To me, summer means stripes and our latest tester wrap from Marsupial Mamas, their exclusive Girasol Titan's Rainbow, is a gorgeous striped beauty that fits the bill. Titan's Rainbow is the sister wrap to Marsupial Mamas' previous Girasol exclusive, Cosmic Rainbow, but with a white weft that makes the colors feel light and airy and fresh while Cosmic Rainbow is darker and moodier. The wrap I tried was a size 6, which for me, is a base -1.

This wrap showed up just as I began to study for the VBE test and it couldn't have arrived at a better time. As I practice and perfect the different carries I need something moldable and easy to work with and this is definitely it. Titan's Rainbow is soft, floppy, flat in hand and thin with very little stretch. Passes glide and lock into place but the wrap is not overly grippy or slippery.

We wore Titan's Rainbow out and about a good amount while we had it. On a hot, 90+-degree day in Colonial Williamsburg it was comfortably airy, and it made a high, long-lasting ruck and supportive one-shoulder hip carry with my 20-pound baby. I did find that if I was going to wear Gus in a back carry for more than 40 minutes or so at a time, sandwiching the shoulders or tying Tibetan made it feel more comfortable on my (admittedly picky) shoulders. It makes a fantastic tight chest pass in double hammock or shepherd's carry, and a small, neat chest belt in pirate's carry with CCCB.




I would recommend Titan's Rainbow for a beginner wrapper (the stripes make it SO easy to keep track of rails), for the parent of a newborn looking for something that can grow with their baby, or for the active caregiver who wants something that can stand up to sun, sand, and water and isn't very pull prone.

Also: epic beach wrap alert! It has those summery stripes, after all.

Thanks to Marsupial Mamas for letting us try this beautiful wrap. 

For the past several weeks, we've been testing a Marsupial Mamas exclusive wrap, Natibaby Homestead. We were lucky enough to get to try this wrap in a variety of styles -- 100% cotton in a broken in size 4 and loom-state size 6 and a 50/50 cotton-wool blend in a size 4. (In the photos in this post, the burnt-orange colored wrap is the cotton and the green is the wool blend).

Homestead is thick and blankety but doesn't feel too bulky or beastly. In loom state, it was rough and textured but after one wash and a day of wearing, it felt almost as floppy as the previously broken-in version. There was enough cush so that I was able to wear Gus for hours at a time without my shoulders getting tired and enough stretch so that I was able to move passes into place with ease. But once they were in place, the microtexture locked them there without slipping.

Cotton Homestead in a 6 made an easy and comfortable double hammock, and really shined in a simple ruck. Gus stayed high without sagging and without popping his seat, which is saying a lot as he is a champion bouncer and leaner these days. This wrap is a true workhorse/beater wrap -- it's the kind you want to wear while you're doing heavy duty chores or housework. The design of Homestead was inspired by the art of Terry Redlin, a master of the wilderness scene and I found myself gravitating toward it whenever I was going to be outdoors for a while, hiking or gardening or even for an afternoon of strawberry picking. Still, it was cuddly enough for when my still little guy wanted a wrap nap which he did a lot (because apparently Homestead comes with extra sleepy dust, too).

As far as the wool version of Homestead goes -- Natibaby wool must be magic because after being washed once and laid flat to dry, this wrap was so soft that I felt like I had to confirm with Marsupial Mamas that it actually was wool! As someone with a wool sensitivity, I can safely say that this wool was not prickly or itchy at all. Because spring in Virginia is changeable, I was able to wear wool Homestead in both hot and cool weather and it was equally comfortable in both. I appreciated the added strength and bounce that came with the wool version and the pop of emerald made me smile every time I saw it.





Overall: I'd recommend Natibaby Homestead as ideal for bigger infants all the way up to big kids. I'd recommend the wool version to the woolie beginner and for anyone who wants the stretch and support of wool without the fussiness! To get your own Homestead, visit the Marsupial Mamas marketplace here. And be sure to come back and let me know how much you love it!

P.S.: The little line of ducks swimming across this wrap slays me every time. *heart eyes*