We’re Back on the Blogging Train….

Well it’s been a while since we had our “blog on” to be entirely honest over 12 months, oops! When I look back over the year, so much has happened in that time. A new little (no so little now) baby was added to our family. Our family of six and business have packed up and moved to a new state of Australia.  Just those few (LARGE) changes have been enough to cause other smaller things (like blogging) to go by the wayside….and lots of other things (think ironing and sorting laundry and washing windows and mopping floors…) oops, all my secrets are spilling out….;)

As new seasons bring opportunity for new beginnings, I am hopping back on the blogging train. There you go (I SAID IT, eek) You had better hold me to it….

So my passion is babywearing and all things that pertain to that, ultimately if my blog can encourage someone else to consider keeping their baby close, then happy days! So don’t go far as every story has a beginning and here is ours.

Enjoy your snuggles,

Natalie x

Why Ringslings Rule!

Ring slings, yeah….so?? Well, you see. I never really “got them!” I would see lots of different mums saying how much they loved their ring sling. How they were small enough to keep stashed in a nappy bag, the glove box of your car, even your handbag. I observed many beautiful wraps “converted” in ring slings, with pleats and gathers and all manner of shoulder combinations.

To be honest though. I was ring sling impaired. They just didn’t work for us. I always felt, well…unbalanced.

What was all the fuss, I thought? Why all the hype? In February, I was fortunate enough to attend the basic Die Trageschule Babywearing Consultancy course which was held in Sydney. During that week, we learnt to use a variety of carriers, wraps and the ring sling. It was then, that this seemingly simple carrier became one of my favourites. It was then that I had that “ahh-ha” moment. Yep, that was the turning point. Little did I know that my once snuggly, back wearing bub would decide that she preferred my hip and we have become a ring sling die-hard ever since!

Did you know that a ring sling can be used for a tiny newborn, supporting them tummy to tummy in the spread squat position right through to a toddler? They are an excellent option for a new babywearer who may feel overwhelmed by the various options available or by metres of fabric in a woven wrap. In heat only one layer covers you and your baby and so for this reason they are a great summer worthy option. They are great for multiple care givers and can be easily adjusted between carers. Did you know that you that with a little bit of practise, you can breastfeed in a ring sling? Ring slings made from woven wraps offer the same support that a regular wrap offers, as well as the gorgeous colours, patterns and designs!

My baby is now a toddler who much prefers to walk and explore and on occasion, run! Having the ability to use a carrier which is quickly adjusted for quick up and downs is crucial. My toddler is happy on my hip, she can see the world from my height and we can snuggle too to feed and rest, when she is  tired.

Have you given the humble ring sling the time it deserves?

We currently have newly arrived and colourful array of  ring slings from many different brands. To view more in our store head here.

Photo courtesy of Courtney Holmes Photography.

 

Woven Wraps Australia team up with Maddimoo- Giveaway!!

We are thrilled to announce that we at Woven Wraps Australia have teamed up with Maddimoo to offer you the ultimate babywearing package! We are so excited to be nearing 1000 likes on Facebook and also our first birthday in April that we want to share the celebration with you!

We are giving away one FREE woven wrap to be used with a FREE Maddimoo custom slot!! Wow!! You choose your favourite wrap from Woven Wraps Australia and then you decide which style of baby carrier you would like from Maddimoo.

The giveaway will open once we hit 1000 Facebook likes at Woven Wraps Australia. Quick, start sharing this post now, we are not far away!!

Terms & Conditions:

Australian and New Zealand residents only.

Winner pays postage $13.95 AUD for Australia and $25 AUD for New Zealand.

Winner only eligible to choose a woven wrap from Woven Wraps Australia to be used solely for the purpose of a baby carrier conversion by Maddimoo.

Wrap chosen must be either an In stock/available for order to Woven Wraps Australia. Whilst we make every effort to access a full range of wraps from various manufacturers, we cannot guarantee stock availability.

Giveaway will commence when 1000 Facebook likes at Woven Wraps Australia are reached.

Giveaway will be run and drawn using Rafflecopter.

Babywearing…bring it on!

It’s school holidays and its hot! I am talking really hot! Sydney’s hottest recorded day ever happened just last week.

School holidays means relaxing the routine. Late sleep ins, after late nights, showers after lunch, some times. I am really blessed to be able to work from home and so holidays, is time spent with my children.

We decided to take a day out to the city. The plan was to meet a lovely babywearing mama in the Botanic Gardens, have an explore around and then to have lunch with daddy. I very rarely use a pram, very rarely. I use a pram so rarely, that I couldn’t remember where it was! So my trusty Kinderpack and short Vatanai woven wrap it was.

It was a wonderful day. Off we trotted, three children, two baby carriers and a not too heavy backpack. We managed the train, steep escalators between train platforms, walked the large areas within the Botanic Gardens, too many stairs to count at the Opera House, the harbour walk to Circular Quay, a ferry ride to Darling Harbour, through security and up seven floors to visit daddy in the office. All with daughter 17 months on my back and two big girls. Now I am not denying that I got hot. I was tired, my feet hurt (yes, even in Birkenstocks), there were times she wasn’t so happy to be up and then she had time down also. Our day as a whole was really pleasant.

Have I mentioned just how I love babywearing? Oh and the kids slept well that night, we all did 🙂

Babywearing, bring it on!

Wordless Wednesday

A Taste of Italy….at Woven Wraps Australia

Have you heard of Diva Milano? They are a relatively new company who have surprised us all with impeccable design, in the manufacture of woven wraps for babywearing. Diva Milano are designed and produced in Italy, in the same fashion houses as Versace and Armani,that says a lot. These woven wraps are divine using the highest quality yarns, which are of optimal thickness and thread count. The colours and designs are just gorgeous.

There first lace collection was released as the autumn/winter (2011/2012) collection including 100% cotton and wool, in three designs:

Reticella “lace” flower placed in a chess flower across the wrap Veneziano “lace” placed all over the wrap Merletti “lace” stripes across the wrap

Here at Woven Wraps Australia we are excitedly awaiting the new Golden Collection to arrive. This newest collection has been released in three fabric types, cotton, silk and linen blends. Each of the designs in this collection have a golden warp and wefts in blue, purple, pink, silver and green. Simply luscious!

The 100% cotton release has been described as slightly denser than the original cotton release, yet still thin and more supportive. The introduction of a silk blend has been described as Diva Milano’s most luxurious wrap. Linen blends are also a new blend, described as medium-thin, medium-dense and airy. They are extra wide at 82 cm! Perfect for growing toddlers.

Woven Wraps Australia has some customer orders arriving along with some extra beauties to be stocked in our store. To view these premier wraps, have a look at

http://www.diva-milano.com/woven-wraps/?subcats=Y&features_hash=V27.

We have had quite a lot of interest in the Golden Collection and we are aware that some colourways have already completely sold out. We would encourage you to act quickly, if you think you might like to grab one of these wraps or if you simply would like some further information on what stock we have arriving. If you are seeking a wrap we do not have in stock, we are more than willing to place a special request along side our regular stock order.

Contact us at www.wovenwraps.com.au or wovenwraps@mail.com

Ellevill’s TRI series…..have you TRIed them?

Have you seen Ellevill’s Tri Series? Here at Woven Wraps  Australia we have quite a few instocks available now. All of these wraps featured are 100% cotton and are suitable for newborn right throught to toddler. Zara’s are a thin to medium weight, with a textured design making them quite grippy, especially great for wearing your baby on your back. They are supportive and soft, hardly requiring any breaking in.  Each of these wraps feature three divine colours.

 

Featured  on the left is Zara TRIblue and on the right  Zara TRIgreen.

 

Here is Zara TRIspice and Zara TRIblue compared.

 

Zara TRIpink alongside Zara TRIsugar.

Here are all five TRI series wraps compared. For further information on any of these gorgeous Ellevill TRI series or any other wraps. Head across www.wovenwraps.com.au

 

We want to say THANK YOU!

We value our customers at Woven Wraps Australia and we want to show you that by saying THANK YOU! This is what we want to do…..From now until the end of financial year we want to help you cuddle your babies by offering two great promotions. Here they are:

Offer 1 – $20 Gift Voucher
Buy any in stock woven wrap from Woven Wraps Australia this week and receive a $20 Gift Voucher to spend towards your next in stock woven wrap purchase. We treasure our customers and our Gift Voucher offer is a great way for us to show this in action. Everyone loves a good saving and this is a great offer that will not last long! Set up your account with us today and make sure you don’t miss out on your $20 Gift Voucher opportunity.  

Offer 2 – $40 Gift Voucher
Buy any 2 in stock Woven Wraps from Woven Wraps Australia this week and receive a $40 Gift Voucher to spend towards your next in stock woven wrap purchase. We treasure our customers and our Gift Voucher offer is a great way for us to show this in action. Everyone loves a good saving and the opportunity to choose two of your favorites instead of just one – but Hurry! This great offer that will not last long! Set up your account with us today and make sure you don’t miss out on your $40 Gift Voucher opportunity. 

Conditions: Your Gift voucher will be sent with your woven wrap that is beautifully packaged and presented with the usual Woven Wraps attention to detail. You’ll have 3 months to shop with us again to claim your saving. Simply log in, select the in stock wrap you can’t resist and at check out, enter the Gift Voucher code. Your code is unique only to you and you can only use it once so be sure not to share it around or someone else may get in first! You must use your voucher towards the purchase of a woven wrap that is in stock which means you won’t be able to use your Voucher towards pre-orders. By using your Gift Voucher, you agree to these conditions. 

For more information go to www.wovenwraps.com.au and www.facebook.com/WovenWrapsAustralia

Know the joy of being close!

Lights! Camera! Action! -L.C.A Competition is drawn!

Last month Kanga Collective, Australia’s Babywearing Blog and Forum ran a competition. They asked for Babywearers to video themselves demonstrating their favourite wrap tute or a carry. It didn’t just have to be wraps and could be a demo on how to properly put on a mei tai, full buckle SSC, front pack carrier, ring sling or pouch! All entries were uploaded to a media channel on Kanga Collective.

We here, at Woven Wraps Australia were really excited because we were the competition sponsor and donated a lovely Neobulle Manon Gris wrap! The winner was drawn today and we would like to extend our congratulations to Ronni, who submitted the “Reinforced Ronni Ruck.”

We just love it, here it is!

In the coming days, we will upload the other video entries to our blog and website.

Thank you to everyone who participated and voted. Most of all thank you to Kanga Collective for running the competition and further raising awareness of the benefits of wearing your baby!

Babywearing Gets Your Family…Clean

It’s 5.15pm, arsenic hour.

The running water of the shower dulls out the protests which are regular part of the evening routine. Daughter aged 6 has just had her curly hair washed, it’s now time to comb it. Here goes…

Daughter aged 4 sings loudly from the shower, a little too loudly for my liking. I continue to comb. Now the sounds of the protesting competes with the singing from the shower.

Now my hair is being yanked! Ouch! I gently move the little chubby hand from my hair, i uncurl her fingers one by one and release what little hair is left still attached to my head. I am reminded that my third daughter, aged 10 months, is watching this scene unfold from the safety of my back. She regularly sees things from across my shoulder. I am thankful that while she is wrapped on my back, at least she will remain dry and can’t crawl into the shower.

At last, I feel her heavy head at the nape of my neck. Her breathing starts to become regular, with the drone of the shower and motion of my walking she’s fast asleep. For that split second, I find myself nodding off too….

“Mum!! Is the shampoo out?” daughter age 4 yells from the shower. I am awoken back to reality. So thankful though, that bub stays asleep.

Babywearing allows you to help patch up the grazed knee of your toddler, push your preschooler on the swing and help your school aged child with their homework. Whilst meeting your baby’s need for closeness, comfort and sleep. While baby sleeps on your back, your arms are free to hold and interact with the other children in your life.

When I wear my baby, I feel empowered, in fact liberated! Not only am I doing the best by her but I am doing the best by my other children.

Babywearing gets our family clean, in doing this, it does remarkably more. What does babywearing do for you?

Visit us at www.wovenwraps.com.au and www.facebook.com/WovenWrapsAustralia