This past weekend I was with Mabel in the Catskills. My family has a cabin on several acres there. On Saturday afternoon my cousin and I decided to take a walk to the pond and pick blackberries (if we could find any left behind by the bears and birds) along the way.
Mabel came along with us, but the tall grass, hills, and rocks were too much for her tiny legs, so she wanted to be carried most of the way.
Last summer we had the Baby Bjorn, which was a little rough on the back but doable for short walks/hikes around the property. This summer she’s too big for it- or at least too big to make it comfortable.
Mac and Mabel at the pond last fall.
So, on the way up, I gave her a piggyback ride. However, because she doesn’t understand that she’s supposed to actually hold on, I had to lean way forward and basically let her sit on my hands. Despite being stooped over, she still tugged on my shirt and choked me.
On the way back, I opted to put her on my shoulders. Well, neither of us really liked that. It was pretty easy having her up there, but she didn’t want to sit on my shoulders and kept twisting and trying to climb down. Add to that the rocky, slippery, wet, and muddy path and not having my hands free if we should fall, it wasn’t working.
We’re planning a trip to Costa Rica in the Spring, and after this past weekend, I knew we needed a back-carrier.
I had been keeping my eyes peeled at tag sales, on Craig’s List, and in children’s resale shops for months with no luck. I really wanted an Ergo because I had heard such good things about it, but I wasn’t going to shell out that much money for it.
Yesterday (or was it Monday?) I saw that Zulily was having a sale on Boba carriers. I read reviews on Amazon (here) and it got high marks and compared favorably to the Ergo according to the reviewers.
However, I’m cheap. I still wasn’t going to the pay $59.99 plus $5.95 shipping. Yes $65.94 is much better than $100, but I still wasn’t sold.
Well, today I am glad I waited! I was reading on Boba’s Facebook page and one of the commenters left a coupon code for $10 off!
Maybe it’s the psychological thrill of getting a deal, but I felt like $55.94 was worth it.
So, this is Mabel’s new ride:
Source
I haven’t tried it on, but from the reviews for the Boba Classic Baby Carrier on Amazon, it works for larger people, and if it doesn’t work for us and we have to re-sell it, I’m sure we can recoup the cost.
If I was rich, and money was no object, I would probably get one of the gorgeous Petunia Pickle Bottom Ergo Carriers. I love the patterns, but not the price! Although I’m not sure Mac would want to wear something that feminine.
Do you guys use carriers? Which do you use? Would you recommend it?
Oh- and of course, I’m going to share! Here is the Zulily coupon code I used! SMDF10