Good Shtuff To Have
Last week, I got an unexpected package in the mail from my mom. I have had a sinus infection ever since Bean got home from the hospital and my mom sent me a box of things to make me feel better. My favorite kind of cough drops (Luden’s…yumm….), some Kleenex, a magazine, and a sweet card telling me that I was still her baby. I felt all warm and fuzzy and instantly better.
Underneath all those get-well goodies was something she had made for Bean. My mom got all the crafty genes in our family. All of them. She can sew, crochet, paint, she teaches ceramics, she can write in perfect calligraphy, and she’s a mean puff-painter. In her spare time, she had sewn this nifty shopping cart cover for Bean. It’s hard to tell in the picture because there’s so much fabric, but these are the leg holes and the part that would sit in front of the baby.
I love the Thomas the Tank Engine print, especially! How cute is that?
And the inside is lined in a complimentary Thomas the Tank Engine print, too.
The thing I like about this is how big it is. Its a standard size to fit pretty much any shopping cart, but specifically to fit TARGET shopping carts. Does my mom know me, or what? She also put a few personal touches on it for us. She sewed in a few pockets so that I could throw my cell phone or wallet or keys in them while I shop.
She also sewed in a few loops to hook rings to so that I can hook Bean’s toys to the cover and not worry about him flinging them around wherever we happen to be shopping. This is really important because Bean is a professional grade flinger. He can fling with the best of ’em.
Bean and I tried it out for the first time this weekend while Chris was traveling. I had to go to the grocery store and so Bean Man was going with me. It was the first time I’d ever taken him to the grocery store before. I mean, I’ve run in a couple times with him, but I’ve never taken him on my big, weekly grocery trip. And I was a little nervous. What if he had a meltdown? Would I leave my cart in the middle of the store and sneak out with him? Would I just push on and be THAT WOMAN with the crying baby? More than likely, I’d end up carrying him around on my hip while I shopped.
Not. Cool.
But I put the seat cover in the grocery cart and loaded him in and he immediately picked up some of the toys that were attached to the loops. He played the whole time and didn’t make a peep! He was SO good, in fact, that I later took him out that same afternoon to Target for another adventure. It was awesome! And I’m convinced that it was his comfy, cozy little seat cover that made him to relaxed and happy.
If you happen to be blessed with The Crafty Gene, I say bust out your sewing machine and whip up one of these seat covers. They retail for around $30 in stores and online, but you can make one for about $15, and you can add your own custom details! Here is the link to the pattern my mom found online: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/cart_cover.html.
Happy crafting! Or, if you’re like me, Happy Finding Someone ELSE to be Crafty For You!
19 Comments
Looking€ oHeaven
Gotta love the crafty mamas. Nicely done!
Laura @ Cameron Crazy
That is adorable! I will probably end up having to buy one. I am not a seamstress and my mom doesn’t have time. Your mom should start a business so we can all buy them from her! Ha! 🙂
Lori @I Can Grow people
I got the art, but not so much the craft. I can’t sew, crochet, knit, cross-stitch–none of that. We bought our grocery cart cover and though it is a little cumbersome, it is great to have. And I can’t believe that you haven’t grocery shopped with Bean before recently! How have you managed to work that out?!
Kristin
I am very jealous of this and I want one. I don’t have a bambino to put it in yet but I certainly want one of these!
Hillary
That’s such a great idea! I was a nanny for the last year and a half and I hated when I had to bring the baby to the store. She hated sitting in the seat and she constantly dropped any toys she had with her. This would’ve made life so much easier!
Dandy
Your mom rocks!
Ella
You have a great Mum!
Katie
So cute!!! I love it!!!!
Sarah H.
That’s totally awesome! Your Mom can make them for Etsy 🙂 I realy love the part about finding someone else to be crafty for you..I’m all about that!
Casey
That is so cute! One of my weird worries that I have while I am pregnant is what to do with my little man when I have to go to the store. Seriously. I think about it every time I see a shopping cart.
Katie
I worried about that a lot after Bean was here. Do I take a stroller? Do I carry him? What if he acts up? I just like to have a plan before I go in somewhere and babies sometimes make planning hard. But actually, its not nearly as scary as I built it up in my head to be. And this seat cover helps because Bean can sit up and face me, so i can talk to him while we shop. it was really great! DON’T BE AFRAID! 🙂
Laura @ Cameron Crazy
My fear was always the germs on the cart. I am such a weirdo when it comes to Cam and germs. It freaks me out to think about him in a cart without a cover.
Jessica
Man! the world of things I didn’t even know existed. I love mooching off all your new mom knowledge for my future. Awesome.
Ashley
Your Mom did AWESOME! Don’t you just LOVE getting packages in the mail that you don’t know about?! Those literally make my week!
Zoe
Wow, your mum sure is talented!
Lisa
What an amazing and thoughtful gift, your mom has a talent for sure!
Christina
I’m a totally crazy germaphobe and so I would take my kids to the store (I have three) and instead of putting my youngest in the cart I would either push her in the stroller, or carry her (she’s two). This was not fun, either way. I finally gave in and bought one of those covers, so that I could get more than a handful of things at one time (like when I had the stroller). Your mom is very wonderful…what a great gift!
Michelle
That is such a great cover! I have one of those ugly, overpriced store-bought covers with polka dots and an ugly bunny rabbit on it, but I have to say, I use it religiously during cold and flu season.
Now that my daughter is 2, do you know what’s even scarier than shopping carts? Public potties! ack! 🙁 I have searched high and low for disposable covers with little luck.
Christy
I have a really crappy shopping kart cover and am so glad you posted this. I just sent a link to one of my very crafty friends.