A big congratulations to the winner of The Mini Mei Tai doll sling — #72!

G at lin3arossa

"My daughter would use this for Ella Poupella. It's a Waldorf doll I made for my daughter."

Are you intrigued by someone who made a Waldorf doll for her daughter and gave it such an enchanting name? You should be!

Hop on over to lin3arossa's blog and see all the amazing sewing she's done — all modeled on her or her über-adorable daughter. You're going to love this kid's expressions. lin3arossa has made such fabulous clothing as:

• Flower pants with built-in suspension (that sounds like engineering, doesn't it?)
• Almost-UFO skirt (intriguing name, adorable look)
• Kasia high-waisted skirt (she thinks people were complimenting her more on her blouse than her fabulous skirt — go disabuse her of that notion)

(Wait, should I be scared about sending something I made to someone so creative and talented? Perhaps!)

If you entered and didn't win — now that you've met lin3arossa, aren't you glad her daughter won? I bet you feel better, don't you, knowing that the Pink Swirly fabric is going to someone so deserving of babywearing cuteness?

And don't worry, because you can still make your own Mini Mei Tai — it's easy as getting out scissors and scrap fleece. Check out my full (and I do mean "full") tutorial here.

Speaking of which, I really need to find my sewing machine's power cord. lin3arossa suggested looking in the washing machine or the toy box, because that's where her daughter would have put it. Will do!

Thank you to everyone for entering! Be sure to check my giveaway page for current giveaways when next it's updated. I've got a couple fun ones on the horizon!

Last May, I started writing a review of the two books that have helped me the most in growing a vegetable garden in the Pacific Northwest. But I put off publishing it, because it did seem rather, you know — specific.

But I'm back into gardening this year, and they still stand as the most influential in my planning, so — they deserve a shout-out.

If you're also in Seattle or similar and are planning out your vegetable garden for this year, grab these books and get going. Spring is on the way — hurrah!

Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades

This book by Steve Solomon is written with confidence and thoroughness. You can tell Solomon is a master gardener who knows his stuff — and who knows this climate, and what works here.

He advocates organic methods, which I really appreciated, but isn't afraid to suggest optional chemical methods when appropriate and safe. He explains gardening down to the composition of the dirt and explains why just piling on compost isn't necessarily going to be helpful. In general, he tells you why gardening methods that work well out East don't automatically translate to the Northwest Coast. For instance, he explained why my melon dream didn't pan out: just not enough sun strength, alas.

What was most interesting to me about reading this and the other Northwest gardening books was realizing that you can garden year-round in the Pacific Northwest climate. Solomon gives details of what crops grow well, which ones will help your pantry and the soil through overwintering, and what sort of crop rotation will keep the soil at its healthiest.

Solomon generally doesn't recommend raised beds because of his theories on crop rotation, but keep in mind that he's dealing with quite a large garden — really more of a small farm. In my last garden, I had about four square feet to work with, so crowding all my crops together was really my only option! That said, if you have the space to play with, Solomon's ideas seem sound and tested.

I took extensive notes on which plants to start when, and when to harden the seedlings and transfer them outside. I also resolved to look for the particular seed varieties Solomon recommends. This is a very detailed book that you will reference again and again!

Maritime Northwest Garden Guide

The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide is produced by the Seattle Tilth, an organic gardening advocacy and educational organization, and written by Carl Elliott and Rob Peterson.

This book is tailored to the area and how to garden organically and effectively in the Northwest coastal climate.

It talks climate zones, bugs and diseases, and various set-ups to help warm your soil and shield your plants to lengthen your growing season.

One of the most useful features is the month-by-month planner suggesting what to do for each period.

There are also suggestions for gardening with kids. I hope to do most all my gardening this year with a certain little tyke in tow, so I love that aspect!

It looks like it's cheaper right now to buy the most current copy of the book through the Seattle Tilth ($14.95 + tax and shipping). You can view the Amazon page for reviews and more information.

By the way, the Seattle Tilth is sponsoring an Early Spring Edible Plant Sale on March 20, so check it out if you're in the area! And say "hi" to me — I'm sure I'll be shopping for hours.

Choose from an amazing selection of edible plant varieties proven to perform well in the Pacific NW during the cool season, starring rare and heirloom organic vegetables. We will also be selling perennial edibles such as favorite cane fruits, unusual fruiting shrubs and trees from One Green World in Oregon, culinary herbs and edible flowers. Celebrate the first day of spring by getting the healthiest plants for your garden this year and starting with the best selection of edible veggies, fruits and herbs in the region!

A big congratulations to the winner of Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding — #3, an early-bird entrant!

Krista at Heavenly Savings

Here's what Krista learned from reading MamaKnowsBreast.com, Andi Silverman's blog:

"I did not know that that using antidepressants can delay breast milk coming in just after birth. It makes sense but I never had heard of that before!"

If you're not the lucky Krista, you can buy your own copy of Mama Knows Breast for (currently) $11.21 on Amazon, and it's eligible for Super-Saver Shipping. It makes for a wonderful baby-shower gift! Read my full review here.

Thank you to everyone for entering! Be sure to check my giveaway page for current giveaways. Right now there's a Mini Mei Tai for your child to wear his or her "baby" doll.

This giveaway is now closed. View the winner here!

Do you have a child who wants a baby carrier just like you have, but for a favorite doll?

Have you (or someone you know) just had a second child and the firstborn wants to wear a doll just the way the new baby is being carried?

Have I got a deal for you!

Check out Hobo Mama's lovingly hand-crafted (in the USA! of upcycled materials! with no sweatshop labor and very little sweat!) Mini Mei Tai, the answer to all your doll-carrying needs!™

A mei tai, pronounced MAY-TIE, is an Asian-inspired soft baby carrier that can be worn on the front or back. The baby — or, in this case, the baby doll — is supported by a soft apron of fabric. Waist straps tie around the waist, and shoulder straps cross over the shoulders and around to support the baby(doll)'s back. It's very easy to tie on once you get the hang of it!

Having a doll sling is wonderful for passing babywearing on to the next generation, and for letting kids imitate what they've seen their parents do.

My two-year-old, Mikko, loves bringing his babies places and giving them constantly changing names — recently it has been Baby One and Baby Five — and he's picked out every one of his dolls from the store himself. He also chooses their outfits, as you can see from the picture.

Children try on the roles of adults as they navigate their world, and giving them a simple, handmade tool like this encourages them in their role playing.

Plus, they get some of the adult benefits of babywearing: having their favorite "babies" snuggled close, and having their hands free to keep on playing!

This special Mini Mei Tai is made out of a cushy polyester fleece fabric that is (a) machine washable (hooray!) and (b) soft and snuggly (hooray again!). Those are important characteristics for a child's product, aren't they? The fleece has a lot of give to it, so you can pull on the straps as tightly as is comfortable for your child.

The Mini Mei Tai is in fact ingeniously made from scraps left over from making the no-sew adult version of a fleece mei tai (thanks to a suggestion from Missy). The Mini Mei Tai is crafted much the same way but does require a teensy bit of sewing, which you can see here in the special tutorial on HoboMama.com.

I estimate that this Mini Mei Tai will fit very small children and dolls (a year or so old) up through elementary school (maybe twelve years old with an American Girl doll). For small children, you can roll the waistband to make the apron shorter, and even cut down the size as needed: Fleece doesn't unravel, so there's no need to hem. If you believe your child or doll will be bigger than the size range listed, please let me know if you win and we'll see what we can do!

I'll be hand-stitching the winner's Mini Mei Tai after the contest closes, so allow a little time for the sewing to take place. If you have a special request, you can let me know then. I'm making the Mini Mei Tai for the winner a little bit smaller than in the photos here and more like my pattern on my Hobo Mama tutorial. If you'd like to give me exact measurements if you win, feel free!

Winner chooses from one of these four luscious fleece fabrics (click on picture to see them bigger): Seashore Blue, Stripey Delight, Polka Dot Pleasure, and Pink Swirls! Yes, I made up those fabric names.

Please note that the waistband for Pink Swirls might be a little shorter than the pattern in my tutorial because of the low amount of fabric I have for it; if you win and want it and think that might be a problem, let me know.

IMPORTANT Safety Notes: Please be clear that this giveaway is for a DOLL version of a mei tai carrier! It is not meant for human babies. It is not designed to support an infant's weight, only a doll's. Supervise your child while the carrier is in use, because the long straps may get tangled. Don't let a young child use this carrier alone, and don't let anyone use it to carry an infant. Clear?

To get your child started with a front carry, here are some easy instructions for tying a mei tai on your child:

• Tie the waist strap around your child's waist. You can use a knot or a bow. Let the apron of fabric hang down toward her legs.
• Have your kid hold her doll against her chest while you pull the apron up over the doll's back and smooth the shoulder straps over your child's shoulders.
• Cross the shoulder straps over her back.
• Bring the shoulder straps around front and tie behind the doll's back or under the doll's bum. Again, you can do a knot or a bow.

That's it! Easy as pie.

You can also check out my instructions here for an adult front carry and the linked video. Here are some alternate carries from a reputable mei tai site.

I also have up a giveaway of Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding, by Andi Silverman. I was thinking what a great gift combination this would be for a new sibling gift: a Mini Mei Tai for the older sib, and the breastfeeding book for the mama!

So I'm offering an extra entry into this Mini Mei Tai giveaway by entering the Mama Knows Breast giveaway, and I'm willing to do vice versa as well — get an extra entry into the Mama Knows Breast giveaway by entering here. But hurry — the Mama Knows Breast giveaway ends this Thursday, Feb. 25!

BUY IT!

You can't purchase a Hobo Mama Original Mini Mei Tai, because you can't put a price on the adorableness. Or something like that.

[FYI: My favorite mei tai-like carrier for adults and real babies is the ERGO Baby Carrier (affiliate link but I joined because I love it so much!). It has buckles so is even more user-friendly, and it's very supportive. You can read my review of the ERGO here. ERGO Baby does sell a super-cute Doll Carrier version of its mei tai under Shop --> Lifestyle.]

MAKE IT!

Make your own Mini Mei Tai or No-Sew Adult Mei Tai following each easy how-to on HoboMama.com! If you make the adult version, remember to save the scraps to make doll versions afterward! All you need for the adult version are heavy fleece, a measuring tape, and scissors, so give it a try.

WIN IT!

For your chance to win a genuine Hobo Mama handmade Mini Mei Tai, enter in the comments below! Contest is open worldwide because you know I love you all dearly.

MAIN ENTRY: Tell me which child would use this Mini Mei Tai if you won.

Leave an email address in your comment if it's not clearly visible on your profile or linked web page so I can contact you if you win.

BONUS ENTRIES, to increase your chance of winning:

• Tell me which doll would use this Mini Mei Tai if you won.
• Enter my giveaway for Mama Knows Breast, a wonderful breastfeeding guide by Andi Silverman — but hurry, because that contest ends Feb. 25!
• Follow www.HoboMamaReviews.com publicly through Google Friend Connect, or subscribe to the Hobo Mama Reviews RSS feed in a reader or by email.
• Follow www.HoboMama.com through Google Friend Connect, or subscribe to the Hobo Mama RSS feed in a reader or by email.
• Follow @Hobo_Mama on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
• Tweet this giveaway. This may be done once daily for still more entries. Leave the direct URL, which can be found by clicking the time stamp under your Tweet. You can create your own text or copy/paste this: Win a hand-sewn Mini Mei Tai baby-doll sling from @Hobo_Mama for #babywearing a child's favorite doll! http://bit.ly/9lYjWH {3.18}
• Become a fan of Hobo Mama on Facebook.
• Follow Hobo Mama on Networked Blogs on Facebook.
• Do something lovely for this post or a post on Hobo Mama (StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Technorati, etc.) and let me know what it was and which post in your comment. There is a Share button below each post to make things easier. You can gain up to 3 entries this way.
• Put my Carnival of Natural Parenting button on your website for 2 extra entries. The HTML code is in the sidebar. Leave your site URL in the comment.
• Include this giveaway in a post on your own blog for 3 extra entries. Leave the direct link in your comment.

RULES:

• Contest open WORLDWIDE, because I don't mind shipping something this light and this fabulous anywhere on the planet. (My apologies to my Venutian readers.)
• Leave each entry as a separate comment so I can count them all.
• For actions like following and subscribing, if you already follow or subscribe, just let me know in your comment.
• For tasks that garner you multiple entries, say something like "I blogged [link here] #1," "I blogged [link here] #2," etc.
• You don't have to do any of the bonus entries, but you do have to complete the first mandatory one.
• I will pick the winner through random.org after the contest closes and send an email notification. Leave an email address in your comment if it's not clearly visible on your profile or linked web page so that I can contact you if you win. If I can't reach any particular winner or don't hear back within a couple days, I'll draw a new name.
• Any questions, let me know: mail {at} HoboMama.com

Here are some more deals and steals sent to me by my affiliates.

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SEARS

Lots of sale items at Sears this weekend!

Shop unbelievable savings during our weekly sale and don't miss out on our Online Only & Exclusive Coupons running all week long! Plus save an EXTRA 5% off your entire order with code SEARSFEB from 2/17-2/19. Shop our 3-Day Sale starting Friday 2/19 thru Sunday 2/21 for great savings and then our Family and Friends Event follows starting Sat 8pm 2/20 thru Mon 6am 2/22 CT.






Online Only: Save EXTRA $5 off $50 w/ code SEARS5OFF50

Save up to 70% off during Sears' President's Day Weekend Sale 2/14-2/16

Save 50% off Mattresses + EXTRA 10% off NINP for 24 Mths, FREE TV w/select purchases 2/14-2/16

25% off Energy Star Appliances + 20% off other Appliances & EXTRA 5% off w/Sears Card 2/14-2/16

ALL Jeans for the family on sale 2/14-2/16

Buy One, Get One 50% off Shoes for the family 2/14-2/16

5% instant savings on Electronics $699 or more w/Sears card 2/14-2/16

Save up to 70% off ALL Fine Jewelry 2/14-2/16

All Bed & Bath Fashions on sale 2/14-2/16

All Tool Storage, Mechanics Tool Sets, Socket Sets & Garage Door Openers on sale 2/14-2/16

All Craftsman Wet/Dry Vacs, Compressors, Lift Equipment & Bench/Stationary Tools on sale 2/14-2/16

All Fitness Equipment on sale + save on Closeout Game Tables 2/14-2/16

Save an EXTRA 40% off Sears Clearance Apparel for the Family 2/14-2/16





Wow! That's pretty much everything you could shop for at Sears.

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KMART

Gotta add some Kmart coupons and sales into the mix.



2-Day Online Only President's Day Sale! Save an EXTRA 5-30% off + FREE Shipping over $39 2/14-2/15

2-Days Online Only EXTRA 5% off Apparel & up top 10% off Patios & Grills 2/14-2/15

Online Only EXTRA 10% off Gemstones, Doormats & Kalorik Brand Small Kitchen Appliances 2/14-2/15 (Intriguing assortment, no?)

2-Day Online Only President's Day Sale! Save an EXTRA 30% off Mattresses 2/14-2/15

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off Shoes for the Family + FREE Shipping on Shoe orders of $39+ 2/14-2/20

Baby Sale! ALL Fashions, Furniture, Cribs, Gear & Basics on sale 2/14-2/20

Buy $15 of Gerber Apparel, get $5 Kmart Gift Card or spend $25, get $10 Kmart Gift Card 2/14-2/20

Up to 30% off Infant & Toddlers' Apparel by Nickelodeon, Disney, Wonderkids & more 2/14-2/20

ALL Kids' Bedding on sale + Jaclyn Smith 4-pc Comforter Set $59.99 Any Size 2/14-2/20

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BABY CATALOG

Need a high-quality car seat? We're Britax users here, and BabyCatalog.com is offering a coupon on Britax car seats and other gear.

Additional Savings on BRITAX - For A Limited Time
Save 10% MORE - enter any coupon code
BABY10, BCSV10, TAKE10, SAVE10, SALE10, BRTX10

Coupons apply in checkout. One per order. No limit on quantity.

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KOHL'S

Take 30-40% Off Selected Jumping Beans Tops & Bottoms for Infants and Toddlers till Feb. 21.

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BABY AGE

Baby Age is also offering a sale on infant car seats and accessories through Feb. 28. Keep your kids safe!



Get organized with a BabyAge sale on toy boxes, storage units, and more through Feb. 28!



You can get other deals too, like up to 70% off baby gear, through Feb. 28. Check out the BabyAge sale & save!

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Happy Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day, and Chinese New Year! It's a good weekend, isn't it?

I love it when there are multiple winners, because then I can give more of you the good news!

Congratulations to these fine five folks on winning the On-the-Go Inflatable Potty Seat from On-the-Go Inflatables:

• Mamaloo (#5): Oh, oh, oh! Pick me, pick me, pick me!!!!!!! This looks fantastic! I LOVE the blue potty with the character. It's so cute!
• Elita (#12): This is awesome! As someone who is potty training my 2-year-old, I've often dreaded the idea of taking him to use a public toilet and we're not even close to leaving the house in only underwear yet! This sounds great, I'd love to win it in blue.
• Kim (#83): my fave is BLUE!
• Erma (#105): I like the Blue with a character.
• Angela G (#163): I would love blue with a character. This is a fantastic idea. I was wondering what I would do when we go on our first vacation and this would be perfect. Thanks!

Please respond to my email requesting your mailing address. Thank you to Random.org for the random numbers. I thought it was fun that there were numbers from both early and late entries!

And thank you to everyone for your feedback on the potty seat! I will pass it all along to Michael at On-the-Go Inflatables. Here's my summary of your suggestions, and feel free to add any other points. You would welcome:

• Pee shield for boy potty seats to contain the sprinkle
• Canister to help blow up the seat, both for hygiene assuredness and for quick blow-up time for antsy-pantsy, got-to-go toddlers
• Waterproof wet bag to store the seat when deflated
• More color choices, both for personal preferences and for parents who have both boys and girls and don't want gender-specific color squabbling 
• Continuing to offer both the character and no-character options (lots of opinion either way on whether the character would work for individual kids)

But, of course, even the current version is very well-received! We got entries from parents of ECing babes and parents of potty-training toddlers, some of you with multiple tots in the potty-learning stage! And everyone agreed this inflatable seat would be invaluable for pottying while out. So, remember, you can buy your own for $7.99 plus shipping!

Be sure to check my giveaway page for current giveaways, and check back for more!