summer walks with kindred wrap

It's been too long since I've talked about babywearing here, hasn't it?  I figured it's time we fix that.  These past few weeks, I've been lucky enough to host woven wraps from Kindred Wrap.  Kindred is a fantastic company based out of the Pacific Northwest by way of Hawaii, and my goodness does that show in their design.  I am a bit of a babywearing snob, preferring patterns that are subtle and modern over those that are childish or rainbow centric - if you are a wrapper, you easily understand now why I prefer Kindred and only a few other brands.  

I should preface these reviews by quickly saying that we don't wrap much anymore.  Claire has gained a fierce level of independence since learning to walk and starting daycare and I rarely choose to stop her exploring.  She has free reign of our tiny apartment and the lawns in Tower Grove Park, but little legs need help on long journeys and that is when we wrap - I will take snuggles over stroller pushing most any day.  Even when it's hot - especially when it's hot - Kindred's wraps are up to the challenge.  

Since I had both for a bit, it's natural for me to compare the two.  Where Tiburon is dry, Montauk is not.  Where pear's weave is relatively flat (surprising, considering its intricate pattern) licorice has a lot more dimension in texture from the dots.  Both are relatively light & easy choices for summer walks, but considering they are the same blend of tencel and cotton, it's amazing how much cushier Montauk felt on my shoulders.  I feel obligated to tell you I much preferred it with a toddler on my back.  

While Tiburon is more my aesthetic visually, I appreciate that Kindred is doing polka dots in black and white - simplicity was sorely missing from the wrap world.  Tiburon's pattern is inspired by the curtain "play clothes" from The Sound of Music, and that certainly tugged at my heartstrings a bit.  

Neither wrap has intense grip, and passes fall into place easily but this benefit also has a potential downside - it's important to be precise with your wrap job and tie a solid double knot, or the carry could begin to sag a bit.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  Beginners more often than not find that their struggle is getting the wrap to go where they want it to, and that won't be the case with either of these - I never felt swallowed by fabric or like I was "stuck" on a step.  

Both wraps took us to the splash pad and back, to get ice cream and eat it too.  Anything carrying Claire can't be too precious, so I appreciate the "wash and wear" factor of Kindred's fabric blends.  I can't really stand to let my carriers hang to dry - what if I wanted to take only one on vacation?  I need something that can be spilled on and used as a blanket, then easily washed and used again and again, both of these fit that bill.  

Thank you so much to Kindred for letting us test them out!  Both wraps shown and tested here are a size 6.  

And if you're curious about anything we're wearing....

Outfit // Tiburon Pear: Shirt/HERE and on clearance for less than $40! // Jeans/HERE, my favorite ever.  // Sandals/HERE // Sunglasses/HERE

Outfit // Montauk Licorice: Dress/Similar and under $50 // Sandals/HERE

splash baby

 

 This summer we have lots of plans, but this weekend, for two glorious days we did not!  Which worked out well, because our teething baby needs lots of attention, and it was good to just enjoy a sunny weekend as a threesome.  We woke up early Saturday (I mean, we wake up early every day because BABY) but didn't much mind since we had plans to hit up the farmers market for dinner ingredients and most importantly, coffee.   I put Claire up in the pretty Kindred wrap I'm testing out, which we both loved. 

 

Last year right after Claire was born we went to the market pretty much every weekend.  We needed to get out of the house a little each day, but not TOO far our of the house.  The park was always the perfect destination for a sleepy newborn, a postpartum mom, and a dad learning the ropes. 

We used to see the kids at the splash pad and think about how much fun it would be when Claire was old enough to run around in it.  How cute they were, and how much we'd love sharing breakfast on the steps of the pool pavilion and drinking coffee while we watched her.  Those conversations were so vivid in my mind as we tore up our food truck crepes and sipped on iced coffee.  Afterwards I let Claire out of her stroller and she made a beeline for the water. 

It didn't take us long to ditch the dress, it was pretty much in her way.  At 9 am the temperature was perfect, and it wasn't too hot or sunny yet. 

She was so brave!  Easily the youngest kid there by probably about 6 months and she was practically leaping into the sprays.   There were a few careless big kids that almost knocked her down, but Darrell grabbed my forearm every time as if to say "she's fine, let her figure it out."  And of course being the independent kiddo she is, I had no reason to worry.