Who is the BCIA?

Some of you are already familiar with the Baby Carrier Industrial Alliance and the amazing work they do to preserve the future of babywearing in the United States. The BCIA has many jobs, but one of them is trying to help the industry in regards to regulations. This awesome video shows who is involved in regulating baby carriers and the roll the BCIA plays. It's 10 min and you're busy, but really, it's worth the watch:

Why do I care?

I know, you don't make baby carriers, so why should you care? When the BCIA was first established, it was during a time when the babywearing industry was facing the real threat of being severely altered. Baby carriers had caught the attention of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and many styles of baby carriers were being looked at as too dangerous to sell in the United States. Ring slings are one example that was specifically targeted. The BCIA has been working towards getting safety standards adopted that will help protect the industry and make sure the baby carriers we know and love are available far into the future. The ASTM standard for buckle carriers and mei tais was already adopted by the CPSC. We are hopefully very close to having the ASTM standard for wraps and ring slings approved, but there is still much work to be done.

What can I do?

The BCIA can always use more support. The legal expertise needed during this process is both costly and necessary. Many babywearing business support the BCIA by becoming members, but they also have a "friend" memberships for people who just support the industry and work the BCIA is doing. You can join the BCIA as a friend for $25 a year or donate ANY amount through PayPal to: paypal@babycarrierindustryalliance.org The BCIA is important to me, not because I sell baby carriers, but because I have used them and they have been such a HUGE part of mothering my children. Because of this, I will donate 10% of my sales from Sept 27th through October 4th to the BCIA.

Public comment period?

Some of you may have heard of the CPSC public comment period. If you have any concerns about the current standard before the CPSC, I encourage you to read this post by the BCIA before doing anything else. It is important to understand the complexity of the process before getting involved.   Further Reading: Sling Safety Standard Public Comment by BCIA A guide to CPSIA and sling regulations for the bewildered consumer by Wrapsody

Olives & Applesauce News

Olives & Applesauce has been a well loved brand of baby carrier since it was founded in 2006.  It has been one of the brands that has been used most by my family over the years and my husband’s favorite carrier was an O&A.  So when the original owner decided to move on, I was relieved when she was able to find a buyer!  Production was slowed during the transition, but Olives & Applesauce has increased production and recently introduced several new prints.

Sadly, many people are under the impression that O&A closed, and so you don’t see them recommended as often anymore on the babywearing groups.  But they are still around and making the same great carriers many of us have come to love!

O&A at a glace

Years back when Olives & Applesauce was still doing custom orders, they came out with a line of carriers made with their most requested customizations called the Ava.  The Ava cost more than the standard O&A carrier, but came with added features like a front pocket and cinching hood.  When the new owners took over, they decided to adopt the Ava design as their standard and currently only model and lowered the price from $159 to $149.99 USD.

All Olives & Applesauce carriers now come with the follow features:

Body Design - Built in infant insert. Seat darts and light leg padding help keep baby comfortable. Contoured waistband that provides support and helps transfer weight. Cinching sleeping hood that can be stored inside carrier. Front pocket that can be used to store diapers and other items.

Straps - Duel adjustable side straps allow for easier adjusting and more customizable fit. Shoulder straps can be crossed for used in a backpack style with the chest clip. Shoulder straps and waistband are padded for added comfort.

Details - One size carrier fits babies from 8 to 35 lbs. Carrier can be used to carry baby on front, back and hip. Machine washable on gentle cycle. Ethically made in the Dominican Republic.

New Prints

These are some of the fun new prints Olives & Applesauce has released:

Arcade

Firefly

Math

Lost Treasure

Buying O&A

We currently have both new prints and some older discontinued prints in stock. Since the discontinued prints are in the older packaging and we need to clear them out, they are an amazing deal at the clearance prices!  Check them out at Zerberts and grab one at for a great deal while they last.



Do you have an Olives & Applesauce and love it?  Tell us about it in the comments!