Rigby Babywearing Meeting

We are having a Babywearing Open House in Rigby on Monday, March 11th from 6:30 to 8pm.  Please stop by and check out a carrier, ask questions and learn more about babywearing.  We are meeting at Marie's house 470 Annis Hwy, Rigby.

Meet Hannah

Meet Hannah.

Hannah is a sweet six year old with an effervescent personality. She loves board games and her iPad, but her favorite person is her dad. Hannah has Cerebral Palsy due to a stroke she suffered while still in the womb. Her amazing parents recently discovered babywearing for their newest infant daughter and were surprised to find that it could possibly be an option for Hannah as well.

Hannah is 3 feet 8 inches and 35 pounds with unique muscle tone. Her arms and legs have high tone but her torso and neck have low tone and are very flaccid. She has a special wheel chair designed to help her stay upright and this chair is her main mode of transportation because most strollers aren't big enough and/or don’t offer the necessary support. The chair is cumbersome to deal with making family trips a challenge, like going to a corn maze or even the store.  
We had the pleasure of meeting Hannah at our last Babywearing meeting in Twin Falls, Idaho just a few weeks ago. Hannah's situation comes with certain requirements that had to be met in order for her to be successfully worn by her dad. She's longer than the average 2 or 3 year old that we would normally consider wearing, so the body of the carrier that we chose needed to be tall.  She also has a hip condition where the socket hasn't developed properly, this makes it a bit difficult to put her in the proper seated position but it also makes getting her into that position more important; so the base of the carrier needed to be wide enough to support her legs and hips. These are all reasons why we chose the Napsack Mei Tai as opposed to a Soft Structured Carrier. The bonus of choosing the mei tai for this family is that mom and dad wouldn't have to readjust the carrier every time they traded. Hannah's dad is easily over 6 feet tall and her mother is right around 5 ft. 
Another challenge was actually getting Hannah into the carrier, remember that low muscle tone? Wearing a child with little to no muscle control isn't such a big deal when they are only 7 to 10 pounds and somewhere around 20 inches long all curled up in a ball. You can hold them and move them with relatively little effort. Try multiplying that by 4 and stretching them out full length, this makes getting Hannah into a carrier a two man job.

Dad was a bit skeptical about wearing a bigger child, but after attending a meeting and receiving some instruction, he’s excited about wearing Hannah, although he doesn't show it. (We promise he is happy in that photo). The smile on Hannah’s face is why we work so hard to educate and bring the joy of wearing to every family.  She was so excited to be in that carrier and didn't want to get out. Shortly after that photo, Hannah's dad decided to try a back carry with Hannah's little sister, Hannah was not happy about this claiming that it was HER carrier. 
We hope to high heaven that this little introduction to babywearing will help this family be able to get out and do things they might not have been able to do other wise and make life just a little bit easier. 
Happy International Babywearing Week. 
Becky Swain & Jentri King

Monday Family Night

Hey family of Baby-wearers!
Tonight's the night! Let's live it up....
It's Monday Family Night of Education!
Tonight's topic:
CAR SEAT SAFETY
covering infants to toddlers!

I remember when my son was born and the VALUABLE information I received. He was 2 weeks old and I decided I would invite the instructor to the hospital with me next time so I can have a lesson on day 1! Yes, she rocked my car seat knowledge world.

I want to see you there!
7 p.m.
Marie Harris' house- 470 Annis Hwy 


Kayla and Team

I.F. meeting date change!

Due to Labor Day weekend, we will be postponing our I.F. meeting.

Next IF meeting on Sat, Sept 8th 2:30-3:30pm at the Tautphaus Park Equal Access 

Playground ramadas. The kids can play while the mamas play!

Hope to see you there!!

Twin Falls Meetings

Twin Falls had their first meeting in June.  They will be having monthly meeting and we will give you the details soon.  Thank you to Jentri and Corey King for hosting the meetings.

New! Pocatello Meetings!

We have a location for Pocatello and thanks to DOVE-Idaho, we will be bringing our lending library to YOU!

Information:

Johnson Family Chiropractic;
Corner of Poleline and Cedar, Pocatello
Every 3rd Thursday, 7PM

Contact:
Angela Geurts (208) 637-1343 or cell (801) 637-1343

or

Kimber Tower 208 227 3200

 

 

Babywearing Family Night

Babywearing International of Southern Idaho is excited to invite you to a fun babywearing family night, tonight Monday, March 26th at 7pm at the Rigby Library. Bring the entire family for a fun hour long event! Meet Melissa and Hamilton Radcliffe, owners of Freehand baby carriers and creators/owners of the Peekaru vest! Everyone who comes is entered to win a Free Hand Mei Tai carrier right there! Toys will be there for the kiddos! Invite your friends and win a prize!



The Rigby library is located at 110 North State Street Rigby, ID 83442 http://g.co/maps/pvazn

We hope to see you tonight!

Extreme Babywearing: Fun or Foolish?

(By Kimber Tower)

Babywearing has a lot of lingo. It takes awhile to figure out what a veteran babywearer is talking about sometimes.
I mean, if I told you, "I took that 4.6 and I started with a hip scoot onto my back, then I rucked the shoulders but changed my mind and went with a tibetan tie... I know, I know, I could just do a double hammock, but I didn't want to adjust the center mid-tie," you would probably have me committed.

(However, all the babywearers out there followed what I said and each of them probably had a better idea for what I should have done because if you can count on one thing in babywearing it is that we are always coming up with new ideas for how to tie a baby on.)

On top of all the lingo, we also have a lot of catchphrases. "Close enough to kiss", "Spread the babywearing love" and "chin off chest" just to toss out a few.

Of all this babywearing specific chatter, there is one specific quote that I have heard the most since I began to babywear: Safety First.


Safety first means a lot of things. Check baby's positioning and monitor him while he is sleeping. Be careful walking through doorways. Have a spotter when you are learning a new carry. Be quiet, the baby just fell asleep! (Okay, that one goes for all parenting, but seriously, when you have a baby who hasn't been sleeping great who finally passes out, it WON'T be a safe situation if someone wakes that kid up!)

Today we are going to talk about safety in babywearing in regards to what you are doing when babywearing. While I personally love to proudly brag up the fact that you can do ANYTHING while wearing your baby, it seems I need to clarify that. You CAN do nearly anything while babywearing. That doesn't mean you SHOULD do certain things.

I live in Idaho and we are an outdoorsy people here. We have lakes, mountains, hot springs and lots and lots of cows. The winters are frigid and the summers are steaming. We ski and snowmobile December through June (seriously) and we water-ski and cliff dive in August when it is finally warm enough to do something fun. Extreme Sport's middle name should honestly be Idaho.

With that in mind, I've seen some seriously extreme babywearing around here from time to time. I am ashamed to say I often mentally cringed when I saw it but said nothing for fear of "rocking the boat".
Yesterday I read an article that tipped my little boat over and I can't just sit back anymore. It is about a young mother who is defending her choice to wear her baby while she is rock climbing. (You can read the article HERE.) There is a picture with the article of this mother rock climbing 30 feet up with her baby on her back in a carrier. The mother is wearing a helmet and the baby is not.

Okay. I'm not going to judge this person as a mother because my thoughts are that I don't want her to judge me as a mother. We all make different choices and I don't want someone judging me because I do all sorts of things some would find completely horrific (*cough* cosleeping, extended breastfeeding and virtual schooling plus I refuse to buy garbage bags *cough*). However, I am going to judge this woman as a babywearer and my judgement is that she is not honoring "Safety First" when she is babywearing while rock climbing. Now, while I am a bit of a babywearing expert, I am NOT a rock climbing expert. So I asked a few what they thought. The overwhelming concensus was there are too many variables in rock climbing to make it a smart idea to strap a baby to your back for fun. Even worse, that baby is not capable of understanding the risks of their situation so if they were to be injured or killed it is even worse. Simply, rock climbing while babywearing is taking an unacceptable risk.

The long and short of it is this:
If you have to wear a helmet or any other special safety gear to participate in an activity you should NOT be wearing a baby while you do it. (Unless you in a life or death situation. Then do what you need to do to for you and your little one to survive.)


Now I'm going to get specific about things that just are NOT safe to do while babywearing:

• Rock climbing
• Skate boarding
• Roller skating
• Skiing (and all derivatives)
• The Luge (is it luging? Either way, I actually don't know that anyone should attempt this, but I digress)
• Snomobiling (I was raised by a professional and I am certain my dad would agree with me, not a smart idea)
• Sky diving
• Kayaking and rafting
• Hockey
• Parkour 
• Bicycling (and any and all derivatives to the more or less extreme side)
• Anything that involves being in the air yet not in an commercial or other passenger airplane
• Atv riding
• Surfing 
• Water skiing
• Swimming (I don't mean hanging in the kiddie pool with a baby in a carrier or jumping around in the ocean while the waves go up to your thighs, I mean swimming laps type swimming)
• Juggling with knives or fire
• Pretty much anything involving knives and fire
• Horseback riding 
• Bull riding
• Mud wrestling
• Sumo wrestling (however, toddler wrestling is approved as it is usually inescapable)
• Gymnastics
• Recreational drug use
• Drinking (alcoholic beverages and hot drinks specifically, though I have been know to spill some Kool-aid on a newborns head when I develop that dreaded "hole in lip" so if you don't want your baby to have a spot on their head dyed "Rockin' Ragin' Red", maybe be careful with all beveragesAlso, I'm not talking a glass of wine, I'm talking throwing back shots or frolicking about with scalding hot tea or coffee. I have a child with a scar from scalding hot water for tea that she got as a toddler. It happens)
• Driving (a baby carrier does NOT replace a car seat ever ever ever)
• Drag racing
• Shooting guns (this comes from someone who believes in the right to bear arms, in case you were wondering)
• Dog sledding
• Committing petty crimes such as breaking and entering or vandalism (really I think that grown ups should be avoiding this too, but at the very least don't give your kid a record before they are old enough to use the potty in jail on their own)

I think that I covered most of the important things and some of you may feel like I was stating the obvious. Here is the deal: I have seen many of these activities attempted by parents wearing their babies. I have had parents ask me if these activities are safe in the past and while I've said "no" when asked, I realize now that if a few people are asking there are probably a lot more people who would benefit from know this information too. So, there it is. You CAN do nearly anything while wearing your baby, but you SHOULDN'T.

I realize I am risking offending people I know by writing this article and I apologize for any offense given as that is certainly not my intent. I'm not casting any judgement as a parent, but as a babywearer, there are just some things that are not safe for the general public to attempt and someone needs to say so. I hope you can respect where I am coming from and know I write this out of concern for the safety of babies and parents who don't fully understand some of the risks they are taking when they choose to pair babywearing with certain activities.

I also know that there are some cultures where it is the norm to ride a bike everywhere or a horse or perhaps your only means of travel in the winter is by snowmobile. You are probably an expert at those means of travel and I doubt you would take any unnecessary risks with your child during these activities. The key to all of these is the risk level and how necessary it is. Another key here is having the ability to assess your situation and know your level of expertise and then being able to make a safe choice for that situation. Take horseback riding and babywearing. Riding a sleepy horse in a circle is one thing, barrel racing is entirely another. The problem is that not everyone knows their limits or cares and so there needs to be some sort of safety line drawn in the sand to assist those who aren't sure what is safe and what is not. When in doubt, just don't. Your baby is too precious.

Safety first. Always.

It's cold out, but that shouldn't stop you from going out

**This month we are focusing on babywearing in the winter.  This post was previously published on our blog in Feburary and we thought it was still appropriate, especially now that it's getting cold again.  Happy Babywearing (in the cold!)**

In celebration of Idaho's sub-zero temperatures this week, we're going to talk about babywearing in the cold.

First, I want to stress that sub-zero temperatures are really cold.  And you should know your limits, as well as make conservative decisions while out in the cold, especially with your baby. 

There are a many different reasons we take our babies (and by babies I mean babies and toddlers) out in the cold. We need to go out to the store, or to a meeting, or general errands, story time at the library, sending an older sibling off on the bus in the morning or outdoor chores. 

More reason we might take our babies out in the cold is that we are out skiing or snowshoeing or just taking a brisk walk around the block a few times to get our blood moving and get out of the house for a bit.  It's good for the soul and makes us happy, healthy parents.

For general errands, I don't worry too much about my baby getting cold.  I put him in a couple layers, put his little wool socks on him and this amazing wool hat.

Then I put a ring sling on, put my coat on and pop him in and out from his car seat.  The same pop-in and pop-out idea works well with nearly any carrier if you tie it loosely and put your coat on over it.  If I feel it's breezy or too cold, I do just wrap my coat around him, use the ring sling tail as a wind shield, and kind of hunch over with my back to the wind.  If you aren't sure how to make it work, try it at home in the warmth of your living room a few times to get it down.

The reason I don't worry too much about him getting cold on quick trips is because he's up against my body and my body heat keeps him warm.  Plus, that little hat is amazing.  I feel like it keeps the wind from going all the way to his core.  If I feel like it's going to be too cold, I put a little fleece outfit on him, which could be his fleece footie jammies.  The issue is also that I don't want bulky clothing on him in his car seat. 

Now of course there are those times when you will be out for extended periods of time getting your Christmas tree, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, or whatever you like to do in the winter snow and cold.  (You probably want to refrain from things like downhill skiing and ice skating with a baby on your back.)

If you aren't into buying extra baby gear, you still have options.  This is a great example:

She put her baby on her back in her Ergo and put her husband's coat on backwards.  Of course she needed help to get it zipped up, but it worked and she got out and had a great time in the great outdoors. (Notice also that she's using poles.  A great way not to fall down!)

Along the same lines you can wear a too big coat the right way and the baby on your front.  Many of us have husbands that are bigger than we are, so that can be convenient.  And inexpensive.

Here's another example:

It was a gorgeous day that day and I felt that I didn't need a ton of layers.  So I just wore a base layer with a fleece over it and put him in a few fleece layers, including that awesome hat and wool socks and these awesome little wool mittens.  (He got all his awesome wool for Christmas.)

When I got back to the car and all back in his seat I felt his hands and feet. He was toasty warm still.  He also slept through the whole adventure.  (Notice also that I have poles.  Again, they are a great way to not fall down with a baby on my back!)

Something else you can do is put your baby on your back and wrap a large blanket around you and the baby.  This is basically what many traditional cultures did, even using the blanket as the carrier.  You can find some good instructions with photos for a front carry here.

And while we're on the subject of traditional carriers, we can't forget the Amauti.  The Amauti is a traditional carrier of the Inuit people.  It's a coat that goes on over your head and it has a large pocket in the back.  It also has a large hood that goes over both you and the child.  On first glance it may look like the child is in the hood, but that is not the case. 

Here the baby is pretty bundled because it was so cold.  But again, after our trek out to get the Christmas tree I checked his hands and feet and he was toasty warm.

And here's a picture of it with the hood over both mom and baby.

The trick is finding an Amauti.  The design is legally protected by the native people and they are not mass produced.  But with a little determination and a little help, it's very possible to find one.  There are individuals out there who make them or they are available used as well.

There are other great options when it comes to clothing made specifically for babywearing in the cold.  There's the Peekaru fleece vest:



This vest can be worn with a front or a back carry over your favorite carrier.  On not-so-cold days you can wear it with just a base layer.  On colder days where you need a coat, you can put your baby in a front carry and put a coat on.  You probably won't get it zipped, but you are both still plenty warm.  The same company also makes an amazing coat, The Peekaru Soft Shell, that can be worn in either a front or a back carry.

Another option is the Kindercoat. Made by Childrens Needs, a company out of Utah.  It's a great option for both front and back carries with your favorite carrier.  And the way it's made, it converts easily into a nice coat when you are not babywearing.  Check out their many other outerwear options as well.

If you are looking for something more fashion conscious, the MCoat may be be just what you are looking for.  It's an amazing down coat that works as a maternity coat, a babywearing coat, and a regular coat with just a couple zips.  It doesn't work in a back carry, but it is a gorgeous and warm piece of clothing.

Yet another option is a simple accessory for a carrier.  Catbird Baby makes a carrier cover that tucks around your baby and creates a windproof barrier as well as providing warmth.  It's inexpensive and very practical. 

If you are more of a do-it-yourselfer, there are patterns for babywearing coats like this one or you can just make something up. 

Obviously this is not a complete list of all the cold weather babywearing options, but it ought to be enough to get you started and get you thinking.  The whole goal is to keep your baby warm while getting out and about, whether it's a quick trip to the store, outdoor chores that must be done, getting an older kid on the bus, or an all day excursion in the great outdoors.  Basically, you can't do it wrong if your baby is warm and comfy and you get done what you want and need to.

Bowl, Baby! Bowl!

We had a little bowling party this week.  Babies came, too!

And, the baby got to bowl!

So did his big sister.  She was pretty excited!

Go play!  Babywearing makes it so much easier!  And so much more FUN!

I love babywearing meetings

I think my favorite part of babywearing meetings is the brand new moms.  I really wish that I had discovered babywearing with my first baby.  Because it's so powerful!

These brand new moms come in looking for something.  I'm not convinced they really *know* what they are looking for.  They are tired--the kind of tired you only get when you have a newborn.  They are not quite in their element because this "mom" thing isn't quite who they are yet.  But they are looking for *something*.  Sometimes *anything* will do. 

And then we throw a carrier on them and get their baby all snuggled in.

And suddenly, there is a baby who is comfy and happy and a mom who suddenly feels that everything in the world is right.  Or at least it can be.

Behold, the power of babywearing! 

And then these moms who came in weary and unsure nearly skip out of the meeting full of confidence and hope.  I've seen it over and over and over again. I am just as in awe of it now as I was the first time I witnessed it.  And every time I see it it brings those feelings I had when I first figured it out rushing back so powerfully that I nearly cry.

Hold your babies close!  It's where they are supposed to be!

IBW 2011: Make it Monday

The Idaho Babywearers have been busy this year!
We were able to help organize International Babywearing Week for 2011, and boy has it been fun.
One of the events was "Make it Monday", a day when we were able to teach others how to make their own safe baby carrier.
We had a blast!

Woo hoo!

Our newest Volunteer Babywearing Educator, Rachel was teaching a mama how to use her mei tai.

Our President Angela and darling new Melina in the super awesome wrap donated to us by Didymos in honor of International Babywearing Week! Thank you Didymos! (Now all of you come check this wrap out from the library, it is awesome!)

Our other President Marie with James wearing a Boba donated to us in honor of International Babywearing Week! Thank you Boba!

Looks like one baby doesn't want mama to sew right now!

Here is another little one (almost) patiently waiting to be worn in her new carrier!

Check out our new leader in training (in the middle) Kendle Hammon! We are so excited!

VBEs and buddies.

All of our leaders who were at the meeting. We are excited that nearly all of us have our Volunteer Babywearing Educator Certification. By the end of the year we hope all of our leaders will be certified!

Katie modeling the awesome Taylormade mei tai also donated to us for this week! Thank you Taylormade! (That babydoll is kind of scary though.)

Angela modeling with the read deal.

Our first finished carrier! What sewing skills and what a good looking mama!

We had a great turnout, a fantastic time and we hope you will all come out and sew with us again!

Thursday we will have a Babywearing 101 class, come join us! Check out our facebook page for details!

Walk It Wednesday!

To celebrate International Babywearing Week, we’re going to strut our babywearing stuff for “Walk it Wednesday” down at the Idaho Falls Greenbelt Trail! We’ll meet at 1pm at the corner of Memorial Drive and E Street (there’s a bandstand and picnic tables at this area of the park along the river). We’ll walk south toward the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho where there's a playground for kids--about a 15 minute walk. There is easy parking across the street from our meeting point at the LDS church (north corner of Memorial Dr and Riverside Dr/E Street). See you this Wednesday--let's gather in mass and turn some heads!

Here's a map of our meeting point: Memorial Dr & E St

Preparing for International Babywearing Week 2011

The Idaho Babywearers have been a BIG part of International Babywearing Week 2011!
We helped plan the activities for the week, organize the awards and help get sponsors.
One of the biggest jobs we had was to send out the packets to groups all over the world!

Rachel, Angela, Marie and Kimber got together last week to get the packages ready.
(Melina helped too!)

The official Babywearing International Groups got some extra goodies in their packages! Another reason we are thrilled to be a part of BWI!

Kimber was very excited about the packages!

Melina got a bit tired. Poor thing.

But Angela worked through the night getting boxes ready to ship out, complete with duct time in true Idaho fashion.

Wanna know what we got in OUR kit? Keep watching for a blog post!

Come sew your own!

Mark you calendars!  Monday October 10 from 6:30 to 9pm at the Rigby Library we will be hosting a Make it Monday sewing lab to celebrate International Babywearing Week!  If you have some sewing skills and a sewing machine, you are invited to come sew with us!  We are requesting a $2 donation to help cover the cost of the library space.

Kimber, who created the Ball Baby mei tai, will have pre-cut Ball Baby kits available at the event.  A kit will be $10. It is JUST the fabric all pre cut and in a bundle.  They will be available that evening.  You might want to bring a few different colors of thread, or something neutral.



A BBO mei tai in action


So you've never made a carrier before?  That's okay!  There are lots of FREE patterns for pouches, mei tais, ring slings, wraps, and even soft structure carriers at Sleeping Baby Productions.  (PLEASE keep in mind that these are patterns offered for free for PERSONAL USE.  No selling, please!)

pouch, stretchy wrap, ring sling, stretchy wrap, pouch.

The single most important factor in a baby carrier is SAFETY.  And the two most important things for you to do are find a safe pattern and buy the right fabric and other supplies (like thread or rings).  Quilting fabric is NOT appropriate for the weight bearing parts of the carrier.  Canvas or a sturdy twill is what you need for straps and body fabric of a mei tai.  A sturdy linen or similar fabric is lovely for ring slings.  If you want to make your carrier a pretty one, you can buy that pretty fabric and use it to accent your carrier.  Also, we recommend you pre-wash and dry the fabric.  That way you can wash your carrier without worrying that it will shrink and get all funky.

Locally the best place to find awesome canvas is Home Fabrics in Idaho Falls (solids are in the back).  You can also find decent fabric at Walmart and Jo-Ann's.

If you are making a ring sling, don't go to Jo-Ann's or any other craft store and get craft rings.  You MUST buy rings that are specifically made for baby carriers.  You can find those here at slingrings.com.  They are super reasonably priced and safety tested, etc. Lots of manufacturers use these exact rings and they come in MANY colors. (And we can't in good conscience let you use un-safe rings!)

Ring sling

What you need to bring:
--The printed pattern you plan to use
--Fabric, rings, padding, etc. necessary for your particular pattern
--Sewing machine in good working order
--Iron and ironing board or pad
--Thread (Good thread!)
--Scissors
--Other notions that are necessary for sewing
--$2 donation to cover the cost of the space

What we will do:
--Help you make sure your carrier is safe
--Answer questions you may have along the way
--Provide some yummy snacks

We know that you probably have kids and all, but we do ask that you only bring non-mobile babies.  There are lots of sharp things involved in sewing and we would really hate to see a baby get hurt!

Come join us for a fun evening out!  (And if you have any questions, email Heidi--mrs_donnelly at hotmail dot com)

FREEHAND!

Last year for the conference the Freehand family came and brought us one of their BRAND NEW soft structure carriers.  I was absolutely intrigued by it, but was pregnant and had an uncooperative toddler.  So I didn't get to try it.

Plus, everyone hogged it and it was checked out constantly.

Then a couple months ago the Freehand family visited us again.  And they brought another soft structure carrier.

But alas, I still didn't get my hands on one because they were all suddenly checked out again. 

But then I got to run the Rexburg meeting this last month.  I called Jentri when we were done to drop the carriers off at her house and report on the meeting.  I was so disappointed that the Freehand hadn't come back and I couldn't borrow it! 

"It's at my house," she said.  "I haven't gotten it back in the bag.  That's my fault."

I may have squealed in delight.  I finally managed to get my hands on the Freehand!

Let me tell you, this is a great carrier!  I don't have an infant any more, but it's super impressive for my toddler and preschooler!

Super light weight. Great support, even for my three-year old!  We took it on a hike on Sunday.

The Little Mister in it.  He's one and pretty chunky.

I found it pretty darn comfortable for the hike down and back--about a mile total.

He seemed pretty comfortable and content, too.

Here's the three year old.  She got tired of walking and the husband had the one year old.

Now the base on this is pretty narrow, but the way the straps come out of the base they provide some pretty awesome support so the bigger kids aren't hanging in the carrier.  I think it's brilliant!  (The Freehand mei tai has a similar design with the triangle extension of sorts at the base.)  Again, super supportive and comfy for me!

Awesome carrier.  Awesome company.  Awesome Freehand family that you can feel good supporting.

Happy Babywearing!

International Babywearing Week, October 10-16th 2011

International Babywearing Week is fast approaching and there are some great contests! Check em out and enter! Spread the babywearing love!

 

Google Doodle Contest

Winner could get their doodle on Google.com during IBW2011

Deadline: October 1, 2011

Doodle must be original artwork by the entrant or a team of entrants
A team of entrants must submit the artwork together.
Winning doodle will be submitted to Google.com. It is up to Google.com to accept the winning doodle
There must be a minimum of three entrants for prizes to be awarded
Limit of 3 entries per person or team

Email entries to: ClanTower@gmail.com

Please include:

• DOODLE in the subject line
• Your first and last name (include all team members, please)
• Email address
• Mailing address
• And don't forget to attach your entry! 

Best babywearing blog post or series by an individual

Deadline: October 1, 2011

Entry can be a single blog post or a series.

Blog entry must be an original piece on a personal blog.

All photos must be the property of the blogger OR the blogger must have permission to use the photos.

There must be a minimum of three entrants for prizes to be awarded.

Entry must be babywearing related.

Entries must be published between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011.

Email entries to: ClanTower@gmail.com

Please include:

• PHOTO CONTEST in the subject line
• Your first and last name
• Email address
• Mailing address
• And include links to your entry!

Best babywearing blog post or series by a business

Deadline: October 1, 2011

Entry can be a single post or a series

Blog entry must be an original piece on a blog maintained by a business.

All photos must be the property of the blogger OR the blogger must have permission to use the photos

Entry must be babywearing related.

Entry must be published between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011

There must be a minimum of three entrants for prizes to be awarded

Email entries to:ClanTower@gmail.com

Please include:

• BUSINESS BLOG in the subject line
• Your first and last name
• Email address
• Mailing address
• And don't forget include links to your entry!

Photo contest

Deadline: October 1, 2011

Limit of three entries per individual

Photos must be the property of the individual OR professional photos may be entered with permission of the photographer

The contest is open to professional photographers

By entering the photo contest you are granting Babywearing International permission to use the photo for official BWI business.

Photos must be taken between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011

There must be a minimum of three entrants for prizes to be awarded

Email entries to:ClanTower@gmail.com

Please include:

• PHOTO CONTEST in the subject line
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Rexburg Porter Park Celebrate Youth

What a fun time.  Nothing like bringing all the kids down for a fun FREE day in the park!

Marie and James in the Boba:

Jentri and Kylan in their Ergo (I think they live in that thing and she is the queen of tricking it out!)

Our awesome booth:

We're working on a banner, but in the mean time, a Wrapsody works just fine.

A couple mei tais in the breeze (pink Kozy and black Baby So Smart)

FYI, our co-president, Angela, is due any day now.  She looks so great!  And sporting an Angel Pack!

This totally made my day.  A little monkey-wearing.  And TWIN monkeys no less!

And some cowboy wearing, too!  We love cowboys! 

That mei tai is made by Sweet Slings and it's really quite fabulous!

Proof that we were there and having a great time in our Ellevill!

What fun spreading the babywearing love!  Come see us at a meeting soon!