Celebrate Independence Day with 10% Off Sale at QuirkyBaby

Celebrate your independence by getting your hands back while carrying your baby in a fun, functional, and fashionable baby carrier from QuirkyBaby! Now through July 7th, enjoy 10% off at QuirkyBaby with discount coupon WEARBABY56. Automatic US free shipping applies on all orders of $50+.

The fine print: not applicable to Beco Butterfly carriers or Ergo Baby Carriers and accessories. Not applicable to previous orders or combinable with any other discount coupons or offers.

Get your Go GaGa Sling Tote or Messenger Bag at 10% off with free shipping!

I’m very happy to have found the wonderful Go GaGa bags — finally, a diaper or gear bag that works with baby carriers! The sling style shoulder of the Go GaGa bag spreads out to cup the shoulder, preventing slipping and keeping the bag firmly in place. Another great touch — the stroller straps on the bags work well for rolling up and attaching a baby carrier to the bag, too.  I’ve tried my Sling Tote on with both one-shoulder and two-shoulder carriers, and it’s worked with every carrier I’ve tried.

These bags are functional and stylish enough to last well beyond the baby years, and can be used for home, office, the gym, wherever your busy life takes you.

For a limited time, get your own Go GaGa Sling Tote or Messenger Bag from QuirkyBaby at 10% off with free US shipping. All the details are at this link.

More than twenty styles of BabyLegs on sale now!

Just because it’s getting warmer doesn’t mean the BabyLegs have to get put away for the season! I use them as armwarmers or legwarmers on my daughters when it’s chilly out in the morning but will warm up later in the day. I also bring them with me for warming up after swimming lessons or a dip in the pool. And, as I always tell new parents, you can’t beat BabyLegs plus nightgowns on newborns for easy diaper changes in the middle of the night.

While supplies last, get great designs of BabyLegs for as low as $7 — in either conventional or organic cotton.

Click here to see all available styles!

Avoid Container Syndrome — Carry Your Baby in a Sling or Carrier or In Your Arms!

Babies carried in or put in “containers” — carseats, bouncy seats, swings, strollers, and cribs — for the majority of the day are at increased risk of plagiocephaly, aka flat head, as well as delays in meeting milestones such as crawling. Now experts have coined a new phrase for these problems — container syndrome. Two articles about container syndrome are here and here.

The good news is, in most cases, container syndrome is easy to avoid! I tell parents during babywearing consultations that carrying their babies, whether in-arms or in a sling or carrier, is the best way to keep sweet little heads nice and round. It’s good exercise for babies, because even when their heads are gently supported in a carrier, an upright carrying position will encourage them to hold their heads up and develop those neck and torso muscles.  Babies who are carried for a significant portion of the day develop better head and trunk control sooner than babies who are left in containers all day.

Leave the carseat in the car where it belongs and give yourself and your baby some healthy exercise with a baby carrier instead!

New Scootababy print — Santorini

Scootababy has a new pattern out for spring — Santorini. Inspired by the classical symmetry of Greek mosaics and the sun and sea of the Aegean Isles, Santorini features a honeycomb hexagonal print of blues, khaki, and brown on a taupe carrier with brown piping. QuirkyBaby is now accepting pre-0rders on Santorini. I expect to ship orders via Priority Mail by mid-April (sooner if possible)!

Join QuirkyBaby’s Affiliate Program and Earn 10% Store Credit on All Sales!

I’m happy to announce I have a new affiliate program up and running. You can earn 10% on all sales that you refer to Quirkybaby. Just set up an affiliate account by clicking on this link and filling out the information. Once your account is activated, you’ll get your affiliate number, as well as links and banners you can post on your website, blog, or social networking page.  Your 10% in store credit can be used towards any purchase from QuirkyBaby or transferred as a gift voucher to someone else.  You can even order business cards with your affiliate number to hand out to people who stop you to ask where you got your awesome baby carrier!

QuirkyBaby is a new business partner of CarbonFund.org

To help offset the carbon costs of my online retail business, I’ve joined CarbonFund.org as a business partner. Any purchase made at QuirkyBaby has the option of adding a donation to CarbonFund.org to help offset the carbon costs of shipping. 100% of the donation will be passed through to CarbonFund.org.

FREE BabyLegs with purchase — the more you buy, the more you get!

Babywearing during chilly weather + FREE BabyLegs = a fantastic fall offer from QuirkyBaby! While supplies last, receive FREE BabyLegs with your order. The more you buy, the more you get: 1 pair with orders of $75-$124, 2 pairs with orders of $125-$150, and 3 pairs with orders of $151+. Click on this link for all the details.

New Scootababy Designs In Stock

Audra Meng, designer of the Scootababy, shared a picture with me of her booth at the huge ABC Expo in Las Vegas. A banner in her booth read “Trying is Believing.” Truer words were never spoken! (or printed, I suppose I should say). The Scootababy is one of my favorites to demonstrate at my babywearing consultations because I love to see someone’s face light up when they realize how simple, and how outstandingly comfortable, the Scootababy really is. I was delighted to sell one recently to a couple who bought the Scootababy as a present for his mom, who babysits their baby during the work week. What a great way for this grandmother to bond with (and care for) her granddaughter! My own mom wore my baby girl in the Scootababy at a La Leche League conference this year, and loved it.

I’ve had a number of customer inquiries about plainer versions of the new and improved Scootababy, so I’m happy to announce that I now have Black and Taupe/Brown in stock. Black is just that — black twill, black piping, and black quilted microfiber lining. Taupe is a dark grey-khaki accented with contrasting brown piping and lined with brown quilted microfiber. Either one is gender-neutral and will appeal to moms and dads (or grandparents) alike.

Scootababy hip carriers ship free in the US from QuirkyBaby (international customers receive a $5 rebate on shipping costs).

New CatBird Baby Pikkolo Buckle Carriers Are Here

I’ve just gotten a new shipment of Pikkolo buckle carriers in the new prints and colors for Fall 2008. These have been one of my best-sellers at my babywearing consultations. Parents of small babies love that this buckle carrier can be used on the front or the back, and baby can be worn in a forward-facing out position (a la Baby Bjorn, but much more comfortable!). My favorite features are: 1) the memory foam shoulder straps, 2) the adjustable bottom that narrows to allow tiny babies to ride with legs out or bigger babies to do a forward-facing out carry, and 3) the double-adjustable buckles.

I’ve also got the CatBird Baby babywearing support belt in stock. This ingenious accessory can be added to the Pikkolo, or any mei tai carrier, to provide better support by acting as a hip belt that transfers baby’s weight to the wearer’s hips.

The Pikkolo is the only carrier that I recommend for using in a front-facing out carrier like the popular frontpacks (Snugli and Baby Bjorn). The Pikkolo is a far better value as it can be worn with a newborn or a toddler, on the parent’s front or back, is ergonomic for both parent and child, and is much easier to adjust to fit your growing baby (and to nurse).

All Pikkolo carriers ship free in the US from QuirkyBaby (international customers receive a $5 shipping rebate).