Wrap Stash

Left to right: EllaRoo, Storch Inka, Storch Anna, Maya

My newest obsession in life is baby wrapping. Wraps have made my life about 1 million times easier. I wake up in the morning, wrap my baby, and get tons of housework, projects, or cooking done in no time. My baby is happy, I'm happy, it's such an amazing item to own.

I'm not going to go into the details of baby wrapping, but I'm going to give you a brief description and then a product review on what I currently own.

There are two types of wraps that I own. One is a ring-sling. It's basically a short piece of material wrapped around a ring. You can then quickly put the baby in it and walk around. I wouldn't say it's completely hands-free, but it's fast to put on and very portable.

The second type, my favorite, is just a standard wrap. There are several material selections, but I've only used 100% cotton. Some are thin, and some are thicker. I prefer the thicker wraps. At first, they are a bit difficult to learn with, but I think the reward is worth it later because they are so sturdy and provides tons of support. The thin ones leave me with neck pain because of pressure points, and they do not provide as much support as I would like. But everyone is different and has different preferences. You are suppose to consider weather as well. Storch's would be great for Fall/Winter/Spring and EllaRoo would be great for very hot summers. I've experienced both and let me say, it really doesn't matter to me. Cold is cold and hot is hot. If you walk outside on a hot day, with or without a wrapped baby, you're hot. If you walk outside on a cold day, with or without a wrapped baby, it's still cold. The hottest thing about wrapping is the baby, so there's not a lot that can be done about that. In over 100F weather, I put my baby in a Storch and an EllaRoo and didn't noticed a HUGE difference. That being said, if I cannot get my EllaRoo to work out, then I plan to sell it and buy another thin wrap to replace it. I just like to have the variety, that's pretty much the only reason.

Comparing the Ellaroo (left) and Storch (right, bottom). Hopefully you can
see a difference in thickness.

My Stash:

Maya Wrap Ring Sling, Bright Stripes
Maya Ring Sling (out of print pattern, I can't remember the name, and not pictured above)
Homemade Ring Sling

Storchenwiege Anna (4.1)

Storchenwiege Inka (4.6)

EllaRoo LaRae (4.6)

(Bright Stripes, Anna, Inka, and LaRae are just the color names)

(I also have a Baby Bjorn, but it doesn't get used as much. I prefer my wraps.)

You can find them used as well, which is a bit cheaper, but not much. Wraps really do not lose value over time. In fact, people usually prefer used wraps because they are softer since they are broken in. The EllaRoo doesn't really need any breaking in, but the Storch's do. At first, the Storch's are a bit stiff and the material feels rough. But after using it for a while, or tying it in knots, sitting on it, letting the toddler run around with it, then eventually it softens and is easier to work with.

Anyway, my favorite is the Storch, and when my kids grow up, I can even recycle it as a swing or hammock, it's THAT tough. :)

Links:

Wrap Your Baby - Great place to buy wraps and watch video demonstrations.

Becoming Mamas - Description of the different brands.

Linking to: Gallery of Favorites

Reading List: Update

Here's my current reading list:

Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto - Done (review to come)

You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Heaven On Earth by Sharifa Oppenheimer (Almost done. Love this book)

How Children Fail by John Caldwell Holt

I've also added:

Teach Your Own by John Holt

What I'm Reading

Here's my current reading list:

Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto

You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Heaven On Earth by Sharifa Oppenheimer

How Children Fail by John Caldwell Holt

Spray Painted Ceiling Fan

I've been trying to do small DIY projects around the house lately, just to bring some of our older pieces up-to-date. Not only do I want to save a buck, but I also want to keep useful stuff out of the trash. This ceiling fan, for example:

It's a beautiful fan, really. Yes, the gold and wood are a bit out-dated now, but the overall design is still lovely. Plus, it's in great shape. With a can of spray paint from Lowes, I was able to transform this fan from the one above, to this awesome one below.

Ok, here's how I did it:

1) Turn off the power so you don't get electrocuted
2) Take the fan down, remove the blades (pretty easy, just a few tiny screws to remove)
3) Clean the entire fan to remove dust, then lightly sand the entire fan, and clean off the dust again. This is probably the most important step.
4) Spray paint whatever color you want and let it dry thoroughly for several hours. I used Rust-Oleum Any Surface/Any Angle Satin White and Rust-Oleum Any Surface/Any Angle Metallic Satin Nickel.

Tips:

1) The white blades took a couple of coats of white, so you MIGHT need two cans of paint.
2) The metal paint sprays on very thin, but once it dries for a few minutes, it will darken. So be careful not to spray it like crazy and cause drips. Spray, let it dry for half an hour, spray again and so on until it's the color you want. Then let it dry for several hours. I did get a drip, so I let it dry thoroughly, then I sanded the drip off, cleaned it, and sprayed it again.

Linking to: Gallery of Favorites