Review: FireSpiral Octarine Frost Midwinter

If you haven't tried FireSpiral yet, you need to. I would easily consider them one of my favorite woven wrap companies because their wraps are so special.

FireSpiral Slings make baby wraps that are woven in the U.K. They have two lines: Alchemy, which are a looser weave, and Elements which are a tighter weave. The Alchemy line are incredibly soft and have amazing drape and moldability. The Elements are the workhorses and still very soft, they just take a bit longer to get there.

Octarine Frost Midwinter is part of the Alchemy range, it is 100% cotton and has a loose weave. It arrived fairly quickly all the way from the UK and was considerably soft in loom state. After a bath, dry, and steam iron, this wrap was already softer than some of my other wraps. The more I used it, the softer it got and the more I became convinced that this was truly woven with unicorn hair and kitten fur. This would make the perfect squish wrap based only on it's softness, but that's not the only amazing quality it has.

The design is an owl on a sprawling tree as snow gently falls all around. The colors are white and blue, although the blue looks either purple or grey in certain light. It is breathtakingly beautiful and intricate. Because of the design and the loose weave, this wrap is extremely pull prone. I had to be careful about snagging a thread on a nail or looking at it wrong, but pulls were easy to weave right back in if they didn't work themselves out with a few wears. The design adds some texture that was pleasant to the touch and seems to help it stay in place when wrapped. Because the wrap is so soft and smooth, this bit of texture is definitely needed.

It is a medium weight wrap, coming in at 240 g/m2. It felt thin in hand and had a bit of cush which was nice on the shoulders, but I preferred this wrap in multiple layers with my big toddler. There was a nice amount of stretch, making chest passes easy, but it didn't ever translate to sag. Even in single layer carries, this wrap proved to be nice and supportive. I was surprised about this because I thought that the looser weave would mean less support. But it handled my 30 pounder toddler like a champ.

Wrapping with Midwinter was as pleasurable as it was to snuggle it. Passes were easy and the glide was just delicious. Midwinter truly wraps itself; it was so easy to get a nice wrap job every time, even with a squirmy child. The wrap felt like it melted and molded right to us.... it is just so comfortable.

I would recommend this wrap to everyone: beginners, experienced wrappers, small babies, large children... It really is amazing. It is supportive, SOFT, easy to wrap with, glidey, moldable, cushy yet thin, and did I mention SOFT? I don't even mind fixing the pulls it gets because it is just so darn snuggly and comfortable.

Check them out here!

Pavo Spearmint Etini Ring Sling

After falling in love with Pavo Granite Etini, I really wanted to try another Etini because I had heard that each one was different. Although Spearmint Etini is very similar to Granite, it still felt unique, beautiful, and did not disappoint.

Pavo is a U.S. based woven wrap company with two lines: Form and Guild. Form is a bit more accessible and affordable but still amazing. Guild is their high end, "specialty" wraps with intricate weaves and very unique wrapping qualities.

Spearmint Etini came to me in the form of a ring sling. I was never really a fan of the ring sling because my son was always pretty large and heavy, so it was just too much weight on one shoulder. I preferred as much even support as possible. When I opened the package, my eyes widened and I grinned: this thing SHINES and GLOWS. The color itself is lovely, but it really has shimmer. The intricate weave stood out a lot more than on my Granitini, though both are lovely.

Spearmintini is still very thick and very heavy, coming in at 360 g/m2. It needs breaking in when new, but gets to a point of awesome wet fluidity. The shoulder was a floating, gathered one (meaning the seam was sewn about 9 inches away from the rings) so the term cush would be an understatement. The floating shoulder provided marshmallow clouds on my shoulder. I do have very narrow shoulders, so it took a lot of effort and adjusting to get it just right, but it felt very bulky.

The texture and stretch on this etini are perfect. The texture provided grip in the rings, but it was not difficult to pull it through because of the softness. The stretch never translated to sag with my big boy, but instead hugged us tight. The stretch, I feel, really helped to keep his seat in place.

I would recommend this wrap for experienced wrappers with a larger child, but broken in it would be nice for a newborn. Pavo etini makes the perfect ring sling because of their cush, support, slight stretch, and ring holding texture. Although I still prefer wrapping over the ring sling, I would happily use this daily. Out of all my wraps, this is still the only one Dominik has brought me.

Recipe: Spelt Pancakes

One of my favorite breakfast foods are pancakes. There's something so hearty and comforting about them. Pancakes can be eaten plain, with butter, with syrup, with blueberries, with bananas, with chocolate chips... the ideas are endless. They can be even be made to be savory and healthy with scallions and zucchini. Pancakes are, in every way, totally awesome.

They bring memories of waking up Saturday morning to my mom in kitchen with a big stack of hot pancakes, drinking her coffee while watching to Food Network. Although she used the Bisquick box mix, they were always better when she was the one to make them.

Now that I am home every morning with Dominik, I no longer have to rely on a super quick breakfast like granola or a smoothie. Sometimes, especially after a long night, it's really nice to be able to stay in our pajamas a little longer and make pancakes. But now that I'm more aware of ingredients I would like us to avoid, I realize that the box mix is no longer a great choice for us. It's packed with added sugar and highly processed flour. I searched and searched for a recipe that used whole grain flour and no refined sugar but I felt like it was nearly impossible. Most, if not all, recipes contained at least a few tablespoons of granulated sugar. Plus, the whole wheat pancakes that I tried to make were coming out like hockey pucks.

And then I perfected it. The most delicious whole grain, sugar free pancake recipe. The secret? Spelt flour. I use spelt flour to make baked goods like muffins because it really helps them to be light and airy like a white flour would. It's a water soluble grain, so it's easily digested and nutrients are absorbed quickly into the body. Because I omitted any sugar from the batter recipe, these are a very plain pancake. For sweetness, fruit or maple syrup can be added; just avoid fake syrup and stick to the real stuff. For a savory pancake, veggies and spices could be added to the batter. Feel free to play around. We love applesauce on ours.

Spelt Pancakes

Ingredients:

-1 cup spelt flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (if making sweet pancakes, omit for savory)
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 chia egg (1 tablespoon chia seeds soaked in 4 tablespoon water)
-1 cup non-dairy milk
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla (if sweet, omit for savory)

Directions:

1. Prepare your chia egg by mixing the seeds and water in a bowl and letting sit until it is nice and thick.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Whisk milk and vanilla into the chia egg.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and only stir until combined, do not over mix.

5. Let the batter sit for a few minutes while the pan heats up. Put a frying pan over medium heat with some vegan butter or coconut oil and let it heat up.

6. Pour the batter into the pan, to make a pancake of your desired size. Cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

7. Serve immediately.

Review: Didymos Turquoise Hemp Indio

Didymos woven wrap company was founded in 1972 by Erika Hoffmann because she needed a solution to make caring for two small children easier. Didymos is still a babywearing staple and a must try for every wrapper. Although they make a variety of wraps, nothing else wraps like the Indio weave.

This is the second hemp indio that I have tried. The first, Mystic Petrol OS 1975, was the original indio weave. Turquoise hemp indio is the newer weave and is the sister wrap to Flamenco Hemp Indio (a very pink color). The color is more saturated in person and a really lovely turquoise. It is 60% cotton and 40% hemp.

These are often described as being the cushiest of the indios because they are nice and thick. This comes in at 270g/m2, so although it is not the thickest wrap, it is a thick indio. I did not try this brand new, but have heard, as with other hemp blends, it required quite a bit of breaking in. By the time I got it, it was buttery soft. I wanted a sweater and sock made out of this because it is so snuggly soft. My first thought was how amazing a newborn would feel in this. Although it was cushy, it did not feel thick in hand or when wrapped. There was a bit of stretch which became sag after about 20 minutes, but it was very comfortable with my toddler. This was a shorty, but I think with a base size that this wrap would be more supportive.

There was a ton of glide and no grippiness because of the smoothness. The fluidity seems to cause the knots to slip a bit with my heavy kiddo, but for the most part they stayed in place. As with all indios, it was very easy to wrap with and molded right to us.

I would recommend this wrap for a beginner or experienced wrapper with smaller babies. It is so soft and would be dreamy with a squish in any size. With a larger child, a base size would be best for maximum support.

Review: Pavo Granite Etini

Pavo is a U.S. based woven wrap company that is known for making high quality and pretty amazing wraps. Some of their wraps are very highly sought after and go for a hefty chunk of change. After using Pavo Granite Etini, I can say I truly get the hype. They have two lines of wraps, form and guild. Form tends to be more accessible and more affordable, but there's really nothing "budget" about them. Form are still high quality wraps and have differing and amazing wrapping qualities. Guild are the more expensive, more intricate, and more "specialty".

Granite etini, or affectionately called "granitini", is from the Guild line. Out of all the etinis, this is the most beastly and thickest. I was not able to try it loomstate, but have heard that it required breaking in. When I got it, it was very soft and floppy but most certainly thick. The design, particularly in person, is breathtaking. The pattern is woven intricately into a serious work of art. The only downside to this, is that it was very pull prone. I felt like if I looked at it wrong, it would pull. But pulls didn't seem to matter when I was using it, because it was just so good.

Granitini comes in at 372 g/m2, making it VERY thick and heavy. This translated into a ton of shoulder cush. Dominik, at 30 pounds, was nearly weightless. Knots were a bit of a struggle, partially due to the texture, but it was surprisingly easy to wrap with. I felt like the passes all wrapped tightly, it did not feel as thick as it was when wrapped. It had a nice wet fluidity that I feel helped it to wrap more easily. Well broken in, it is possible to use with a squish, but this is most definitely a toddler wrap.

What was truly magical about this wrap, was the stretch. Despite being so thick, granitini had this lovely ace bandage stretch that never turned into sag. Dominik could snuggle in and let the wrap hug his body, but it remained incredibly solid and supportive. It had all the support and cush of Natural Hemp India by Didymos, but was easier to wrap with and more comfortable because of this lovely Pavo stretch.

I would recommend this wrap to an experienced wrapper with a bigger baby. Wrapping a squish would really only be possible with a broken in wrap and very experienced babywearer. This thick, cushy beast is truly amazing and it will go down as one of my all time favorite wraps.

Review: BabyHawk Mei Tai

After we outgrew the gauze wrap that we had been using since birth, I was curious about a carrier that I could use quickly and easily. A mei tai seemed like a great choice to try out, and it proved to be super handy and easy to use.

BabyHawk is a U.S. company that makes their products in Oceanside, California. At the time, we were living nearby, so I was pretty excited about that. They have premade options that are made with lovely fabric and patterns often rotate. They even have an option where you can design one yourself with your choice of pattern on both sides (so it can be reversible), strap length, and strap color.

Like all canvas based carriers, it is pretty stiff brand new, but it softens up a bit with use. It will never be as soft and floppy as some of my wraps, but I feel like something like this should stay pretty sturdy. It was easy to care for and could just be thrown in the wash when needed. The pattern was a nice floral pattern that I chose because it was on sale. But it seems to be a nice neutral that went with most of my wardrobe

Wearing it was fairly comfortable. The waist knot dug into my back, so I often had to move and adjust that. I found it nicer to wear a bit lower on my body, but that was personal preference (note that this is ok with an older baby, but smaller babies should be nice and high). The straps had some padding which gave nice shoulder cush. As Dominik got larger, it was harder to keep the straps into a comfortable place on my shoulders and back, but I could easily use this for long periods.

When putting this on, the straps got pretty dirty from the ground, but as stated before, this carrier is no fuss and easily washed. That option was nice because Dominik LOVED to chew on the straps. He was already pretty big, so he fit very easily into the mei tai. But with a smaller baby, it may not feel very secure. Rolling up the waist band would most certainly help, but I feel like it may not be snuggly and secure enough for a squish.

Overall, I would recommend a BabyHawk Mei Tai for a beginner or experienced babywearer who was looking for an easy to use and care for everyday carrier. It was comfortable on the shoulders and because it was tied and not buckled, it was easier to get a snug fit than in a soft structured carrier.

Toddler

Toddler.

Until recently, you were still a baby in so many ways to me. But now, you are 19 months old and suddenly truly a toddler. You used to rely completely and totally on me. Helpless. We did everything together; sleep, cry, eat. You were almost an extension of me. But now I see that you are gaining independence and that you are becoming your own person.

You have big and scary feelings, many that happen all at once. You have opinions that often clash with one another. You are developing likes and dislikes, dreams and fears, and your memory improves daily. You want to see, explore, taste, touch, smell, throw, and play with everything that is around you. You still want the comfort of mother when it all becomes too much. You are you in every way.

This is difficult for both of us. As you transition from infancy to childhood, there are so many things to learn about the world around you. There are so many things to learn about yourself. You will frustrate me over and over, but I will patiently help you to understand. You will assert your independence from me, but I will remain your rock and your home base. You will take out those scary feelings on me, but I will remain your source of unconditional love.

In so many ways, you are still my baby. You nurse, you stay up all night, you just want to be held. But I am seeing sparks of you as a child. You are talking to me and repeating words. You love to play outside. You have a sense of humor. You want to do everything yourself.

During this transition, this scary, awkward, emotional, and difficult transition, there is something that I know we are both sure of. That you will always be my son, my sun, my earth, my moon, my stars, my everything. 

Review: Wrapsody Bali Breeze Morgaine

The Wrapsody company makes water slings, gauze wraps, and hybrids. Their gauze wraps are hand dyed with baby safe dyes in Bali under fair trade conditions. They designs are breathtaking and the colors are all so saturated and lovely. Because they are also affordable, this was my very first wrap and baby carrier.

Morgaine arrived very stiff and scratchy, and remained pretty rough for several months. This takes some elbow grease to get soft. Wrapsody's breeze wraps are the thinnest on the market. They are super light and airy and THE wrap to have if you live in a hot climate. However, because the wrap is so thin and light, there is a weight limit of 35 pounds. The roughness didn't seem to bother little Dominik, and this was absolutely perfect for his first summer, especially because we did not have air conditioning.

The design and colors were very bright and absolutely lovely. It had mermaids, turtles, and other ocean/tropical patterns. This is a dyed wrap, so there was no added texture from the design. The weave itself is plain and very airy.

This was very easy to wrap with and moldable. Dominik felt secure and the knots held well. There is no cush and just a tad bit of stretch. As a newborn, this was fine, I really didn't need any cush. However, as he got bigger, it got less comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. By the time Dominik was about a year old, I was just too narrow and thin for us.

I would recommend this wrap for smaller babies that live in a hot climate. There are certainly softer wraps for newborns, but if you don't want to end up a sweaty mess, this is a great choice. I just recommend breaking it in a bit before use to work out some of the scratchiness.

Check out Wrapsody Baby here

Review: Didymos Mystic Petrol OS 1975

After hearing great things about Didymos in general, as well as specifically their Indios, I decided it was time to try one out. So when they rereleased a well loved classic, I ordered one.

Didymos woven wrap company is THE woven wrap company. As in, the first major woven wrap company. Erika Hoffmann founded Didymos is 1972 because she needed a solution to make caring for two small children easier. Didymos continues to make top quality woven wraps that are both collected and admired. I notice many other companies rising and falling pretty quickly, but Didymos remains very popular, and for good reason. Although they make a variety of wraps, nothing else wraps like the Indio weave.

In loomstate, this wrap literally stands by itself. It is 70% cotton and 30% hemp, so the hemp fibers were particularly stiff and scratchy. It softened up enough to be nice and moldable, but this wrap needs some serious breaking in. However, once broken in, mystic will be one of the softest wraps you will feel. It has a lovely texture that will help to keep it in place, but passes are not difficult at all. In fact, this wrap was probably the easiest to wrap with out of the wovens that I have tried. It acted like a second skin gave me a perfect wrap job every time, feeling wet and fluid.

The design is the original indio pattern. Due to the complexity of the colors within the weave, it tended to look pretty different depending on what light we were in, but the above is fairly true to color. The mixture of the white, blue, and "petrol" colors make this a lovely turquoise, blue.

Mystic is a very, very thin wrap. It's comes in at just 190 g/m2, so it folds up pretty small and is lightweight. There is no cush and quite a bit of stretch. I found myself reaching for it when the weather was hot, because of it's light and airy qualities. I was hoping that, because it is a hemp blend, it would be supportive. However, I found it to be both diggy and very saggy with my large toddler. Granted, he's 30 pounds of solid boy. But for short periods, this was comfortable because it was light and easy to wrap with.

Indios are pretty special because nothing wraps quite like them. Mystic was a lovely wrap to play with. I would recommend this for beginners and small babies because it is easy to wrap with and very soft and moldable. It is not supportive enough for big kids, as I found personally, but it's workable. This light, thin, and airy wrap is also perfect for hot weather.

Check mystic out as well as other indios here

Review: Smitten Vena Cava Coracinus

Smitten is an amazing new wrap company in the U.S. They send their wraps in recycled and biodegradable packaging and they even include a children's book that was going to be just thrown out! Think they stop there? Nope. A portion of the sales of the Vena Cava line go to the Save a Child's Heart organization. Their wraps are also budget friendly and truly amazing to wrap with.

Ok, on to the review of the actual wrap. Vena Cava is 100% cotton and has a very cute heart design made up of ecru and black. I found myself preferring the "wrong side" out, with the white hearts and black background, but they are both very nice. It is densely woven and not very pull prone, so I can see this being a great everyday, no fuss wrap.

Brand new, it was only mildly stiff, so after it's first bath and steam iron, it became quite dry, soft and floppy. With some love, this will get flannely soft. The design gave this wrap decent grip, although it did not seem to make wrapping too difficult. With more breaking in, it will get more glide, but this wrap will most definitely stay in place and hold a knot well.

It is on the medium side, coming in at 260 g/m2. Both the design and weight of this wrap give it a nice amount of cush. Once again, despite being both grippy and a bit thicker, it is fairly easy to wrap with. The nice stretch and bounce that it has make it's a pleasure to wrap with and to wear, especially with large children. My big toddler happily bounced into the wrap, but there was no sag or dig whatsoever.

Smitten is a great company doing some pretty wonderful things for the community, so that alone would make me recommend this company. But their wraps are truly special and a pleasure to wrap with. They are good for both beginners and experienced wrappers alike. Broken in, it would make a nice squish wrap, but I think Smitten really shines with a large baby. The grippiness would make it a good shorty as well as a great beater wrap. But it was great to snuggle into a base size. All around, you can't go wrong with whatever you choose.

Smitten's Website