MSM: Jocelyn's stash

By Jocelyn Orr

It seems like such a short time ago (and really in the grand scheme of things it was!) that I shyly messaged Emily to see what she was using in all of those awesome pictures she was posting to Facebook. Suddenly I was tossed into a wonderful crazy world known as babywearing.

I remember thinking (along with everyone else when they first start wearing), they spent how much on what now?! It seemed ludicrous and I swore I would NEVER spend that much on a piece of fabric. Then I started looking, I started wrapping with our very first Kokadi moustaches wrap and I fell in love and had to try them all! I’m what is known as a ‘churner’ in this babywearing subculture. There are always wraps coming and going and my stash is in a constant state of flux.

When we started I tried lots of machine woven wraps (Kokadi, Natibaby, Oscha, Tekhni etc.) but kept getting sucked in by the cult like following that handwovens can sometimes have. I thought I’ll just try one….just one to see what its like….and now my entire stash is handwoven. There is something about using a wrap that another momma sat at her loom to personally make for the purpose of carrying my baby (ok well maybe not MY baby but still!) As a small business momma I enjoy supporting other mommas in doing what they love to work from home and spend time with their families.

Here is my stash as it stands now:

Ring Slings:

 

Bebe Sachi Icelandic RS and Uppymama MC Ring Sling

Ring Slings have become my go to for quick ups and grocery store trips. I love the Bebe Sachi for its thin diagonal weave (and the cheaper price tag it came with) and it lives in my van for the most part.

My Uppy was a unicorn dream, I’ve wanted to try an uppy since I started wearing (so really not long at all haha) and when one came up for fairly close to retail I snatched it up! Its so cloudy and soft but so supportive!

Shorties:

Barbara Weave n Wear Midas 2.4m merino weft, 5/2 cotton perle wrap. This wrap popped up on the swap as being FTO (For trade only) and I could NOT get it out of my head! I messaged the momma and asked her to let me know if she decided to sell, and messaged her again a week later just to see ;). My persistence paid off and the momma had decided to sell. When it arrived I was intimidated by just how short it was but soon got the shorty love. We Ruck Tied at Shoulder and do a slip knot rebozo carry with this. Its my classic wedding/special event go to wrap, its versatile and not a ton of extra fabric to carry around.

Woven Rainbow Red Plaid 2.7m - This wrap was the very first handwoven that caught my eye. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would probably never get it but lo and behold when I placed a wrap FSOT on the swap it was offered to me. Its on its way and should be here next week!

Cloth of Kin Northern Lights 3m - Our president (Jo Ann Bonnick) had been on a waiting list to buy CoK ‘extra’ fabric and by the time her turn arrived, was no longer interested. She was kind enough to post in the group. No one else was interested and so we grabbed the opportunity. I will admit I wasn’t fully in love with it when I bought it (but at retail decided to grab it anyway) but I fell in love when it got here, its light, airy and perfect for summer!

 

Uppymama Earthy Grad 3m 100% cotton, pale green weft with rose block weft change and rose blessing thread middle marker. This was an accident, but when you see an uppy priced (almost) at retail you grab it! lol 

Mid Length:

Handwoven Treasures (HWT) Kayla 3.8m full rainbow with black cottonlin weft - again just something that caught my eye, and without a rainbow we needed to try one out! This wrap arrived the day that we found out my father in law had his leukaemia return and would not be receiving any treatments to cure, only manage. Our worlds were rocked that day and this wrap immediately got some snuggle time workout. To me it become ‘George’s Rainbow”. As silly as it is to attach emotional feelings to a wrap that just happened to show up the same day, I haven’t wrapped with it since his passing.

Barbara Weave n Wear This n That 3.7m - I bought this wrap after the first barb arrived because it came up on the swap for an excellent price (and I am a sucker for a good deal LOL). Like the CoK it became a favourite, it is stunning in person and so fun for summer with the different colours.

Wood n Woven Hanes project 4m - I traded my WCSCC for this wrap in the interest in trying out another weaver. Its a twill weave as well and its the first wrap I was able to convince Cam to wrap in. Unfortunately the grip is proving to be a bit too much for us and its FS currently.

 

Calypso 4.3m this is the only full on ‘girly’ wrap that I have tried. It caught my eye and I did a 3 way trade with two other mommas to get it to me. It is also on the way and should be here next week (I traded by Barbara Weave n Wear Onyx twill for this).

The Longies:

 

Paz Venice Twilight 4.8m Alpaca wool and silk weft - this Paz was an impulse buy, 100% of the proceeds of its sale are going to the Polaris Project and who wouldn’t want to try out Alpaca wool!! I wasn’t sure about the length on it but its freaking Ahh-mazing and is our go to for a double hammock.

 

LemonLooms Summery Prototype wrap long size 7 - this was the very first wrap that Lemonlooms ever wove! I bought this wrap to have converted to a RS and size 3. Unfortunately the wrap was actually only a size 6 and due to the nature of the weave unusable for a Ring Sling (or at least not advised). The momma that I bought it from it appears wasn’t completely honest when she sold it. On the bright side I have been speaking with the weaver at Lemonlooms and THIS wrap is being shipped off to Russia back to her to be taken off the market and a size 3 lemonlooms wrap is coming back. It’s kind of exciting not knowing what I will get back ;)

 

Silver Star Handwovens Custom: I’m having my very own handwoven made for my wedding next August, I’m getting a wrap and a Ring Sling and plan to wrap Elgin while he, Cam and I enjoy a mother/son dance (while my husband dances with his mom).

At some point my stash is going to have to be thinned out, majorly majorly thinned out. But for right now we still like geeking out on new wraps.

I’m sure if you have spent any time at all in Babywearing of Algoma you will have noticed by now I’m passionate about babywearing and sharing the joy! It doesn't matter what you use to carry, if you and baby are happy, that is all that matters! Handwovens are what we choose to carry with and love every minute of it!

Say What? Babywearing Lingo Decoded

By Stephanie Danielle

When I was a new babywearer, I found many things daunting about this community: the passion mums put into their carries, the ruthless mommas stalking stockings, watching a mom sling a baby on her back, but mostly it was things like this - “OMG! I was so DISO a custom slot from Blue Hibou! I got one! Look at my OOAK WCMT! I TT for comfort! This is sooo permastash!” .. Excuse me?! What in the world does any of that mean?!

This post is going to break down some of the common acronyms and general lingo you’ll see kicking around forums, Facebook pages, and BST (Buy Sell Trade) pages.

First section – Carriers:

RS - Ring Sling: A length of fabric with a pair of rings sewn into one end. A lot of slings are sized, and they have variations of “shoulders”, which simply put means how the shoulder was sewn (Eesti, Box Pleat, Pleat, Gathered, Hybrid, etc). Every converter has a preference, and most have their own twist on a shoulder type.

WCRS – Wrap Conversion Ring Sling: An RS made from a length of wrap.

Shorty - A short wrap: people refer to size 2 and size 3 wraps as shorties, most commonly.

SSC - Soft Structured Carrier/Soft Sided Carrier: Examples of these are Ergo, Beco, Boba, Tula, and Kinderpack, to name a few.

MT - Mei Tei: Asian style carrier.  This carrier has a large body panel and long straps that extend from the top corners (to tie with), and two shorter straps coming from the lower corners acting as waiste straps. These are often sized carriers.

WCMT – Wrap Conversion Mei Tei: A mei tei made from a woven wrap.  The straps are usually wider and custom options applied.

TC/SPOC – Table Cloth – Simple Piece of Cloth: There’s some debate with this one.  It's a woven material used for carrying your baby that wasn’t designed specifically for that purpose. Some mamas are concerned with the safety and integrity of the cloth, but like anything, safety first, and you have to be confident that the weave is tight and your baby is secure.

FB - Full Buckle: (WCFB) A custom carrier made from a woven wrap with a buckle waist and buckle shoulder straps.

Stretchy - Stretchy Wrap: A piece of stretchy fabric, examples include Moby, and Maman Kangaroo. This carrier is recommended for front carries only, and while advertised as good through toddlerhood, a lot of moms end up using them for infants only because the stretchy material is not as supportive as the baby grows.

WW – Woven Wrap: Sized woven fabric used as a carrier. There are various brands, sizes, and qualities. These can come as machine woven or handwoven, from sizes 1 through 8, and can be used for front, back, and hip carries.

Second - Company Abbreviations:

Gira - Short form for woven wrap company Girasol

Nati - Short form for woven wrap company Natibaby

KKD - Short form for woven wrap company KoKaDi

Storch - Short form for woven wrap company Storchenweige

Didy - Short form for woven wrap company Didymos

Third – Carries:

FWCC – Front Wrap Cross Carry

RRRR – Rear Rebozo Reinforced Rucksack

RR – Rear Rebozo

RUB – Ruck (tied) Under Bum

RTIF – Ruck Tied In Front

JBC/HJBC – Jordan’s Back Carry – Half Jordan’s Back Carry

SHBC – Secure High Back Carry

CCCB – Candy Cane Chest Belt

TT – Tied Tibetan

TUB – Tied Under Bum

TAS – Tied At Sholder

Fourth – Selling Terms:

FSOT – For Sale Or Trade

ISO / CISO / DISO – In Search Of, Casually In Search Of, Desperately In Search Of

BN: Brand New

BNIB: Brand New In Box

BNIP: Brand New In Package

BNWT: Brand New With Tags

MMARO: Make me a reasonable offer

HTF – Hard To Find

HSA – Highly Sought After

FFS – Free For Shipping

PIF – Pay If Forward

GUC – Good Used Condition

EUC – Excellent Used Condition

PC – Play Condition

VGUC – Very Good Used Condition

MV- Market Value

OOAK – One Of A Kind

STIH - soft tape (measuring) in hand

PPD – Postage Paid Domestic

TV – Trade Value

I really really hope some of these definitions help you navigate this crazy babywearing world.

I know there are some I missed! Help me out by adding your acronyms/terms in the comments!

CoTW: Double Rebozo with Shoulder to Shoulder chest belt (DRS2S)

By Meg Deresti

I love chest belts lately. I like that the weight is distributed up high, and that it's not concentrated on my shoulders. It can be done with base-2, base, or base+1. I use my size 4 wrap generally for this one which is my base-1 for me. For these pictures I’ll use the Wrapsody Breeze Freya, size 5, which is a gauze wrap that is part of our lending library. The gauze is fantastic for the summer, and if you wrap carefully, it can be great for babies of all sizes. It can be diggy though if the slack isn’t worked out, so it's a great tool for ensuring proper wrapping technique!

There are two versions of this carry. The one I would recommend to beginners starts with a half knot at the chest which is great for getting the carry somewhat secure before working on the rest of the passes. I admit though, it can get somewhat confusing which end goes where! Particularly if your wrap doesn’t have contrasting sides. This video also shows versions that can be done with shorter wraps.

Pass Sequence:

The middle marker will land at center of chest, with longer tail over shoulder, create rebozo pass around baby, tie half-knot at chest with long tail first going over short tail.  Flip longer tail up over opposite shoulder and form another rebozo pass, then bring tail over chestbelt, then down through it to form another half-knot.  With a short wrap, you can stop there, or bring ends around to tie under bottom or in front.

http://youtu.be/NjRKuT4wxIU

The version I prefer, which isn’t much more difficult, does not start with a half knot.  I find it more symmetrical and easier to plan my passes. Its also a touch comfier.

Pass Sequence:

With long tail over one shoulder, form rebozo pass, then bring shorter tail over longer one to form an anchor point, and pin short tail between knees. Flip longer tail up over shoulder and form rebozo pass.  Bring tail under chest pass, then bring both tails back around to tie under bottom or tie in front.

http://youtu.be/7xeQUbAonNE

Beachfront Baby Water Ring Sling Review

 

by Meg Deresti

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Kate Martikainen

Beachfront Baby donated this One Size Ring Sling, in the colour Golden Sand, for our lending library. The fabric is an airy 100% polyester jersey mesh which has very little stretch and is very quick drying. The sling is recommended for babies 8 to 30 pounds, and fits most adults. I am about 5’4 and a medium shirt size, and the tail for me falls to about my hip. Personally, the tail feels like a lot of excess but since it is so light it didn’t get in my way at all, and allows for a lot of adjustability. I can share this sling with my husband, no problem.

 

The sling is machine washable on warm and can be hung to dry, or tumbled dry. Like most ring slings, it is a good idea to secure the rings in a sock with an elastic band so that they don’t bounce around too much and damage your machines. The rings are the well trusted SlingRings brand, and I think they are made with a small ring. The shoulder is gathered, and very securely sewn. The fabric is made in China, but the sewing is done in the USA. It’s a small company and I feel great supporting the family who makes this product.

 

The Sling does not contain SPF/UV protection as the chemicals used in that process may not be safe for babies. Use sun smarts recommended for the age of your baby including a wide hat, long clothing and shade.

Helen (12 months) and I took the wrap to the public pool alone. We splashed around in the kiddie pool for a while, but she was super clingy today, probably because there was more noise than usual. I grabbed the RS. Helen loves being wrapped, and it was no problem popping her into the RS quickly, creating a nice deep knee to knee seat, and adjusting the sling to sit her snugly on my hip, with her head close enough to kiss. I love how quick it is. There are no tails to drag on the floor (or in the sand if you were on a beach) and the RS felt very comfortable and secure, which I was kind of surprised about given the slickness and thinness of the fabric. We went into the small lap pool with a water depth just below my chest. I was rewarded with a huge toothy grin and some kisses from my girl. She absolutely loved it!

 We walked back and forth a few times, and then I couldn’t help but try a few lengths of eggbeater (treading water). I used to be a lifeguard and swim quite regularly, but it’s been years! It felt amazing. There was no drag whatsoever from the fabric. Helen had moved from my hip to more on my front and she was grinning, and sitting there saying duck, duck, duck and pointing at things. Her shoulders were well out of the water, and I was getting a great workout. After a few lengths, I grabbed a pool noodle for under my arms, and we did a few more lengths of flutter kick on my back. I felt totally secure with her. I could keep one arm around her, though I felt like it wasn’t absolutely necessary, and I stayed in a water depth where I could stand up at any time. I felt like I might get some trouble from the lifeguards for swimming with my babe, but I got only compliments about how great the sling was, and how much my baby loved the water. It was nice to be able to go into cooler water too - we kept each other warm, and I could easily tell if she would have started to get cold.

The RS did not slip at all, and Helen maintained a secure seat the entire time. It was a little awkward climbing up the short ladder to get out of the pool, but we did it. I could always take her out in the pool and sit her up on the deck if needed. I would feel totally comfortable bringing 2 kids to the pool on my own with this sling.

 We continued to wear the sling into the shower, and we were able to soap up right through the sling and rinse thoroughly. It’s pretty awesome to be able to wash my hair with two hands while wearing my baby! Even with the soap, Helen squirming or leaning to look at things was not at all alarming - she was very secure.

 I would definitely recommend this water ring sling to anyone planning pool or beach trips this summer. Helen absolutely loved being in the sling - it was by far her favourite part of our swim today. I loved that I got a bit of exercise - I could also see us doing a few well chosen, low impact aquabics exercises in water no deeper than chest height. The RS is quick to adjust, very secure and comfortable both in and out of the water, and is very easy to care for.

 If you are interested in purchasing your own Beachfront Baby Water Ring Sling, check out their website at beachfrontbabywraps.com. They also have wraps, and they all come in 10 different colours. I would say that for the price, the carrier is very well worth the investment. They are a member of the BCIA (Baby Carrier Industry Alliance) and have plenty of info if you have any questions. Their customer service is excellent - they were one of the first to respond to my request for donations and were thrilled to be able to support our library. They have very fast shipping and are very pleasant to work with.

 

 

 

MSM: Billi's stash

I am a Cancer, born in July.  Cancers are very loyal.  A short time ago my stash was almost entirely Natibaby.  That was my brand.  Then I got a Pavo.  Suddenly all my Natis were gone and I now have several Pavos.  Oooops ;)

***

After a few months of suffering from "buy all the wraps!", I am now in destash mode and many of these are for sale.

So here is my stash as it stands right now in order of most used to least used:

 

Tula standard semi wrap conversion of Didymos Chestnut.    I love this carrier for quick ups where I don't want to wrap for fear of getting my wrap dirty, etc.  Now that I've finally learned to back carry in it, I love it even more.  It's so easy to use and comfy for both me and baby.

Size 7 Natibaby Shiny Sky linen cotton blend (bottom wrap).  This is one of two wraps released on Riel's birthday.  I wasn't going to buy it because I bought the other wrap that was released on his birthday, but it came up on the swap for a really good deal.  It has become my everyday wrap, the one that I can wear when cooking, cleaning, or painting with my 3 year old because I'm not afraid to get it dirty (since it didn't cost me a ton).  It's great for fwcc and fcc.

Pavo Gotham Steel 4 all cotton (all Pavos are 100% cotton except Etini Flax).  This is my newest love and believe me it is LOVE.  This is the perfect ruck wrap.  It's so supportive and I love the design.  I am currently ISO more colourways of Gotham (size 6+).

Pavo Hearts of Stone 7.  This is the first Pavo I fell in love with and I was so happy when a sweet mama agreed to sell it to me on a short payment plan.  Hearts of Stone was released during the first round of Pavo Hearts, along with Hearts of Ice and Hearts of Glass.  This wrap is thin and soft.  When I finally learn  how to double hammock, it'll be in this wrap.

Pavo Etini Holly 6.  This is actually the first Pavo I purchased.  Around Christmas time everyone was going crazy for Holly and Pointsetta.  They were HSA.  A lady was selling her Holly and was holding a draw to purchase for retail.  I entered thinking there's no way I'd win.  Well I won!  So I had no choice but to take the plunge into Pavo.  I'm so glad I did.  This wrap is part of the thintini collection.  It is so thin and moldable.  It has such a shimmer you'd swear  there was linen in it.  This is my fancy/elegant wrap and my only complaint is that I'm afraid to wear it half of the time because I'm afraid to get it dirty.

Natibaby Robots 6 Linen/Cotton blend.  My 3.5 year old is obsessed with robots.  I bought this to be his legacy wrap even though he's never been wrapped in it.  It's super soft and floppy.  Before the Pavos came along, this was my prized possession.  I still love it, but it doesn't get as much love as it used to.

Firespiral Bronze Birch Trees 7 Irish linen/cotton blend.  I have a thing for nature-themed wraps (I have owned two Nati Forests, as well as Deers).  I also have a thing for orange and bronze, so when this wrap was released I had to have it.  But I have a love/hate relationship with this wrap.  I love the look and feel of this wrap but hate that it cost me way too much in customs fees on its way over from the UK (the wrap itself wasn't cheap; the customs fees were like adding insult to injury).  I might be holding a grudge against it as I haven't wrapped with it much yet.

Pavo Jaded Hearts 5.  This was an impulse buy.  Pavo released several colourways of Hearts in quick succession during their second round of Hearts releases and they were just sitting there on the Pavo site.  I couldn't just let them sit there.  So I bought Jaded, thinking I needed some green in my stash.  But a 5 is a weird size for me.  It's too small to do a lot of multi pass carries but too big to be a shortie.  So out it goes.

Natibaby Blue Deers 6 Wool blend.  Love this wrap.  I was afraid of wool because it makes me itch, but this wool blend doesn't.  Its so soft and "springy" for lack of a better word.  Great for squishes and bigger babies. 

Natibaby UFO 6 Cotton/Bamboo blend.  I bought this because I wanted to try bamboo.  Plus I was in my loyal Nati phase.  It's soft and shiny but it's not love and I don't reach for it much.  It'll be for sale soon.

Didy Jeans Hemp 7 Hemp/Cotton blend.  This wrap was made on my son's birthday so I bought it to be his legacy wrap.  It is beastly and big and so far I've been too afraid to wrap my squish (well not quite anymore) in it.  I think it will be my toddler wrap as it is super wide.   

Pavo Hearts of Glass RS.  Before I knew Pavo was doing a second release of Hearts, I was desperate for a Hearts wrap.  I really wanted Hearts of Stone but hadn't seen it come up for sale.  When Hearts of Glass came up on the Pavo Society, even though it was the wrong size (a 3) and the wrong colourway, I bought it immediately.    Two days later Hearts of Stone came up so I bought that too.  Since 3 is also an odd size for me, I had this converted to a ringsling by the lovely JoAnn of Blue Hibou.  Now that I've found the Tula love, I'm using my ringsling less and less for quick ups so this will likely be for sale soon too.

India Jani Tiil Blanco ringsling.  Handwoven and super cheap, I bought this to be my summer/beach carrier.

                                    

Pavo Taj 7 Cotton/Mercerized Cotton.  My first Pavo stalking and I didn't think I'd actually score.  I did and now I'm stuck with a natty wrap that I'm too afraid to wear (don't want it to get dirty).  I'm sitting on the fence between sending this baby for a colour bath or selling it.  Its BNIB, never even been fully unfolded.

Natural Mother Productions Full Buckle conversion of Natibaby Haven.  When I decided I wanted a WCFB, I knew they were hard to come by.  This came up on the Canadian Swap for a great price so I immediately snatched it up.  Unfortunately, a few days later a wrap conversion Tula in a print that I had always wanted (Didy Chestnut) came up for retail and I managed to nab it.  So now I'm selling this NMP FB.  Its a great carrier that is extremely comfortable.  The straps criss cross for an even more tailored fit.  I really like it, but I really don't need two standard size buckle carriers.

***

Are you interested in contributing to the BWA Blog?  We'd love to hear about and see your stash :)  Send your write up and some pics to billigrrl@hotmail.com to be included in an upcoming MSM post.

CoTW: Shepherd's Carry

by Meg Deresti

Welcome to the carry of the week, the shorty love edition.

Short wraps do take some practice, but I love them because they are cooler, faster to tie, and easier not to drag on the floor.

For the carry of the week this week, I would like to show you one of my favourite short woven wrap carries, Shepherd'ss Carry. It’s a great short carry, kind of reminiscent of Double Hammock because of the chest pass. I’ve been showing it to mamas who are pregnant lately, as it is a fantastic carry to keep all the weight up above your belly. It also doesn’t have ruck straps so its great to have full arm range of motion. Its generally done with your base -2 size, so usually with a size 2, 3 or 4 wrap. I’m using the lending library's size 2 DIY 100% linen wrap here, which is a touch small for this carry, but I wanted to show off the awesome dye job by Jo Ann Bonnick of Blue Hibou. It’s also pulling up more than usual, because this wrap is a little bit grippier than I’m used to.

I am also in desperate need of a photographer and perhaps models to help me make the library wraps more attractive. If you’ve got skills you would like to volunteer let me know!!!

The pass sequence goes like this:

With short tail over one shoulder, form a rebozo pass, then a chest pass pinning the short tail to your chest, and another rebozo pass to your other shoulder.  Secure with a square or slip knot.

Here is a tutorial I like. Faith ties off with a slipknot, but I usually just do a square knot. I think I’ll be trying the slipknot more often now though!

http://youtu.be/9SQfzGsP0Eg

P.S. If you like this carry but aren’t sold on the bulky knot or the way the chest pass feels on your chest (like its being pulled up), look up Double Hammock Double Rings. If I could keep track of my rings it would be my very favourite carry, but I always seem to be losing them. It’s also awesome to pin down pesky arms quickly if your little angel decides to turn into a hair pulling maniac at 11 pm and you haven’t slept in forever and are at your wits end. Not that my little angel ever does that. . .  I use medium sling rings for my medium weight wraps.

I can’t find a video I love for this carry, but check out this daddy wrapping!

http://youtu.be/jKISQc3v7lM

Show your support and be entered in to a giveaway!

Show your support for BWA by joining the Friends of Babywearing of Algoma.   Your $30 donation entitles you  to unlimited sling borrowing privileges and a chance to win this wrap scrap teether.   More details below!

Did you know that one of the main reasons the volunteer board formed BWA is so that we could spread the babywearing love in Algoma by making a sling lending library available to parents in our community? One of the biggest barriers facing parents in our area who want to babywear is a lack of available resources.  Local retailers just dont stock a wide variety of carriers.  A sling library allows us to help community members find a carrier that will work best for them by allowing them to try the variety of options that are available from retailers online.  Ideally, a sling library should have a few of each type of carrier available.

BWA's library has grown considerably in the short toime we've been in existence, largely through generous donations from local babywearers and the babywearing retail community.  There are still some areas of our library that are pretty thin and in need of appropriate carriers to round out the library.  We are looking to get a Tula, a size 4, 5, and 7 wrap, and a hemp wrap, to name a few items on our wishlist.  To see what's currently available in our library, check out our sling library facebook page https://m.facebook.com/BWASlingLibrary.  If there are items you'd be interested in trying that aren't in our library, let us know and we will try to acquire them. 

So how can you help us grow our library?  You can become a member of the Friends of Babywearing of Algoma. A donation of $30 gets you unlimited access to our lending library for one year (otherwise there is a $5admin fee per borrow).  Your $30 donation helps BWA ensure the carriers we have are properly maintained and helps us fund the purchase of additional carriers.  As an added bonus, for the month of March only, if you join the Friends of BWA before the end of the month, you will have a chance to win this hand made wrap scrap teether made by yours truly (Billi Gridale-Briski, BWA Secretary and Blog Manager) made from Girasol Symphuo Rojo DW scrap and a maple ring.

If you join on or before the March meet up (March 23) you get two chances to win!  Already a member of friends of BWA?  Don't worry, we arent forgetting you!  You'll be entered in to the draw too!

So how can you join the Friends of BWA?  Simply send your $30 donation via PayPal to babywearingofalgoma@gmail.com or contact any board member to arrange to pay by cash.