Carrier Review: Kastle's Adarna

Carrier Review: Kastle's Adarna

     Kastle is local company that provides woven wraps made by weavers from the north and Kastle's first wrap is called Adarna, which looks as beautiful as the legendary bird that inspired it. My initial reaction when I opened the parcel was that it looked so much like my own Candy K from Little Snuggie Baby. But as I looked it over carefully, I could see the subtle differences in the rainbow pattern as well as the differences in the width of the colors. The wrap felt kinda rough to touch and when I tried a quick uppy, it didn't glide as much as I hoped it would. I immediately thought it needed more breaking in. So I kept it braided for the time I had it with me.

     I'd try it on everyday for the week it was with me, and I really found the feel of it to be a bit rough for my taste. I even brought it to a sling meet with some wrap mommies and the verdict was split. Half the mommies thought it was perfectly soft and easy to use and the other half thought it was too stiff and hard to knot. We all tried the easiest carry to test it out, FWCC (Front Wrap Cross Carry), and at the end of the day the votes remain as they were at the beginning: great wrap for beginners and good wrap for more experienced wrap users.

     What I love most about this wrap and any other wrap is the sleepy dust. Oodles and oodles of sleepy dust and our kids conked out as soon as we used it. The comfort factor was a bit lacking on my end but only because during back carries it becomes diggy after only half an hour. The longest carry I did was around 3 hours with Adarna. I could breastfeed in it quite easily as it's a long wrap and there won't be any complaints on that end. It's way easier to adjust the wrap to get the drop for breastfeeding and also easy to pull up your baby after a feed. I tried to get my hubby to use it but he had no patience for a long wrap and our son had no patience in my trying to wrap him up with his daddy so we all gave up on that end.

I really liked Adarna and would probably love it if it was softer or more broken in when I used it, thus I must say this wraps needs mondo breaking in before it would be considered as a staple wrap on my part. I would recommend this for for wrap mommas and papas who want a black weft with their rainbow (because it really does look amazeballs) and for those who want a long wrap in their stash. It really is a joy to look at and the pictures look amazing with this wrap. I hope to see more from Kastle with different blends in the future.

Restaurant Review: Yakimix Prime

Restaurant Review: Yakimix Prime

     Last December 10, 2015 was our 3rd wedding anniversary and hubby asked me out to dinner. Since we have a bouncing baby boy, we wanted to eat at a family restaurant. We chose Yakimix Prime because it was a buffet with good reviws that was conveniently placed in the middle of Bonifacio High Street and for the variety of food offered.

     We went there at 5:30 in the afternoon and there were only a few people there. We asked for a high chair for our son but was told that there were only two high chairs in the place and both were taken by other families. We were told they'd get one for us once the families have stopped using them. Now, if you've experienced dining out with a 8 month old you would kniw why this was a problem for us. By the time we were assured there are no high chairs coming, it was 6 PM and the place was filling up. Before starting to eat, I checked the loo for a diaper-changing station but there was none, another strike against this family restaurant.

     Even with the high chair situation ongoing, we went ahead with dinner. We got sushi and maki and tempura. The sushi was sweet and the maki was packed just right even though there were discrepancies with the portions. We got meats and corn and seafood to grill ourselves, which is always the fun part when eating at Yakimix. We tried the souos and dimsums, as well as the gyoza. The soups were really hearty but the dimsums were not that authentic-tasting and the gyoza was sub-par as well. I spent a lot of time at the dessert area and got the cheesecake, which was really good, and the leche flan, which was really not. There are bottomless drinks too, sodas and juice and tea and beer. 

                 

     All in all we were really full at the end of dinner. But I couldn't let go òf the fact that they only had 2 high chairs at a restaurant that caters to familer with little kids. To be honest, I lost interest intaking pictures of the place and th food when I realized that the crew let another family take the high chairs but no kid ever sat in them, that hurt me as a parent because my tyke had to sit on my lap to eat and   managed to pull a plate full of food to the floor because of the shortage. The price was very affordable for a buffet and the place looks very posh but as a parent I would not recommend eating there with your kids. As a foodie, I would recommend going there with friends to pig out and drink to your heart's content.

Yakimix Prime
2nd Floor, Wamaco Building,
7th Avenue Bonifacio High Street,
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, 1634 Metro Manila
(02) 867 0777

Carrier Review: Soul Slings Ring Sling Coal Chambray Double Layer

Carrier Review: Soul Slings Ring Sling Coal Chambray Double Layer

     My first carrier was a ring sling and we used it for quite a while before I tried out other carriers, so when I was offered a chance to test out a ring sling from Soul Slings for a week, I immediately said yes. Soul Slings is a company from Bangalore, India that started with Chinmayie and Ravindra, a couple who are into arts and who practice attachment parenting. Soul Slings are made from 100% natural fibers and have passed international safety testing. According to their website: 

"We believe that babywearing has a domino effect. It creates independent, healthy, secure, loving and sensitive people, who then go on to spread these virtues to the next generation. Babywearing is a way of life, a philosophy rather than just the practice of carrying or wearing a child. It has implications that spread beyond the family and the home, and we believe in contributing to and supporting the growth of this world."

     

     When I first got the 100% linen RS (ring sling) from Soul Slings, I noticed right away that it was a lot thicker that our local ones. The linen was really dense and I could feel the weight of it just by holding it. We tried it immediately and found it to be very supportive and very sturdy, Since I'm an old timer with ring slings, I found the Coal Chambray very easy to use and suddenly the hip carry became my favorite carry. As with ring slings, the cloth should be spread correctly and be snug enough to avoid any pains in the shoulder and lower back. There are times when the cloth would bunch up as I moved but then a few minor adjustments and it's all good again.

     There's a lot of sleepy dust with this RS and my son was conked out in a matter of minutes and stayed conked out for as long as I could carry him. The longest wear I did was 3 hours straight during a front carry before it became too uncomfortable for me to carry him due to my scoliosis. I tried to do a back carry but was unsuccessful, I probably need more practice before I can perfect that. I noticed that it was very easy to breastfeed in the Coal Chambray as my son is older now and can sit with his head unsupported, so I just have to lower him down in a hip carry and voila!

Sleepy dust abound!

     I let a few my friends try the Coal Chambray at a sling meet and a few common things they said about it was that it's cool and airy, very easy to use even for beginners and good for quick ups and on the go ups. We tried it on a 4 month infant and another almost toddler like my bub. They both found it very nice to use and had the same reactions as I did. They said they would love to add this RS to their stash of carriers.

      I would recommend this ring sling for parents of newborns up to toddlers, as I find it very easy to use and very supportive for kids of all ages. This is also relatively affordable for an international brand, with the ring slings costing around 1400 Php up to 2000 Php. We had a lot of fun using Coal Chambray and would be awfully sad to see her go. We wouldn't say no to having her in our stash in the future if given a chance!

Photos from The Average Snapper.

Carrier Review: Lenny Lamb

Carrier Review: Lenny Lamb

     I have always been a fan of Lenny Lamb even when I was just starting to get into babywearing. The designs look so adorable and I loved the idea of wrap conversion. LL carriers have a special system of straps and buckles that can be adjusted for the perfect fit and I can attest to that. LL carriers are made in Poland and they produce wraps, mei tais, and stretchy slings aside from SSCs (soft structured carriers). The carriers have three-point safety buckles to prevent accidental opening, four-way adjustable shoulder straps, an adjustable hood that is connected to the contoured panel, and soft padded waist and shoulder straps for the user and leg padding for baby's comfort.

    Lenny Lamb carriers can be bought from local retailers which can be found here and here. It's just my good luck that a good friend of mine owned one and I was given the chance to test drive it, For the past week I had a baby-sized, 100% cotton jaquard-weaved wrap conversion Golden Princessa to carry my bub in, The baby size is good for 6-20 kilos and my baby is just 7 kilos but he is quite tall at over 55 cm. The panel is 40 cm in height and 35 cm in width and my baby can already sit with arms out and his knees are past the panels already so by next month I'm pretty sure he'd need a toddler-sized LL already.

     It's warm in a tropical country like ours, and it get's pretty hot when using LL without a fan for long. We would only use it when it was cool since when we tried using it in a park setting, both me and my baby were sweaty after an hour. The sleepy dust amount is in the middle of most SSCs and woven wraps, probably since this is a wrap conversion. What I loved most is how when my tyke is sleeping in LL, I can put the hood up and it only fractionally covers his face so he doesn't mind it as much, unlike with the other SSC hoods we have encountered, When I first put on LL, it felt very soft ans really molded onto my son's body, It feels very supportive until my son put his arms out and leaned back and made to topple over. After that I kept the hood clipped on the shoulder straps but lowered to just his neck as an added protection.My hubby tried using LL but said he preferred another type of carrier since LL was too soft for him.

     Back carries are easy with LL just like with other SSCs, but I find LL to be the easiest to adjust to the correct height. Likewise, LL is also the carrier I find easiest to breastfeed in. The buckles are really awesome, so easy to adjust and no sticking or unecessary locking while still holding onto position. The longest carry I did was 5 hours all in the front facing position, while I did an hour in a back carry. There wasn't any pain in the back or shoulders as long as I wore it correctly; waist belt wrapped around my true waist and tightened PFAs (perfect fit adjusters) so baby is kiss height, I found that if I didn't wear it right, there would be immediate discomfort in carrying so I just make the necessary adjustments and it's happy happy all around again.

     I would recommend Lenny Lamb for parents who want a very easy to use carrier and especially for breastfeeding moms. I give this twenty thumbs up in the name of breastfeeding moms. The price ranges from 7,500-10,500 Php so it's a bit steep if you have a tight budget, Better save up for it or ask your spouse to gift you this for Christmas. (LOL) But in my opinion, having this as a carrier is really nice and it really is a worthwhile investment. I would love to have one for myself, and here's to hoping to have one as a pressie this holiday!

Noel Bazaar: Fun Holiday Shopping for Mommies and Kiddos

Noel Bazaar: Fun Holiday Shopping for Mommies and Kiddos

     Today my family and I went to the world trade center to check out the Noel Bazaar which opened today at the World Trade Center in Pasay, Manila. Noel Bazaar is a holiday bazaar organized by CUT Unlimited Inc. and they have three scheduled events running from October to December, we picked to go this November. The November bazaar will run from November 26 to 30, 2015 and they are open from 11 AM to 9 PM.

     The Noel Bazaar has a wide-range of booths featuring food, fashion, home products and novelties. They also have a stage up front for demos, games, variety shows and raffles. The event will benefit the GMA Kapuso Foundation, Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, Associate Missionaries of Assumption, Noel P. Gozon Medical Clinic, and the Sts. Peter and John Parish, The Noel Bazaar is sponsored by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer.net, GMA network, GMA news TV, Summit Media, The Foreign Post, DZBB 594 Super Radyo, Barangay LS 97.1 FM, Manila Shopper, Grab Car, ClickTheCity.com, Philippines Fair, and Bazaar Whisperer.

     My family went there around lunch and toured the booths. We checked out the food stalls and saw that there were food carts of all sizes and food of all kinds. There were finger food like siomai and there were home cooked rice meals, there were burgers and ice cream, there were noodles and pizza and all sorts of foodstuff to cater to everyone. The prices ranged from less than 50 Php to over 200 Php for a meal. There were tables and chairs conveniently placed near the food stalls and a few water refilling stations for those who had water bottles with them.

     We went through the aisles starting from the top right of the room. The booths are in no particular order and you need to stop by each one to check out the awesome finds. I would suggest going there with a fat purse and I'm sure you will find something to buy for everyone in your Christmas list. My target buys were for mommies and babies though, and I'm here to report that there were a few places that were great. I found only about 10 stalls for babies and kids but most of the wares were for girls so that was a big minus for me since I was shopping for my baby boy. And there was only one stall, Nursing MommiesPH, that sold maternity and nursing clothes for breastfeeding mothers like me. If you're looking for trinkets for gifts, there are a lot scattered about the room. There were a few stalls that sold expensive wares but I steered clear of those.

    All in all it was a fun afternoon of browsing and shopping for me and my kiddo. I managed to but three tops and three ternos for my bub, so it was a good deal for us both. There were a lot of people milling around especially as the day wore on and the shopping bags were bigger so there's more chances of bumping into other shoppers so please be mindful of this. Another reminder would be to bring reusable bags as well to avoid using plastic bags as the sellers still use them. That being said, I would like to end by saying Christmas season is a great time for shopping and the Noel Bazaar is a great place to start with.

What we bought.