Round-to-it Recommends

Each week I'll put up products and/or services that I have used and will happily recommend to others. These are not paid endorsements (ha!), but things that I personally like and want to share. Hopefully they'll be helpful to you, too.

1) Soft back/front pack child carriers
I have 2 different brands - the Ergo and the Beco.
This is the Ergo, which has more padding on the shoulder straps than the Beco, but is a bit bulkier. I like this one better for longer hikes. I don't have a picture of the Beco, but it's very similar. It is my daily activity pack, for things like grocery shopping or going into stores with narrow aisles and breakable things. The Beco has a longer back, so it is a bit more supportive for the baby, although mine doesn't seem to mind either one. At 2 years old and about 28 pounds, I can still comfortably hike for several miles with her on my back and have my hands free to handle the dog.

2) AVAC Swim School
We have been at AVAC for 6 1/2 years now, since my son was a year old. I love this program and recommend it to anyone who asks (and I am super picky about swim programs after having taught swimming for so many years). The pool is indoors and 90 degrees, so I don't mind getting in it for the parent-child classes (kids go on their own starting at age 3). It was built specifically for swim lessons, so the shallow end is only 2 feet deep, allowing even really little kids to be able to stand so they don't have to hang on the wall. The methodology makes sure that kids master a set of skills before they move on, so their stroke technique once they put it all together is excellent. Their teacher training is comprehensive and the instruction is fairly consistent from one instructor to the next (differences in personality can make a big difference in the overall experience, though). All 3 of my kids love it there and have become excellent swimmers and are very comfortable and confident in the water.