December Meeting

By Lauren B.

Thank you to those of you that were able brave the snowy weather for our December meeting. For those of you that opted to stay nice and warm at home with your little ones, no worries! You can try out this month's carry with the video below. "Christina's Ruckless Back Carry," demonstrated by Jillian D. at the meeting, can be used with a size 4, 5, or 6 woven wrap. 

Happy wrapping! Hope to see you all at the next meeting in the new year. Have a wonderful holiday with your families. 



  

Cora K. spots Sarah M. while trying the carry of the month.



Lauren M. looks on as Jillian D. demonstrates a back carry.

Jillian D. wraps her toddler.



Cora K.'s sweet toddler enjoys time on Mommy's back.

Lauren M. wears her baby girl in a Beco Gemini.

Jillian D. assists Sarah M.'s husband, Aaron, with a soft structured carrier.



Ladies at the meeting chat about different carriers they like to use.

A Goodbye and a Hello!

Paula R. here.  January will mark the one year since I've started writing posts for the group blog.  And it's been mostly fun, although a bit of work.  January is also when my one and only child will be turning three.  She hasn't wanted to be worn very much at all since turning two.  She's fierce, independent and will not be contained!  I'll also be moving from Colorado, likely sometime within the next month, so come January, the blog is officially out of my hands.  I do have a few post that are still in the works; I'll likely be giving them to Jillian D. to put up for me, but overall, my stint here is just about over and this is my one month's notice!  

Lauren B. has already started stepping up to contribute posts.  We also have a few other members who will likely be chipping in here and there.  For those of you who have yet to meet Lauren, here is her bio below:

My name is Lauren and I have a 7 month old son, Jacob. My husband, Justin, and I are originally from Southern California. We have been married a little over 8 years and moved to Colorado Springs 3 years ago after he finished his army career. Before I was a stay at home mom, I was teaching German on Fort Carson at the Special Forces Language School. I love to try new recipes, do crafty things, spend time outdoors on Colorado trails and get to know other mommas who are in the wonderful thick of it! I look forward to getting to know all of you ladies!

Where We Wore in November

Lauren B. wears her son at the zoo in a Little Frog (wrap conversion) ring sling.  

Isabel T. takes her baby out for a hike at Roxborough State Park in a dyed Didymos NLI woven wrap.

Stella K.'s toddler plays with her hair during a trip to Beckenridge.

Maureen S. wears her son in a Beco 4G, leaving her right hand free to hold to hold a tarantula at the Butterfly Pavilion in Denver.

December Meeting

Our monthly meeting will be taking place the 4th of December, starting at 10:30 at the Casa Verde Common House (the green building).  The Carry of the Month is Christina's Ruckless Backless Carry, so if you have a wrap size 4-6, that would work great!  Jillian D. says this is a great carry for those who aren't fond of ruck straps or have leg straighteners.

If you plan on borrowing a carrier from our lending library, please take the time to read our Lending Library policy.

Winter babywearing

Now that it's getting chilly and snowy in Colorado, you might be at a bit of a loss as to how to keep warm while babywearing.  If you were at the November meeting, you might have seen Isabel T.'s "No-Sew Fleece Poncho" in action.  She recently posted the process on her blog and you can check it out here!

Other options for winter babywearing include buying a regular oversized jacket that you can zip around you and your baby.  If you're sew handy, there is an awesome tutorial you can use by Ocah to make one.  There are also several retail options, such as the Boba Vest and the various coats and jackets at Suse's Kinder.

November Meeting

Lauren B. has stepped up as a contributor for our group blog.  We look forward to more of her posts!  She sums up the meeting below.   

November was another successful meeting with plenty of new faces in attendance!  It's so great to see people coming to learn how to make babywearing work for them! This month's carry is the Double Hammock back carry, typically used with a size 5, 6, or 7 woven wrap. Jillian D. demonstrated and a few experienced wrappers helped other members practice with their little ones.  If you were unable to make the meeting (or if you're just looking to get some more practice), check out the video below:

Some members also brought along a few ideas for wearing baby while in the winter weather. Babywearing jackets, fleece ponchos, or even just an oversized coat already in your closet will do the trick! These items can simply be worn over you and baby while using your favorite carrier.

(Photos taken by Nicole R.)

Galen D. and her son try out the new Moby GO.

Isabel T. hoists her baby on up to demonstrate a Double Hammock.

Alena S. and Sarah M. practice a more advanced back carry with their rings slings.

Gretchen M.'s newborn snoozes in a wrap conversion ring sling.

Jennifer P.'s  baby boy shows off his adorableness while in a Tula.  

Isabel T. demonstrates how to wear her no-sew babywearing poncho.

Galen D. shows off her thrift store find: a $9 coat (with a large neckline) that fits over her and her baby and is perfect for winter babywearing!

BST Etiquette

While many people buy their carriers new, it's fairly common to also buy them used.  BST-ing (Buying/Selling/Trading) in the babywearing world can be a bit complex.  There is a sense of culture, and from that culture, a level of decorum expected (both on TheBabywearers.com, also known as TBW, as well as The Babywearing Swap on Facebook). Group leader Marcia S. shares with us a few of her tips below.  

This isn't Craigslist; it's a babywearing community: a place to build relationships, chat with other mamas as our babies grow, and learn to care more easily for our children.

So. Let's start positive. What are some things that are helpful when you are shopping for a carrier?

1. Do some research. Read up on what you are looking for (Facebook, thebabywearer.com's forums, blogs, etc.). Make sure you know what to expect for pricing for that particular carrier. Some carriers are more expensive because they are rare, some are made from higher quality materials, and some are popular, so they're hard to find. If you know what you're looking for before you start shopping, you'll come out ahead.

2. Make sure you know what you have available to spend before initiating a conversation with a seller. If you need to talk to your partner, sell some household items, ask for birthday gifts, do that all before you start shopping. It makes transactions much smoother. Have your money ready to go.

3. Learn how to use PayPal. PayPal is what most sellers use for transactions. Make sure that your account is set up fully, including your address, and get it linked to a bank account and credit/debit card so that it doesn't send funds as an eCheck. When you use PayPal, you send as goods so that you receive full buyer protection. If you send gifted payment, you are not protected if you need to file a claim.

4. Know what to ask the seller. Learn what is considered to be "normal" flaws: slubs, nubs, known issues with that type of carrier. If the seller lists that there are no flaws, stains, pulls, etc., there is no reason to ask that again. If there are no details listed, feel free to ask. Make sure that if length is extremely important to you, you ask the seller for an exact measurement (then you won't be disappointed if it's different than what you wanted; some manufacturers have different ranges of normal, or some runs of particular wraps are cut too long or too short). 

5. If you ask for a payment plan, make payments on time. Communicate to the seller. Be prepared to fulfill your end of the agreement--the seller is holding the item for you and may be missing out on another sale by waiting for you to pay.

6. Make sure you know conventions. On TBW, it was often that the first person to PM the seller asking for a PayPal address was the one to be able to purchase the item. Other places are different (first to comment publicly, first to ask a question), so make sure you know how the seller operates. Most sellers need the funds quickly, so they're trying to move the item as quickly as possible. Also, asking to be invoiced is a newer idea (because you can use Bill Me Later if you are invoiced by the seller), so sellers may be used to giving the buyer their email address and waiting for payment.

7. Along those lines, pay promptly. Tell the seller if there is going to be a delay in sending payment. Sometimes the seller will post that if payment is not received within four hours, the seller will move on to the next buyer.

8. Keep the seller informed. If you change your mind, tell her so that you aren't leaving her waiting for you to come back.

9. Be polite. Please and thank you go a long way. 

10. Be sure to leave honest feedback, both as a buyer and a seller.

Please don't:

1. Don't offer way less than the seller is asking. If the seller lists that they are willing to take offers, it's usually that they would take $5-15 off of the asking price. Asking a seller to come down more than that may be taken as rude.

2. Don't make excuses. If you can't spend what the seller is asking, there is no need to tell them why. Move on to another item that is in your budget. 

3. Don't ask the seller to hold something if you can't pay. They're potentially missing on a sale that way.

4. Don't ask for a payment plan and then back out.

5. Don't freak out if something is wrong when the item arrives. Calmly discuss it in a non-accusatory tone with the seller. Pulls and broken threads (if it is only one or two) are very simple to fix. There are tutorials on thebabywearer.com and YouTube. I probably wouldn't even message the seller about something that is easy to fix. If there is a stain, or an obvious hole, or something that's a bigger issue: don't wash the item or try to fix it until you have talked to the seller. Washing may alter your PayPal protection or make the issue worse. 

6. Don't make pricing comments on the thread. If you can't afford it, keep it to yourself. Don't accuse the seller of marking the item too high. If you don't like it, move on.

AS A SELLER: 

1. Take good pictures if you can. You're going to get better responses if you include an action shot and a flat shot. (And if the seller doesn't include these, you, as a buyer, don't have to ask them for them; try Google image search first.)

2. Include as many details as you can in your listing. Brand, colorway, size, condition, flaws, detergents, pets in the home, smoking, willingness to ship to certain locations, etc., are all valuable points to include on a listing. Disclose your selling methods: some sellers will sell to the first person who asks for a PayPal email address. Other sellers go by the first to message. 

3. Have the item washed and ready to ship. Then you don't have to scramble to have it clean and ironed after you have received payment. If something happens to the carrier while you're attempting this, it will be on you and you will have to tell the buyer the bad news.

4. Ship as promptly as possible, and if you can't ship when you say you will, keep in communication with the buyer. Don't print a label to appear that you have shipped the item when you haven't actually taken it to the post office. Buyers track that and will be able to see that it's not been dropped yet.

5. Be honest and kind. If a buyer comes to you with a complaint, do everything you can to make it right. It keeps your reputation good.

Where We Wore in October

Jillian D. dresses up her toddler (and Kinderpack) in a ladybug costume for a Halloween party.

Paula R. wears her two year old on a walk in a Golden Thread Mistress wrap (woven by group leader Marcia S.) while on vacation in California.

Isabel T. wears her son on vacation in New York.  Her wrap is a Didymos Natural Linen Indio (dyed curry to merlot by Color Dip Studios).

Jessa Z. wears her ten-month-old son in an Ergo at the zoo.  

Jen C. (who has recently started the Jared plan) walks to Subway with her son in a Little Frog wrap.  

Tiffany S. wears her baby in a Moby while visiting giraffes during Boo at the Zoo.

Jillian D. wears her youngest in a KoKaDi Glamour Stars wrap at a pumpkin patch.

Jessa Z. takes her son "Captain America" trick-or-treating.

November Meeting

Our monthly meeting will be taking place the 6th of November, starting at 10:30 at the Casa Verde Common House.  The Carry of the Month is the Double Hammock.  We will be discussing babywearing in cold weather.  If you own a babywearing coat, it would be great if you brought it along so other group members can see how they work!  

If you plan on borrowing a carrier from our lending library, please take the time to read our Lending Library policy.

Babywearing Men of Colorado Springs!

Nicole R.'s husband Kris wears their son in a WAHM ring sling in between playing darts.

"Well, I only have two hands."  --Maureen S.'s husband  (He made the mei tai himself!)

"I just like [babywearing] because of being able to use two hands.  Also, when the kid falls asleep in it, it's awesome.  You can't beat snuggling with your kid while getting stuff done."  --Amanda J.'s husband Jake

Marie C.'s husband mini-golfs while wearing their son.

Jillian D.'s husband wears their youngest while shopping for electronics.  

Sarah M.'s husband Aaron wears their son while shopping.  

"He loves to wear him out on family trips.  I think he secretly likes the doe-eyed looks from other women."  -- Carey V., about her husband

Stella K.'s husband Stan wears their daughter while out and about.

Lending Library Revamped -- Again

This is a copy of the document on our Facebook (written by group leader Jillian D.), outlining our new Lending Library policies and the current carriers we have!

Thanks to many generous members and vendors, our library has grown quite a bit in the last few months. To protect the carriers in the library, continue to grow our library and make lending fair for everyone, we have decided to update our lending policy. Our new policy is as follows:

• Any member may have one carrier checked out at a time.
• The lending time is one month.
• Name, address, phone number... will be entered into a spreadsheet to keep track of who has which carrier.
• Contact information, donation and deposit must be given before any carrier can be borrowed.
• A nonrefundable $5 donation must be made each time a carrier is borrowed. This donation will go directly into the group to help purchase more carriers or to cover costs for the group (ex. meeting venue rental...).
• There will be a $5/week late fee charge for carriers not returned on time.
• It is the responsibility of the person borrowing the carrier to return the carrier to a leader in a timely fashion by bringing it to a meeting, playdate or a leader’s home.
• A refundable payment* for the value of the carrier must also be made. This can be done via PayPal or a check. For the PayPal option, funds must be gifted to a leader and then will be gifted back upon return of the carrier. For the check option, a check made out to a leader will be held (not cashed) and then returned upon return of the carrier. *Payment is refundable if the carrier is returned in good condition.
• In the case of a damaged or lost carrier, the refundable deposit will no longer be refunded. The deposit will then be used to replace that carrier for the library.
• If a carrier is not returned in 90 days, the deposit will then be used to replace the carrier.
• Please spot clean carrier upon return; if more than spot cleaning is required, contact a leader for specific directions.
• Carriers can be tried on for no charge at meetings or play dates. The fees apply only if you would like to take a carrier home with you.
• To borrow from the library, you must acknowledge that you have read this policy by commenting "read" on [the document on Facebook].
  
  
  
  

Here is a list of the carriers and their value:

Wraps-

Didymos Nino 4m $100

Easy Care Stripes 4.7m $145

DIY Osnaburg 4.9m $35

DIY Dyed Linen 4.2m $60

DIY Dyed Linen 3.74m $50

DIY Dyed Linen 2.58m $50

Hoppediz Mainland 4.7m $115

Didymos Peacock eye 3.6m $140

Boba Stretchy Wrap Chocolate $38.00

Boba Stretchy Wrap Orange $38.00

Ring Slings-

DIY Dyed Linen 75" $40

DIY Dinosaur 90” $30

DIY Orange 76” $50

Mei Tais-

Babyhawk Tan $99

DIY Print $40

Catbird Whitney $89

Earthy Bliss Heavenly Breeze Ring Waist $219

Soft Structured Carriers (Buckle Carriers)-

Ergo Sport $115

Boba 3G $160

Beco Soleil $130

Beco Soleil Infant Insert $40.00

Lillebaby Complete $135

Ergo Original $130.00
Moby Go $79.00

Pouches-

Seven Slings 24" $40.00

Seven Slings 26" $40.00

Munchkin 26.5" $35.00

DIY Floral $20.00

DIY Muslin $20.00

DIY Beatles $20.00

Group Member Feature: Nicole R.

Nicole captures moments at the Balloon Classic 2013.
(Photo taken by her husband, Kris)

As many moms know, it can be hard to keep with your hobbies when you have a needy infant who needs a lot of your time and attention. There may be constant interruptions that come with having to put down your project to feed your child or give him or her a much-needled cuddle in your arms. Crocheting or knitting with an awake child means that your yarn may get tangled or your work quickly undone with one quick yank. Scrapbooking means your expensive paper may get snatched by grubby little hands or even snacked on. But group member Nicole R. has got it down. Photography is her hobby and for her, taking gorgeous photographs a is very doable while wearing her six month old son, Kyler.

Nicole is a "stay-at-home" mom (except you know, not really, since she does have two school-aged kids), but still takes on photography sessions on occasion for her friends.   

"I am not working currently. Just spending time with my kids and when I have the opportunity I take photos for mostly friends right now as more of a hobby," she says.  "I hope to one day make it [photography] my career as I learn and grow more but right now I am doing it mostly for fun."

She takes her youngest with her on casual photo shoots, as well as the ones she does for favors, if her friends don't mind.  Even on days when her husband is home, "it ends up being easier anyway because I am still breastfeeding and Kyler doesn't (or more so won't) take any bottle I have offered," she says.  "I have brought him to a handful of photo shoots and he has luckily always been so good and calm through the whole shoot."

Nicole has also had the opportunity to photograph family portraits that feature babywearing.

"I love catching parents, siblings, etc interacting with their child while babywearing and seeing that bond that ties them together being so close," she says.  "It goes hand in hand with photographing breastfeeding. There is just something so special to capture that moment, because before you know it your kids are nine and seven and running away from you and you reflect back to when they were tiny and wish to relive that moment again."

Nicole recently shot group member Sarah M.'s
family photos.

Nicole recently participated in a photography event called ClickinWalk.  Although she originally had reservations about taking her youngest, babywearing allowed her to easily take him with her while exploring the city.

"The ClickinWalk was awesome. It was my first one and I am so glad I went," she said.  "I debated on bringing the baby because I wasn't sure how it was going to go but I am glad in the end I chose to bring him. My daughter came along as well and we had a great time walking around Manitou snapping away. It's so nice when you find a group of people that share the same interest as you and are as passionate about it. All the moms were so calm and easy going and there was one other mom [CEO of Clickin Moms, Sarah Wilkerson] who was wearing her daughter...So it was nice seeing another mom wearing her baby too."

To check out more of Nicole's photography, you can go to her Facebook page, NicoleRenee Photography.

**This post was written by Paula R.

Celebrating #2013IBW: Cottonwood Creek Park

On Wednesday, we celebrated #2013IBW with another playdate, this one at Cottonwood Creek Park.  Photos are provided by the lovely Amanda J.

(Adult Babywearers, L to R: Maureen S., Katie K., Marie C. Lauren B., and Amanda J.)

To see how we've been celebrating #2013IBW, see our previous post here.  Today's (Wednesday's) Facebook topic is Woven Wednesday, where we are sharing "tips, tricks and links" that relate to woven wraps, as well as any questions we may have!  

Library Donation From Group Member Megan H.

Megan's son shows off the ice dyed fabric.

Our lending library recently grew by four!  Group member Megan H. donated one ring sling and three linen wraps (in sizes three, four and five) that she dyed using a technique known as “ice dyeing.”    

What made you decide to donate these wraps to the lending library?

I am extremely aware of the benefits babywearing offers. I also remember the many hours spent researching what the options were and balking at the cost. When I first started, we lived in an area where few wore at the time. Because of that, and the fact we live in an area with an amazing and helpful group, I wanted to help how I could because I feel it's an important gift to mothers and babies alike.

Why did you decide to try your hand at ice dyeing?  Can you tell me about the process?

"Dyed linen with the remaining unmelted ice.
The rest has turned into water and run through
the fabric and is resting below in the open space."

I was going through a dyeing phase. I am not interested in grad dyeing, solids, etc, and especially do not wish to start a business, but it was middle of winter and so cold, so ice and snow were abundant so it seemed to be easy, and to be a fun project to tackle. The ice melting does the design work so it's just scrunching the fabric, adding the ice, and sprinkling the dye... Then lots of waiting.

What was the approximate cost of materials

The linen was around $70 for 7 yards including shipping. The dyes were three different colors and around $4 a packet from Joann's.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to ice dye something?

Read, and just do it.  It was a lot of fun and super easy, aside from the waiting for the ice to melt in the dead of winter.

Celebrating #2013IBW

Are you celebrating International Babywearing Week?  Use the hashtag above (#2013IBW) for Instagram, Twitter and other forms of social media!   Join us on Facebook as we discuss special topics this week!  Yesterday was "Made It Monday," where we chatted about DIY carriers.  Today is "Tutorial Tuesday," where we are sharing our favorite babywearing tutorials. 

Photo provided by Nicole R. of Monday's playdate

For information on upcoming events for this week, check out this post.

October Meeting

(I, Paula, was unable to attend this month, but the lovely Nicole R. took great photos of the meeting.  I heard there were a lot of brand new faces and we welcome you to the group and hope you had a great first meeting experience!  For those of you who missed it, October's Carry of the Month is the Rebozo.  The video below is a great place to start.  While it's geared toward newborns, the carry is older baby-/toddler-friendly as well!  We also implemented new rules for the lending library, which can be read about here.)

Members listen intently.

Group leader Marcia S. demonstrates the Carry of the Month, the Rebozo.

Jennifer P. and Erica N. follow along as Marcia S. teaches.

More members learn how to make the knot required for a rebozo.  

Galen D's worn baby shows off his blue eyes.

Amanda J. wears her baby in a wrap.

Group Photo