Category: Home + LIfe

  • A Handwoven Wrap from Robbins Nest Weaving

    What do you do with a baby that is sound asleep on your chest?

    Some people might use that time to relax – maybe read a book or surf the web or add a few rows to a sweater that refuses to grow longer no matter how much time you spend knitting it. Stupid sweater.

    Not me, though. When my little boy passed out on my chest a week or so ago, I jumped at the chance to finally snap some pictures of my baby in the most beautiful wrap I’ve ever seen.

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    Isn’t it just amazing?! This handwoven work of art is by Robbins Nest Weaving. It’s been on the road since July, with lucky mothers snuggling their babies in it for awhile before sending it on from house to house. I was fortunate enough to play with it for a few weeks and I knew it was time to send on home – but not without taking some pictures first.

    So with the baby sleeping soundly on my chest, I slowly stood up and made my way to the nursery to find the wrap. Our crib is nothing but a glorified baby carrier container and the wrap was right on top – perfect.

    Slowly, carefully, I stepped over piles of baby clothes and cloth diapers, making my way to the crib. Happily the wrap was set up as a no-sew ring sling so all I had to do was slip it on. I lifted it from the pile and gingerly lifted the wrap over my head. Hardly breathing, I lowered it over us both and spread the fabric across my baby’s body. Then I gently pulled on the tail until the sling was snug. SUCCESS!

    Photo time! Taking pictures was fun. Someday I’d like to have a real photographer come in and do babywearing photos, but I’m glad that I have a few of my own in case we never get around to it.

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    I cannot get enough of that tiny little hand sticking out from under the rings. Sooooo cute.

    Isn’t the wrap fabulous? I can’t stop staring at all the colours!

    My little baby must have sensed the camera because he woke up and immediately demanded that I take more photos. I mean, how else can I interpret these dimples?

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    After awhile, he settled down with his sister for a bit of a rest. I figure it must be hard work being so stinkin’ adorable, right?

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    Such a pretty baby. Such a pretty wrap. And so unbelievably soft, too – one of the softest wraps I’ve ever used. It was short, smaller than a size two (though I don’t remember the actual length). I was able to do a kangaroo carry with it tied under my baby’s bum, but I didn’t want to attempt a RUB back carry with a wrap so short. We also did a hip carry with a slip knot, but I found the knot too bulky for my liking and I borrowed a friend’s sling rings instead to try out a no-sew ring sling – much, much better.

    It was just so lovely to wrap with. I can only imagine how wonderful a  longer, more versatile wrap would be.

    Thanks Rebecca for letting me play with this beauty. I can’t wait to see what you weave next!

  • A NEW New Year’s Resolution?

    Every New Year’s Day I say that I’m going to get organized – that I’m finally going to conquer the clutter. So I dutifully take out books on home organization from the library and I subscribe to organization blogs and come up with decluttering plans.

    “This is going to be the year,” I tell myself. “I’m going to set up systems and we are going to love them. We will all put our shoes in the right places and my keys will never be lost again. No one will mistake my kitchen floor for a laundry hamper and our hallway closet will be fully stocked with matching pairs of mittens, just waiting to warm up those chilly hands! Take that, house!! Yeah! YEAH!” Then I emphatically pump my fists in the air while my kids slowly back away, unsure of what to make of a woman gesturing wildly at a pile of papers on the breakfast bar.

    This year though? I’m not feeling it.

    Maybe I’ve given up. Maybe I’m just too tired to try yet again. Or maybe trying to get organized is such a part of everyday life now that stating it as a goal just seems redundant. Who knows?

    So this year there are other possible resolutions floating around in my head.

    For example, I could try being more disciplined this year – to not be distracted by Facebook or blogging or even an intricate knitting pattern when I should be preparing meals or reading with my kids. I want to have the discipline to get up early and write. I want to have the willpower to spend time each day in prayer. I want the strength to have supper on the table each night at the same time and the stamina to get my kids in bed on schedule, no matter how much they fight it. No matter how good my current Netflix addiction is.

    Yeah, I suspect it will be a boring year.

    On the other hand, I could try creatively working on my home for a year. I want to add colour – lot’s of colour.  I want to add little knitted striped socks to my table legs and yellow patterned seat covers to the chair cushions. I want to throw brightly coloured blankets over my couch and I want to paint the old white dresser with six different colours of chalk paint. I want to learn how to quilt.

    I foresee at least one future post about successfully getting supper on the table by 5:00, only to discover that it is still wet with paint.

    Maybe this will be the year I get in shape. Maybe this will be the year that we spend time outside each day. Maybe this will be the year that we overhaul our backyard and grow a ton of our own food.

    But right now, I don’t have the energy for any of that, for self-discipline or creativity or anything else. Right now I’m sitting on the couch in my bathrobe with a bag of chips. And what? It’s after 6:00?  It’s looking less and less likely that a random stranger is going to drop by to feed my kids. I should probably quit blogging and make supper…

    I’ll have to think more about New Year’s resolutions over the week and decide where to put my efforts this year. Though I suppose I could just default to the organization theme, right? I mean, check out the new label maker I spontaneously bought yesterday, in all it’s labelled glory:

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    Maybe I need to give the organization thing one more shot. I’m going to nail it one of these years, right?

    *fistpump*