In addition to developing the Calyx line, I have been working on an unrelated custom artwork project, a little girl’s bedroom set. The completed project will include a wall hanging, window treatment, bedspread, and two throw pillows. So far I’ve managed to finish one throw pillow.
Someone asked me once if there was some way to roll up the Calyx into a more compact bundle, like a hip pack, when not in use. I decided to play with that today, and discovered something interesting. Apparently not only is it possible to make a tight little roll, it can also be used as a hip seat for tigers! (I tried it on myself with my 3yo, too)
It would be hard to explain what I did to get there. Basically, I undid the shoulder straps and adjusted the webbing out to the end, opened up the seat, folded the shoulder straps so that the clips were sticking out at the sides a little, then rolled it up tightly, folding the seat over the roll, and clipping the seat clips around the outside. In the process I discovered that you don’t want to clip the seat clips with one of them upside down, they are next to impossible to undo again. After that, I wrapped the webbing end of the shoulder straps around the whole bundle and then clipped them to the clips on the strap that I left sticking out the sides. I managed to do this so that I could turn the whole thing over and put it on upside down, so that the tiger child could sit on the part of the bundle that has the seat flapped over (it was stronger that way. I realize that this explanation is really difficult to follow. Here are some pictures, which I hope are helpful. I encourage you to play with it yourself, just don’t clip the clips upside down!
Functionally speaking, I don’t think a roll like this makes as good of a hip carrier as a ring sling or pouch. You still have to hold on with your arm. What is nice about it is that it keeps you from having to stick your hip out to the side to bear the weight, so it is easier on your back.
I am very aware of the mythology surrounding Thanksgiving. The happy story of the Indians and the Pilgrims glosses over a legacy of genocide and imperialism. As a homeschooling mom, I make a point of avoiding the feel-good myth, and teaching my kids more of the historical fact so they find the truth for themselves.
That being said, I must admit to loving Thanksgiving. I think that setting aside a holiday to reflect on all of the bounty in our lives, to thank our families for their love and support, and to eat the fabulous food harvested over the past season is one of the most meaningful ways we can celebrate. For me personally, I love Thanksgiving because cooking for guests is one of my favorite things to do. I truly enjoy spending a day and a half in the kitchen, using fresh local ingredients, whole spices, dangerously sharp knives and old family recipes to create a delicious meal to feed to my friends and family, and woe betide anyone who says “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble!”
I also love that Thanksgiving is about thanks, food and the harvest, but has nothing at all to do with greed for material things and conspicuous consumption. I don’t see eating a large feast as greed in the same sense as buying hundreds of presents and spending an entire day wallowing in them. Sure, we overeat and lie around groaning, but we don’t do it every day. It’s a special occasion, and we all need those once in a while. A special level of meaning is added when we try to source our feast locally, spending the summer growing and preserving, getting our turkey from a local family farm, finding local butter and eggs, and putting it all together as an edible tribute to our land and community. Plus, there are leftovers for a week. Perfect!
Today is known as Black Friday, because of the huge shopping crowds that rush out looking for bargains. Others, myself included, call it Buy Nothing Day and make a point of refusing to buy anything for the entire day. In a way it’s a silly gesture, because nothing is stopping us from buying stuff tomorrow, but again it is a way of extending that awareness of Thanksgiving and enjoying the bounty that we already have. Plus, after cooking for a day and a half, all I want to do is sit around in my pyjamas eating pumpkin pie for breakfast.
So, in honor of Buy Nothing Day, instead of blogging about baby carriers and what’s new at MBD, I thought I’d share my delicious Slow Food Thanksgiving menu, and a couple of recipes that turned out particularly well. (more…)
The Calyx has its own review page at TBW!
We are proud to announce the name of our new buckle carrier today: The MBD Calyx. Before a flower bud opens, the outer row of petals forms a protective cover called the Calyx. I want to thank everyone who participated in our little name game, you had some great suggestions and I really appreciate your help.
The new Calyx carriers are in production, we have an estimated arrival time of the first week of December. I’ve made a pre-order page with fabric choices and the option to purchase the Calyx in advance. I recommend that you do place an order, as pre-ordered carriers will ship out as soon as I pick them up from the shop. If you want to have a new baby carrier for the holidays, pre-ordering is a good idea. It will also lock in this pricing, which may change a little. Finally, folks who have purchased a Calyx before the first of December will have the first chance to test out our new bag design…more on that later…it’s going to be really cool…