Sidewalk Setup

Today Carolina, Fatima and I had the pleasure of setting up our little table and handing out over 30 bags of baby clothes, shoes, jackets, blankets and Babywearing demonstrations. We fitted 5 families with free carriers. 3 ErgoBaby Original soft structured carriers and 2 Bijou Wear ring slings. We strive to be the change we want to see in our neighborhoods. Many of the families passed us by because it’s so foreign to see free stuff with no strings attached in our borough. In the future there will many more of these pop up outreach events. It gives us so much pride to be able to give back in this way. Giving hope and support where it is most needed.

When we first set up the table. All bundled up because it was a chilly 40 degree day!

Fitting a mom of a 9 month old as her family asked questions.

This daddy came right up to us and said I want to carry my 6 month old. I need this.

By the end of the day most of our clothes was gone but we were able to squeeze in one last fitting with an excited new mom of an 8 month old. It was a really beautiful day to reach into our community to end 2016 positively.

Halloween in NYC

We had such a festive Babywearing Halloween this year! We had a Boo at the Zoo gathering earlier in October. The Bronx Zoo welcomed costumed trick or treaters every weekend until Halloween. We started off that day with a ride on the Monorail through South East Asia.

If the children would stay seated for at least half of the ride we can call it a success. Most of the animals were resting in the shade since it was so sunny out. I managed to catch possibly the worst close up shot of one of the zoo’s two female elephants in her enclosure.

The kids had a blast, climbing stuff, running wild, screaming, it was a real zoo.

What’s a Babywearing meet up without Babywearing?

And what better way to end a long day of fun than to sit back, kick your feet up in mama’s face while you nurse.

But wait, there’s more!

The weekend before Halloween we hosted a Babywearing Halloween party in Central Park’s East Meadow. East Meadow has been one of our go to gathering spots in the city. It can be found in an easily accessible central location. It’s a fairly close distance to all major public transit routes making the trek back home not so bad after a long day. Moms and kiddies alike all came dressed in our spooky costumes, the Moms all contributed to the party in their own ways. There was a lot of candy, cupcakes, arts and crafts, and little squishy babies to pass around.

Carolina and I discovered the wonders of tutu making this year. Many many layers of glitter tulle later we emerged victorious. Adorable and easy to make, these tutus really made the girls and our pockets happy.

And yes, we baby wore…

 

Hold on, man. We don’t go anywhere with “scary,” “spooky,” “haunted,” or “forbidden” in the title. ~From Scooby-Doo

Finally! Halloween was here so Carolina and I met up in The Bronx for an afternoon of doorbells and overflowing candy buckets.

It was really a fun filled Halloween this year. We are so glad it’s over tho! LOLOL

Woven wrap sizes in meters and inches

PSA from Latinx Babywearers

The Babywearing world is in an uproar as of late. One of the oldest Babywearing companies has finally decided to right a terrible wrong. “indio” is a slur used to describe Indigenous and Indigenous looking people in the latin community. This is just another way to show how deeply ingrained racism is in every fascet of our society. These things are never spoken about by those that have the platform. The fact that this insult is so widely known and loved in the Babywearing community shows how well Cultural Appropriation plays on our desires. I’ve owned a couple of these over the space of 2 years and I would have never took part had I known where the history stemmed from. Imagine such a blatant slur hidden in plain view, but not really. I am happy for the companies that have spoken out against change. I know where I will not be spending my money.

Your Indio is RACIST

“indio” in spanish is a racial slur directed towards indigenous and indigenous looking peoples in latin america and latinx communities.
didymos’ Indio design is stolen from indigenous peoples of mexico
A racial slur hurled at indigenous peoples, and used to label a stolen indigenous design is gross and offensive
*psa brought to you by latinx babywearers

Fostering Love at The American Museum of Natural History

Today we packed up our littles for a day at the American Museum of Natural History here in NYC. We spent the day learning about different cultures worldwide and the wildlife that once roamed our planet. The American Museum of Natural History is the home of many fascinating fossils. Check out Carolina and baby Gabey standing in front of a mama Barosaurus protecting her baby. She is the tallest free standing dinosaur mount in the world!

Carolina is wearing Fostering Love – Comfort by Smitten. This wrap was designed to bring awareness to all of the amazing foster families out there.  This wrap is a 60% cotton 40% mercerized cotton blend with a 230g/m² making it a medium weight beauty that rises to the challenge. We found the wrapping qualities to be supportive and airy on a hot 90 degree day in the city.

If you want to see this gorgeous wrap in action along with a quick Poppin’s hip carry demo then just click here!

Apple Blossom Wovens Under the Sea Turquoise weft

Attached has been partnering with the lovely Lisa Carter of Apple Blossom Wovens to convert wrap scrap donations into various items to be sold. 100% of the proceeds acquired  from these items go towards funding World on My Shoulders. The mermaids are just so stinkin cute and I was sad to see them go but I feel that way about everything I create. These mermaids are extra special because of the name of the wrap scraps used to create them. The two on the outer ends were created from the remnants of a woven wrap called Under the Sea! How cool, right? The mermaid in the center was made with scrap from The Secret Garden woven wrap. When I think about mermaids I can’t help but wonder at the life they would presumably live under the waves. I could imagine gardens of seaweed and kelp, conch shells and anemone. I guess what I’m trying to say is that maybe mermaids under the sea have secret gardens of their own.

Carolina and I have had the pleasure of hosting Under the Sea turquoise weft this last week. We also happened to be celebrating little baby Gabriel’s first birthday. Of course we went shopping with all of our littles in tow. Halfway through our trip Carolina needed a break from the carrier she was wearing so I gave her Under the Sea and commenced with the spamming.

The name Under the Sea is such a true given name. Everything about this wrap screams summer, beach, seas, oceans, everything aquatic! It has all of these stunning blues and greens gradually rolling into one another very much like waves. This is a 100% cotton blend with 290 gsm but it also comes in tencel and linen options. We both found UTS to be very supportive, just enough grip to keep passes in place while it was also able glide easily to allow necessary adjustments while wearing. Under the Sea spoke to our mermaid loving hearts and we give it five stars. We made a little in action video you can check out here.

 

 

Money saving tip #1: Cloth diapering

Cloth diapering can be really simple, it’s great for the environment, and it is also a great way to save money. While there are countless methods to choose from, cloth diapering is commonly thought of as your grandma’s safety pin and prefolds. Today’s caregivers are equipped with cloth diapering giants such as Bumgenius and G diapers. If you would like to learn more about the different ways to cloth diaper, cloth diapering methods, and a one stop shop for all of your cloth diapering needs click here.

Carolina and I have both cloth diapered our children using different methods, picking up a few tips and tricks along the way.  Here’s a stained shirt Carolina made into a no sew prefold and here’s how it’s done!

1. Choosing a shirt. You want to stick to 100% cotton because it is very absorbant, airy and comfortable for baby, it’s also easy to care for. Any size shirt will do since you can fold down the top to fit  your child. The bigger the shirt the more it’ll absorbed.
2. Fold the top portion of the shirt inwards, how much you will have to fold depends on the size of your shirt and child. You want the top of the diaper to cover the child’s hips and stop just under the navel.
3. Fold the side seams of the shirt to meet in the center of the bottom hem. How muh you fold will depend on the size of the shirt and width of the child’s legs. You want the fabric to fit comfortably between the child’s legs, not too narrow or too wide.
4. Place your child in the center of the folded shirt positioning their bottom so that the top of the shrt is completely covering on all sides. Fold the folded bottom of the shirt up and in between the child’s legs covering their crotch completely. Fold the shirt sleeves in and around the child’s hips to meet the crotch portion of the prefold.
5. Secure the prefold in place by using a snappi or safety pin. You are alomost finished! All you have to do now is cover the prefold with a diaper cover. For extra absorbency you can fold another shirt, washcloth, recieving blanket and the like into what’s called an insert to line your prefold.

Here’s one year old Gabriel modeling his no sew prefold

Princess for the day!

While celebrating our littlest Attached baby’s 1st birthday in The Bronx’s St Ann’s park, we had the pleasure of participating in The Social Club’s ‘Princess for the day’ event. The president of The Social Club, Bianca Rodriguez is pictured below with my two year old.

Bianca and her amazing team spent the day making lots of little girls feel like the princesses they are by handing out cute little goodie bags, snacks, and princess attire. The little princesses were met with smiles, tiaras, and Sophia the first tattoos and then were handed goodie bags filled with wands, and general princess themed goodies. On behalf of our community I want give these wonderful volunteers a huge thank you for coming out and showing that you care. We appreciate you!

 

You are a Princess. Destined to become a Queen. Your own wondrous story has already begun. YOUR Once upon a time is now.

WIC office outreach on a Wednesday

Today 7 mothers went home with carriers. 7+ children will be worn and 7+ family members will hold these children close with the aide of these carriers. A room full of parents will go home with the knowledge we shared about babywearing culture. I want to thank Ergobaby and Ethos Babywearing for making this possible. I also want to thank Fatima Mills and Carolina Lactates for all the work they put in alongside me. Many thanks to Julia Walker for organizing World on My Shoulders, solidifying the dreams I just couldn’t do alone. THANK YOU ALL

Thank you,Ergobaby!

Attached in conjuction with World on My Shoulders, would like to thank Ergobaby for their generous donation to our outreach efforts here in NYC. On behalf of the families we serve, thank you for giving back ❤