LÍLLÉbaby Tie the Knot Wrap Review

(This wrap was given to me, but all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links)

Overview:

• $49.99
• 7-31 pounds
• One size fits all.
• Extremely soft, lightweight and breathable-great for warm climates (100% Tencel Modal) 
• Convenient neck support pocket. 
• Unique roll-up pockets help keep ends off the ground.
• Comes in 5 beautiful colors.

I have always wanted a stretchy wrap with my newborns, so when baby #3 was on the way I knew I had to finally get one. Thankfully LÍLLÉbaby just came out with their Tie the Knot wrap, and we were able to try it out with my brand new little boy.

Living in Arizona makes the warmth that comes with babywearing even more of a concern, and I always heard that stretchy wraps were especially hot to wear, so I was a little worried. With the LÍLLÉbaby Tie the Knot that is not a problem. The buttery soft Tencel fabric is extremely lightweight and breathable. Even with our extra hot June weather it was quite cool to wear.

The Tie the Knot is a long stretchy wrap, which allows it to fit almost every shape and size of wearer. It is comfortable, supportive, and lets you get plenty of sweet squishy snuggles.

The LÍLLÉbaby Tie the Knot has some unique features that I especially love.

• Roll up pockets: these allow you to roll up the ends and secure them with the elastic bands to prevent the tails from dragging on the dirty ground while you put on the wrap. 
• Neck support pocket: the large pocket not only provides a place to put the necessities (binky, burp rag, diaper, etc.) but it also allows you to add more neck support with a small rolled cloth.

Because the Tie the Knot is a little less stretchy than other wraps, it is more supportive for heavier babies. With a generous weight limit of 31 pounds, I can even wear my 25 pounds two year old in it (although it is best and most comfortable for smaller babies during the first year).

Overall the LÍLLÉbaby Tie the Knot is an amazing, comfortable, soft, breathable wrap. I love it and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a stretchy wrap. 

Go buy one for yourself here: https://lillebaby.com

Learn how to wrap it here: 

LÍLLÉbaby Tie the Knot vs. Solly Baby Wrap

The Tie the Knot is similar to the Solly Baby Wrap, so I figured there would be some questions about that. Although the fabric is similar, the LÍLLÉbaby Tie the Knot is slightly softer and definitely thinner and more breathable. This makes the Tie the Knot the better choice for warmer climates.

The LÍLLÉbaby Tie the Knot also has a larger, more convenient pocket than the Solly, and features the roll up pockets to keep the tails from dragging. 

If you are like me and like saving money, the Tie the Knot is also less expensive than the Solly ($49.99 vs $65). 

The NEW LÍLLÉbaby Essentials

(This carrier was given to me, but all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links).

We've had the pleasure of trying out the new LÍLLÉbaby Essentials carrier the last few weeks, and I am really impressed!

Here's a quick overview:

• Minimum weight: 7 pounds with infant insert (not yet available), 15 pounds without.
• Maximum weight: 45 pounds
• Posisitions: Front, Back, and Hip. 
• Features: 3 way adjustable straps (including PFA's), Large pocket, attached mesh hood.
• 100% cotton.
• Price: $89.99

I think Essentials is a great name for this carrier. It has everything you need in a carrier, at a great price. It's comfortable, has an awesome pocket, a soft mesh hood, and it looks amazing!

When I was new to babywearing and looking for a carrier I could not understand how people justified spending so much on carriers. I now know that it is totally worth it, but it was hard to justify it in the beginning. I wanted something affordable, but also wanted something comfortable that would last a long time. If the LÍLLÉbaby Essentials had been around 2 years ago, it would have been EXACTLY what I was looking for!
The LÍLLÉbaby Essentials is a great starter or extra carrier. It folds up small, making it perfect to keep in the car or diaper bag so it's ready to go whenever you are! I love having it in addition to my LÍLLÉbaby COMPLETE and can even use the amazing LÍLLÉbaby Lumbar Support with it. 

The Essentials is comfortable even for long periods of time, and I can use it for both my 17 month old and 3 year old. I love it, my husband loves it, the kids love it, we just have a lot of love for this carrier. Go get yours at www.lillebaby.com

The Essentials fits many shapes and sizes of babies and toddlers.

We LOVE our LÍLLÉbaby Complete, so if you are wondering which might be the one for you, here is a quick comparison. 

One Year of Cloth Diapers

One year ago I was a cloth diaper skeptic. I try to be as frugal as possible, so I had looked into cloth diapers when I was pregnant with my first baby, but after seeing the cost, and figuring in all the washing and everything, I thought there was no way they could ever save anyone money. And not to mention, poop, germs, ew! 

For over 2 years we suffered through cheap disposables, daily blowouts, and lots of diapers only worn for 2 minutes before they were pooped in and thrown away. When my second baby was 5 months old, and I had two in diapers, literally throwing away all that money started to really bother me. I revisited cloth diapers, found cheaper ones I was willing to take the risk with, and went for it, figuring I could try it for a couple months to make the investment worth it, and if I hated it I could always quit. 

Well here I am one year later, still using, and loving, cloth diapers. My baby ended up having food allergies so she was primarily breastfed for over a year, which meant really messy diapers. I dreaded every time she was in a disposable because I quickly learned that cloth diapers are bomb proof. I think I can count on one hand the number of blowouts we have had, and those were very small, and usually due to user error. I saw somewhere that you are either dealing with poopy laundry (clothes) or poopy laundry (cloth diapers), and I think that is totally true.

Saving money was my biggest motivating factor to start cloth diapering. but even though I'm not a huge "green" person, I must admit I do like knowing I'm not adding a bunch of diapers to the mountains of trash out there. Even now with a 17 month old, and a 3 year old only wearing diapers at night, we go through AT LEAST 7 diapers a day. That's over 2500 diapers a year!

You might be wondering, what about the poop?! I thought for sure I would quit cloth diapers once my baby started eating solid foods, but thanks to some handy gadgets, dealing with the poop doesn't even really bother me. We LOVE our Spray Pal splatter shield and Sprayer. The few times I have foolishly thought I didn't need to bother using the Spray Pal, I have fully regretted it. Let's just leave it at that ;)

So would I recommend cloth diapers? Yes! They are really so much easier, awesome, and less gross than you would think. If me and my germaphobe  husband can do it, anyone can!

Cloth diapers are cute, easy, save money, and are just all around a good idea. Don't be scared, give them a try! The worst thing that will happen is you'll love them :) 

Babywearing=Freedom

       I didn't really get into babywearing with my first baby, and I really regret it now. I was given a Bjorn, and although it worked ok for the first few months, it quickly became uncomfortable. And for some reason babywearing all the time just didn't occur to me.
       I spent many hours walking around stores, holding a crying baby while pushing the car seat in the shopping cart. I went through the airport pushing an empty stroller while juggling a 20 pound 1 year old. Getting things done around the house when you have a baby that just wants to be held is very difficult, and there were many things that just seemed impossible to do with a baby, like hiking, or going somewhere on my own. Why? Because most babies want to be held, some more than others, but babies just like being close to their parents. Which is understandable, the world's a kinda scary place.

       When I got pregnant the second time I really started looking into more comfortable baby carriers. I ended up ordering one and we used it with my toddler even before the baby came. Once we had a second baby girl in our lives there was new joy, but also new challenges. How do you fit both a toddler and a newborn in a shopping cart? How do you take your toddler to play at the park with a crawling 6 month old? How do you take 2 young kids through the airport, or travel alone with a baby? The answer to all of these potential problems is babywearing. Babywearing has made my life SO much easier.

       I don't think my second baby has ever really been unhappy while shopping or out and about because she has always been snuggled securely against me. Even in the most foreign places she's been able to stay happily close to what's familiar to her, her mom.

We LOVE our LILLEbaby Complete & CarryOn

       So, to my main point. Babywearing=freedom. Freedom to get off the sidewalk and take the path less traveled. Freedom to take a 1 and 2 year old hiking, to the zoo, through the airport, in the snow, to the store, and anywhere else we want to go. Freedom to let your baby nap anywhere, be comfortable, happy, and content in almost every situation. Freedom to take your baby just about anywhere and do just about anything.

       Babywearing=happy kids, and I love all of the snuggles I get to enjoy while exploring the world with them nice and close. If you haven't given babywearing a try, do it! You might be surprised by how many opportunities it opens up to you and your family. There's a whole world out there, get out and explore it!

Mayfair Child/Adult Toilet Seat

Before having kids I saw lots of different potty seats people would use, and all of them seemed gross, or a pain. I was so glad to find out there was something like this, and I knew I had to have it when my kids started using the potty. 

 The Mayfair Child/Adult Toilet Seat makes life with a potty training kid so much easier! Instead of having bulky/ugly potty seats/chairs sitting around your bathroom, it's basically no different than a regular toilet seat. Since it is attached, it's always right where you need it, on the toilet. The seat is held up with a magnet that is strong and secure, but little kids can still pull it down when needed.

The Adult toilet seat is good quality, and after over a year of use I have no complaints. The whole thing is easy to clean, looks nice, and has held up really well. My daughter feels safe using the toilet all by herself, and it has made potty training a lot more pleasant :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00596IFBG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LÍLLÉbaby CarryOn Air

My two year old is like most two year olds; she can be emotional, grumpy, tired, and destructive. All of these toddler qualities seem to make themselves known even more when we are out and about, and holding a big kid for an hour can be very tiring. So although a toddler carrier might not be necessary on a day-to-day basis, it is definitely nice to have on outings, hikes, or even shopping trips.

The LÍLLÉbaby CarryOn Air is AMAZING! It is super comfortable, and fits my 30 pound, 35.5 inch 2.5 year old perfectly. The breathable mesh is perfect for our hot Arizona weather, but it is still soft and supportive. It also features a lumbar support that helps distribute the weight on your back making it even more comfortable. I can hardly feel the 30 pound kid on me, so that's impressive.

The CarryOn can be used up to 50 pounds, so this will not be outgrown anytime soon, which makes a great carrier even more worth the investment. It has dual adjusting straps which makes adjusting on front or back super easy. And the waist belt has extended padding that helps evenly distribute weight around your hips. One of the coolest features are the large pockets that can hold quite a bit of the stuff that us moms have to pack around.

Although my baby girl isn't really a baby anymore, she still feels safe and secure snuggled up with her mom. Even the most extreme toddler tantrums can be tamed by love; and that is why I love the CarryOn, it keeps what matters most to me close to my heart. 

                http://lillebaby.com/baby-carriers/carryon/carryon-air

LÌLLÈbaby Back Carry

If you've ever wondered how to get your baby on your back for a back carry, this is how we do it. With a little bit of practice it gets really easy :)