Baby Loves Disco is a new trend that I’ve heard a lot about lately. Basically it’s a chance for families to come hang out in a nightclub, with child-friendly environment, with cool music, snacks and even a chill-out room. (I’m flashing back to my days as a rave dj. I’m sure it won’t be quite THAT crazy… but hey, I haven’t been “out” in a LONG time!)

I’m glad that the Baby Loves Disco wave is sweeping over Fort Lauderdale! I’m surprised we don’t have to drive to Miami to catch something like this. (I know Twilli would LOVE some good Salsa dancing. But I’m not able to move that way! hehehe)

Also, a super cool chic from one of our local Meetup playgroups, is one of the sponsors. (Maybe we’ll bring home some cool SWAG!) Nicole is the head chef and chief bpa-free bottle washer for Rockin Mamaz - for Moms who ROCK the Cradle with the Flyest Gear and Coolest Clothes. Bringing you Hip and Funky Maternity and Infants to Big Kids Apparel. Unique toys, BPA- Free Glass Bottles, Sippy Cups and so much more. I immediately resonated with Nicole when we first met. I can’t wait to see what she’s put together for her shop!

Twilli LOVES music! And she loves to dance! Right now, it looks more like HEAD-BANGIN’ than anything else. Actually, that’s part of the humor! Twilli looks too sweet to be a head-banger! But she loves when Au-teen plays metal on guitar, too! I guess she inherited some of her daddy’s taste in music. Oh, and she looks great in black! lol

Hopefully, Elliott will shoot LOTS of photos of everyone shakin’ it to the Village People! lol And maybe we’ll post a video or two of head-bangin’ Twilli!

Yay! We are back home in sunny Fort Lauderdale. (It wasn’t sunny AT ALL yesterday when we flew in though.) I am very glad to be home. We really missed DH! This fantastic 21st Century Dad was sooooooooooo happy to see Twilli!!! And Twilli was jumping up and down in her mei tai when she saw Daddy at the airport. It was too cute.

We had a great trip. Got to see a lot of people that we hadn’t seen for years. Got to introduce Twilli to a lot of people too! Sunday we enjoyed a church picnic at this beautiful park by a lake. (I’ll try to post photos soon. They are trapped inside the camera. Can’t find the memory card reader.) We thought it would be rained out. But the rain stopped JUST BEFORE the picnic started. The weather was cool and beautiful. And it was great to see Knoxville through new eyes. My architecture studies have informed me about a personality that Knoxville has that I had never been aware of before.

I realize that none of this really has anything to do with babywearing. Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that babywearing SAVED OUR SANITY throughout the trip! Anytime Twilli was tired, disoriented or just OVER IT all, into the podegi she happily went! So many people made comments about how HAPPY she was to be “in there with Mommy”, or what a “great ride” it must be.

One lady at the airport, with baby, bags, stroller, etc. in tow saw me wearing Twilli in the podegi, with my backpack and diy OnBag strapped to me. (I absolutely HATE to have my hands full, and will almost always be happier as a pack horse than to be manually encumbered.) She said, “Wow, you really have your HANDS FULL!” I laughed and said, “Yeah. But not REALLY!” and raised 2 EMPTY hands while shrugging my shoulders. People are crazy. I saw so many people in the airport struggling with strollers or just holding their infant in arms, while trying to keep up with a toddler or other small child. Each time I wanted to point to Twilli and say, “There’s a BETTER WAY!” But I just kept my mouth closed, with a smile and a nod. To each his/her own.

And for those of you who are curious about the next Twilli Pie Podegis, check out TwilliPieDesign.com. There you will find photos of the design “schemes” that are queued.

Photo: 1′Up

Hello everyone. Long time… I JUST NOW got DSL hooked up at my parents’ house in TN. Yea! So I should be posting with a bit more frequency now.

I returned from the Babywearing Conference in Chicago on Sunday. The conference was amazing! I learned so much and met SO MANY wonderful people! It is amazing to see so many like-minded people in one place. And it was very refreshing to be in an environment where I can wear and nurse my baby at any time, and still be part of the goings-on! Twilli responded REALLY well to everyone there too! She got to play with a lot of little babies and toddlers.

The TWILLI PIE PODEGIs were well received! I will be requesting testers soon, so please contact me if you are interested.

I met SOOOOO many influential people in the babywearing and attachment parenting realm! I probably don’t know the HALF of it! I plan to continue seeking wisdom from these people who have “walked the walk” and continue to share with us relative newbies!

It was awesome to traverse the city via public transit. (Gas was $4.47 - $4.89 per gallon there. Eeek!) And I did a LOT of walking! Babywearing makes a HUGE difference in that regard. And I was very pleasantly surprised at how much people helped me with my luggage on the train or in the train station/transfers! I guess I was quite a spectacle with a baby strapped to me, a backpack, a diaper bag/purse, and my suitcase pulled behind it all! lol

I will write more about the conference in the next few days. But I wanted to touch base and let everyone know that we are still alive and kickin’!

We are finally happy done with the TWILLI PIE PODEGI prototype development! We will be making exclusively narrow blanket podegis, for the time being. We prefer the straight straps, although angled straps will be an option. And each TWILLI PIE Podegi will feature at least one piece of reclaimed or vintage fabric. This is an effort to recycle, and thus keep a bit more out of the landfill!

We are happy to introduce the newest Twilli Pie pod, “Water for Chocolate”.

“Water for Chocolate” features internally reinforced and padded baby corduroy straps. The front side of the podegi body has a lovely designer print fabric as the focal point, with a corresponding double pocket. We have also added a TP signature design element of the vertical band of fabric. This reinforces the branding in the logo and forms the letter “T” when the straps are extended out to the sides. There is also a solid blue cotton fabric and reclaimed denim for the “tail”.

The reverse side is solid navy blue twill with the vertical bar in the same designer print from the front. The reverse side of all Twilli Pie Podegis will be solid, or minimal print. We like to be diplomatic, and hope that a more gender neutral side will be appealing to babywearing daddies.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT and let us know what you think of the new Twilli Pie Podegi!

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On top of everything else, our a/c died last week. We are in South Florida, where summer is already in FULL FORCE! So it is very hot at home. I have to admit that these are the days when it sucks to work from home. lol

So yesterday we decided to take a swim to cool off. I was excited to finally use my solarveil water sling in the pool! I have worn Twilli in the ocean with it before. But we hadn’t been in the pool yet.

Twilli really enjoyed being close to me in the water. And she just looks so stinkin’ cute in black! This sling is awesome! It is UV protective too. The ONLY problem is that once we got out of the water, and thus out of near-weightless-baby-zone, Twilli seemed a lot heavier than before. But even when the sling is wet, it is still quite supportive and comfortable.

Just so there is no confusion… I do not make ring slings. This water sling was made by a lovely work-at-home mama in Puerto Rico - Apapachame. I am always happy to give a shameless plug to worthy wahms! Check out her site. Her prices, workmanship, and service are excellent!

*For the babywearing purists out there: y KNOW the rings are quite a bit too low. hehehe They just always inch down when we adjust, and I decided I wasn’t going to worry about it.

I realize I have not been posting a lot lately. I have been processing a LOT of stuff. Well a lot of it came to a head yesterday. A very dear family friend just lost his home and has left the state. I helped him pack whatever fit in the car, plus his 2 cats. And now they are gone!

This foreclosure epidemic is outrageous! :shakes head: I am at my wits end with how NORMAL PEOPLE are having to live!

Anyway, we are scrambling to make ends APPROACH a meeting point as well. And now our air conditioner unit is fried and it’s already summer heat here in South Florida. So please forgive me for not being a good little blogger and writing as often as I would like. I have to believe things will get better.

One of my favorite blogs, that I’ve neglected lately, is THE ARTFUL PARENT. So I was so pleased when I checked back in and found an answer to something that I’ve been wanting to try for a while… Stencil art/fashion.

The Artful Parent has made some beautiful shirts, onesies, and bags with this technique that sounds quite simple and fun. She just launched an Etsy store with some of her creations here.

Apparently you find an image you would like to stencil, trace it onto freezer paper. Or you could just tape the freezer paper onto your printed image. (Make sure the “plain paper” side of the freezer paper is facing up.) Then use a sharp x-acto knife to cut out the design. Next you iron the freezer paper onto your shirt or fabric. Now iron another piece of plain freezer paper onto the backside of the fabric. Use fabric paint to fill in the design.

I understand that the fabric “cures” better if you let it stand out in the sun, or run a medium warm iron over the BACK of the design.

Maybe I’ll do some of these over the holiday weekend. Everyone have a wonderful and blessed Memorial Day!

Please LEAVE A COMMENT and let me know if you guys have ever done any stencil art, and if so, what did you use. Link to photos, too!

TWILLI PIE PODEGI - Out and About & Testing

I’ve been meaning to go to Ikea for a while. So today hubby and I decided to have lunch there and pick up a few things. We got a lot of smiles and looks from people. There were loads of babies there today! And we got a compliment on the podegi from a lovely mama with beautiful month old twin girls!

I decided to wear Twilli in the first TWILLI PIE PODEGI that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I have been testing the heck out of it. Here are my thoughts so far:

I am pretty pleased overall with this design. I LOVE being able to combine fabrics to create something truly unique. I will probably continue to make all of my carriers reversible. I am very happy with the padding in the straps. (It is double layer polar fleece.) I LOVE the long blanket! It is very easy to adjust how high or low baby rides in a front carry. Twilli can “hide” inside or sleep by tucking her arms in and “sinking” down a bit. And it is MUCH easier to nurse in this podegi than any of my mei tais. I was worried that the traditional straight straps would not work with shoulder carries. But the straight straps are much more comfortable than I had expected. My only regret is that I placed the nice white print fabric too low on the reverse. This print ends up hiding under babys bum. So I really only show the Tatsu print side for that reason

Introducing TWILLI PIE PODEGI 2 - for the progressive babywearing daddy

Now for some good news… I just finished with my first TWILLI PIE PODEGI that is designed with the babywearing daddy in mind! It is also the first podegi I have made with angled straps. It is quite a bit more involved to place the straps at an angle. But it seems to be more popular than the straight ones. (Any podegi devotees: What do YOU think?) And it is GREEN! No. Not the color green… but eco green because it uses some reclaimed fabric!

Check out photos of TWILLI PIE PODEGI 2!

I will post action shots soon! The supermodel baby, Twilli, is sleeping.

Hey dads, would YOU wear your baby or toddler in something like this if it were available? PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT and let me know what you think!

I would like to thank you all for your patience lately. I have not been writing nearly as much as I should be. Ideally, I would post 3-4 times per week. But these are crazy times. Our economy is severely bent! Everyone is feeling the crunch. But some are more effected than others.

I’ve been providing moral, social, and logistical support to a dear friend who is living in a condo that is deep in foreclosure. My friend “Joe” has been dealing with this stress for some time. His parents, who live out of state, actually own the property but let him live there while he was in college. But they have not discussed ANY of the financial matters with him. Personally, I think they are doing a disservice to him AND themselves by not sharing these vital matters with such a willing and fast learner. Instead, they tried to handle things on their own and told him “it is being taken care of”.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I am like family to him and none of our relatives live in Florida. So we’ve been trying to scramble and find resources, advocacy, etc. Unfortunately, Joe’s parents are not very internet savvy and he doesn’t have internet access. So I have been doing a lot of legwork.

While the information is very sobering and disconcerting, I am learning a lot. It seems like there are soooooo many people facing foreclosure or other financial crisis. But there are legitimate agencies that can help. The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to NOT WAIT to seek help!!! A real estate attorney told me, “These things are like cancer. If they are caught early, often they can be stopped.”

I am grateful that I have been able to be there for my friend. I pray that everything works out. And I would like to “pay it forward” by sharing some of these resources.

• HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agencies - There are so many scams happening now. Find a reputable agency through HUD: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department website.
• NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES - This is the local Miami, Florida agency we are dealing with. (It is HUD approved.)
• Broken Credit Blog - This blog has some interesting information about consumer rights and foreclosure.
• Aging and Disability Resource Center of Broward County, FL - Here is an agency for senior citizens and disabled people in Broward County (Greater Fort Lauderdale).
• Legal Aid of Broward County, FL - Provides service provides legal advice and representation to low income residents. They have a department specializing in housing.
• National Consumer Law Center - This agency claims to defend the rights of low-income consumers. I haven’t fully browsed the site, but wanted to include it just in case.

Please share by LEAVING A COMMENT and let us know if you have found any other good resources or have experience with these matters.

I hope that all of you lovely moms out there had a wonderful day! I know I did!! My beloved took us to check out West Elm (finally!) and a lovely courtyard featuring some Romero Britto art, in Midtown Miami. The Miami Design District & surrounding area has REALLY built up since I left at the end of 2005. I have always said I’m ahead of my time! But sometimes, I wish it had been booming when I was being paid to hang out there!

We spend the rest of the afternoon playing with Twilli. She is so active and mobile now. And she LOVES motion!!! I think she may end up pursuing dance or gymnastics or acrobatics or SOMETHING like that!

Check out the beautiful photos of our day on Elliott’s site.

Then the grand finale… hubby made a SCRUMPTIOUS chocolate cake for me!!! *8-D Not only was it moist, yummy, and well equipped with chocolate fudge icing, it was GORGEOUS! I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful man! (Other dads, take note! Your wives will thank you!)

The cake was just what I needed! I had been jonesin’ for sugar, chocolate, and junk food a lot lately. (It’s not the munchies either!!) hehehe Actually it’s hormones. 9 months after Twilli’s birth, my body is finally getting back into normal operations. So now I can relate to Au-teen and his friends on even another level! lol Thankfully, I am not plagued by acne and b.o. though. ;-P

And I’m not even late because EVERYDAY IS MOTHERS DAY!!!

Today Twilli is 9 MONTHS OLD! It has been lightning fast. But yet it feels like she was a newborn last week!

There used to be a national babywearing organization called NINO: Nine In Nine Out. It supported the theory that the first 9 months of a baby’s life is an extension of the womb.

I DEFINITELY agree with the theory. Wearing your baby helps them feel safe and secure.

If I had not been able to WEAR THE BABY, there is no way I would have been able to work from home, or get ANYTHING done, for that matter! And breastfeeding has been a Godsend!! Literally. Not only is is the perfect food, mama milk is SAFE anxiety and pain meds for Twilli.

Babies crave SOOOOO much attention, guidance, and closeness. I am so thankful for the bond between us that has been facilitated by babywearing!

I also am so grateful that I can channel my creative talent, by making slings, to help others bond with their baby in STYLE!

Today we rejoice the second birth of Twilli! She IS a new person. She is mobile now (army crawl). She feeds herself. She drinks from the sippy cup. She has 4 teeth. Her fine motor skills are increasing daily. She poops in the toilet. (Can you tell I’m proud?)

A friend of mine is taking us to the beach today to celebrate. I have my fabulous water sling, so I can safely take her in the ocean! And its UV protective! I will try to take some photos, and maybe some video to post later. [Note: We didn't end up getting to go to the beach. But we will go soon. I promise!]

Please leave a comment and tell us how babywearing has saved YOUR sanity/marriage/business .