Fashion Panache

Summer is hot right now in Europe. Super hot! Super duper hot! There's a heat wave and code 'red' for the weather on certain days this month! But then summer is also meant for going out, and right now, without day-care, keeping Atyudarini busy is full-time my job (and that should explain why I've been MIA for quite some time now).

rainer's heart finish rucksack carry woven wrap

BABYWEARING TODDLERS:

Also nowadays Atyudarini walks quite a bit when we head out, but then, there are still those 'lift-me-mommy' moments and 'screaming on the roads if I don't pick her up' moments! Well..... So yeah, babywraps are still very much in use. Of late, I'm more and more fond of short-wraps which are quick to wear than the long ones though I can do fancy finishes. With 'life-me-up-now' and 10 minutes late 'I-want-to-walk', shorter wraps and ringslings make much more sense!

DIDYMOS PRIMA MONOCHROME TRIBLEND:

One of the best wraps I've owned recently is the Didymos Prima Monochrome Triblend. The Triblend part of it what excites me the most - it is a mix of 68 % Organic Cotton, 25 % Hemp, 7 % Tussah Silk. It is a dream - it is thin, it is airy, it is lightweight, it is compact, it breaks-down in just 2 wears - simply put, it is just the best babywrap for summers! Though I'm always a fan of something more colorful, right now Didymos has only Prima in Rainbow & Monochrome in Triblend and since I already on the Lisca White Rainbow, this time I went for the Monochrome.

freshwater finish double hammock carry woven wrap

FANCY FINISHES WITH SIZE 5 BABYWRAP:

Here are 2 of the babywearing fancy finishes possible with a size 5 babywrap. The one above is ruck sack carry with Rainer's Heart Finish (with a ring) and the one below is Double Hammock carry with a Freshwater Finish.

This is a size 5 (4.3m), making it perfect for quick tie-ups while there is a little bit of tail for some fancy finishes. Btw, I was so scared of ruck-sack carry earlier, and wore Atyudarini only with BWCC, when she was much younger. But now, as she's growing and has more control (she even hangs onto my neck while I finish wrapping), for toddler babywearing, ruck-sack is easier which can be easily done with shorter wraps. I can easily get a high carry and that's always super-fun for Atyudarini to see the world from my level and my angle! Anyways, I'm still yet to get an hang onto double hammock style of wrapping. It does get a bit loosened up as I walk. Any tips for me?

What's your preferred babywrap size and what's your preferred wrap fabric for summers?

Written by Bhushavali

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been trying out short wraps, these days and they are such a blessing! This one is again by Girasol, Its a size 2 wrap meaning, its just 2.6m. The very big advantage of 2.6m is, it is light and it is possible to carry it everywhere like a scarf! While fancy finishes of base size/longer wraps are super fun, sometimes, shorty wraps are needed for those quick 'lift-me-mommy' -s.

What happens is, when Atyudarini wants to go biking, or even a long walk, she gets tired after a while. Esp., when we go biking, I have carry her and the bike as well and head back home. Doing that without a wrap is super tiring even if its a short distance. There are 2 major disadvantages of a long wrap at this point - 1. She's already tired and by the time I try wrap a long wrap and try a finish on it, she's really really irritated! 2. When she suddenly gets tired, we are the middle of somewhere like a park or footpath etc and the whole long wrap gets super dusty and dirty. Comes in shorty wraps to the rescue. Its easy to carry, wrapping it around the neck or body and when Atyudarini gets tired, I can wrap her quickly and my hands are free to carry her bike!

Tee: Thrifted from a flea market in Brussels

Jeans: Promod

Babywrap: c/o Zunil by Girasol Berlin

Like I mentioned in the last post, what I love about Girasol wraps are they are super easy to use as soon as they're unpacked, without having the need to break-it-in. Also being someone who loved handmade products, esp., handloom textiles, since these are handwoven in Guatemala, I'm super happy to be using these.

This design is called Zunil. Its 100% cotton and about 215 gsm heavy. Actually, it serves as a very good blanket wrap, even without the baby, on those slightly chilly days of spring! The width is generous and easy to make a deep seat. The natural texture of the handwoven cotton fabric, makes it grippy and even knotless finishes stay-put without loosening. The best part, Zunil pattern is so colorful and it makes me super happy....

While the rucksack back carry with superman toss is quick, sometimes Atyudarini wants to be in the front, on my chest. So I also wear 2 rings like a bangle/bracelet while we head out and sometimes I make a quick no sew ring-sling.

Btw, the location here is De-Wand tram station is Brussels which is one of the places, most extensively covered in murals. Very close to here is the Chinese Pavilion & Japanese Tower!! Read about more things to do in Brussels & Belgium in my other blog, My Travelogue!

Written by Bhushavali

How is lock-down treating you all?!!! Life has become way too busy right now trying to keep-up with my daughter and keep her busy with a wide array of activities. With that I end up getting really tired and I end up giving her a bit more screen-time than warranted, which wasn't the case pre lock-down! We all miss going on our trips! But that said, we are atleast happy that inspite of the lock-down the local government here in Belgium allows us, infact encourages us to go out for physical activities (ofcourse while maintaining social distancing) to keep ourselves fit. So yeah, going out almost everyday to the nearby parks is the new norm, coz a toddler can get crazy within 4 walls for days together.

Especially, right now, with the spring season, the weather is great and flowers are blooming everywhere. After a hiatus, now is the time for my daughter to bike/run around in the park. She needs it so much more right now! Ofcourse there are times, still that she wants me to carry her! So yeah, the babywearing is still on.

White lace top with mesh neckline: Thrifted at a flea market in Brussels

Faux leather Skirt in tan: Promod

Gladiator Shoes in tan: New Look

Leopard print babywrap: Handspun handwoven khadi fabric

This is one of our recent days. I dressed up, just because! Its been ages of not getting dressed-up, no make-up, and having no motivation at all. While dressing-up & make-up is one thing, hair is another issue! The barbers & parlours aren't open here and my hair is messy to say the least. I bought and used bobby pins probably after a decade, believe me, a decade!!! It feels funny!!! I need a hair-cut.....

Finally, I'm able to wear Atyudarini is short wraps. During winters it was too difficult to wrap her when both of us are wearing heavy jackets, so with the improving weather I can't wait to wrap her again. I'm slowly getting a hang of Ruck-Sack. I've always back carried in a Back Wrap Cross Carry coz it was easy! Finally, bit by bit I'm getting a hang of Ruck-Sack now. I bought this fabric in India, its an authentic Khadi fabric which is handspun and handwoven. Obviously I bought it for its stunning leopard print!
So.... How's the lock-down in your place? Are you a toddler parent in lock-down? How are you managing???!!!!

Written by Bhushavali

If you've also been reading my Travel blog, you may remember my fateful day when everything went wrong - when out passports got stolen, and Atyudarini got a skin infection after I changed her diaper in a diaper changing room in a railway station! Well, the one good thing that came out of it was - our potty training began! This happened when Atyudarini was 15 months old.

Till this point of time, she was mostly in diaper, apart from the occasional diaper-free time. She had her night diapers which would be totally filled in the morning when I remove it. Now, thanks to the god-damn infection, I left her completely diaper-free for her skin to breathe and heal. At night, we had a waterproof mat and a towel on it, on the bed and let her sleep without a diaper. Our intention was to keep changing the towel as she wets it. And.......... guess what, she wet it only once over night! It was then that I realized, that her soaked night-diaper was because of just 2 pees - one in the middle of the night and one in the morning 'after' she woke up!!!!!!! That was a big revelation.
Then on, I just stopped putting a diaper on her when we're home! Her diaper time was confined to her day-care and outings. At home she was in her regular underwear and I took her to the toilet every 2 hrs and there she was, using a potty effectively! Ofcourse, this was much before she could actually say many words or comprehend that she wants to use the toilet and inform me on time! This was more of an elimination communication than potty training. This would mean, me being attentive and taking her to the potty every 1.5 to 2 hrs or when her face shows that she wants to poop. So, yes, there were many an accident - esp., if I forgot to keep a tab on the timings!!!

Unlike many instructions that I read, that say, potty training begins with day time and you may still need diapers for the night, here I was, taking off the night diapers first....... She was on & off diapers in the day-time. If I had something else important to do, if I was unwell, she'd be on her diaper; if not, she would off of it! By this time, I had got a hang of her reactions, when peeing or pooing - that is exactly the core of Elimination Communication. Just like how a baby would react when he/she wants to feed, the baby would also 'react' in a way when he/she's not only when pooping, but also peeing. As and when I could, I slowly, in my own pace, stopped her day-time diapers.
At nights, she would let out a cry in the middle of night which wouldn't subside even after offering to feed - yeah, that's the potty reaction! I'd make her sit on the potty placed between my legs on the bed itself, while she's breastfeeding and asleep and she'd go. As soon as she woke up in the morning, its time for the potty again.
The next challenge was travel - potty training when traveling!!!! I would put on her diaper, but it was confusing her. I tried to take her to the toilets wherever we go (anti-bacterial wipes to the rescue!), but it was struggle to pull down & up her diaper, unlike underwear. So I got some potty training pants and it is good to go. She's now 2 and she's almost potty trained....

Here's the thing - there is no hard and fast rule and every child is different and every family's situation is different! This is just my experience... I know of parents who started Elimination communication at 8-9 months and by 1yr the child was already potty trained and I also know of children who wore diaper till 3-4 yrs of age! Actually it doesn't matter - eventually they WILL definitely get potty trained, unless that are specific physical/mental reasons otherwise!!!!!

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Written by Bhushavali

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