#Belmint Foot Spa and Massager

I received the Belmint Foot Spa and Massager at a discount in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

Above is my unboxing video of the Belmint Foot Spa and Massager. My first impression was the simple, compact design. Bonus points for the fun flowers. I was, however, surprised that the cover came completely off, as proven at timestamp 2:14 in the video.

I was a little less than impressed during my first attempt to run the massager, though. The instructions were very limited, and clearly translated into English from another language. (Hubby confirmed that it was Chinese.) Most of the mistakes were subtle, but there were a couple of gems:

"People ,who with serious disorders, should use the product with the accompany and help of others."(Yes, that is the original comma placement, "People ,who...")

"Do not use the water higher than 45ÿ directly into the basin, so to avoid foot scald or make products deformation."

"Children,the disabled,the mentally handicapped slow to respond to the old man and hot and cold sensitive response should use this product with help of others." (Again, typos are the company's.) 

Hubby's favorite mistake:

"Products shall not be stored in bathrooms and other damp environment, it must be stored in a dry place, to avoid damage to the products." (Emphasis added by hubby.)

Here're my favorite mistakes/oddities:

 "Serious heart disease patients,pregnant women, serious thrombotic cerebral congestion,late diabetic patients are not suitable for the use of this product, or after a doctor's consult...Do not use this product when the people's foot has inflammation, trama,feet, Xian skin scald, and the women in the menstrual period." (The translator and editor missed the spaces again.)

 I don't know about you, but I have feet, so does that mean I shouldn't use it at all? 😉😂

All jokes aside, though the mistakes did make initial use a bit confusing, the biggest hurdle wasn't the language barrier. It was the lack of helpful information. The instructions were quite detailed on what each button is, and what the display means. However, the unit says, "Do not use without water," and the instructions never say how much water to use. We ended up using about 1-1.5 gallons of water, but we probably could/should have used more.

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager basin with 1-1.5 gal water and display: unit is off ( "OF")

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager filled 1-1.5 gal water to bottom of output nozzles without feet

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager filled 1-1.5 gal water to just the top of output nozzles with feet

I was having a little bit of a hard time figuring out what the temperature was, since there isn't an option to switch to Fahrenheit, but a quick Google Search said that 40°C=104°F. The recommended temperature is 35°C (95°F) to 45°C (113°F). When I told hubby, he laughed and said that his "optimal bath temperature is 42°," and that I should have just asked him.

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager display: unit is set to 40°C ("40") with light and massage on

I requested this review, because hubby has bad feet, and I was hoping the foot massager would help him, but the rollers went the wrong direction for him. He wanted the rollers to roll from his heel towards his toes, but they roll from toes to heel. He said he probably would prefer a shiatsu foot massager, but that the warm foot soak in the spa and massager was really relaxing.

While I didn't use it for the full massage time--only about 5 minutes before my "little helpers" needed me--I thought it was really nice. The rollers were firm enough to relieve tension in my arches, but not so deep that it was painful. The warm/hot water was definitely relaxing, and it was like an at-home pedicure.

I used it again, and this time I filled it up to just above the nozzles when empty, which just covered the vent when I put my feet in. It was nice to cover my feet more, and it was a lot quieter, too. I still only used the rollers for about 5 minutes before they started rubbing funny. Hubby let it run too long, and ended up with a couple of blisters, so be warned, and pay attention to how your feet are feeling.

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager filled to above output nozzles without feet

Belmint Foot Spa and Massager filled to just above the vent with feet

Overall, I would rate the Belmint Foot Spa and Massager 3.5-4 of 5 stars. The instructions and short tolerable massage time prevents me from rating it a 5. If you're looking for a high quality, deep foot massage, this isn't the unit for you. But I would recommend it to someone who wants a spa feel at home. I liked that it was a relaxing foot soak, and I liked the option to turn on and off the massage rollers as needed. Add a little Epsom salt, or other foot soak, and it's a portable, at-home pedicure system.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page.

#AmazrockMuslinSwaddle Blanket Review

I received the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

We absolutely LOVE Muslin swaddle blankets. Ever since we were given an Aden and Anais for our Baby Shower for Big Sister--I can't believe it's been over 3 years already!!--we've been collecting all the muslin swaddlers we can get our hands on, so I was thrilled when I saw the offer to review the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket!

Amazrock Muslin Swaddle Blanket in box and Amazon packaging

If you've read my past reviews, you know I'm a fan of simplicity when it comes to packaging, and I am reminded of this again with the Amazrock packaging. Very cute, simple and gender non-specific.

Amazrock Swaddle Blanket box back with swaddle instructions

I remembered to get a photo of the back of the box without the Amazon packaging, which shows the swaddling and care instructions (again, nice and simple), but not the front of the box without the extra plastic.

Side-by-side of open Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle blankets

Right out of the box, the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket feels thinner than our Aden and Anais, It's also much stiffer than our Aden and Anais, but that is likely because the Aden and Anais has been washed, used and "broken in" (as my babywearing side likes to say) for the past 3 years. The Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket feels about the same thickness as a couple small muslin swaddle blankets we got from Ross.

Big Sister and Baby Sister claimed the blankets right away

Even though the blankets were unwashed, Big Sister and Baby Sister had a blast playing with them. They even insisted I took pictures of them right then and there. (So don't mind the mess behind them; this is real life.)

Swaddled Big Sister (age 3)

Since they are SWADDLE blankets, I had to see how they handled swaddling. Since I worked at a early childhood education center (essentially an educational daycare) in the infant/toddler classroom for 4 or 5 years, I would have to say I'm pretty experienced with swaddling, and I'm comfortable swaddling with many different fabrics.

Unfortunately, Baby Sister would have nothing to do with being swaddled; fortunately, Big Sister was SUPER excited to be "mermaid swaddle!" One of the reasons I love muslin blankets so much, is for swaddling: it just molds to the child's body with very little effort. Big Sister, above, is swaddle a bit tighter than I would normally swaddle, but she wanted it super tight. The 48"x48" size made it ideal for swaddling a 3yo, and it would make the perfect infant swaddler--even with wigglers.

Having used the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket as a shoulder and lap blanket, I can attest to it's leightweight warmth. Even though it's still averaging in the high 80's, low 90's, I have been getting chills from our air conditioning, and the Amazrocks swaddlers have been great at keeping the breeze and chill off, without making me sweat. Such a reassurance when knowing that the blankets are designed for infants, who aren't really able to regulate their own temperature, yet.

I would recommend these to anyone who wants an easy-swaddle alternative to the traditional hospital receiving blanket, that's big enough to be used for several ages. I'd also recommend it to someone like me, who's sensitive to changes in temperature, but also likes small, lightweight blankets.

Interesting side note: apparently Amazrock has their own site, and doesn't just sell on Amazon. It looks to be mostly an aStore (a website that has Amazon Affiliates and Amazon Shopping embedded and integrated directly into the site), but their brand makes the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket as well as Amazrock Woodless Colored Pencils (which, unfortunately appears to be out of stock.)

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page

#EZHome_EMT_026 Digital Thermometer Review

I received the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

Our thermometer got dropped and broke the last time one of the girls were sick, and it's been on our shopping list since then. The theremometer's been one of those items that I always think, "oh, I'll get that next time,"  every shopping trip, and next time never really comes, so I was really grateful when I saw this review offer, it meant I never had to force myself to just buckle down and buy the new thermometer. (It came at a pretty good time, too, since there's an outbreak of Hand Foot Mouth disease at FSU, nearby, and it will be nice to have a working thermometer if the virus reaches us.)

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer box, front

My first thought when I saw the package is that is was a no-brand knock-off that didn't seem worth the $13 the company is asking.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer box, back

The back of the box is still pretty simple, and I'm glad it listed the features, since the <10 second read time and fever alarm started to reassure me of the price.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer in storage case

I was surprised at how accurate and full-size the photo on the box was, and ultimately the size of the display in hand. Our last thermometer got no taller (oriented as pictured above, top being top of photo) than this display screen total, making this screen about twice as tall. The digital display on the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer screen was also a little wider (left to right) than our past thermometer, but not nearly as noticeable of a difference than the thermometer height.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer under arm test, with results

The instructions say, "from a medical viewpoint this [the under arm] method will always provide inaccurate readings. and should not be used if precise measurements are required.". For this test, a precise measurement wasn't really needed, and it was the only measurement Big Sister would tolerate so I could take a photo. The digital display was very clear, and large, filling most of the display area. You can't see it in the photo, but there was a small triangle under the green area, indicating it wasn't a fever. (Green for no fever, yellow for mild fever, red for high/severe fever.)

The large display and flexible tip surprised me by being very easy to take a measurement on my 3yo, who is normally fights having her temperature taken, even as an under arm measurement.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer, no battery

I went to test myself for an oral test example, but I was disappointed to discover the low battery warning, after only one test. I pulled out the battery, put it back in, and then tried turning on the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer, again.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer oral test results

It worked. I waited about a week, to try again, and I haven't had a problem with the battery, since. (And you can even see the triangle temperature indicator under the green area.)

Overall, I'm still a little shocked at the price, since our last one was a $5 thermometer, but a quick search on Amazon shows that $13 isn't too far off for the quick read, large screen, flexible tip, fever alarm, and temperature color indicator. I would recommend this especially for someone who needs the large display and multiple alerts, or someone (like me) who wants the super quick read and flexible tip to take the temperature of someone wriggly, like a toddler. The $5 version is probably sufficient for a single college student, or anyone who just needs a simple, accurate, thermometer with a 60 second read time. (It's amazing how 60 seconds feels like an eternity when trying to take a sick toddler's temperature.)

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my

 Disclosures page

Review: Honsen' Men's Slim #Wallet

I received the Honsen Men's Slim Wallet free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my and my husband's own honest opinions.

Mario, my husband, has a rather large phone--a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, to be exact--that he stores in one pocket, and a fist-full of keys that he stores in his other pocket. Needless to say, his full-size billfold wallet was quite bulky in either pocket, and he prefers to carry his phone and wallet in the same pocket. I accepted the review offer for the Honsen Slim Wallet to see if this style of wallet would limit or resolve his frustration at the bulk in the wallet. 

First Unboxing of Honsen Slim Wallet, to find a drawstring bag 

I was impressed with the packaging. It came in a small brown/shipping box, and within that box, there was another, simple black and white box and lid. Inside, was a simple black drawstring bag, which contained the Honsen Slim Wallet.

First view of the Wallet, next to drawstring bag

My first impression of the wallet was that it felt pretty high quality. On Amazon, the seller says the "wallet is made from genuine cowhide leather," and with little to no experience with leather, I can only say that it looks nice. I do recall it smelling like leather, though.

Honsen Slim Wallet: card slots

I like that the company didn't use a lot of pomp and circumstance to signify the brand, but simply stamped the name, "Honsen," into the bottom of the card slots.

Honsen Slim Wallet: money clip

Having never used a money clip-styled wallet before, I can't conclusively say, but it felt like the magnet would weaken over time. Needless to say, it wasn't a neodymium magnet (a very strong, nearly permanent magnet) like the tiny (think 1/8" cube) ones that Mario periodically brings home from his labs. No, I don't think you need or even want a neodymium magnet in a money clip, but since those are our fridge magnets, that's the strength I am used to. The money clip was no contest, but that may explain my impression that the magnet was weak.

Honsen Slim Wallet: open money clip on side

Honsen Slim Wallet: money clip with 2 bills folded inside

Below are some of his thought and experiences after using the wallet for a little over a week, but I personally don't think we would have bought this wallet, if we didn't get it for free to review. I just don't think it's my his style, so I don't think it would have even crossed our radar.

The Honsen Men's Slim Wallet is a great wallet for someone that needs to minimize pocket space. The leather is fairly rigid and is able to keep its form very well. This is a major point for me as many wallets I have had relied on the cards for structure. The seams on the wallet are a fairly tight stitch and will hold for a few years without issue.

Cons:

The moneyclip is a magnetic clip. While this in and of itself is not a terrible thing, it has impacted my wallet placement as the wallet (although thin enough) cannot go in the same pocket as my phone as it tends to accidentally turn on my phones' stylus feature. (Galaxy Note 4) In the same pocket as my keys, the keyring tends to get stuck to the magnetic clip making the retrieval a little difficult.

Overall 4 stars for excellent leatherwork and space saving but I have to take one start off for the magnetic clip, though some people may like it.

 So, there you have it: 4 of 5 stars, primarily due to the magnetic clip.


Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page

#Zitriom Felt Furniture Pads Review

I received the Zitriom Self-Adhesive Felt Furniture Pads for free in exchange for my review; however, all thoughts expressed are my own, honest opinions.

Zitriom Premium Self-Adhesive Felt Furniture Pads

As seen in the photo below, the furniture pads on our chairs were long gone, so I jumped when I saw the offer to review the Zitriom Furniture Pads! (Don't mind the poor quality of the photos in this post; Baby Sister, age 1, insisted on being my photography assistant, and I didn't realize they were so bad until it was too late... Aren't kidlets so helpful? ) The first photo, above, shows the package, as it was delivered. It came as a set of 144 pieces in varying shapes and sizes, including 16 clear, silicone bumper pads for walls.

Even at a full price of $19.99, that's less than $0.15/piece, but as of the posting of this review, the set is on sale for $7.99, making it about $0.05/piece.

Chair legs with old furniture pads

We used two of the medium sets of four (or eight total) right off the bat for two matching chairs. The last set of felt pads didn't come with the self-adhesive feature, so we had to mess with gluing them on. Comparably, the Zitriom pads were a BREEZE!! Baby Sister and Big Sister's help were no problem, since they were each able to hold one set and hand me one circle at a time. Then I simply removed the sticker portion, and attached to the chair. Repeat, and Wallah! The chair was done. Call me old-fashioned for not getting the self-adhesive to start with, but I can tell you one thing: I'm never going back. I remember it taking nearly an hour plus cure/dry time for one chair originally; this time it took MAYBE 5 minutes--TOPS--to complete both chairs. Even with the help of small hands.

Chair leg with Zitriom Furniture Pads

The Zitriom Furniture Pads had an added bonus: they lifted the chairs just a touch off the ground to give the girls a little more clearance for the table. Sure, I should have expected this, but, instead, I was pleasantly surprised. The pads added about 1/8", so not super significant, but just something to keep in mind if your table has a low clearance. 

Close up of upright chair leg with Zitriom Furniture Pad

(See? I really can take decent pictures, when I'm not also wrangling a "helpful" toddler.)

Overall, I would recommend these pads to anyone who wants a good deal on a lot of furniture pads. If, like me, you only have a few things that need new pads, 144 pieces might be overkill, but at that price, I don't mind holding on to them until others need to be replaced. You might not either.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page.

Review: #TeethingDroolPadsandBib

This is my first compensated review, and I received these Teething Drool Pads and Bib (or what I would call "suck pads") by BabyPreferred for free in exchange for it; however, all thoughts are own, honest opinion.

My first impression when I saw this offer was, "Aw! How cute!" Seriously, I love the little bird pattern. I'm such a fan of classic, simple, non-gender-specific patterns and colors, and the ivory background and simple navy birds combination really hits that mark!

BabyPreferred Teething Drool Pads & Bib in a simple, cute packaging 

In person, it's no different. Even the packaging was simple: Sealed in a basic plastic bag, with a brown cardstock or paperboard wrapping. The logo actually caught my attention first. The bp looked a little like an elephant or a dragonfly to me, until I figured out it was the letters touching. The little hair wisp was an added touch, too. Just now, while fiddling with the wrapping, did I notice that the care instructions were on the back with the bar code: "Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low. Do not iron the back." Simple enough. (See, I like that. simplicity is great!) There was also a business card that I almost ignored in the package, but turns out it's a 20% off discount on one side, and the instructions on the other.

The 3 pieces included; Top: the bib; Bottom: 2 "wrap around drool pads," one of which has elastics to attach toys to

The bottom two pieces are what I would call "suck pads," but BabyPreferred calls them "wrap around drool pads." The snaps and rounded rectangles made it pretty clear how to attach to the carrier, but I had to look at the instructions to figure out how to attach the top, or bib piece. I also didn't know what the 3 elastic pieces (not well pictured) on bottom of the second/right suck pad were. Turns out the elastic is to attach teething toys with a clip or one of those toy linking chains.

Drool pads attached to Ethos ConvertiBu™, with the bib in postition + Baby Sister trying to steal the carrier.

The Teething Drool Pads and Bib are designed for an Ergo Four Position 360° carrier, but my carrier is a semi-custom from EthosBabywearing.com: Ethos ConvertiBu­­™ in charcoal twill. The drool/suck pads fit great, but the bib did not attach properly. On an Ergo 360°, there are buttons to attach the bib to, but the Ethos ConvertiBu™ doesn't have a froward facing option, nor buttons to attach to. I don't mind, though. Having Baby Sister forward facing in the front hurts my back, so I wouldn't ever use that feature, and thus wouldn't necessarily need the bib. I had planned on checking out an Ergo 360° from my local lending library, but I've been unable to contact them since Hurricane Hermine hit the area. I'll definitely update if/when I get my hands on a 360°! But I don't think it would change my review much.

Drool pads attached to Ethos ConvertiBu™ without the Bib

I didn't like the snaps against my shoulder, so I attached them facing the top, as shown in the picture below.

Baby Sister using the drool pads in the Ethos ConvertiBu™

Overall, I would recommend the BabyPreferred Teething Drool Pads and Bib to anyone with an Ergo 360° carrier, or any of the recommended carriers, as the product description says, "Designed for ERGObaby Four Position 360 Carrier, but also fits other carrier, car seat & stroller straps like Chicco, Jeep, Tula, Lillebaby, Beco, Boba, Babybjorn, Infantino, Evenflo & more." I also think the drool/suck pad portion will fit over almost any standard SSC (soft-structured/buckle carrier), and possibly over some Mei Tais.

If you want something to protect the straps of your carrier, I think these Drool Pads are great for you, and bonus, Baby Sister liked cuddling the bib portion that didn't fit our carrier.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page

My Early Childhood Teaching Philosophy

I am going to start right off the bat by making my credentials (or lack thereof) clear: I do not have a degree or any other advanced certificate in easily childhood education. I did take a couple of practicum-type credits as a dual-enrollment option in high school, as well as a few early childhood prerequisite courses. But, my Bachelors degree is mostly unrelated, and not in Education.   I also worked in a state licensed and nationally accredited early childhood facility for 3 or 4 years, and attended and participated in the trainings that were required during that time.

However, in that time, I learned a lot about the importance of having a teaching philosophy, and, as I contemplate the option of homeschooling our girls, I just wanted to organize my thoughts, and perhaps share them for others to see. 

I believe that play and hands-on experiences are the best forms of early childhood (and, in most cases, lifelong) education. 

While experimenting with a few different systems over the past year with Big Sister, I have found that I can't teach "forced" lessons. One curriculum I tried was entirely focused on the letters. There was no overarching theme; and I felt like all were were doing was making a long, drawn-out letter book that tried to also incorporate numbers and shapes. Big Sister didn't enjoy it after the first few lessons, and I refused to make learning a fight. 

Recently, I've tried casually assessing what skills and knowledge Big Sister has developed in the past year, and I am surprised to learn that she already knows a lot more that I thought, just by having conversations, reading, and interfacing with her directed play. 

I believe that learning should be incorporated into every aspect of life, and, just as important, themes and lessons should be child-driven. 

One example just occurred the other day: I was cleaning out some of my supplies, and Big Sister found a coloring page with a picture of a pelican, to which she asked, "what's that?" Instead of just answering her with, "a pelican," we jumped on the Internet, found fun facts and pictures of pelicans, watched a video of how pelicans really eat, found a pelican to color/cut/glue, counted pelicans in the video and pictures, and compared which pictures had more/fewer pelicans. After finishing at the computer, we colored the pelican coloring page, and Big Sister tried cutting out the pelican pieces (for the record, this was her first real experience with cutting, so I roughly cut apart each piece, and she "trimmed" them.) She then glued the pieces together, and proudly put her pelican on the fridge. We then pulled out our foam letters to make the word "pelican." As the girls would pull apart and hand me letters, I'd name them, and we'd build other words. 

It was a very fun, mostly casual, but there were a lot of learning objectives and skills wrapped up in that hour or so. 

Another example of child-driven learning occurred yesterday as Big Sister was playing with a computer keyboard. We talked about how the keyboard talked to the computer and tells the it what to do. I then started tracing letters with my finger on our couch, and Big Sister looked for the matching letter on the keyboard. 

Both relatively simple to implement, but by being involved with her interests and play, they became much more meaningful. 

I believe that intellectual skills supercede academic skills. 

I recently read this article that gave me terms for something I've always thought: skills related to the current standards of reading, writing , and 'rithmetic (academic skills) are less important than the ability to question, explore, and reason (intellectual skills.) One thing the article pointed out, that I didn't already connect, is that unless a child has developed the background, foundational intellectual skills, attempts to force academic skill will deter any real learning, and may decrease/slow the child's ability to learn the rote memorization. 

My biggest role as a parent, teacher and/or mentor is to facilitate a life-long love of learning, as well as a desire to always improve. 

I love learning new things. If I'm not pursuing my curiosity and/or developing myself one way or another, I get bored and frustrated, and I think that's evidence of successful parents, teachers and mentors who have helped me realize that there is so much that I DON'T know, but I can get closer and learn whatever I'm interested in. 

If I can tool my girls with the ability to ask questions, and then know how to find the answers, they will be well on their way to passionate, meaningful learning.  

Review of Ethos Cascade Freakinpink: Hot, Humid FL Yard Sale Edition!

Update: this was originally published on July 6, 2016. It got bumped to most recent when I added the Personal Note.

Wrap:

Ethos Cascade Freakinpink 

Size 5

Freakinpink cotton warp

Soft gray BreatheBlend™ weft.

Wrappees=
Big Sister: nearly 3yrs, 34", roughly 28lbs
Baby Sister (primary wrappee): 1yr, 26", roughly 18lbs
(I just measured and weighed them last night, but the heights seem tall, even though they both just went through a growth spurt.)

Pictures taken using indoor, indirect sunlight; indoor, direct sunlight; indoor, artificial lighting at night; and outdoor direct sunlight 

My wrapping background:
I've been wrapping on and off for nearly 3yrs. (I think Big Sister was 2mo when I tried my first FWCC--front wrap cross carry--with a woven wrap.) Despite this, I would probably only consider myself an intermediate wrapper, because I have my two favorite carries (FWCC and Ruck tied Tibetan) that I use almost exclusively.

With the warning that Cascade can be diggy for bigger babies and toddlers, I was determined to try a variety (or at least several carries) to get a better feel of Freakinpink. In the past 24hrs I've had Freakinpink, both kiddos have been up, but Big Sister was only up once for about 10 minutes. We've tried ruck, BWCC (back wrap cross carry) DH (double hammock)--which I must add is my nemesis carry--with a freshwater finish, and both a basic and reinforced ruck tied Tibetan. All back carries so far, since I was prepping for, then running, today's yard sale, and I needed to be able lift/move things.

Yesterday, my first impression of Freakinpink was how light it was. I really shouldn't be surprised, since it weighs in at 215GSM (grams per square meter) and it's super thin, but I was. Baby Sister had first ups, after a very long wrapping sabbatical, so my BWCC still had too much slack, but that's OK. I'll just add to the #normalizemediocrewrapping campaign. But even with the slack, it didn't feel like I was wearing her at all! By the end of her ups, I started to feel her on my hips and lower back, but that was due to my sloppy wrap job, as I felt no digging.

Baby Sister in indoor Back wrap cross carry

Wrap Attempt 2 was my nemesis, DH, with Big Sister needing wrap cuddles. I cheated in order to get a perfect middle marker placement, but it was still a moderately sloppy wrap job, so I was feeling her after the 10 or so minutes she was up.

Big Sister in indoor, double hammock with freshwater finish

After that, I didn't pay conscious attention to Freakinpink for the rest of the day, as it was well utilized in final preparations for today's sale. In retrospect, that is a good thing. The passes slid nicely into place for both ruck tied Tibetan and a second attempt at DH, with Baby Sister.

Indoor, double hammock with freshwater finish

Today, it was totally a LIFESAVER! Baby Sister wanted to be totally involved with the yard sale, coming in and out of the house and demanding to be held. She was part of the "party," and I didn't have to wear my arms out. Plus, the shimmer was BEAUTIFUL! (Unfortunately, I never got a picture that did the shimmer justice.) So fun to look at in the bright sun! Definitely brought some fun to the "waiting game" portion between the early and late rush.

Look at that shimmer! Outdoor knotless Tibetan finished rucksack

One thing I can't say, that other reviewers of Freakinpink (or the other Cascade color ways) have said, is that we didn't sweat in it. The BreatheBlend™ DEFINITELY breathed. As a description of the BreatheBlend™, Ethos Babywearing said, "Three things make BreatheBlend breathe: woven microvents, a slim profile, and a specially designed blend of cotton and polyester weaving yarn (70% cotton, 30% poly) for the breeziest woven wrap around." I could totally feel the air movement! However, at 94°F and 61% humidity, you sweat in pretty much any extended time outdoors. There's no getting past that. But I could handle the heat even better than with my BobaAir (a nylon SSC, soft structured or "buckle" carrier) which, despite its nylon design, I find very comfortable, even in heat.

Overall, Ethos Cascade Freakinpink with BreatheBlend™ is a lightweight, thin, airy wrap. I didn't think it was diggy, but that seems to be the consensus of previous reviewers of Cascade. I found it moldable, and the passes glid perfectly into place, after a few ups to get back into the "feel" of wrapping. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a cool wrap that's easy to keep in the diaper bag. This was a size 5 (roughly 4.2m,) and it was about the same size as a cloth diaper, once folded up.

Freakinpink is definitely a permastash here!

Mid-sale wrap nap

Successful Transfer

Personal Statement: I received no compensation for my review. All thoughts are my own, honest opinion.