Wordless Saturday - Mei Tai Back Carry

So, I'm not a huge fan of the back carry, as I cannot really see her. But it sure was useful to get things accomplished (washing the dishes). 

Product Review: TogetherBe Mei Tai #babywearing

Yesterday, I shared with you my introduction the Mei Tai through Big Sister Designs. Today, I want to tell you about another great company with a beautiful Mei Tai of their own (plus so much more). *Thanks to Melanie Frenkel of Signature Public Relations and TogetherBe for providing a Theresa Freehand Mei Tai baby carrier for review.* This is the Mei Tai that had the instructions for a hip carry. At first it was pretty confusing to me, but after a few tries I had it down and love it! 

The Freehand Mei Tai comes in six different prints named for women of history (Amelia Earhart, Princess Diana, Harriet Tubman, Mother Theresa, Marie Curie, and Janis Joplin) that are fully reversible to a solid color. The shoulder straps are padded (but not as squishy soft as Big Sister Designs).  A Mei Tai is a way of holding your baby close and truly having your hands free to do whatever you need to do. It is light weight and compact enough to put in a bag and have ready on the go. It also goes on quickly and comfortable enough to use for around the house. They boast that this is the only carrier that you will ever need and it will carry babies from 5 to 35 pounds. They also suggest for short babies to roll the bottom once to make it fit the baby better. *grin*

When you received your Freehand Mei Tai it comes will full color instructions with step by step pictures and on their website they also have videos showing how to do a Front, Back, and Hip Carry. 

I love my Theresa Freehand Mei Tai. On the instruction booklet it informs me that Mother Theresa used her free hands to open 517 missions in more than 100 countries. What will you do with your freehands? Personally I love that. So inspirational and really makes you want to go do something helpful, or at least it does for me. The colors of the Theresa are incredible. I easily see wearing this will a dozen of clothes and having it match just perfectly. Their other designs are nice as well. 

Some other neat products that TogetherBe carries are awesome. Such as the Peekaru Original. This is a fleece vest that zips over your soft baby carrier, keeping your baby warm in cold or cooler weather. (It even fits over other carriers such as the Baby Bjorn, Hotslings, Ergos, Wraps and more). Even if your Mei Tai is not from TogetherBe, their Peekaru Orginal sounds like the perfect accessory! With my Theresa Freehand Mei Tai they also send me a Peekaru Original Baby Hat. It is absolutely adorable! Although we have wore it out and about... for some reason the picture we took was in doors. Either way, it is a bit big now, but with a slight roll makes it perfect, and I know that it is the thing that will keep her little head warm (keep that warmth from escaping!) when ever we need it. *grin* 

Another winter or even cooler weather item is the Peekaru Soft Shell. This is a Baby Carrier Cover Coat. Can you say awesome? It can be worn with your baby on your front or back carry and will fit children up to three years! 

Entering a different type of weather. TogetherBe also has the Peekaru Ozone, which is a UV Protective Cover. Who wants to have to worry about the sun damage or harsh sunscreen on their itty bitty? The Peekaru Ozone can save you that hassel and worry. It fits over any soft baby carrier, standard car seat or stroller and sounds absolutely fabulous to me. 

Another awesome thing. While we're at it, talking about soft structured baby carriers... TogetherBe has just released the FreeHand Baby Carrier. I hope to have more information for you soon! It looks like it would be comparable to the ERGObaby. 

Network with TogetherBe

TogetherBe.com

TogetherBe Facebook Fan Page

Twitter @togetherbe

Buy it: 

Retailing at $72 you can purchase a Freehand Mei Tai from www.togetherbe.com

Product Review & Discount: Big Sister Designs Mei Tai #babywearing

There are several different types of baby carriers out there. The frame structured carriers such as the Kokopax and then next to the soft structured carriers like the ERGObaby Carrier, Boba Baby Carrier or the Belle Baby Carrier there are carriers such as the Mei Tai or Podaegi. Today's review is of my first introduction to a Mei Tai. (My babywearing series photo is also a picture of a Mei Tai from TogetherBe -- look for a review tomorrow!)

While searching around Etsy (preparing my mother's shop) I discovered Big Sister Designs. Through some messages back and forth I found that the shop owner Maria and I have several values and interests in common such as quilting, breastfeeding, cloth diapering, babywearing and Christianity. She is easily the type of merchant that I would want to do business with. Browsing around her shop I discovered not only an incredible receiving blanket quilt idea, but also the babywearing baby carrier Mei Tai. I knew nothing about a Mei Tai, but knew that it needed to be included in my series! 

*Thanks to Maria of Big Sister Designs for providing a Lavender Mei Tai with purple straps (A very light lavender with white scrolling vines and flowers) for review.* 

Oh my goodness am I ever in love! 

Upon receiving our Mei Tai I knew that it would be my favorite. The colors are so me and absolutely perfect and whimsical. At first I noticed how soft the shoulder straps were with their padding and was certain it would be quite comfy. At this time all I had to compare it to was my Belle Baby Carrier. It seems that a Mei Tai was similar, except you tie the straps instead of using buckles. The straps are very long, but this allows you to tie on your baby in all sorts of ways such as front, back or hip positions. I think this could definitely be a carrier that I keep available and could simply put on while I am out on the go like the Belle Baby Carrier as long as I watch that I do not drag the straps on the ground while adjusting myself. 

Similar to my experience before, AppleBlossom is a short little girl and I needed to figure a way to adjust the carrier to fit her just perfectly. With the Belle Baby Carrier it was to twist the shoulder straps a few times. Now with the Big Sister Designs Mei Tai, I tried two different methods and both worked like a charm. In one instance, I twisted the shoulder straps a few times and in another I rolled the waist strap a time or two. This shortened the body of the carrier and worked excellently! Maria was there to help me and answered all my questions so quickly and helpfully! She also told me another method of fitting the carrier for a small/shorter baby that she used with her child that was to place a folded up blanket in the carrier and the baby sat on that until tall enough to see out. She instructed me that using the blanket raised her body and let her legs dangle a little straighter down while getting used to riding/being carried with her legs spread apart. (This reminds me of how the Heart2Heart works in the ERGObaby Carrier.)

Info from the shop: 

Keep your baby close to you while keeping your hands free. Easier to put on than a Wrap, Mei Tai baby carriers can carry your baby (facing in) on your front or your back with 2 knots. Mei Tais distribute your baby's weight between your shoulders and your waist making them quite comfortable to wear. (Even my husband will wear this!)

Big Sister Designs' Mei Tai baby carriers have padded shoulder straps, which measure approximately 70 inches long by 3 1/2 inches wides and a waist strap, which measures approximately 60 inches long by 4 inches wide. All seams are reinforced for extra strength (these will even hold my 30 pound daughter).

Baby needs to have reasonably good head control to ride in a Mei Tai baby carrier, usually achieved around 4 months.

Machine wash cold, tumble dry low.

Wearing instructions included.

The awesome instructions come step by step with pictures along the way and it was so simple to put on once I realized what I was doing. The challenges for me were with learning a new way of carrying such as the side carry or back carry. Once I did it about twice I had it down and now I'm ecstatic about just how beautiful this thing is! (And Big Sister Designs takes custom orders!!) 

This Mei Tai is my favorite of the ones that I have tried. I would not hesitate to recommend Big Sister Designs to anyone looking for an affordable baby carrier Mei Tai (as well as other small quilts and other clothing crafts). Located in Brier, Washington and solely run by a SAHM you cannot go wrong with Big Sister Designs.

Network with Big Sister Designs:

Big Sister Designs Etsy Shop

Twitter @BigSisterDesign

Big Sister Design Facebook Fan Page

Buy it: 
Go to www.bigsisterdesigns.etsy.com and use discount code "AB10" for $10 off Mei Tais listed in the shop (excluding requests for other fabrics) and 10% off everything else listed in the message to seller section and wait for a revised invoice before paying. New fabrics coming soon! Also note that Maria said: 

In celebration of Earth Day and the first day of spring on March 20th, I will be having a sale running then through the end of the month. Skirts and aprons will be 20% off. The 10% offered to your readers will be in addition to that 20% if they order during that time.