Leave the car seat in the car...

Trigger warning!

Tuesday, Sept 20th, a 3 month old baby dies when the car seat they were in fell from a shopping cart.  (link to article)  This unimaginable tragedy is a sad, sad reminder why car seats should stay in cars.

Most people don't realize this, but balancing car seats on shopping carts is very dangerous.  We see everyone do it, and it seems safe enough.  I know I was just as ignorant as most other parents.  But the reality is that car seats do fall from shopping carts and the injuries a baby receives can be fatal.

There are other dangers too.  The shopping cart could roll away and this is especially dangerous if you are in a parking lot.  Shopping carts also are easily tipped over, especially by older children than may be hanging inappropriately off the cart.

Infant car seats are better off being left in the car.  Instead, babywearing is a much better option.  It's not only safer, but babies also tend to be much more content and happy when being worn while shopping.  Young babies will often just fall asleep and older babies and toddlers tend to be more patient.

Unfortunately accidents happen and there is no way to be completely safe, be we can be safer and avoid certain risks.  Please spread the word about the dangers of using car seats in shopping carts.  Do yourself a favor and leave the car seat in the car and grab a baby carrier instead.

My heart goes out the the family in the article referenced above.  I can not imagine their pain during this loss.  My sincere condolences.

NEW! Hoppediz Jacquard Pune

They're here!  They're here!  And I am in LOVE!!!  The latest wrap by Hoppediz, the Jacquard Pune, is amazing.

First, I'll give you the basics.  The Jacquard Pune is available in 2 color ways, pink with orange and turquoise with lime.  The design on these wraps is a peacock feather and these wraps revers to the "wrong side" which allows for two looks in one wrap.

These wraps are unlike any other wrap from Hoppediz.  They are completely different in texture than the Jacquard Chicago.  The Jacquard Chicago is much stiffer and feels thicker, though there is no significant weight difference between the two (maybe an ounce or two).  The Jacquard Pune is extremely soft and floppy directly out of the box.  I would even describe it as having a silky texture, like a really high quality Egyptian cotton or even a silk blend.

Pune Pink taken in shade

Pune Pink taken in direct sun

These wraps are super light and airy which would make them perfect for summer.  They are very thin, probably as thin as the Hopp Light, but again, much floppier out of the box than a Hopp Light.

Pune Turquoise taken in shade

Pune Turquoise taken in direct sun

I am not a wrap expert by any means, but I can tell you that I love the feel of this wrap.  As soon as I touched it, I wanted to wrap my baby in it.  I think I would be petting this wrap all day if I were wearing it!  They are also far more stunning in person then what I could capture with the camera.  Definitely a wrap you will have to see and feel to believe!

Price increase for Moby

Moby has finally joined the many baby carrier manufacturers that have had to raise the prices of their carriers.  The increase in cotton prices is affecting all cotton products and the baby carrier industry is no exception.  Starting Sept 1st, Moby wraps will cost $44.95 for their standard wraps.

Some other price increases going back:
2nd prince increase for Hoppediz
BabyHawk price increase
Price increases again
Maya Wrap price increases
More price increases
Price increases

2nd price increase for Hoppediz

Hoppediz has announce another price increase scheduled to come into affect July 2011.  This is the second price increase for Hoppediz this year.  If you have been following, you know that increased cotton prices and shipping costs are two major factors affecting the prices of baby carriers and other products.  Read more about it in this post.

We will not be increasing our prices immediately in July.  Instead, we will wait until we restock and adjust the prices accordingly.  It looks like prices will increase a minimum of $5 per wrap, but could be as much as $10.

So if you have been wanting a Hoppediz wrap, now may be the best time to buy.  We have also been seeing price increases in most other brands and more are likely to be announced as the trend continues.

BabyHawk price increase

Due largely to increased cotton prices as well as fuel prices and other factors, the babywearing community has seen price increases from many manufacturers.  BabyHawk is the latest manufacturer to announce a price increase.  Affective immediately, prices on BabyHawk carriers will rise $9 each.  So the BabyHawk mei tai will now retail for $89 and the Oh Snap is now $149.

It is not likely that this will be the last increase we see.  Maya Wrap, Wrapsody, Hoppediz, Sleepy Wrap, and several other brands have already implemented an increase.  Moby has yet to announce an increase, but I will be surprised if we don't see one this year.

For more information on the recent price increases, read the previous post where we discussed the issue.

New ABC prints!

Action Baby Carrier has announced their new 2011 prints!  They are introducing four new fun prints scheduled to arrive late July.  Snowberries, Galaxy and Robins Egg will still be available, but Kiley, Seaside and Mia will be discontinued.

The new prints:

Camper: Fun owl print paired with chocolate brown straps

Chain: Teal background with white and black overlaying ovals paired with black straps

Happy: Large floral print on chocolate brown straps

Island: Leafy/semi-floral print paired with tan straps

We're excited to get these new prints in stock!  Which ones are your favorites?

Coming soon... Hoppediz Jacquard Pune

Looks like Hoppediz is planning to release a new Jacquard print called Pune.  It will be available in two colorways, a turquoise/lime combination and a pink/orange combination.  Pune is eye catching with it's bright colors and beautiful peacock feather print.

Hoppediz is expecting to have these available starting the second week in August.  We are hoping these will be available to retailers, unlike the Chicago Plum that was a limited release that they chose not to sell wholesale.

We'll keep you posted once these come available!  We will probably run a pre-order for them in August.  Until then, check out these amazing pictures!

(c) Hoppediz

(c) Hoppediz