I was splitting my life and it was such a burden. Graduating college was no big deal - I was so glad to finally be done with that chapter in my life and move forward, I don't even have a photograph to document the moment. I was about to get married and be able to live in OUR house together as a real family. I just wanted to move on to the next thing. I got a job in town as a teacher and quickly fell in love with the school, my co-workers, and the philosophy behind the district. I went in at sun rise and left after sunset; I couldn't have been happier.
And then I got pregnant.
I literally suck at keeping secrets. My mom used to lie to me because she knew I would tell my sister what she was getting for her birthday; so it's no wonder I told the world I was expecting before I even saw the little blob (I legit nicknamed her Blobby at 7 weeks preggo). From that point on, I was on baby mode - I was exhausted and my body ached at the end of the day. By March, I couldn't stand for too long, nor could I sit at preschool-level. I was done. I wanted to be home with a baby and not worrying about brushing other kids' teeth, feeding them, singing the ABCs, writing their names, counting the bears. I was ready to move to the next chapter in my life. But life wasn't ready for me. I had a sweet summer with my sweet baby; I couldn't have been more in love! I know everyone says "there's no love like a mother's love", but I swear my love for her was even beyond that. And then just as I was getting the hang of life, I had to go back to work. The place I go to at sun rise and don't leave until after sunset; the place I go to watch and help OTHER children grow. The me who was ready to move on from college and start a life was now ready to move on again. I have a new purpose in life, and I'm beyond blessed to know I have a husband who recognizes and supports me through these crazy adventures.
Ray and I went to our local BWI meeting today. My typical unimpressed baby who goes into "observant mode" when held and presented to a person other than her immediate family, entered that room with a smile and waves. She was talking gibberish and yelling the entire demonstration. She was throwing her toys and reaching for the other kids crawling at our feet. She even caressed and hugged all the wraps I showed her from the lending library. This just solidified my next path. Anywhere I feel comfortable is where I want to be; anywhere my daughter feels immediately comfortable is where I NEED to be. I need to be with my girl. I need to be sharing the love of babywearing with other moms. I need to be educating parents on the beauty of the bond you make with your children just from wearing them. And I know Ray will be with me every step of the way, so I can be with her through every step she takes.
I don't know how long this journey will last for either of us. And to me, that is what life is all about. So many different journies, paths, decisions, changes. You can't stop them. You can only embrace them and move forward, which is exactly what I am doing.

Normalize Okay Wrap Jobs

Over the past 10 months, I have fallen head over heals with the most perfect little human being I ever did know! And in that 10 months, I found a hobby I didn't even know existed before baby Ray. For the past 10 months, I have started many different journeys, and I think it's obvious which are my favorites. I love being a mother, and I love being able to wrap my dear littlest and keeping her close enough to kiss.

I am such a perfectionist. So of course I enjoy wrapping! Everything about it needs to be almost flawless or it will be uncomfortable, ugly, unsafe, or worse - all three. Yet while I have wrapped my baby at least once a day for about 9 months, my carries are never perfect. My top rail is just loose enough for Ray to push off me; my bottom rail is too tight and she pops her seat; one arm is out while the other is down by her knee; she slags down so far that my arms turn purple. But I will tell you, I inspect every wrap job I do. Once I tie off, I find a way to reflect. 

Whether that be with a mirror, a car, a selfie, or this blog, I need to look at what I did so I can adjust towards perfection. But that doesn't mean just because my girls arm is down at her ankle with the other arm at my neck that she is unsafe. Just because there's more slack than ideal across her back doesn't mean we will be uncomfortable.  And just because she is straining and loosening up the top rail to be her nosey little self doesn't mean ages going to flip backwards. 

Not every time you wrap will it look perfect. And I promise you will never wrap the same carry the same way twice. You can always find a way to improve, but you can also always find a reason to love it. Whether it's a fancy finish, a more comfortable carry, or a long awaited wrap nap, you'll find your reason to smile and fall deeply in love with your babe and babywearing.

Sometimes...

Sometimes you have an off day.  You know the days where you sleep through your alarm, your coffee spills on you while walking into work, and the printer in the lounge couldn't find your documents in the cue.

Sometimes you have a terrible day.  Those are the days where things happen that you don't even want to admit to.  The things that you would love to write about on your blog, but it really isn't the time or place.

Sometimes you have a contender for best day of your life.  Those are extra sweet, especially coming right after those terrible days.  These are the days like today.

Ray's first birthday is in less than 3 months. I don't even know how to handle this.  So far, I have been oblivious to the fact that she has gone from an itty bitty snuggle bug that slept on me at the drop of a hat to a tiny human being who just wants to explore until she can climb into the tub by herself.  It's finally hitting me so why not soak it in and start planning the best day of her life (so far).  My inspiration was buzzing thanks to the perfect location.  I received confirmation of our date to be right on her birthday and I was heels over head! And without expectation, I fell mid-flip thanks to one short email. "There was a mix-up and unfortunately the building is unavailable on that day."  I had the option to try for the next weekend, but when you can party on your babies actual birthday, there really is no other option.  So off I went, sulking while searching Google for comparable locations.

My sister pulled through, as usual.  There is a reason she is my best friend.  With her help, I was able to reserve a very similar venue which is only a few streets away from the original and for the same price! So, along with all my crazy babywearing posts, get ready for some crazy mama bear, birthday planning posts.  With an "Oh, the Places You'll Go" theme, I know I will have my hands full, but I will do anything for my girl!

Trying to be the biggest Ray of sunshine

You know those days that just drag on, nothing goes right, and you just need to go to bed so you can wake up over it. That was my week. One thing after another just blew up in my face. Yet, somehow I managed to look through it and move forward.

As I lay here exhausted waiting for the weekend as if having a 4 day weekend wasn't enough, I'm comforted by the fact that I have the littlest Ray of sunshine sleeping in the other room. She is happy, she is (mostly) healthy, she is comforted, she is peaceful, she is safe. She stayed home from daycare to help fight a nasty cold. She took lots of naps, didn't really fight through them. She let me clear her nose, give her medicine, check her temperature. She snuggled with me while she played with her pacifier and a box of tissues. And then she went to bed. It was quite an uneventful day, and I didn't expect much more.

But as usual, sick Ray woke up and needed to cuddle back to sleep. I happily picked her up, walked through the house, got the nose sucker thing, and went back to her room. I cleared her nose and just as I picked her up to my shoulder, I felt it. The warm breath on my neck, a little chest rising and falling with mine, little warm fingers gently holding my cheek. I've always said she is my littlest Ray of sunshine - she shines brightly through the darkest days. But I never thought of myself being anything similar to her. I forget how incredible it is to be a mom. This little human is shaped from ME! How in the world can that even be possible? Am I really that okay of a person that I can in fact create another person and they be perfect? I have no idea how or why it happened, but it did. She is perfect in every single way, and no one will see it or understand it but me.

Kindred Pa'ia Ice - The one to turn my heart to Gold

I have been dappling into writing review for my most favorite wraps - aka all my wraps.  I find they are all so different in their own way, and not only because they are different sizes and brands. I've had such a hard time starting this review because I feel I won't be able to do this wrap justice. But then I'm reminded this is MY blog.  It's a place where I am allowed to share all my thoughts and not worry about feeling judged. So that's exactly what I am going to do.  I hope you find it helpful even though it will be filled with nothing but good things to say, because I really have a hard time finding something wrong with this wrap.

Company: Kindred Wrap
Name/Color Way: Pa'ia Ice
Fiber Content: 45% Tencel/55% Cotton
Size: 5 (Base -1)
Wrapee: My 17lb 9 month old daughter, Ray

I had discovered the beauty that is Kindred thanks to another babywearing blog review.  I had stumbled upon Ballard Stripes Sage and thought I fell in love.  It wasn't until I found their chatter page, though, that my heels soared over my head.  At that point, I wasn't going to be picky, because every wrap I saw was classic, timeless, and just pure beauty.  I had tried to knock some dollars off a few for sale posts with no luck.  I just was not ready to justify spending over $100 on a wrap - I didn't understand (yet).  Finally, this baby popped up.  It was $30 under retail and I took the plunge. I am so glad I did.




I expected a slippery, no texture wrap.  I thought passes would glide easily, slip knots would slide, and bigger wrapees would cause sagging.  I opened the box and was incredibly surprised at the texture I felt.  Tencel seems to have similar wear as wool as this wrap has been loved on and has some felting as a result, but I honestly don't mind.  Our first carry put my doubts at ease as I had a sick baby who was not patient at all for a multi-pass carry, so we opted for a simple rebozo with a slip knot.  And let me tell you, despite my Ray's tries at straightening and kicking, that slip knot held strong and girl was out like a light before I knew it.  While tails were dragging, I wrapped them around my waist and tied them off out of the way and got on with my life - and Pa'ia kept us both happy and comfortable.




While I consider size 6 to be my base, this wrap is so nicely broken in that I can squeeze out front wrap cross carry with no issues.  I use this wrap for every carry (even those with incredible tails to show off more of this beauty).  I tend to keep multiple passes bunched as it is great at holding in heat.  While it feels light in hand, it has a great amount of cushiness to it.  My shoulders are super picky (I cannot ruck with a linen blend for more than 30 minutes, and tied Tibetan I may be able to last another 15 minutes) but this is my go-to wrap when we are up for a long time.  The shoulders pleat on their own, double knots are full of life, and candy cane chest belts max out at 3 twists.




I can't say enough good things about this wrap.  It has brought so much comfort to Ray and I, and each day I pick it up I know she feels the same love I do.  It has saved me from melt downs, saved her from exhaustion, and has helped us through this crazy journey called life.  Kindred will always have a place in my heart and in our home.

When it clicked

I always knew I would be a wrapper, although my 13 year old self was hoping for more of a gangster rapper, not baby wrapper.

I am not sure where I found the idea of babywearing, all I know is while I was pregnant, I was beyond excited to find a Moby wrap for $20 in a resale store. From there, I found other carriers (soft structured carriers [ssc], mei tai) and tried to find something I loved. It wasn't until I discovered babywearing swaps on Facebook. I was hooked. For about 2 months, I window shopped. I knew I needed a woven wrap, but what one, what size, why sizes, and why do they all have 5 names? I opted instead for a table cloth off amazon; it is white with brightly colored flowers, and made by Squish Wear - it was meant to be and is still a favorite while she's small enough.
Fast forward 6 months and here we are with more wovens than we ever use, and what I like to consider advanced wrapping skills. I am starting my 3rd Carry-a-Day Challenge and hoping to finish my first. And of course the dreaded double hammock with the stupid chest pass is up.. so I take a deep breath and superman that baby up, and somehow, it just clicked. I realised what a good seat should feel like and why; I figured out how to tighten through the pass wrapped around your chest; I was able to finish and tie off with a crooked knot and crooked middle marker, but I was so impressed with the level up it was beautiful. Since then, this confidence has helped me continue to day 5 of this challenge! (I gave up at day 2 of the last one...)
The moral of the story: one day, it just clicks. You will have days of pure frustration including throwing your wrap and sitting on the floor holding you crying baby while you try to pull your shitime together. And you will have days of pure joy where everything, just clicked.

Hold Them Close

I typically refer to myself as a "first time baby mom". I became a mom to a 3 year old boy 6 years ago. I started off motherhood with a toddler that I did not birth, but loved none the less. I finall get to experience motherhood how I always anticipated I would, except now I'm a mother of two. I have no idea how the last 8 months have not made me go insane, but what I do know is it has made me a stronger, happier, and more faithful human being.
With that being said, I really thought I had my parenting ideas down pat and knew exactly how I would raise my daughter. She would be exclusively breast-fed (that lasted 4 months before she was exclusively formula-fed), she would be cloth diapered (and then I realized: I hate laundry and laundry with poop sounds terrible!), she would skip purees and we would do BLW (I am too nervous/anxious to trust my baby not to choke, and started spoon feeding mush 2 weeks later and have yet to turn back). The one thing that has stuck is babywearing.
At 2 weeks old, I had set a goal to wear my baby everyday, at least once a day, and was really adamant about it once she started daycare and I went back to work. I would snuggle her up and she would fall fast asleep, wake up to eat, read a book, and back to sleep she went. And then she started to sit up. She wanted to be more independent. She wanted to play on the floor. She wanted to try to crawl. I would wrap her up on my back and walk her around, teaching her about the world all around. Until one day, it just kind of stopped. I got frustrated how long it would take to wrap her, and she would get frustrated that she couldn't do whatever she wanted. I would hip scoot, superman, santa toss her up, she would stiffen, scream, cough, wriggle until I would lay her down on the bed or couch and throw the wrap in anger, of course follwed with a big bear hug for my girl because no one should feel blame for someone elses frustration. We went a whole week without going up. A week of snuggles on the couch, a week of playing on the floor until we both couldn't keep our eyes open, a week of feeling less than beautiful.
I picked my sweet Ray up from daycare after that and had one fussy, clingy babe. I reached for one of our favorites and supermanned her up, and she didnt fuss. She laid quite still and let me do my thing. We were up for about 2 hours that evening, and it was just as magical as it had been before. She swung her little feet in delight when the dogs ran past, she peeked over my shoulder to see what I was doing, and she snuggled in once she was tired. We were back. Its been a few months since then, and things aren't perfect, but I believe we had both learned something from that wrapless week - sometimes, we just need each other. Whether the other is feeling up to it or not, we rely on each other to get us through the day. I don't know how parents survive without babywearing. I remember being told not to pick up my 3 year old step son because he was "too big". I cannot wait for the day someone tells me I shouldn't wear my 3 year old who just wants to be held, snuggled, loved. Babywearing has brought out a community of mothers I feel less judged around, a place I feel safe, and a way of life that makes me feel confident in the way I raise my baby. I thank the heavens above for whatever it was that turned me onto babywearing, because it has helped turn motherhood into a thing of pure joy and beauty in my mind, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My Thoughtful Friday

I'm the type of person who will squeeze out the last reasonable amount of toothpaste left in the tube, then run the tube along the edge of the sink just to get a TINY bit more for when hus wakes up, go to put it back with a smirk on my face that I did a good deed only to realize - he already got a brand new one and put it in the cabinet.....


So I left the empty one in there, too.

You know how sometimes....

...you were really motivated and inspired to write your first blog post, and then your husband takes out the candy and turns on Brooklyn 99 right after both kids get to sleep.....

Well, now you know about me.