How To Use A Ring Sling With A Newborn

Getting the hang of a ring sling can take some practice, but they’re such great carriers once you do. I love ring slings because they’re super lightweight and fold up small making them perfect for tossing in my diaper bag or purse, so I’m always prepared while we’re out and about. Kind of essential with 4 kids ;)

Join me and my 5 week old baby Freddy to learn how to use a ring sling safely and comfortably. In this video I’m featuring a linen ring sling by Potter & Pehar. I absolutely love the soft neutral colour of this Elora sling, but to be honest it’s hard to choose a fav from their gorgeous collection. Potter & Pehar products are beautifully designed to simplify motherhood, and I love that they’re all made locally in Toronto. Plus the business is owned and run by two kick ass women (Shelley & Tina), who are always available for customer support via email, facebook, and instagram. I have several Potter & Pehar slings, and have personally used them with my babes and while teaching at my monthly Free Community Babywearing Drop In. This is definitely a biz that feels good to support. You can use Code WITHCARE10 for 10% off Potter & Pehar.

I hope you enjoyed my video. Please comment below with any questions, and let me know if you have any topics you would like me to cover in the future. Don’t forget to Subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay up to date of all of my new videos.

- Care

In This Post:

“Elora” Ring Sling: Potter & Pehar *Use Code WITHCARE10 for 10% Off | How To Thread A Ring Sling Video

*This is a sponsored post which means I was provided compensation and/or products/services for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. I only partner with companies that I genuinely love and want to recommend

*The information in this video is meant to help you learn about safe babywearing. There are many ways to safely use a carrier, but I demonstrate how I typically teach ring sling use. Please always refer to your particular baby carrier manual to ensure proper and safe use. The information provided does not constitute individual advice or consultation and should not be used as such. 

Holiday Gift Guide for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers

When the holiday sales start to roll out it can be tempting to buy everything you see, but do you really need it? We try very hard to remind our children how fortunate we are, and focus on keeping gift giving small and on things that we truly need.

I love to make DIY gifts for the kids and our friends and family, but also always pick a few special gifts to buy for our little ones. We stick to the rule of “Something you Want, Something you Need, Something to Wear & Something to Read”. This year we added a new category “Something to Give”, and are making sure that we think of little ways we can help our community locally or globally every day.

Here are a few of my favourite gifts to give for little ones. Most items included are locally made or sourced from small local stores so that we can reduce our impact this holiday season, and support our local community. Hope you enjoy!  

*Use Promo Code: Withcare for 10% off purchases at Diaper-eez this holiday season

Something You Want: 

There are so many amazing toys available around the holidays, but I love to focus on buying presents that will be enjoyed over the winter months. A Sled is a perfect gift for kiddos of any age. Canadian Tire and many local hardware stores have excellent selections of beautiful Canadian made wooden sleds. From basic to fancy, single to triple occupancy, you can choose what’s right for your family and your budget.

Something You Need: 

With our frigid Canadian winters kid’s need quality winter gear. Here are a few ideas for necessary items that can double as Christmas gifts. 

My absolute favourite snow suit for little ones are the Mountain Equipment Co-op Toaster Suit. Toasty warm as the name implies, these snow suits are made to last through a few kids and never disappoint. Purchase online or locally at Mountain Equipment Co-op. 

For keeping those little hands warm my new favourite is locally made Mimitens. These brilliant mitts have fabric that extends up your little ones forearm to keep them warm and more importantly to keep them ON! If you have a constant mitt taker offer, you know how frustrating it is. Invest in a pair of these and ditch the daily fight. Purchase online or locally at Diaper-eez.  

A warm toque is always needed and my favourite this year is the Je T’aime toque by Whistle & Flute. Made on the West Coast these adorable hats are available locally from Amelie & Max and come in kid and adult sizes. Perfect for twinning! Purchase online from Amelie & Max and choose shipping or local Toronto pickup. 

Something To Wear: 

Little ones need warm feet whether they are lounging at home, out in the car, in the stroller or while babywearing. Padraig Cottage are by far my favourite Canadian made booties. They are soft, cozy, warm and don’t fall off like most other booties. Great for little ones of all ages and the perfect gift. Purchase online or locally at Diaper-eez. 

Something To Read:

Books are one of my all time favourite things to give as gifts. Reading and interacting with babies from a young age has been shown to be very beneficial for brain development.

For little ones who love to put stuff in their mouths and tear at paper, board books are ideal.  One of my absolute favourites is “On the Night You Were Born” by Nancy Tillman. An instant tear jerker for most parents. 

As your kiddos get older and want longer stories I love anything and everything by the super talented Oliver Jeffers. 

For this category also consider thinking outside of the box. Baby Sign Language Flash Cards and board games can be a great way to practice language development.

 
Something To Give:

If you haven’t heard of Cuddle + Kind yet, you need to check them out. These beautiful dolls are part of an incredible campaign to help decrease child hunger worldwide, as each doll purchased provides 10 meals to children in need. It’s too late to order them to arrive in time for this holiday season. Sorry! You’re probably wondering why I included them if their holiday orders were done a few months ago. The truth is I wanted to share them because I think they’re a great gift year round and knew I would have your attention. So get ordering for your 2016 birthday gift list!

Some other great ways to give back include purchasing a food hamper for a family in need in your community, supporting The Stop Community Food Centre which does amazing work in our city, and supporting local Syrian refugee aid groups like the Lakeshore Syrian Connection.

Hope you got some great ideas for your little ones and stay tuned for Part 2 of our Holiday Gift Guide tomorrow with great gift ideas for Expectant & New Moms! 

Don’t forget to use Promo Code: Withcare for 10% off purchases at Diaper-eez this holiday season

- Care

Raw Vegan Energy Balls

When I tried this recipe for Raw Vegan Energy Balls by Rachel Schwartzman ND a few weeks ago I immediately knew I needed to share it. They're such a simple, healthy & tasty little treat that the whole family will love. 

I made a double batch so I could take some to share with my Prenatal Class and decided to substitute all natural peanut better for the tahini, because that's what we had, and I didn't want to make a trip to the store. They were amazing!! Everyone who tried them loved them. Even the kids! (As you can tell by this pic of them grabbing for seconds before I could even take a photo!) 

Since then my prenatal class students have been begging me for the recipe, and my kids have been begging me for more. So today I fulfill both of those wishes. Here is Rachel's delicious recipe for everyone to try, and I'm off to make up a quick batch for the kids. A perfect pick me up snack for a grey day like today. 

Enjoy!

- Care

*Rachel is a Naturopathic Doctor & Birth Doula with The West End Doulas. If you would like any information about her services feel free to check out her website, send her an email or give her a call at 416.371.3422. You can also follow Rachel on her beautiful Instagram feed.

The Groaning Cake - Spiced Apple Cake

At this time of year when delicious local apples are in abundance the Groaning cake is the perfect dessert. This spiced apple cake is a traditional "birth" cake, hence the name. 

The customs surrounding the history of the Groaning cake are different around the world. In some cultures the Groaning cake was baked by women in early labour to pass the time. In other areas the cake was made by friends and family and brought to the woman as a gift. Either way the cake is intended to provide the postpartum mother with a delicious treat that has some good sources of energy, healthy fats, iron, fibre & immune boosters.

The combination of honey, coconut oil, molasses, whole grains, fruit & spices is really incredible. You can leave the cake bare (more like a loaf) or you can add a simple vanilla glaze, cream cheese frosting, or dust with powdered sugar. As an avid hater of cream cheese frosting, I refuse to ruin this beautiful cake with it, but others assure me it's a great combo. My husband is a cream cheese frosting lover and says I ruin it for everyone. Good thing I'm the baker in the house ;)

I make this cake for the final class in my 4-week prenatal class series as a little graduation treat and the parents always love it. If you've got some apples laying around give this one a try. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Also a great gift for a new family in their early days postpartum. 

Enjoy!

- Carolyn 

The Groaning Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups peeled grated apple
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup black strap molasses
• 1 cup honey or alternative sweetener
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dried fruit or chopped nuts optional
• Cream cheese or vanilla icing optional or dust with powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 with rack in middle of oven
2. Lightly grease pan (bundt pan, two 9x5 loaf pans or two standard size muffin pans)
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon & ground cloves in a large bowl. Stir in grated apple (and any dried fruit or nuts) and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs & add oil, orange juice, orange zest, molasses, honey & vanilla.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients & mix well.
6. Scrape into prepared pan & bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean ~20-25 mins for muffins, ~30-40 mins for loaves & ~40-50 mins for bundt cake.
7. Cool in pan for 10-15 mins, then invert onto wire rack & cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze to enjoy later.