We are excited to announce something special we’ve been working on for all you babywearing moms who want the perfect outer layer for you and babe to enjoy cooler weather comfortably (and stylishly). Boba Vest has arrived. This high quality, thoughtfully crafted baby carrier cover fits over you, your little and your Boba Carrier just right and provides that extra layer of warmth for early morning walks, later afternoon adventures, and outings of all kinds, regardless of dips in temperature. (Check out the Boba Vest press release below).

To celebrate this exciting release, we’re giving you a chance to win a Boba Vest in a Boba Prize Pack complete with new Boba Carrier 3G and Baby Carrier Stuff Sack (print of your choice), and our organic cotton teething pads. Enter below now through February 28 (ends March 1, 12:01 am).

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Contact: Bethany O’Donnell                                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tel: 888-567-9727

Email: bethany@bobafamily.com

DESPITE COLD WEATHER, PARENTS AND KIDS CAN CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THE WORLD TOGETHER

Avoid cabin fever with these cold-weather safety and comfort tips

BOULDER, COLO., Feb 25, 2013.— As families around the country settle into a cold and snowy winter, parents of young children are finding ways to get out and explore despite the freezing temperatures. Children’s need for outdoor time doesn’t change with the seasons, and with certain safety and comfort precautions, the outdoors are just as accessible in winter as in any other time of year.

One way to keep young children warm and protected in the elements is to share body warmth through babywearing, such as with wraps or baby carriers. But babywearing parents are often deterred by lack of outerwear that will fit over the baby.

“My son’s first winter, I only took him for a walk one time in the snow,” says Abby Armijo, Senior Project Manager at Boba (www.bobafamily.com), a Boulder, Colo.–based company that creates award-winning baby carriers and related products. “When we had to run errands, I would put him in the carrier, wrap myself up in a warm blanket, and speed walk into the store to avoid frostbite.”

But this winter will be different for Armijo and other babywearing parents, since Boba has launched its new line of vests designed to fit snugly and warmly over baby wraps and carriers. Boba Vest is the result of Boba’s acquisition of Peekaru, a company that has been making popular baby carrier covers since 2006. The covers are not only more fashionable than blankets or oversized coats, but they also close the gap between parent and child to keep out the cold.

In addition to sporting outerwear specifically designed for babywearing, Armijo offers these safety tips for venturing out with baby in the cold weather:

1. Dress appropriately. Little ones are especially sensitive to the elements, so make sure to dress them in layers—and don’t forget the hat.
2. Keep the airway clear. It is very easy to get lost in layers, so it is critical that fabric never creeps up around the baby’s face or anywhere that could compromise an open and clear airway.
3. Protect baby’s neck. Babies are wiggle worms. Avoid any potential strangulation hazards by making sure no fabric could get tangled around their necks.
4. Get comfortable first. Make sure your baby is in the carrier properly before putting your cold weather cover on. Although you can still make minor adjustments to the carrier with the cover on, it’s much easier to do beforehand.

About Boba
Boba (www.bobafamily.com) designs thoughtfully crafted products for active parents who want the time and freedom to create a real and caring bond with their child, while living life to the fullest. We care deeply about what we do, and our customers’ happiness is our highest motivation as a company.

We’re proud to be chosen Editor’s Pick for Top Baby Carrier by BabyCenter.com! Boba 3G was among 15 Top Baby Products featured by Baby Center. The parenting site teamed up with baby gear guru Jamie Grayson to choose from among hundreds of parent reviews while also using their own parenting experience to make this year’s choices. Here’s what they had to say about the Boba 3G:

Top carrier: Boba 3G

Versatility makes this soft-structured carrier a winner. In contrast with other popular carriers, the Boba can be worn in front or on your back, allowing kids from 7 to 45 pounds to inhabit it snugly and safely. The Boba distributes your baby’s weight evenly on your hips and allows him to nestle in a froggy position — similar to the position he enjoyed in the womb. And unlike the Ergo, it doesn’t require a bulky infant insert to prop up the youngest babies.

The Boba’s stirrups also set it apart from every other carrier on the market. When your child grows beyond the baby stage, she can rest her feet in the stirrups and adjust and support her weight as needed.

Thank you to Baby Center, Jamie Grayson and all of your for continuing to make Boba 3G a top pick by parents of babies and toddlers!

Ocean is the newest edition to our Boba Wrap collection and the first in a new line of print styles. It features a blue and gray nautical color palette and like other Boba Wraps, is made of 95% cotton, 5% spandex for the perfect amount of support and stretch. Get the Ocean Wrap.

Introducing our newest look! Boba Carrier 3G, Stuff Sack and Boba Mini are now all available in Safari, our great shade of light, cool khaki. Perfect for long hikes, short treks or just running in and out of the grocery store, Safari gives you the same 3G you love with a sandy kick.

Win the whole Safari line and more with our Boba Safari Giveaway!

To celebrate the launch of this outdoorsy trio of new products, we’re giving away a fantastic Safari prize package! Enter now through Sunday, November 11 to win all three Safari products, one of those great Melissa & Doug giant stuffed giraffes, and the children’s book Starry Safari. Enter here:

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For those of us who love babywearing, love that freewheeling closeness, that do-it-all on-the-go snuggling, every week is babywearing week, every day a celebration of being together in this big colorful world. But this week, we take special pride in holding our little ones close and celebrate around the globe together. This week is International Babywearing Week!

To help spread the love and celebrate the week, we’re giving away a Boba Carrier prize pack with Boba Carrier 3G of your choice, matching Stuff Sack and Organic Teething Pads! Here’s how you can enter:

1. Follow Boba on Pinterest

2. Create an International Babywearing Week board on Pinterest and pin the following items to your board:

• This blog post explaining our International Babywearing Week Giveaway.
• Our safety guidelines from www.bobafamily.com/support/safety.
• Our benefits of babywearing blog post: Babywearing: A Better Way To Move Through Life.
• Our Babywearing All Star Feature on Babywearing International, creators of International Babywearing Week.
• BWI’s International Babywearing Week Video on Youtube.

3. Post your International Babywearing Week board in the comments on this blog post.

Entries will be accepted until 12 noon EST on Friday, October 12 and one randomly drawn winner will be announced later that afternoon via Facebook and the comments of this blog post.

Good luck, good pinning and happy International Babywearing Week!

Edited to add: This giveaway is now closed, the winner has been notified and her prizes have been shipped.

Hiking and backpacking as a family is great way to get into varied terrain and wild places that are protected from life’s modern day trappings. Look for destinations that have natural features that appeal to you. I choose trails that weave along lakes and streams. My husband looks for routes with elevation gain. Wherever you decide on, pick a route that fits your abilities so that you enjoy yourselves. Remember to wear good fitting shoes and to bring water and snacks for both the adults and kids. If you have a toddler like we do, this is the age to see if using your Boba’s removable foot straps will make your child’s ride even more comfortable. Each Boba carrier includes two coordinating foot straps that are fully adjustable and that snap on and off with ease.

I would like to introduce you to some wonderful Boba Families who have shared their outdoor adventures with us. Get ready to be inspired by these incredible families and beautiful locations. And now it is your turn to join in the fun, so lace up your shoes, grab your Boba and head for the hills!

“This photo was taken in May 2010 on our first family holiday. We borrowed a friends VW camper van and headed to the lake district for a week. The weather could not have been better despite it raining none stop the week before. This photo means so much to me as it was my husbands first day wearing a proper sling as my husband looks so proud of himself and his boy. He had insisted on taking a mass produced front pack but we hadn’t even made it out of the car park to begin our 8hour hike up to Blencathra (also known as Saddleback) in the Lake District before he had decided it was too uncomfortable (Henry was 20weeks and 16lb) and although skeptical at first when he saw the birdies he agreed to wear it. He ended up carrying Henry on his front and a huge ruck sack on his back, only getting Henry down so I could feed him. There is nothing better than feeding half way up a mountain when the sun is shining and there isn’t a sole to be seen. The Lake District is where I am at my happiest and it was wonderful that we could share our first holiday and first ‘proper’ daddy babywearing experiencethere. I look forward to taking Isaac in November. Throughout the walk, the number of people who stopped us or who commented on the sling was unbelievable. The cutest comment of the trip? A little boy who shouted ‘look mummy, there is a tiny baby in there, doesn’t he look snug.’” • Rachel Coy

“My husband and I do a hike once a week that is 1.25 miles each way with a not-so-gradual incline. The attached picture is my husband wearing our 19-month-old son up to Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.” • Nicole Newcomb

“I have a Boba 3G in Tweet that I absolutely LOVE!!  We recently went camping in the Santa Cruz mountains in CA and I wore my 1 year old daughter a lot.  We hiked, went to the beach and to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and I would have been lost without my Boba!” • Cori

“Hiking is what my husband and I do on the weekends. Our first date was a lung-busting hike to a high mountain lake, and since then we’ve backpacked and hiked all over Eastern Oregon, as well as anywhere we can find a trail when traveling. When our daughter was born 5 years ago, our hiking life didn’t stop — we just tucked her in a pack. I exclusively breastfed, so snuggling our baby girl in a pack was great bonding time for my husband. She went everywhere with us in hand-me-down external frame backpacks. A couple hours was usually her limit, unless she took a snooze, and snacks are a must! When I was pregnant with my son two years ago, I happened upon a cool-looking pack named Boba. It had good reviews, so I gave it a try. I am SO glad I did. The Boba and babywearing soothed my cranky baby when nothing else worked. My husband, at first, was skeptical of this pack, which seemed so simple compared to those others. He’s a Boba convert. Just the other day, after a tough hike, he said he could wear it for hours and not have sore shoulders (Max might not be that patient, however) and “wearing” the baby so close makes balance a breeze. The key is to find the pack that fits best — and that your child will tolerate! Now our 5-year-old hikes along with us and her brother rides along on his daddy’s back. Snacks and water are always packed, and the occasional stick to wield has helped us avoid a baby meltdown. Our hikes are slower and shorter now, but I hope that in a few years we’ll be able to backpack and camp as a family. I want them to love nature as much as we do!” • Lisa Jacoby

“I remember going to New Paltz, NY as a kid with my family and then started going more often as an adult.  I always made sure to go in October because its absolutely gorgeous up there in the fall. This picture was taken in October of 2011 when my son, Jackson was 14 months old, and the night before we left I found out that I was pregnant. We went to Mohonk Mountain in the Shawangunks and this particular picture was taken at the top of Bonticou Crag trail on the Mohonk Preserve. We always stay at Clove Cottages where there’s limited TV, no computers and no phones in the cottages which is a nice break outside the hustle and bustle of NYC life.  They also have llamas and chickens on the grounds which Jackson loved. I wasn’t then, and I’m still not in the best of shape, so while hiking I was huffing and puffing a little and Jackson found it absolutely hysterical, along with pulling on my pigtails.  We are going back again this October, when my husband will carry Jackson (now 2) and I will wear our daughter Layla who will be 4 months then in ourBoba 3G. We plan to make it a family tradition to go every year!” • Kandice

“My daughter, Makenzie, and I hiking outside Fairbanks, Alaska this summer.” • Nikki Vandiver

“My two-year old son and I with my sister, her two-year old son, her husband and our dad toured the Tsankawi Ruins, part of Bandolier National Monument in New Mexico on a hot day in July. My sister and I never leave home without our baby carriers. Many of the paths at this site, worn into soft limestone by thousands of years of human feet, are less than a foot wide, making the Ruins inaccessible by stroller.  The mesa top can only be accessed by ladder (or rock-climbing, as the ancient people did). I helped my son navigate the first ladder up to the mesa top, but coming down was more precarious, so into the carrier he went and he rode down safely on my back. On the next level, the path wound pretty close to a sheer drop, so much of the time he rode in the carrier for my piece of mind, and later he fell asleep. Both boys loved exploring the cave-houses, and it is something they could not have enjoyed for years to come if it weren’t for baby wearing.We decided to try baby wearing when my son was born, and to wait to buy a stroller when we really needed one. He is 26 months old and 30 pounds now and we’ve worn out the first carrier we bought. We replaced it with a Bobaand still haven’t felt the need for a stroller. It is wonderful to be able to carry a toddler for as long as he needs, to snuggle on the go, and to have the freedom to navigate the Metro, the Aquarium, Anasazi ruins, or wherever the adventure takes us, traveling light.” • Rachel O’Donnell

Today, we announce something we’ve been bursting at the seams over for a few months now (and developing for much longer): BobaAir!

BobaAir is the lightest, sportiest baby carrier out there and we hope that this first-of-its-kind addition to your baby carrier collection will make that freedom together you have with your family even more effortless (and help spread the benefits of babywearing, too). This innovative new baby carrier is a real game-changer for active families because it is:

• Lightweight – only .7 pounds (11oz)
• Folds into itself to fit into a purse
• Water resistant
• Unparalleled portability
• Easy, quick on/off functionality
• Made of high-tech nylon fabric

BobaAir is perfect to keep stashed in your purse or glove box, and will be a perfect travel companion. In fact, to highlight BobaAir’s convenience, we’re running a special $1000 vacation package giveaway to help you experience a great, surely much-deserved family getaway with the ease of BobaAir. Check out the BobaAir $1000 Dream Vacation Pin-It-To-Win-It Giveaway for more info.

Visit BobaAir in our online shop for more details.

Read the BobaAir Press Release.

International Babywearing Week is an annual celebratory and educational event coordinated by BWI, with local events coordinated by local groups of babywearers (not just BWI Chapters). International Babywearing Week grows bigger and bigger each year, and in 2012 falls on the week of October 8.

BWI is run by a dedicated board of directors, each a Babywearing All-star in their own right. Thank you for your work and for building such a strong advocacy organization:

• Ann Marie Rodgerson, President
• Susan Chanse, Vice President
• Kimber Tower, Secretary
• Heather Felker, Treasurer
• Christie Chapman
• Karen Hoppis
• Jessica Tolliver
• Heidi Donnelly

“Babywearing International Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote babywearing as a universally accepted practice, with benefits for both child and caregiver, through education and support.”

Check out the Babywearing International website, their Facebook page and their awesome guiding principles.

First prize: Molly’s Dude

Molly’s man will receive a Diaper Dude Boba 3G Carrier of his choice and matching Diaper Dude Bag.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Second prize: Christy’s Dude

Christy’s man will receive $120 in gift certificates to Boba and Diaper Dude.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Third prize: Shannon’s Dude

Shannon’s man will also receive $120 in gift certificates to Boba and Diaper Dude.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Thanks again to all the moms who nominated and all the best dads out there! Thank you also to Diaper Dude for the awesome bag and GC inclusions – we love working with you guys! You can check out all the other great dads that were nominated in the comments of the Father’s Day Giveaway blog post.