Belated IBW Guest Blog

Our last guest blogger for International Babywearing Week is a month late through no fault of hers - the fault lies solely with me!  My apologies.

Sheena is a blogger at The Attachment Diaries and is our newest VBE.  Without further ado, here is her post.

---

The theme for this year’s International Babywearing Week is “Share the Adventure”, which for me brings to mind the many ways that babywearing has enabled me to share in adventures with my son at a deeper level of bonding and experience for both of us.

A great example are a couple trips to zoos that we took together. Since he was worn on my back, my son Jackson was able to see the animals with a greater vantage point than if he were in a stroller or walking. I also didn’t have to keep lifting him up, or letting him climb on and touch the fencing and guardrails. With my attention being right there with him, he pointed to many things that excited and amazed him. Not having to worry about his immediate safety, I was free to relax and share in those joys with him, asking and answering questions, which added to the richness of the day for both of us. Had he been in a stroller, I would have missed out on seeing the incredible beauty of the world through his eyes. I might have quickly pushed the stroller through the maze of people, pausing only briefly here or there, bored with seeing the same animals that I have become so accustomed to. But instead I ambled casually and easily through the crowds as one body, and embraced his complete awe at the world around us. I was able to slow down and see the animals with fresh eyes; his eyes. We watched an elephant for five minutes once. And in toddler time, that’s an eternity.

He has also been to many sporting events, which can be an overwhelming experience for a small child.  But safe and secure, nestled against my body, Jackson was able to watch the crowds from a higher vantage point and truly observe the action. Activity that can be loud, over stimulating, and instinctually dangerous for him becomes an exciting new adventure when held safely in his mother’s arms. By feeling secure in his carrier, Jackson was able to watch and learn so much from the world around him. A task that would have proven achingly uncomfortable, and potentially not happen, for us without babywearing.

When your child is close enough to kiss, you are able to see the world through their eyes, and them through yours. Discussions over what is around the both of you become almost second nature, even if those conversations might be a little one-sided early on. These interactions offer so many learning opportunities for them, where they can see and experience everything while feeling safe and secure. And if the world ever becomes too much, it is so easy for them to return to the peace and quiet of their parent’s snuggle and recharge, before once again looking back out into the world for more.

I am so grateful for these moments that I have shared with my son, and look forward to those that I will share with my newborn daughter. I have enjoyed the slower pace and fresh perspective his eyes have brought to mine as we share in the joy of the world around us. Maybe for you it’s not an elephant, but instead a butterfly, or the trees, or maybe a fireworks show. But I encourage you to slow down, wear them close, and watch them as they watch the world. Share the joy. Share the magic. Share the Adventure!

One Less Thing

Here's a blogpost from our second guest, Kate Black.  We first met Kate last year, shortly after her little one was born.  Since then she's become a strong part of our community and we couldn't imagine BWI of Atlanta without her!

---

Picture this: two adults, one infant, two 90 pound dogs and all of our trappings (including a bazillion toys) tightly packed into our car for a week's vacation ("vacation"?) at my mother-in-law's. We packed the playpen, discovered just how much room cloth diapers really do take up, loaded the dogs in the back of our Honda Pilot and stood looking at each other.

"Do we need it?"

"Um..."

"Well, we're going to the zoo.."

"I'll wear him at the zoo; he can see much better."

"So, we really don't need a stroller?"

"Nope!"

My husband looked at me uncertainly.

We have made the drive to Miami from Atlanta four times in my son's sixteen months. Not one of those times did we bring a stroller, and I have never regretted it.

Babywearing in Miami? You'd better believe it! To the zoo, Vizcaya, Matheson Hammock, South Beach, Biscayne Bay, the Perez Art Museum, and, of course, the grocery store. Our wraps and SSC have been a source of constancy amidst new surroundings.  They have been a sun shade, hammock, a fort, and beach blanket, and they take up far less room than a stroller ever could. Yeah, it’s hot.  But, you know, strapping another human to you is bound to be hot, right?

Babywearing on the road is really no different than it is at home, with the exception of not having the stroller to lug the diaper bag, lunch, extra clothing, and whatever else I cram onto the stroller at home. Instead, babywearing on the road offers extra opportunities to snuggle, an opportunity to see the barnyard animals from a safe distance, and one less thing to pack. Which, after packing for two adults, one kid and two dogs, I will take one less thing!

Traveling Light

This guest blog is by one of BWI of Atlanta's members, Zarya Alexandra Rubin. This is our first post in a guest blogging series that will help restart BWI of Atlanta's blog!  International Babywearing Week this year is all about sharing the adventure, and our globetrotter Zarya is no stranger to travel.

---

I'm packing for another trip. The suitcase is full and I still have essential laundry in the dryer, so I'm probably going to have to do the unthinkable and take a second bag. I used to pride myself on traveling light - I once made a year-long solo voyage across Europe with nothing but a single backpack. It was my mission to squeeze it all in and still make carry-on status.

I later became an expert executive traveler: suits, dressy evening wear, shoes...it was all about the shoes. Whittling my choices down to five pairs was actually quite a challenge. Shoes did me in.

Of course that was long before I had babies...and wraps. Now my packing dilemmas center around which wraps do I bring? How do I stuff them in carefully? How can I leave any of them behind? What if, god forbid, THEY LOSE MY LUGGAGE?

March Membership Madness!

Look at that sexy alliteration up there!

BWI mothership has thrown down a challenge and so once again, it's membership drive time.  I won't do the guilt trip this time.  I suspect that last June was good enough, right?

In all seriousness, it's good for us to have membership drives a couple of times a year.  The baby years are such a fleeting time in our lives and thus the lifespan of a dues-paying member is generally only a year.  However, our needs are constant and we must find new members to help us continue to build our library, create educational materials, and keep BWI of Atlanta a worthwhile organization to join.

The truth is that we are growing rapidly, and it is no longer feasible for us to bring one library, or even multiple libraries, to multiple locations.  Our goal, then, for this membership drive is to separate our current library into three libraries, each as well-stocked as the other.  This means the library tab on the webpage will have a tab for each area instead of one large tab with a giant, confusing wall of text.  It makes the checkout process easier for all of us and will help us better track usage statistics for each area.

Our drive isn't going to get us everything we need, but it will be a very good start if we can hit our goals.  Here's the breakdown:

5 memberships: 2 wrap conversion ring slings
10 memberships: 1 wrap conversion mei tai by Chrysalis Designs
15 memberships: 1 Didymos ruby hemp indio, size 5
20 memberships: 100 (or more!) BWI of Atlanta car magnets, one for every member who joins or renews during the drive, and all members in good standing
25 memberships: 1 standard Tula
30 memberships: 1 standard Kinderpack
35 memberships: 2 size 4 Natibaby hemp blend wraps
40 memberships: 1 standard Tula
45 memberships: 1 standard Kinderpack
50 memberships: 1 Hop-Tye
50+ memberships: ?????

Current members who would like to renew their memberships may renew during the drive and extend their current membership to a year past their original renewal date.  So, for example, if Sally Slinger joined in July of 2013 and she renews during this drive, that would extend her expiration date from July of 2014 to July of 2015.

50 members feels like a lot, but our last drive was a huge success!  We smashed our goals and then some.  I think we can do this!  We can do this!  Tell everyone you know to join!  BWI members get many, many perks throughout the year, from a running discount at New Baby Products to special members-only workshops and giveaways.  Becoming a member of BWI is worth your $30.00.  Trust me.

And you know, I'm not just the president... I'm a member too!

Gratitude and perspective

As the calendar year draws to a close, and we celebrate holidays with friends and family, I've found myself more and more motivated to write a blogpost about giving thanks.  A lot has happened since we became BWI of Atlanta last October, and much of it could not have happened without the support of the babywearing community, friends, and family.

First and foremost I'd like to thank all the people who keep Babywearing International of Atlanta funded - the members.  Without our members we can't have a lending library.  That is the biggest draw for anyone joining this organization.  Our lending library has mushroomed and it's all because of people joining and paying dues.  All of the educators at BWI of Atlanta are volunteers, which means that 100% of the chapter's share of dues go straight towards the lending library or advertising.

Of course, we can't have a lending library without the vendors and manufacturers that donate carriers to us or sell us carriers at a discount.  If you've been a longtime reader of this blog you will not be surprised to hear that Jennifer Harris of Marsupial Mamas has been instrumental in helping us build our lending library.  The vast majority of our wraps have come from Marsupial Mamas and I could not ask for a more wonderful, generous person with whom to do business.  When we are in need, I turn to Jen first.  She comes through every time.

IBW sponsor shout-out

Pavo Textiles has made International Babywearing Week an extra special one for us this year.  Much love goes out to Jen and Erin for working tirelessly to support the babywearing community and provide an American-made, beautifully designed, high-quality product.

Image credit Malia Drake

Image credit Malia Drake

Pavo S.T.I.C.K. bags also make it easy to remember the cardinal safety rules for babywearing:

• Supported back
• Tight
• In view at all times
• Close enough to kiss
• Keep chin off chest

Happy International Babywearing Week, with thanks to Pavo Textiles!

IBW Membership Drive

Membership drive details!

The drive runs from Sunday, 9/29 through Saturday, 10/12.  Any new or renewing members that join during the drive will get double the number of bids for the members-only giveaway.  Existing members will get 15, but new and renewing members will get 30!

To be very clear for others, purchasing a membership is the only way to gain bids for giveaway prizes.  Bids are a part of the membership package.  If you would like to donate to BWI of Atlanta, you are of course welcome to (donations may be written off) and anyone who donates will receive a voucher good for a members-only event.

What are you waiting for?  Join us!  Resistance is futile.

http://www.bwiofatlanta.org/join.html

International Babywearing Week 2013

International Babywearing Week 2013 is around the corner!  This year, IBW runs from October 7th to October 13th.  Just like last year, BWI of Atlanta has a ton of events planned all around the metro area (head over to http://www.bwiofatlanta.org for a full schedule).

A lot has happened since our last update.  One important thing is... we finally have a website!  Our membership drive gave us enough funds to purchase our domain and hosting space and finally build our home on the web.  http://www.bwiofatlanta.org is our little homestead on the Interwebs.  Please check it out!  It has a lot of information.  This is an understatement.

We've also welcomed two new VBEs to the fold.  Priscila and Malia joined us in August and we're thrilled to have them!

As for our #IBW2013 celebration (Tweeps, Instagrammers and other hashtag addicts, this is the official hashtag), here's a little preview of what we've got going on:

• BWI meetings at Wilson Family Chiropractic and Baby Love
• Micro photoshoots at The Solarium and Marietta Square
• Playdate and picnic at Piedmont Park (try saying that 5 times fast)
• A Dance Your Baby session
• Marietta Square shop crawl (I cannot believe this event is going to happen)
• A ton of giveaways for our BWI members and Facebook group members, including a gift certificate to New Baby Products
• Membership drive!
• Photospam day on Facebook
• Pumpkin patch trip
• Picnic at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse

There are going to be lots of prizes given away so be sure to join the Facebook group to see what they are.  In addition, members will get access to members-only giveaways.  It's our way of saying thank you for the contributions and support.  Stay tuned for details of the membership drive!

Looking For a Few Good Moms (or Dads!)

BWI of Atlanta is growing, and we need your help!  Want to become more involved in Babywearing International of Atlanta? Become a Volunteer Member or Volunteer Babywearing Educator!

As a non-VBE Volunteer Member, you can assist by coordinating events, set-up, hospitality and greeting members, and helping with library checkouts.  All volunteers must be active, dues-paying members of BWI of Atlanta. 

To volunteer, please contact us at bwiofatlanta@gmail.com

VBEs lead our babywearing meetings, teach at meetings, workshops and outreach events, and assist with administrative duties.  VBEs have passed a written and practical examination administered by a BWI Master Babywearing Educator, and have been accredited by Babywearing International.

To become a BWI of Atlanta VBE you must:

•         Have been a BWI member for a minimum of 6 months.
•          Have experience wearing both babies and toddlers in a variety of carriers. 
•         Have experience teaching babywearing.
•         Volunteers interested in becoming VBEs help at meetings with new membership forms and fees, greeting, etc.
•         VBE Trainees will have the opportunity to shadow a VBE at meetings.
•         We can assist with additional training sessions for VBE hopefuls as needed.

Some of the benefits of accreditation through Babywearing International are a solid and well-rounded background on the 4 basic styles of babywearing (1 shouldered carriers, wraps, Asian baby carriers and soft structured carriers), more emphasis on practical application than other programs and the ability to receive your accreditation while you study the portions of babywearing that you are passionate about.

Our accredited educators receive continuing education on a monthly basis, support from Babywearing International in regards to group growth and library additions and liability insurance to protect you while you teach.

If you are interested in beginning the process of becoming a VBE, please contact us at bwiofatlanta@gmail.com or speak with one of our VBE Officers (Kate, Aisling, or Michelle).

August meeting schedule and summer round-up

I know you've all been waiting on tenterhooks to hear the results of our June membership drive.  I have to apologize for not updating this blog in some time, but as it turned out I had a baby in mid-June (who knew?) and have been on a steady diet of coffee, optimism and hope since then.

Let's get the really important stuff out of the way first.  August is almost here!  July has flown by.  BWI of Atlanta is having its usual three meetings in August, and hopefully soon will be adding a fourth in Gwinnett County.

Our regular Saturday meeting will be August 10th from 10 - 12 at The Solarium in Decatur.  Why not August 3rd?  Because on August 3rd BWI of Atlanta is making a special appearance at The Big Latch-On!  Babywearing and breastfeeding go together quite well so we'll be representing ourselves at that event.

Our regular Friday meeting will be August 9th from 11 - 1 at Harry's Whole Foods in Marietta.

Our regular Monday meeting will be August 12th August 19th from 10 - 12 at New Baby Products in Atlanta.

Onto the results!  Our members came through and the drive was a huge, and I mean HUGE success.  We gained over 50 new members and more members are still joining.  We've been putting that money to good use.  We were able to get the following:

- BWI of Atlanta membership cards for all members
- BWI of Atlanta static cling decals for all members joining or renewing during the drive
- 2 keep calm and wear your baby t-shirts
- A $25 gift voucher to Comfy Joery
- A $50 gift voucher to wovenwraps.com
- Sleeping Baby Productions ring sling
- Kalea Baby ring sling
- Standard/standard Kinderpack with kool knit
- Chimparoo mei tai
- Babyhawk Oh Mei! half-buckle mei tai
- Didymos Jack size 6
- Lenny Lamb bamboo rainbow size 6
- Didymos bleu nino size 4
- Natibaby hemp blue/green clovers size 6
- Infantino wrap and tie
- Vatanai Koira 4.5m
- Vatanai Orkney 4.5m
- Vatanai Glaciar 3m
- Wrapsody Bali Stretch Alyssa
- Pikkolo

I am blown away by how many members joined us and how we have been able to expand the library.  Checkouts are at an all-time high and people are spreading the word about Babywearing International of Atlanta.  All thanks to our members!

There are more things to talk about, like the wrap workshop and the upcoming carrier-specific members-only workshops, but I think this blog post is long enough and I will leave the rest for later.  See you at the meeting!

It just got easier to join BWI of Atlanta

Guys, say farewell to the clunky old system of downloading and filling out a PDF membership form (unless you enjoy using pen and paper, in which case we will still have paper forms for you to fill out at meetings).  Say HELLO! to the new online form, available right here:

http://tinyurl.com/bwiofatlanta-membership

Fill it out, submit dues via Paypal (bwiofatlanta@gmail.com), cash, or check and you are done.  So done.  So set until next year.

Oh... look at that.  I'm adding a Paypal button!

BWI of Atlanta Dues

A challenger appears!

BWI of Atlanta is only on day 2 of the June membership drive and already we have a new challenge on the table!  We're opening with a bang.

At 5 memberships, BWI of Atlanta will be able to purchase 2 new ring slings for the lending library and provide info cards for all members to carry around.  In addition, a $25 gift voucher to Comfy Joey will be raffled off to our first 5 new or renewing members.  That's a 20% chance that you will be selected out of a pool of 5 people!  Contribute $30 for the whole year, and immediately receive $25 back.  Is it me, or does this sound like a sweet deal?

June Membership Drive

It's time for another membership drive!

But wait, you say.  We just had one last October for International Babywearing Week.  We have to hear the sales pitch again?

Well, yes.  Like public radio, we are run through memberships.  But this membership drive is a bit different, and if it's successful, will set the tone for future membership drives.  How is it different, you ask?

For the entire month of June, Babywearing International will let all chapters keep 100% of membership dues.

Normally, when we receive membership dues, half of the dues are remitted to the mothership, and we keep the other half.  But in order to grow our chapters and expand our libraries, headquarters has generously allowed us to keep everything for this month.  Imagine being given twice as much allowance for the next 22 days!  That's 200% of normal proceeds!  We need to jump on this now!

Okay, you say.  That's really awesome for you.  Here's the rub, though.  Why should I join BWI?  What makes this so compelling that I should just shove my money into your face?

Why should you join Babywearing International?  Why, indeed?  Dear reader, here's why.  Please imagine this in your best Ira Glass voice.

July Decatur meeting cancelled...

Due to the holiday weekend, we have elected to cancel our July 6th meeting at The Solarium in Decatur.  All other regularly scheduled meetings will still be held in July.  Here is our schedule of meetings:

Friday July 12th - Harry's Farmers Market in Marietta from 10-12
Monday July 15th - New Baby Products on Cheshire Bridge Road from 10-12

We also are teaming up with the Gwinnett County Babywearers and will keep you posted about their next meeting time/location.  Coming soon we will be adding them to our Chapter as we expand across the Atlanta area and reach out to grow our membership base, teach and certify more VBE's and become a cohesive group!

Next meeting: 5/4/13

April was a whirlwind of activity but it looks like May is going to be just as busy. Here are the upcoming meetings:

- Saturday, May 4th at the Solarium in Decatur from 10-12
- Friday, May 10th at Harry's Whole Foods in Marietta from 11-1
- Monday, May 20th at New Baby Products in Atlanta from 10-12

We've got a bonus meeting this month.  Actually, it isn't a meeting - it's a class.  BWI of Atlanta is pleasantly chuffed to be offering a workshop on shorties led by Aisling and yours truly!  With warm weather coming up, we'd all love to be wearing less, and that includes our wraps.  Short wraps have been used around the world for centuries.  They're economical, lightweight, and traditional.  Why not learn how to use them?  Wrap workshop: Shorties 101 will commence at New Baby Products on Tuesday, May 7th from 1:30 - 2:30.  No shorty, no problem!  We'll have some there.

If our class is successful, we'd be happy to offer a continuing series or repeats of the class around the Atlanta metro area.  I'm looking forward to laying a lesson plan out and getting some teaching on next week!  Having a large repertoire of carries has been one of my passions when it comes to wraps, and other than being a mom, my day job is as a teacher, so when hobby meets career passion, it's a beautiful thing.  I'm excited!  We'll be covering the following topics:

- Slipknots
- No-sew ring slings
- Rebozo
- Simple hip carry
- Half-Jordan's back carry

If there's time, or if the class is particularly skilled, we will also cover knotless ruck.

As always, see you all at the meetings!

Meetingpalooza

April is just packed with meetings in a short timespan.  We have three meetings coming up this weekend/early next week!

The next Marietta meeting will be Friday, April 12th at Harry's Whole Foods Market from 11-1.

The next Decatur meeting will be Saturday, April 13th at the Solarium from 10-12.

The next Atlanta meeting will be Monday, April 15th at New Baby Products on Cheshire Bridge Road from 10-12.

If you want to know more about upcoming meetings, please join our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bwiofatlanta/) or check out our Google Calendar (http://tinyurl.com/b5hatx3).  Please do not join the old Atlanta Babywearers Facebook page.  That page is now defunct and no more new members nor posts will be added.

See you guys at the meetings!

Next Saturday Meeting: 3/2/13

BWI of Atlanta's next Saturday meeting is this Saturday, March 2nd, from 10 am to 12 pm at the Solarium!

We've gotten some questions and comments previously about not being able to stay for the full two hours.  I wanted to reassure everyone that there has never been a time requirement for the meetings.  The leaders are there for two full hours (and sometimes not even, since one of us has a conflict on Mondays or Saturdays) but everyone else is welcome to stay for as long as they are able, whether it's 15 minutes or 2 hours and then some.  We'll be here to help, no matter what!

Next meeting: 2/2/13

Our Saturday meeting has returned!  BWI of Atlanta is meeting this Saturday, February 2nd from 10-12 at the Solarium in Decatur.  See you there!

In other news, I have been working on the new Facebook page, which hopefully will be ready for migration after this Saturday's meeting.

Next meeting: Monday, 1/21/13

Is it that time again?  It is!  BWI of Atlanta's next meeting will be Monday, January 21st from 10-12 at New Baby Products on Cheshire Bridge Road.  We'll see you there!

In other news, we have been officially announced by BWI as BWI of Atlanta!  We've been waiting for this for a long, long time and we're so excited finally to be under the BWI umbrella.  This gives us more access to carriers for our lending library, and more promo for us as a group.  Soon we'll be changing our names, officially, from Atlanta Babywearers to Babywearing International of Atlanta.  We'll even have a shiny new logo to put on the blog.

Becoming BWI of Atlanta also allows other babywearing groups in the area to come shelter under our eaves, since the bulk of the work has already been done by us truly.  So it's very possible that in the years to come, we'll have a BWI of Cobb County, or a BWI of Gwinnett.  The more the merrier, I say!

New Baby Products...

Just this week we met with New Baby Products on Cheshire Bridge road to explore hosting our Tuesday meetings in their space.  We found out they just finished building a classroom in their space and they are looking for activities to fill it.  The classroom is housed in their big furniture building which is the lefthand building when facing their property from Cheshire Bridge Road.  It is a wonderful space for us and a step up from Glenlake Park where we were somewhat exposed to the elements.  While Glenlake was awesome to use with the playground right next to us, we are thrilled to move to an indoor space that is dry, warm or cool during the summer and free for our non-profit group!

Our first meeting there will be held on Tuesday December 18th from 10-12.  We have not locked down future dates there as of yet but are working to get this squared away and will keep you posted!  We will continue to offer our during the week class at New Baby Products but most likely will change days of the week.

So, come one out to check us out next week and we look very forward to seeing everyone there!!!  Find out more about New Baby Products at http://www.newbabyproducts.net/.