Natasha's Pick of the Week: Ring Slings!
I love my ring slings!! The first baby carrier I ever bought was a ring sling and I still have it and still use it.
Ring slings are one of the three kinds of baby carriers that I think all parents should own (the other two being a wrap carrier and a soft-structured carrier).
And here are the reasons why I love ring slings:
- You can use a ring sling from day one of your baby's life! And because it is a one-size fits most kind of baby carrier, you do not have to get a specific size for either you or your child. (I carried my 4 lb premature son in ours almost everyday at home!)
- Kind of repeating myself here, but ring slings are adjustable. And that means that they can easily work for a 5' 2" Mama as well as the corresponding 6' 2" Daddy, as well as all sizes of babies!
- When babies start to move around more, ie, rolling, crawling, walking, they are usually in a constant state of what I call "the ups and downs". As in, please pick me up for a bit....Okay, now I want down....AND now I want up again....and down.... and I think you get the picture. A ring sling can be the perfect solution in this situation-it is easy to slip baby in and out of the sling to suit their ever-changing little minds!
- A ring sling is the perfect 'leave in the car' carrier. And this is where at least one of mine is at all times. I use it for when I have those days of multiple quick errands to run and I have to be in and out of the car. It is an easy carrier to use and get baby in and out of and in my opinion is a better alternative to carrying around the bulky and often very heavy baby + car seat.
- You can use a ring sling for your toddler. My daughter is two and a half years old and weighs about 30 pounds. Last weekend she fell down one step and twisted her ankle and has refused to walk on it now for about a week. And I don't know what I would have done with out my ring slings for both at home and when we have had to go out. I am also finding that at this age and weight, of all of my carriers (and I have over 20 of them) the ring slings and my woven wraps are proving to be the most comfortable to use with her.
We have a few different brands of ring slings at Natural Urban Mamas and I have used them all and personally think they are all fantastic. You really can't go wrong with any one of these great baby slings:
- The gurumama Ring Slings are very nice because they have that little bit of designer fabric pizzazz on the 'tail' part of the sling, as well as a built-in zippered pocket.
- The Ollie Golightly 100% Linen Ring Slings are at this point a very limited item. We only have three more of these and once they are gone, that is it (the creator of these has moved on to other career endeavors). I love these because the hand screen printed images on the tail part of the slings are gorgeous and the different colored bias ribbon to help with tightening makes these very user-friendly.
- NEW Waterbaby Ring Slings from Babyette just arrived last week and this is the perfect carrier for your beach holiday, summer time at the splash park or pool or even just taking a shower with baby at home. They are made with a breathable, fast-drying, super-soft mesh material and they come in four different colors.
- NEW 100% Cotton Batik Rings Slings from Babyette also arrived last week and we are so excited about these. The patterns were chosen specifically for Natural Urban Mamas, which makes these an exclusive item to us! Babyette Ring Slings are nice wide ring slings (read-plenty of fabric to support the shoulders of any size baby) and they have the most gorgeous and comfortable pleated shoulder detailing on them.
So go ahead Mamas, get yourself a ring sling and enjoy all there is about them and your babywearing time with your little baby!
And if you are local to the Greater Edmonton Area and need more information or hands-on instruction, be sure to check out our upcoming Basics of Babywearing Workshops and/or book a Private Babywearing Consultation with me.
Happy Babywearing Everyone!
Natasha~
P.S. Remember that proper positioning applies to all baby carriers, ring slings included and I do not recommend a cradle position or forward facing out position in these or any baby carrier.
Chimparoo Woven Wraps and Mei Tais
You all know that I love babywearing, that is kind of a given. But what you may not know is how much I LOVE babywearing with woven fabrics! Woven materials are the IDEAL fabric for babywearing. They are soft, so beautiful and because they are NON-stretchy, they are STUR-DY. A good woven wrap offers optimal baby support as well as wearer comfort. You can use woven wraps from day one of your baby's life all the way up to....well, let's just say I know a few 4 year olds who still enjoy a nice piggy back in a woven wrap!
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| Case in Point! |
I am very happy to announce that the Chimparoo line of woven wraps and mei tais have arrived at Natural Urban Mamas. Chimparoo is a Mama-Owned Canadian company out of Quebec and all of their baby carriers are made right here in Canada and are 100% Oeko-Tex certified. So yes, they fit all the criteria for products carried by us!!
Often the hesitation with buying a woven wrap is cost. Some of the European brands can be a bit pricey. The Chimparoo line of woven wraps are very well priced, with the longest length (5.5 metres) coming in at just under $100.00. This is well below the average $130-180.00 for some of the popular European brands.
Trust me, the versatility and long-term use of a woven wrap can't be beat. You can learn to wrap your baby on your tummy, your hip and your back. A Chimparoo Woven Wrap truly can be the ONE baby carrier that you buy for the whole length of your babywearing journey!
Each Chimparoo wrap comes with a DVD and instruction booklet, outlining all of the different ways to tie your wrap and don't forget that you can also book one-on-one babywearing consultations with Natasha or attend one of our local workshops to learn more.
The Chimparoo Mei Tais are also in stock and they are simply amazing! These mei tais are made with the same woven material as the wraps and are not only incredibly beautiful, but also super duper comfortable and so easy to use. The construction of these Asian-inspired baby carriers also makes it so that this is easily one of the mei tai brands that I would highly recommend right from the start with your baby.
The sides and front of the body of the Chimparoo Mei Tai have these lovely little toggles on them that can shrink down the body of the carrier to really hug the baby and help get them in the proper positioning for babywearing and the built in head rest is perfect for when nap time happens to coincide with babywearing! The waist straps and shoulder straps have just the right amount of padding to them and again, because of the sturdiness and non-stretch of the woven fabric, these mei tais are great for kiddos up to 35+ pounds!
What more can I say Mamas, these really are some great Canadian-made baby carriers, I am so happy to have them at Natural Urban Mamas and I don't think you can go wrong with carrying around your little Monkey in a Chimparoo Baby Carrier!!
Happy Babywearing Everyone!
P.S. Don't forget to check out our SALE section for some really great deals on natural, fair trade and organic baby essentials!!
The Organic Box - Good Food LOVE!
A few weeks ago, mostly out of desperation because I had just dislocated my hip, I ordered the 3-week trial of The Organic Box. This fabulous local Edmonton company delivers Organic produce right to your door. Year round!! And since I really could not picture me in a leg brace and on crutches pushing a cart with 2 kids around Superstore, it seemed like a very viable option for us.
The Organic Box is Edmonton's source for local organic food, delivered right to your door. They source a lot of their produce from local Alberta and BC farmers and when they can't find it here (we do have a long winter) they ensure that it comes from a fully traceable source and only buy from small producers. They even have a list on their website of all of producer farms.
I really did not know what to expect that first week, but as you can see, they really do not disappoint! Just look at this fabulous organic bounty!
Here is how it works:
Weekly or bi-weekly, members of The Organic Box receive a delivery of seasonal organic fruits and vegetables from local and non-local organic farms and distributors. Members are notified late Friday regarding the contents of the next weekly Box and can use our website to customize their box contents until early Monday morning.
Delivery days are scheduled according to your postal code and along with your produce the Organic Box partners with some other great local companies to provide you with organic or free-run eggs, organic milk, organic dry goods and my personal favourite, organic chocolate!! I ordered us some milk for this week and will soon be getting our eggs from them too (as soon as it warms up enough for the laying hens)!
I love that I am supporting a local company, our local farmers and I have also found that I am spending WAY less time and money at the grocery store. We are eating healthier and my kids can't seem to get enough of the fabulous apples and pears these past few weeks. My three week trial ended last week and I am now signing up for it full time.
Good Eating Everyone!!
Natasha~
Twilli Pie Podegi Carriers
My daughter is 25 months old and is about 27 lbs. She still likes and wants to be worn in her carriers (as she likes to call them)! And lately, the one she requests the most and the one I am finding the easiest and most comfy, is our Twilli Pie Podegi carrier.
A podaegi (also spelled "podegi" or "podeagi") is a traditional Korean baby carrier, which consists of a rectangular "blanket" attached to a long strip of fabric. The blanket portion wraps baby onto babywearer, and then the strip of fabric is tied around them both. It is comfortable, cozy, versatile, and adorable, not to mention very convenient!
TWILLI PIE DESIGN is the brain child of Renee Holiday, a WAHM in Tennessee and she prides herself in creating "wearable art" in each of her one of a kind PODEAGI baby carriers.
Renee uses mostly vintage and/or reclaimed fabrics in the blanket (body) of the pods and the straps are made of all new materials, and always from sturdy, bottom-weight fabrics.
I was reminded once again today as to why I love this carrier so much. I wore L for almost 2 hours straight as we did our first Babywearing walk of 2011 today at West Edmonton Mall. And I did not feel any strain whatsoever on my shoulders, back or hips.
I find that the key with carrying bigger babies and toddlers-and this applies to all carriers, is that the higher up you carry them, the more comfortable it is for both of you.
The Twilli Pie Podegi carriers are great for babies of all ages, and are especially sturdy and ideal for toddler wearing!
We only have a few of these one of a kind carriers in stock. So if you like what you see, get it NOW before someone else snags it up!
And don't forget that this week we are also having our New LOGO Babywearing Sale and you get
Winners of My Favourite Things Day 4 - Modern Mama
Hello everyone and I am so sorry for the delay. Yeesh!! Christmas is in three days! How did that sneak up on me so fast? I still have so much wrapping to do! And now, in the spirit of giving and thank you so much to Connie Peters from Modern Mama the lucky winners of the three Modern Mama Membership Perks Cards are:
Check your emails ladies,
Connie will be contacting you shortly to send you your cards and we will see you at the next fabulous Modern Mama event!
My Favourite Things: Day FIVE - Tweeling!!
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..." ~Maria, The Sound of Music
I have said it before and I will repeat it again....I am not crafty. And thus, I love all of the amazing artisans and craftspeople that abound in Edmonton. Sally Abbott of Tweeling is one of these such artists. Her medium of choice....socks!!
Yes, you heard right, socks. And the amazing things this mama can make with a pair of socks is nothing short of genius! Her staple character is of course the Sock Monkey and these cuddly monkeys come in so many different colours, variations, and themes that are only limited by yours or your child's imagination.
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| Connie the Garden Fairy Sock Monkey |
Here is what Sally has to say in her own words:
I'm a mum of boy/girl twins and they are pretty much the inspiration behind the things that I make. They are also the inspiration in the the naming of my shop, Tweeling means twin in dutch. They both help with the naming of new critters and product testing. Such as if you tie a monkey to your book shelf will his tail fall off or if you hold a bunny by his ear while jumping on the bed will he become a one eared bunny? The answer to both those questions are no, everything is double sewn. They also test for how cuddly a bunny is while watching a movie or reading a book or what kind of food monkeys like to eat at tea parties.
All my sock creations are one of a kind, and I couldn't duplicate them even if I tried. When I start with a pair of socks I don't usually know what I'm going to end up with. The more I sew the more their personality comes out.
I think that everyone is an individual and that children should be encouraged to be individuals. So if you have a one of a kind kid (or grownup for that matter) at home why not consider getting them a one of a kind gift.
Sally also does some amazing custom work and will try almost anything. I asked her a few months ago if she could make the Natural Urban Mamas Flower Babies for me and she agreed. They turned out even better than I imagined. These little baby faces come with me to all my trade shows and workshops and often just hang out with the kids at home!!
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| Flower Babies! |
You can find all sorts of fun and exciting critters at Tweeling's online Etsy shop and here are a few of my faves that she has in stock right now. I am so loving the fuzzy little bears!
You can find Tweeling critters in her Esty shop HERE, or find her FaceBook page HERE.
Sally is offering a 10% Discount to all of my readers and followers on her in-stock items at the Esty shop until the end of December. Just enter the discount code 'naturalurbanmama' at checkout. And for you local mamas, you can pick up your items from her and save on some shipping too.
Now go get one of these great one-of-a-kind gifts to put under the tree for a little someone special!
Happy (8 more days of) Shopping, Natasha~
P.S. These are the Sock Monkeys that my littles are getting. (Yes, they picked them out themselves and then I promptly took them away when they were not looking and have hidden them until Christmas morning!!)
These are a few of my Favourite Things....Day FOUR: Modern Mama
"...Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes...."
~Maria, The Sound of Music
Oh Sweet Mommy time, those sacred moments when we get to rejuvenate, reboot and re-organize our brains. For a lot of us, getting some precious ME-time can be very difficult. We either don't have a lot of support or childcare readily available or it is just impossible to leave a small, nursing baby with anyone!
Enter Modern Mama. The brain-child of Connie Peters, this company is all about getting moms out of the house and doing things that WE like to do, either with or without baby in tow. I know what you are saying...."Yeah, right Natasha, and just how do you do that??"
Modern Mama events are all about getting us mamas out and about and enjoying ourselves. And having had two winter babies, trust me, I know how hard it is. Just the thought of going out with a small baby in our kind of Northern Alberta weather can be daunting!! But I also know how important it is and SO worth it for your own sanity and sense of self and, you know what, it is good for babies to experience the world beyond their four walls too!
Here is what the Modern Mamas have to say in their own words.
We are moms. Modern Mama is moms who have found each other through a common philosophy – “getting moms out of the house”. Being a mom on maternity leave, a stay-at-home-mom, a working mom, a single mom; whether you have one child or five, the common thread is that it’s difficult to find time for yourself, and motherhood can feel isolating and overwhelming at times.
We believe that although motherhood adds a new dimension to who you are and it changes many aspects of our daily lives, it can’t replace our old selves – meaning we still need fun, friendship and some ‘me-time’ in our lives. Modern Mama aims to help you get out and get that support, connecting you with other moms who might share the same interests, and at the same time, provide that much-needed ‘me-time’!
Modern Mama loves and supports new moms. We do this by offering nannies at our events, allowing new mothers to stay attached to their infant, having them nearby to nurse or cuddle as much as needed. Through our services for expecting and new moms, we are a resource for moms in Edmonton and Calgary through the first years of motherhood.
The nannies are the kicker here folks!! Modern Mama provides nanny services at almost all of their events. So while you are getting a whole new make-over at Sephora, a personal shopping experience at Anthropologie, or some cooking tips from a personal chef, your littles will be entertained and cared for by qualified and caring nannies! Heck, Modern Mama even has a specific event called the Babysitter Mixer that can hook you up with some of these incredible nannies and babysitters!
And to top it all off, Modern Mama offers a membership program as well and trust me, membership does have it's privileges. The Modern Mama Perks Card not only gives you discounts to Modern Mama events, but has a HUGE list of perks members and businesses that offer you discounts as well (of course Natural Urban Mamas is one of them!). Please visit the site here to find all the advantages this membership offers you!
Modern Mama has offered up three of these fabulous Membership Perks Cards for my readers/followers. To enter the giveaway for these, please visit the Modern Mama site and let me know which event you would most like to attend and leave a comment with your name and email address. I will draw for the winners on December 20th at 9:00 PM MST.
Here's to sipping a latte and feeling good about ourselves!
Cheers Mamas,
These are a few of my favourite things... Day THREE: Serben Free Range
"Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels...
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles"
~ Maria, The Sound of Music
Food, food, food!! 'Tis the season people! Christmas parties, Christmas dinners, baking, cooking, roasting, basting.....and on and on it goes. But do you ever stop to think about where exactly all that food you are consuming is coming from? Where does Mrs. Butterball get all those turkeys that are pre-buttered, pre-stuffed and dare I say it pre-packaged? How many Christmas hams are going in the oven this year and do you know how those hams came to be or where they are from? I think about these things a lot....
About a year ago I met a lovely man named Jered Serben. He is a fourth generation farmer. He raises pigs, chickens, turkeys and lamb. I told him how I could not handle the smell of pork anymore and was wondering why. And then he told me about how most pork is farmed and brought to the shelves at your local supermarket. It is really not a pretty picture (these places are called piggeries, think factory for pigs!) and it explains a lot.
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| NOT a Free-Range farm! |
He challenged me to try his pork and taste (smell?) the difference. I did and I am SO glad! Because I really do like pork and bacon and ham and bacon and sausages and bacon. (Wait, did I say that already?) Needless to say, one tenderloin later, I was a complete convert and I no longer buy pork products from the grocery store.
Serben Free Range is a family-owned, fourth generation farm, near Smoky Lake, Alberta (about an hour northeast of Edmonton). They supply free-range meat to Edmonton and surrounding areas. In their own words:
We produce free-range pork, lamb, turkey and chicken. We also supply pastured, grass-fed beef. No hormones, antibiotics or additives are used, and animals are free to roam. We raise our poultry only through the summer, as we like them to be out in the grass and sunshine, not inside a barn.
If you live in Edmonton or surrounding areas, and are looking for local, farm-fresh, free-range meat from humanely-raised animals, you can purchase online, or contact us for delivery options. We can deliver your product to your home (Mondays 5-8 p.m), or you can pick it up at some of the various city and surrounding area Farmer's Market's (see website for updates).
I received another delivery a few weeks ago from Serben Free Range and have since had another fabulous pork tenderloin, some very delicious pork chops that I simply pan-fried with Greek spices and we had the bacon this weekend (you SERIOUSLY have to try the bacon!!). I also have a huge free-range chicken just waiting for the right night to be cooked and some of these amazing sausages that I think I might break out this weekend.
Actual sausages from Serben Free Range. Mmmm....Good!
Jered and his girlfriend Julia are forging ahead with Serben Free Range and are looking at getting some if not all of their products Certified Organic as well. I am also looking forward to tasting some of their garden produce next year! In the mean time, I believe that buying from our local farmers is very important and I like knowing exactly where my food is coming from. And I also appreciate the farmers, like Jered and Julia, that strive to use natural, sustainable farming practices.
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| Serben Free Range farm in the winter |
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| Pigs.... well, being pigs!! |
They have a very user-friendly online ordering system on the Serben Free Range website and you simply have to click on your favourite products and pay via Paypal (credit card) or cash/cheque and choose either to have your items delivered right to your door, or you can pick them up at the local farmers markets on Saturdays (St. Albert and City Centre Markets until December 18, 2010).
Please mention Natural Urban Mamas in the Additional Comments section of the online check-out system at www.serbenfreerange.com.
Now go get yourself some bacon and a Christmas ham too!
Cheers,