Finally! The Winners Are...

Hello everyone! I am FINALLY announcing the winners of the 3 giveaways that I did almost a year ago. SO SORRY that it took this long and hope it won't happen again! LOL!

The winner of the EcoUsable Giveaway is...

Rachel of jandrdeutscher@------------

Congratulations Rachel and hope you will enjoy the bottles like I do! They have kept us hydrated and healthy through Central America.

Next, the winner of the Heavenly Organics Giveaway is...

Katie of katherinemaestanley@-----------

I am thrilled that Katie won the giveaway... she is a sweet friend from way back when we worked together at Rancho Sordo Mudo. Katie, you MUST make the tres leches cake for the girls. I promise to post the recipe soon! Congratulations and hope you will enjoy the stuff like I did!

Last, the winner of the Action Baby Carrier Giveaway is...

Jessy of jessy.spencer@-----------

Congratulations Jessy and I know you will enjoy the carrier! I saw that they now have some new editions and prints.

Well, that's all of them... for now. I still have a couple more giveaways to post and wrap up. Hope to see you all there leaving your shouts and spreading the news!

Have a wonderful Sunday and new week ahead!

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Review & Giveaway: The Action Baby Carrier

Thanks to the creators of the Action Baby Carrier, someone it going to come away from this giveaway with an awesome carrier!

Thanks everybody for your shouts, this giveaway is now closed.

Don´t forget to enter for a chance to win 2 EcoUsable bottles! Plus, I appreciate any help spreading the news of these giveaways from you all. Thanks so much and enjoy!

So, The timing was perfect when I received the carrier because we were getting ready to head to the Caribbean and decided to bring it, along with my Ergo. We rented bikes the whole time we were there so we had to use both carriers to carry our girls. I tried out the Action Baby Carrier with Tabi while Jon and my father-in-law used the Ergo with Naomi.


Here you will see me using the ABCarrier while we were touring the amazing chocolate plantation near Puerto Viejo. Overall, I really enjoyed the ABCarrier and found it to be very similar to the Ergo with a few exceptions.

Before I continue… please know that I was given the Action Baby Carrier to review for free. This review is totally my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anybody. I am not being compensated in any other way for this product review.


There are a couple things that really impress me about this mom & pop business based in Alpena, MI. All their carriers are handmade in the USA and sold at affordable prices. Along with the carrier, I received a letter sharing about the manufacturing of the Action Baby Carrier:

The Action Baby Carrier was designed by Angela and Scott Alexander in 2007, they are owners of Optave Inc. The design of the carrier was based on the idea of a simple, compact and affordable baby carrier that was made in the USA.


When looking at other carriers, we wanted something that we could easily throw in a diaper bag and we did not want to spend $150+, so we set out to make our own. We came up with the Action Baby Carrier. The Action Baby Carrier may not have all the bells and whistles of some other carriers, but it is light weight at about 1 pound and can fold small enough to fit into a diaper bag.


Once we had a design for our carriers, the next issue was production. We did not want to have a page on our site explaining the working conditions of our factory over seas. There are a lot of Americans out of work here in the US. After contacting several sewing houses in the US that said we were better off shipping production to Asia, we decided it was best to just set up our own shop.


Currently all of our carriers are sewn by hand in Alpena, MI. We are proud to manufacture our carriers in our own shop. In a town with 23% unemployment, we are glad to be doing our part.

My Thoughts
Now, I mentioned above that the ABCarrier is very similar to the Ergo… it is very comfortable with foam-padded shoulder straps that can be worn backpack style w/ a chest strap or criss-cross (Ergo does not do this), it has an adjustable hip belt, sleeping hood, can be worn front & back, beautiful fabric designs and folds into a compact size to fit easily in a diaper bag. Click here to read the details.

I really like their carrier and love the fit, but there are a few things I did not like about it and hope they can make improvements on these things if possible:

• The straps - the straps are a little awkward to use because you have to pull them back & up towards your back to tighten them and that’s not easy to do. The Ergo’s straps are made that you can pull them forward & down to tighten comfortably without feeling like your arm is going to twist off. But I have to say that the scraps do feel very secure and strong… that’s a good thing!
• The fabric – I LOVE LOVE the outside fabric design… so bright and beautiful! The fabric is made of 100% cotton canvas so it is very durable, but the inside fabric is made of polyester… not my favorite fabric. I would prefer it if they use 100% cotton for the inside to make it even lighter and more breathable. Tabi was a little hot inside it because of the humid, tropical weather.
• The chest straps – I almost lost one of the straps when I was getting Tabi in the carrier. I did the criss-cross and didn’t noticed the strap missing till a little while later when I wanted to change it back to the backpack style. Thankfully we rode our bikes back to the spot and found it. The straps aren’t sewn on so they can easily fall out when you unhook the straps.

Really, these are minor things that will not endangered your baby. You can simply ignore those things & enjoy it as it is! It is a very well made carrier that will last you a long time.

Wearing the ABCarrier on My Side
The instructions only tell you to wear the carrier on the front or back, but I was able to wear it on my side. Check out the pictures below… it was so easy to do and very secure. Tabi was happy because she wanted me to hold her on my hip so she could see everything, but I wanted to take pictures too. The ABCarrier did a wonderful job of holding her securely while I took pictures through the jungles of the chocolate plantation.

We all know the benefits of wearing our babies and I love the way Scott & Angela put in their own words:

More than a Carrier.....
It is more than a baby carrier. It is more than an image of a child who is peacefully snuggled against their parent. It is a blink in time, a moment you will never get back. It is the smell of your skin close to your child. It is the moment your baby looks up and slowly closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep. It is the ability to fold laundry, trim flowers, go to the market as your baby is happy and close to you.
It is the strolls down old cobblestone streets, across open fields and busy cities. It is the security of knowing, feeling, touching your child. Knowing that you can not look away or just a split second and them be gone, because he is part of you, connected, bonded and secure.

It is what every parents wants- security of knowing what they are doing is the best, safest, and healthiest thing for their baby.

That is the power of Action Baby Carriers.

So, overall… I highly recommend the ABCarrier to those who desire to purchase things handmade & sold in the USA, want a good quality carrier at an affordable price and love bright color fabrics (they do have plain versions too). You cannot buy the ABCarrier directly from them, but you can locate a store near you that sells their carriers. Here are my ratings for the ABC:

Ratings: 1 - 7 (terrible - excellent)
Quality: 7
Style: 7
Ease of use: 4
Baby's comfort: 6.5
My comfort: 7
Ability to nurse: 6
Overall score: 6.2 [Very Good!]







Now, the Giveaway…


A free Action Baby Carrier of your choice! Thanks to Scott & Angela! I really do enjoy this carrier and love that it is handmade with integrity & love.



How to Enter...


Head over to the Action Baby Carrier website and pick your favorite print. Then come back here and leave me a comment sharing what your favorite print is. The print you choose will be the print you will receive if you win, so choose well! That's one entry... please read on for more entries to increase your chance of winning!


Extra Entries...
You must do the main entry first (above) before doing the extra entries. Remember that each entry is a separate comment. Thanks and have fun!

1. Subscribe for my email updates. Leave a noisy comment below telling me that you signed up. You also get an entry if you've already subscribed...again, make sure you tell me that! (1 extra entry)
2. Follow my blog (publicly). Leave me a comment that you've become a follower. (1 extra entry)
3. Follow me on Twitter. Be sure to include your Twitter username in the comment telling me that you are following me. (1 extra entry)
4. Tweet the giveaway. Here's a suggested tweet: "WIN a free Action Baby Carrier @ [enter URL here]". Leave a comment with the URL of your tweet! (1 extra entry)
5. Friend me on Facebook and post about the giveaway on your Facebook status. Be sure to include the URL to this page in your status update. Leave a noisy comment below telling me that you did those two things. (1 extra entry)
6. Become a Just Making Noise Fan on Facebook. Leave me a shout below telling me you became a fan. If you are already a fan... you get that entry!  (1 extra entry)
7. Blog about the giveaway. Make sure to link back to this page on your blog. Comment below with the URL link of your post. (That is 2 extra entries!)
8. Email 4 friends about the giveaway. Make sure you put a link to this page on the email. Leave a comment below telling me that you emailed your friends. (That is 4 extra entries!)

Okay, there is a total of 9 entries and 13 opportunities to win.

The Rules...

PLEASE, every comment must have an email address. The giveaway ends on ------- and is open to those who have US mailing addresses (hint: if you live outside of the US, but still have a US mailing address and a way to get the product to you... you are qualified!).

I will chose the winner via Random.org and he/she will receive an email from me. The winner will be annouced on May 31st and will have 48 hours to contact me with his or her full name, address and phone number. Thank you!

Enjoy!!
Mare

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BabyWearing Review: Sleepy Wrap + 10% Discount

You all know by now that I am a babywearing mama. I love being able to carry Tabi comfortably while working, walking, playing or cooking in the kitchen. You also know I hate using strollers because it can be a pain in the neck (remember, this is my opinion), bulking and can actually stress the baby's spine.

I didn't start wearing Naomi till she was over a year old, but it was too late to start because she wasn't very interested in being all cuddle up and started walking. Tabi, on the other hand... LOVES to be cuddled against my body. I started wearing her on me since she was born and she was a very fussy baby for the first 3 months, but she was always a happy baby when I carried her. I am so grateful that I learned the benefits of wearing Tabi long before she was born. Without them... I would've been struggling with an unhappy baby during the first 3 months and probably loose my mind!

Most of you might be thinking... if you wear your baby, you create a clinging baby. I thought that too because that's what everybody told me, but I decided to look into it further. After reading up on the benefits and learning how toddlers are actually more confident and independent when worn as babies. From my personal experience... this is true.

At first, Tabi wouldn't let anybody but me hold her for the first 3 months. Then she started to let the rest of the family hold her till she was about 9 months and once she started crawling... she became more independent and allowing total strangers (our friends, of course) hold her. Now she is everybody's best friend and a total sweetheart. She loves to entertain everybody with her smirks, goofy faces and great sense of humor.

One of my favorite things about babywearing is being able to nurse while on the go. That was one thing that bothered me for a while when I nursed Naomi. I always had to plan things around her nursing schedule, but not anymore with Tabi! I can nurse her where ever we are and when ever she wants it... its right there and so conveinent.

Now, the sweet couple that created the Sleepy Wrap send me their organic wrap and asked me to do a review. Of course! I was thrilled to finally get the packet (brought down by a sweet gal from Texas, thank you so much Sharon!) and opened it to find a neat little instruction booklet that shows step by step the three most commonly used holds. Plus a carrying pouch that you can store your wrap in when not in use.

I took a moment to examine the cloth and love the soft, light feel. I was a little concern that it would be too stretchy, but after trying it out a few time and finally getting the hang of it... I really enjoy it now. I love how the fabric stretched snugly around Tabi, but I had to make sure to put the wrap on tight. The first time I put it on, she was bouncy around a little and was carried low on my hips. So I re-wrap it on and made sure to get it very snug, but not too tight and that helped. The fabric spread out easily and nicely over my back & shoulders... SO COMFORTABLE! It feels light a soft blanket hugging your body, but not suffocating. I think this is great for newborns as it is so comfy and soft on the body. Great for those who are recovering from the birth and need something without belts, buckles or anything that can pinch.

I even wore this with Naomi for a little while and she enjoyed it, but I have to say that it is a little too stretchy for a big girl like her :o)

I am sorry to say there won't be a giveaway, but you can get a 10% discount off on any order!! The coupon code is ‘MakingNoise’ and is valid from December 8th, 2009-January 12th, 2010. Now, go a pick out your color... they have a beautiful variety!

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Naomi: My Babywearing Girl!

Like Mama, like daughter

I just wanted to take a few minutes to share some cute pictures of Naomi "wearing" her baby. She was struggling the other day to put on my Rockin' Baby Sling and asked me to help her. Obviously it was way too big for her, but I didn't want to discouraged her from wanting to "wear" her baby. I instantly thought of my scarfs in my bedroom and knew which one would work perfectly as a sling. Naomi wore her baby all afternoon and loved it. She doesn't wear it everyday, but it is hanging in her room whenever she wants it. Of course, I had to take pictures to remember that special afternoon and wanted to share it with you guys :o)

This was a great opportunity to be creative with what we have. I could've easily thought, "Gee, I should buy her a baby carrier... they've got little ones for kids like her!" but why spend money when I already had something that would work perfectly? I love that scarf turned sling and SO glad I kept it all these years. I remember back before we moved to Costa Rica... we had to go through so much of our stuff and decide what we were going to give away, sell, throw away and take with us. We pretty much brought only a little more than a fourth of what we had to Costa Rica... it was hard at first, but later felt very freeing because I didn't realized how much stuff can become a burden. Whenever you buy something new or receive something... you are entitled to take care of that item till you hand it off to someone else or to the trash. That can be burdening... in a good way or bad way.

Back when we first started packing, I remember clearly holding that scarf and wondering if I should keep it or not. I didn't use it much, but loved the colors and often used it to decorate the bedroom. I remember deciding to give it away, but in the last minute took it out of the box and packed it to take with me. I had this sense that I would need it later... and needed it I did! Now, I'm so glad that it is being used in a more useful & beautiful way then just simply hanging in the bedroom. It is amazing how God can speak to us in small ways and help us know what we need... even little needs like the scarf for Naomi!

Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:7

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My 101st Post: 'Soaked & Ready' Oats, Rockin' Baby Sling Winner (15% discount) & MORE!!

Whew! This past week has been very busy and fruitful! I've been so preoccupied with things around the house that I failed to notice that my previous post was my 100th! Nevertheless, I figure I could still have fun and be different by celebrating my 101st post... WOO HOO! Come on everybody... cheer with me! Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!! Woo hoo!! :o)

For this celebration I want to share an easy, make-ahead preparation of soaking & dehydrating rolled oats to use for cookies and such. For those who might not know, Oats are the highest in phytic acid and must be soaked before consumed... so all the wonderful minerals can be absorbed properly. I made large batch of this a few weeks ago and this is great to have on hand whenever you have the sudden urge to make cookies. Don't you ever have urges like that, but are unable to make cookies right then and there because you have to soak em' and all? I do!! So, after looking around and thinking what would work... I finally found a solution from a great food blog: Cheeseslave. She had Healthy Soaked Oatmeal Cookies and I saw that she would soak & dry the oats before proceeding on with the rest of the recipe. Believe me, I torpedoed straight to the kitchen to do just that! I didn't make the cookies because I do not have sprouted flour and haven't ventured out to try sprouting my own grains... yet.

Anyway. I know, I know... you all are probably thinking I should be celebrating with ice cream or something festive than old, boring oats. BUT it is worth it because I actually made cookies with these 'Soaked & Ready' Oats yesterday and they were OH SO GOOD! My family couldn't stop eating them... we ate it all in 1 day! PLUS, the cookies were vegan... yes, totally veganlious! Anyway, I'll share those with you another day... right now let's just focus on soaking and drying those oats so you can make them within minutes after getting the recipe, I promise! Okay, is this good enough now? Alright!!

'Soaked & Ready' Oats

• 4 cups rolled oats (NOT instant)
• 4 cups filtered water
• 8 Tbsp. whey, lemon/lime juice, kefir or yohgurt

Warm the 4 cups of water in a saucepan (you don't need a microwave) till warm to touch. Do not let it boil!

Pour the oats, warm water and acid medium (whey, etc..) into a large glass bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with a towel or plate & let it sit overnight in your oven or on your counter (wherever you have space).

Important: Let it sit for 8 - 24 hours... 12 hours is okay, but I always soak mine for 24 hours to reduce the phytic acid as much as possible.

Spread the oats on parchment paper in your tray or cookie pan (for oven drying) and put in dehydrator set on the highest temp (if you have that option... I don't) until completely dry. It can take anywhere from 6 to 24 hours... depending on your dehydrator. You can dry the oats in your oven set on the lowest temperature.

When the oats are dried, you will be able to break them into chunks. Put the chunks in your food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely ground (kinda like oatmeal flakes). Don't grind it fine unless you want oat flour.

Pour the oats in a sealed container and store in your fridge or in a cool, dark place. Ta-daaa! There you go... you have 'Soaked & Ready' Oats for satisfying your urge to make cookies! Remember, you can make this however much you want. When I first made these, I used 8 cups of rolled oats. Just make sure you add everything up correctly.

Now keep stay in touch for those veganlicious cookies!!!! UPDATE: Check out my step by step videos on making the S&R Oats!

Now, the announcement you've all been waiting for! The winner for the beautiful Organic Rockin' Baby Sling iiisssssssss.....

Kim Ripley a.k.a stOOpidgErL!!

"My baby isn't here yet but she will be in December. I'm really looking forward to 'wearing' her. It looks like a great way to bond and very convenient too!"

Double congratulations on your win and soon-to-arrive baby girl, Kim!! I clicked on your link from the comments area and found your AWESOME blog & etsy store. Gals, you gotta check her creative, excellent photography & fun jewelry! Ooooh, I really want to buy something from her! :o)

Thank you everybody for entering and sharing your reasons why you enjoy babywearing. There were many good, consistent answers about babywearing being great for cuddling, bonding, safety, hand-free, soothing, getting things done, convenient, closeness, moving around uneven terrain, keeping baby happy, security, comfortable and my favorite..."I love babywearing for so many reasons, but none more so than having my baby close to me - just being able to turn my head and put my cheek against theirs or give them a kiss at any moment - ah!"... so TRUE and important! I am actually liking my sling more and more! Now that I am use to it... I find it very comfortable. That's a good thing!!

Okay, please don't click off too quickly in disappointment! I've got a great deal for the rest of you... a 15% off discount on any sling or pouch at Rockin' Sling Baby! I think that's great deal... just make sure you enter "15%" at the checkout box. Now go look around, they've got some really beautiful unique styles there!

My life this past week... whew!

This past Friday and Saturday I soaked & dehydrated almonds and dehydrated pineapple & papaya. I love the smells that wafted through our house! Especially through the night! My favorite is when we are dehydrating chamomile for tea... ahhh, smells soooo good! By the way, I am on the look out for a good dehydrator with a price tag that won't bite our budget. Mine is definitely heading its way out to the dehydrator heaven :o(

Saturday morning, we had Kid's Club in the neighborhood next to us and it was very simple, but GREAT. It was just me and my hubby along with the girls. Usually my mom and a friend would be there to help, but they weren't available. We had a great time playing games, read a Bible story, sang songs and just hanging out till past noon.

Sunday, had a GREAT day with the girls and my hubby! What more could I want?!

Monday, between taking care of the girls, washing diapers, letting the chickens out & feeding them, playing with the girls, hanging diapers, washing clothes, reading to the girls, hanging clothes, preparing lunch, bringing in the still wet clothes in before it rained, feeding all of us and more... I made about a pound of cultured butter! This is my second round and I feel much more confident! I finally found a great source of fresh organic milk AND cream. The other farmer I was buying our milk from couldn't (wouldn't, really) give me just cream so I could make butter. Anyway, I am happy with our new milk connection. I could not believe how much butter and buttermilk I got out of 1 liter of cream... Woo hoo! I want to do another post and this time... use our flip camera and video the process. Really, it is so easy if you have a good food processor or blender. OR you can put some in quart jars and have your kids shake it all over the place! My girls aren't quite ready for that, but when they are... I will make sure video it and share it with y'all :o)

Tuesday, my parents finally arrived home safely from Panama. They did a seminar and had a great time... they brought with them some seriously RAW honey and RAW coconut oil produced by a Tico in Dominical, Costa Rica. The honey is extremely different from anything I've had and DELICIOUS! It has such a heavy, darkly sweet flavor... hard to describe. The bees are wild from the mountains... oh yummy! The coconut oil has an interesting toasty, nutty flavor and very intense. I am really happy to finally find a local source of coconut oil that actually tastes good, but it is a bit pricey for the 3 small bottles. We've been bringing down coconut oil from the States because I've had no luck finding good tasting coconut oil around here (they all tasted either like gasoline or tar, ugh!). Below, you are seeing my little Tabi playing with the bottles... she just wouldn't leave them alone long enough for me to take pictures. So, I thought it would actually be even better to include her in... is she ADORABLE?! :o)

Yesterday, I spent a good part of the morning writing up my comments on the Foodie Fights Battle 14 entries and choosing the winner. Honestly, I was excited to do this and enjoyed being one of the judges... but very disappointed that only 3 actually submit their entries. Oh well, it is what it is! Please head on over there and see who won this round!

Also, did I tell you that I made some seriously veganlicious cookies?! I haven't made cookies in a while and it was so great to have my 'Soaked & Ready' Oats in hand. I had that urge and realized it has been toooooo loooong since I've smelled cookies wafting outta my oven! LOL! Don't worry, I'll share them with you ASAP!

Well, this was a long post! Not sorry about that :o) I hope you enjoyed reading and celebrating with me! I really can't believe that this is my 101st post and that I've had over 19,000 views since I first started this blog back in March of 2009. I have learned so much, seen so many awesome blogs & met many great people out there! Thank you everybody for your support and looking forward to sharing more recipes and my life in Costa Rica :o)

Have a great weekend and remember to take a moment to enjoy your surroundings!

The 'Soaked & Ready' Oats is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday.

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Review & Giveaway: Rockin' Baby Sling

This giveaway is now closed! Thank you everybody and the winner will be announced soon! Thank you Natasha & Lisa for the GREAT giveaway!

Remember I told you there will be more reviews and giveaways coming soon? Well, today I got a "non-food" one for y'all!

Today I had a great opportunity to try out the Rockin' Baby Organic Sling (Thank you Natasha & Lisa!!) while hanging laundry, walking around town and running errands with my family. My hubby did not have to go to work till later today and it was a good time to try out the sling while out on our "family date". He did a great job taking the pictures (Thanks Babe!) and I am really pleased with how they turned out on the blog. I rated the sling on the scale of 1 (terrible) - 7 (excellent) to give it a fair overall score and you will find that near the bottom of this post. So, with no further ado... let's rock out with the Rockin' Baby Sling!!

Let me share a little bit of what I learned about this cool 2-rock star mom shop based in Los Angeles, CA:

We, here at Rockin’ Baby, get it... moms and dads are busy. We love our babies, but still need to get everything done, and look good doing it. We've been there.

We're STILL there. That's why the two of us, Lisa McDaniel and Natasha Stanton, created the Rockin' Baby Sling back in 2002 when we had our first kids, so parents can do their thing without having to compromise their sense of style. Back when we started our company there weren’t any carriers that were as fashionable as what we wanted to be wearing. We made a few slings for ourselves out of vintage fabrics and funky trims and were constantly stopped by other moms on the streets, in stores, at the post office, at schools, asking where they could get one. Rockin’ Baby was born shortly after that. Since then we’ve added the Rockin’ Baby reversible and adjustable pouch to our line.

As Rockin’ Baby has grown over the years we have found that the most important aspect of making slings and pouches is quality. For that reason we do everything here in Los Angeles where we can be sure of quality control. We make sure that all of our fabrics are made of natural fibers, breathable and of high-quality. They are all pre-washed in natural salt water to set the colors, prevent shrinkage, and soften the fabric. All edges on our slings and pouches are overlocked then seamed twice to ensure no tearing or fraying at the edges. We also use 40 lb weight thread as it increases the strength of the Rockin’ Baby Sling and Pouch. Our reversible slings are made with 5 yards of fabric. Our pouches are fully adjustable and reversible with zippers, and are made with 3 yards of fabric. We have also started making slings and pouches out of 100% organic cotton sateen and poplin, using low impact dyes, in our own exclusive Rockin’ Baby prints.

I am very impressed with their commitment in keeping it local & hands-on. Their slings and pouches are cut and sewn in LA by workers (mostly moms & dads) paid a fair, living wage. All their printing and dyeing of the beautifully designed fabrics are also done in LA. These guys are SERIOUS about the quality of their products:

All of our products are made here in Los Angeles, California, not abroad. As well as having all of our sewing done here by hard-working and well-paid moms and dads, we also source, wash, print, dye and cut here in Los Angeles. Because of this we can be sure of the quality; actually seeing and touching our product, before it is shipped to you.

We make sure that all of our fabrics are made of natural fibers, breathable and of high-quality. They are all pre-washed in natural salt water to set the colors, prevent shrinkage, and soften the fabric.

All edges on our slings and pouches are overlocked then seamed twice to ensure no tearing or fraying at the edges. We also use 40 lb weight thread as it increases the strength of the Rockin’ Baby Sling and Pouch. That means they are really strong.

The Rockin’ Baby Sling and Pouch have also been independently strength tested. The sling has been pull tested up to weights of 1100 pounds before the seams gave way, and the pouch to 460 pounds before the zippers began opening. The rings we use for the Rockin’ Baby Slings are also tested by the manufacturer. Click here to see their ring testing information.

Our reversible slings are made with 5 yards of fabric. Our pouches are fully adjustable via zippers, reversible and made with 3 yards of fabric.

The majority of our slings and pouches are made of 100% cotton sateen or cotton poplin, or of a cotton/ linen blend.

We have also started making slings and pouches out of 100% organic cotton sateen and poplin, using low impact dyes, in our own exclusive Rockin’ Baby prints.

We believe in keeping it local and providing moms and dads with the hippest, safest and highest quality products available.

And their packeting...I love their packeting! The box is made of 99% post-consumer recycled paperboard and printed with vegetable oil-based inks. Their suggestions on what to do with the box is great: recycle it, reuse it by making it into a stage for finger puppet shows, use it as a picture frame (you, baby & the sling) or even search the web for fun ways to reuse the box. These gals are not only environmentally conscious, but they are also socially conscious with their products:

Rockin’ Baby, Inc is a socially conscious company, from our boxes made of recycled paperboard and vegetable based inks, to our new organic line, to our company policies. We strongly believe in giving back to our community. It is our policy to give free sample slings and pouches to doulas, midwives, sling lending libraries, birthing centers and hospitals. We also donate slings and pouches to countless school fundraisers and charities. In addition to our sponsorships, giveaways, and product and monetary donations we give 2% of proceeds from online sales to our favorite charities.

Rockin’ Baby believes in keeping it local and providing moms and dads with the hippest, safest and highest quality products available.

We are firm believers in babywearing – it is wonderful for parent and baby! Please contact us directly for any reason at all! Call us at 888*645*BABY or email us at info@rockinbabysling.com.

You can wear this sling in 5 different ways... cradle hold, snuggle hold, front hold, hip carry & back carry. I tried the hip and back carry positions with Tabi today and she loved it. She played, nursed and slept during the whole time I wore her in the sling. Overall, Tabi seemed very comfortable and happy, but my shoulder started to cramp up a little after a couple hours. I solved that problem by simply switching the sling to my other shoulder. I really enjoyed both ways (hip & back) of carrying her, but preferred the hip position due to comfort and ease.

Jon called my sling the "Super Mama Cape" because of the long fabric that extended down past my knees. Yeah, it is a little long on me because I am short, but I solved that problem by wrapping it once around the ring. The pockets at the end are very roomy and really nice to have for carrying light things (a diaper, small wallet, a toy, etc...). Overall, The fabric is REALLY light and strong, but extremely breathable and soft. Tabi sweats really easily, but she stayed cool and comfortable for the most part while in the sling today. And I am in love with the COLORS! Oh my!! I love the cheery brightness, unique design and reversibility... really does make me feel like a rock star mama walking in style!! LOL!

Many of you might be wondering why I prefer to "wear" Tabi over pushing a stroller... you can read the top 5 reasons from Rockin' Baby, but here are my personal reasons:

• Strollers are a real hassle and sometimes difficult to use around town (the curbs here aren't exactly "stroller friendly").
• I can easily breastfeed while I am on the move and comfortably.
• Great interaction between me and Tabi.
• Easier than hauling a carseat around.
• Great for going to festivals or the farmer's market because the stroller is harder to maneuver around crowds of people.
• Love the bonding experience.
• Makes life much simpler.
• Great way to get things done outside the house without worrying about a dirty or fussy baby... such as cleaning stalls, taking care of chickens, gardening and playing with Naomi.
• In the long run, we saved money using babywearing products (which most are guaranteed to last almost a lifetime!) instead of buying a stroller that is more likely to break down sooner.

There are many other reasons, but I can't think of them all right now. Simply, babywearing has been around for as long as mothers have been having babies. There is so much rich history surrounding babywearing and the benefits are undeniable. Now, before I move on to the giveaway... here are my ratings for the sling:

Ratings: 1 (terrible) - 7 (excellent)

• Quality: 7
• Style: 7
• Ease of use: 6.5
• Baby's comfort: 7
• My comfort: 4.5
• Ability to nurse: 5

• Overall score: 6.2 [Very Good!]

Now, The Rockin' Giveaway...

A Rockin' Baby Organic Sling! Why Organic? Rockin' Baby believes that organic fabrics are good for baby and good for the planet. Many people today, concerned about the environment and the effect of chemicals on babies, are choosing to use organic products.

Organics are grown naturally without the use of harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Natural plant extracts and beneficial insects are used to control pests and maintain the health of the soil by avoiding the destruction of beneficial organisms. Organic farming also enchances the fertility of the soil through rotational cropping practices and does not pose hazards to human health. Third-part organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production.

Rockin' Baby has found a way to make organic slings that are beautiful but earth friendly, that are stylish but still support sustainability, that look like they couldn't possibly be organic, but actually are!

How to Enter...

For your first entry, please share with me one good reason why you enjoy babywearing. That's one entry. If you want to increase your chances of winning... please read on below :o)

Extra Entries...

1. Follow Rockin' Baby Sling on Twitter
2. Become a Rockin' Baby fan on Facebook
3. Subscribe to receive my post via emails
4. Follow me on Twitter & tweet about this giveaway
5. Friend me on Facebook & share about the giveaway on your wall
6. Follow my blog
7. Post about this giveaway on your blog & leave me a link

Remember, if you are already following me and/or Rockin' Baby on twitter, facebook and/or blog... you naturally have 1, 2 or 3 extra entries. Please post a separate comment for EACH entry. You can have a total of 8 entries.

The Rules...

PLEASE, every comment must have an email address. You can comment with your blog account as long as I can contact you through there! The giveaway ends October 17th and is open to those who have US mailing addresses (hint: if you live outside of the US, but still have a US mailing address and a way to get the product to you... you are qualified!).

Now, go rock out and have fun!!

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