Grizzly Kinder Sleigh Is As Tough As Its Name

   

As many people know, InfoMommy likes to tell you about products that are unique & helpful and I love to share products that I think are great!

I reached out to Streamridge a couple of months back, inquiring about doing a review on their Grizzly Kinder Sleigh. I immediately liked it when perusing online as it was made in Canada, made of wood instead of plastic and seemed a lot sturdier that a typical stapled together sleigh would be. I also liked the price point for a Canadian-made wooden sleigh.

Sometimes I will get turned down and sometimes I get no response at all. Many times I will gladly get shipped the product for review. But only 2 companies have ever invited me to pop by and check out their behind the scenes operation. One of those companies was Medela Canada, the breastpump gurus, and the other was Bauman Sawmill, the makers of the Streamridge Grizzly Kinder Sleigh that I inquired about.

After carving out some time during our summer schedule, I took my kids down to visit them one morning at their sawmill operation just outside of Elmira, Ontario. The drive alone through the countryside was beautiful. Rolling hills, lush green landscape and crops of various produce at the height of their growing season. Horse drawn buggies being driven down the country roads, bringing to mind a much simpler time than today's hustle and bustle in large urban centres.

Mr. Bauman (part owner of Bauman Sawmill/Streamridge) is a tall friendly man with a warm take charge personality. He strikes me as a man who has educated and well thought out beliefs and ideas that he is not afraid to share. I believe that these qualities would make him a great leader! He warmly welcomed me and my children and brought us to their board room. Mr. Bauman was even kind enough to have the forethought to seek the assistance of Helena, one of his employees, to help out with my children while we chatted and completed our tour. As I said to her that morning, I was quite certain that child-minding and assisting with young children had not been part of her job description when she signed on there! I really appreciated that Mr. Bauman, Helena, and Myron Gascho, who is their Customer and Product Coordinator, were open to including my children in the tour. Even if they were eventually getting a bit rowdy in the board room! They are active boys after all! I loved the idea of my children seeing how sleighs are made, and seeing the craftsmanship behind the finished product. Craftsmanship that some would argue is close to becoming a lost art.

Bauman Sawmill was formed in 1995, and makes over 60 varieties of sleighs and toboggans. In fact, they are the exclusive manufacturer for LL Bean sleighs as well! The Streamridge brand name was inspired by their property which runs alongside the Conestoga River, and includes its own ridge along the waterway. Bauman Sawmill provides gainful employment to approximately 60 local residents within Waterloo Region.

Their sleighs are made of locally grown Ash wood, which is a type of wood that is known for its natural fiber strength, and is suited perfectly for bending during production of the sleighs. These trees are ethically harvested by being carefully selected and acquired from private landowners, and are not clear cut like many people might believe or envision. They are hand chosen. When removed, it assists in opening up the tree canopy within that particular forest, aiding in generating new growth, and encouraging further growth in pre-existing trees and other vegetation.

Once the trees have been processed into lumber, they are typically stacked for drying outside for approximately one year. Drying them in this slow manner, allows for the natural fiber strength to be preserved. Keeping the natural fiber strength is important, at it allows the lumber to be bent during the steam bending process.

Each component of these sleds are made in Waterloo Region and are made by hand, along with tools of the trade and some machinery. They are not fabricated in a factory, where robotic instruments do all the work. These are made from start to finish by real people here in Canada! Even the varnish type coating on them is not done by spraying, but done by hand dipping into troughs of water based finish. This method keeps dangerous particles out of the air and reduces waste, as the drippings go right back into the finish toughs for re-use on the next sleigh. They are then hung in rows to dry.

Walking through the production area, various areas are reminiscent of Santa's workshop. A number of partially finished sleighs hung in a perfect line waiting for their finish to be applies. Instead of elves, you have skilled craftsmen & craftswomen who are mindfully sanding wood to make sure that there are no splinters, screwing pieces together, bending wood for the sleigh runners, along with other tasks. Their product room featuring all of their accessories, sleigh pads and sleigh designs also has a warm feel to it. It really got me in the mood for winter... Almost!

Mr. Gascho then took us for a tour of the actual Sawmill which is offsite, and then to a harness & tack shop where they actually sew all the sleigh pads on the upper level. Imagine colourful bolts of fabric everywhere, ready to be used to make the sleigh pads, horse blankets and a number of other items they make there on a daily basis! Where a man was actually sewing leather for horse tack! Mr. Gascho's patience and humour when we temporarily lost one of my toddler's shoes was appreciated, as was his ability to tailor the tour to ensure that my kids were not hungry enough to start eating lumber for lunch!

With the small amount of wood waste that can occur with breakage, uneven ends or during the sawmilling itself, Bauman Sawmill uses this matter to make bedding for animals, and also uses it to fuel their wood burning heaters. These wood burning heaters also serve to heat their production area and warm up water for the steam that is essential to bending the wood for the sleighs. Examples of reduce, re-use and recycle at its finest! Their methods of making these sleighs, where at each individual stage are touched by real people - not just machines, and their apparent care taken to eliminate waste makes me believe that they really are trying and doing their part in leaving a small carbon footprint.

The Grizzly Kinder Sleigh is designed for kids aged 1-3 years of age. It has curled runners on the front, which I think makes for reducing the amount of times you get stuck in snow from the front when navigating through snow drifts, and blowing snow. This would have come in real handy with the winter we had last year! The metal wear bars on the runners give the sleigh not only extra gliding power, but also helps reduce wear and tear on the runners themselves. These Streamridge sleighs would be a hit not only for Christmas morning, but a fantastic investment for someone who is starting their family! These sleighs are built to last a lot longer than your typical stapled together sleigh and a sure bet that they will last for use with subsequent children and for generations to come if treated kindly!  You can almost be guaranteed a partial return on investment with these sleighs as well, if you are the type who likes to sell your no longer needed items on websites like Kijiji! How cool would you be as the Grandma and/or Grandpa who put that under the tree this year?! If you're small enough, you might even get a ride in it! And by small, I mean toddler sized!

As previously stated, they have a number of sleigh styles to meet your needs. For all of you parents or grandparents of multiples out there, they even have a dual version of the Grizzly Kinder Sleigh, called the Grizzly Dual Sleigh! This is perfect for twins or siblings that are close in age between 1 and 3 years of age!

The 1/2" thick rustic red and black lumberjack type polyester sleigh pad design are new to this year's models. It gives them an even more authentic look than their previous plain red pads. Having the sleigh pad helps to stop drafts from coming in and around the sides of the sleigh, and help provide more comfort and warmth on longer sleigh rides. The braided pull rope, which is also locally braided here in Ontario, is thicker than a lot of other sleighs out there, and adds comfort for the hands of the parents or whoever's pulling the sleigh. I was going to say that the only thing I'd change is to add a seatbelt, but they actually sell those too!

The Grizzly Kinder Sleigh retails for approximately $169.99CAN. At this price point, I think it's a great investment! You get a well-crafted Canadian handmade sled, made locally in Ontario. They are available for purchase from Home Hardware, online at Toys R Us Canada, and at various small retailers throughout the country. You can also purchase a selection of different accessories which are available for purchase online.

Sleigh dimensions are 33" long, 14 1/2" wide and 13 1/4" high. The Grizzly Kinder Sleigh weighs 9 1/2 pounds, which is great to help add extra traction when pulling through snow. And there's no assembly required.... Unless of course, you're making your own snow! :)

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

   

Diary Of A Burger & A Home Birth!

 

During my 2nd pregnancy, I had what’s called Polyhydramnios. This basically means there was a bit too much amniotic fluid. After a few ultrasounds, the OB doctor allowed me to continue on under the care of my midwives, as he felt it wasn’t that serious. (We had decided to have a home birth, as our experience having our 1st in the hospital was less than stellar, and we wanted a much calmer birth experience the 2^nd time around. Being that I was due over the winter, I was also worried that I wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time if there was bad weather or if he came quickly like our 1st did.)  I was convinced he was going to come early, as this was one of the side effects of having too much amniotic fluid, and I just had a feeling. Well, I was right, but I was also wrong. He came one day earlier than his due date, much later than I had thought would happen, on a Sunday morning.                                          

It all started the day before on Saturday, in the early morning after we’d discussed going to Five Guys burger joint for lunch, and picking up a few items at Walmart, including a school bag for our oldest child.  We had decided to go there because not only does Five Guys make a great burger, but Walmart was in the same area. My husband was out jogging, and some Jehovah’s Witness ladies came by the house, asking if I wanted to talk to them. Hiding my belly behind the door, I told them that I had a new baby in the house and that I’d kindly prefer it they’d not return. I told that little fib because they caught me off guard.  I didn’t want to offend them, and didn’t know how to politely ask them not to return on such short notice. That was the first thing that popped into my prego mind. What I didn’t know, was that there really was going to be a new baby in the house within less than 24 hours, beginning minutes after they left! 

A little after the Jehovah’s Witness ladies stopped by, I started spotting and had some cramping. I was super curious if this meant that things might actually finally be starting after being convinced that he might be a few weeks early. I was also a bit scared. I was hesitant to let my aunt know, as she had been planning on attending the birth, and I had given her a few false starts along the way. My husband came home, and once I told him what might be going on, he wanted to know if we were still going to go to Five Guys for a burger. (What can I say? He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t worry about things until they are actually here and happening, plus I’d given him many false starts too! And let’s not forget that they really do make a great burger!)

At first, I was too scared to go, as I dilated quite quickly with our 1^st, and wasn’t keen on taking a chance driving some distance down a country road for a burger, and delivering in a corn field. So I said no, I wasn’t leaving home & started scrubbing the windows around the house to give myself something to do. I was starting to get antsy about it being the real thing & couldn’t just sit around. I needed something to do. I had the occasional cramping & contraction, and this went on until lunch time. My hunger and craving for that burger got the best of me, as did the need to get out and do something. I could not sit still. Things weren’t progressing, so we left. We got ½ way there, when I got a relatively strong contraction. My husband was going to turn the car around to go home, but I didn’t get another one, so I told him to keep on trucking to Five Guys. 

We arrived there for our lunch, had a great burger as always. Our eldest had his usual grilled cheese with tomato. He had no idea that he was soon about to get a little brother with his combo too!  

Once satiated with the yummy taste of a good burger, we were walking out the door of the restaurant, & I got a strong contraction. This one was really strong, and I knew this time that it must be legit. While at Walmart, I started having stronger and more regular contractions and was using the cart to hold myself up and focus on breathing. Being the bargain hunter that I am, and feeling more confident about being in labour, I told my husband that I wanted to go to Winners to see if I could get an even better price on a school bag. We went over there, and found no deal on a school bag. But, our oldest found the toy section. So I took my contractions and hung out there for a bit while my husband looked for socks and underwear. (I’m guessing he thought he was going to crap himself at the home birth! LOL). Of all the times… 

When we got home, which was almost around dinner time, I decided that I was not cooking dinner. Who was I kidding?! I love to cook, but no one needs to know that we ordered out a lot during this pregnancy because I was so exhausted and had been quite sick during the pregnancy with a variety of ailments. (Most of which our eldest generously brought home from school.) One of those ailments was a really bad chest & sinus infection over the Christmas and New Year holidays that we all had, which resulted in a multitude of trips to the doctor, and to see the midwives (whose office had caught on fire over the holidays and had to be re-located! We were all so sick, that we didn’t notice any of the signs all over the building letting us know this on the way up to the office, and didn’t realize this until we walked into the door of the suite, and smelled old smoke and saw blower fans spread out throughout the hallways!  So I spent the next couple of weeks having my check-ups done on a lawn chair in another suite to make do until their office was repaired. What are the odds?! You just can’t make this stuff up!). Now back to dinner!  We ordered chicken for dinner. (My choice. My husband knew better than to mess with a pregnant lady’s cravings and food choices, and he likes it too!)  

My contractions were getting a lot stronger and a lot more frequent throughout dinner, which I was trying to keep hidden from our eldest child. You see, we needed him to be none the wiser, so that he would fall asleep like any normal night and hopefully not wake up until after the birth. If he knew, he would have been too excited to sleep! My aunt arrived at about 10pm, and our primary midwife arrived around midnight. The secondary midwife was to attend closer to the delivery time. The contractions were quite strong at that point, coming about every 5-7 minutes or so. At  around 2am, they were slowing down. I had thought that he would have arrived by then (one can hope, right?!), so I sent my husband to bed, just in case he was not born throughout the night. My husband would need energy to take care of all of us, should I still be labouring throughout the day on Sunday.  

Our midwife suggested breaking my water to get things going, but I was too nervous to do so, and decided to go for a walk around the block with my aunt. I had done all kinds of little things around the house that whole time, like laundry, etc, and walked around the house, but I needed room to move. So out we walked at about 3am under light snowflakes that were falling. Speaking of falling, my aunt joked as we walked, that if she needed to, she would use our neighbor’s pickup truck with the snow plow on the end to push me back to our house if I was about to give birth on the street. 

Once we got back to the house at about 4am or so, my contractions were coming on faster, harder, and longer.  Our midwife checked me & I was 5cms dilated. She thought the baby might be here by 7am! They were getting harder and harder to deal with, and seeing as I had planned on delivering upstairs in the tub for a water birth, our midwife thought it would be a good idea to have my aunt go upstairs and start filling the tub. This way, I could get into the water to help with the pain and have me there so I could deliver when the time came. So up goes my aunt to wake up my husband and start the tub, when the contractions were beginning to get unbearable. After a particularly bad one just before 5am, I knew that I had to get up the stairs fast before the next one came, or that I’d have to deliver right there in the living room. I told my midwife & up I “ran” to the master bathroom, and leaned over the bathroom counter while the tub was filling. (I am saying “ran” loosely here!) 

I asked my husband to plug in my CD player for my relaxation music that I downloaded previously for the birth, because I had really wanted music to help me relax during my 1^st birth too, but that didn’t happen. So I was really looking forward to having the music this time around and spent a lot of time downloading all kinds of great calming music. I remember hearing my husband say that there were no available plugs in the bathroom and that he was going to plug it just outside the bathroom door in our bedroom. Unfortunately I was having a contraction that was so strong that I couldn’t talk, but I could think, and I remember thinking “Hey man, unplug the stupid electric toothbrush, then we’ll have an available plug!”  But see, my husband knew better than I that the baby was coming a lot quicker that I realized. He remembered the sound of my contractions from our 1st birth when I was about to deliver & knew it was very close. He knew there would be no music again this time either, but was not about to tell me that!  

The next contraction I got was so bad that it made me feel like I was going to throw up in the sink. Our midwife asked me if I was having rectal pressure, and I remember wondering why she’d be asking me that question, because we were not that close to delivering. Well, when the next contraction hit seconds later, I felt the urge to push HARD! I remember yelling something to the effect of “Oh my God, I have to push NOW! And I’m NOT joking!”. (Like they would actually have thought I was kidding!) 

They offered to get me in the tub or onto the bed. The urge to push was too intense & came on so fast & so strong that I had no choice but to drop myself slowly to the bathroom floor, so I could continue pushing.  I remember holding onto the counter trying to dig in my finger nails and scratching down the side of the bathroom cabinets on the way down, (like you’d see in a horror movie) while someone took off my pants & underwear. In hindsight, it would have been a good idea to wear something like a nightgown, but for some reason, that had never occurred to me.  At some point our midwife paged the secondary midwife to let her know it was time!  

Someone put blankets under my head to partially prop me up & I started pushing. The secondary midwife hadn’t arrived yet & things progressed quickly, so my aunt and my husband had to step in as the  honorary midwives!  Thank God we’d put a sound machine in our eldest’s bedroom to help him sleep if things got loud, because I couldn’t hold back. I remember yelling and screaming so loud at the top of my lungs, thinking that I was for sure going to wake him up and he’d have to see me give birth! I didn’t want to be doing that, but I couldn’t control myself. My body took over and did what it needed to do, regardless of what I was thinking to myself! The contractions were so intense, and I remember my midwife yelling over me (because I was so loud!) to remind me to breathe in between contractions, but the contraction just kept going, and going and going! I remember thinking that I wanted my midwife to just stop talking as I found it so distracting, even though she was only trying to help. But my aunt tells me that I actually said that out loud! (Oops! I’ve never been good at keeping my mouth shut! I tend to speak my mind whether someone wants to hear it or not, and I stayed true to form during labour too!)  

From the time I got to the bathroom floor, I only had to push 3 times to get him out & he was born after only 5 minutes of pushing! (Thank God!) He had some meconium in his amniotic fluid & pooped on my shirt while I was holding him. (Little did we know that he  would soon become the kind of pooer that people should stand back from, pooing up curtains and across the room!) I can’t say I blame him though. If someone told me that I would have to make a journey like that, I’d poo in my pants too! Anybody would! I guess there’s a reason why babies don’t remember anything! LOL 

The secondary midwife, arrived minutes after the birth. Someone (I think it was us after our walk) had left the door unlocked and she was able to come right in & up to our room. (Thankfully a serial killer didn’t descend on our neighborhood that night! We might've scared him straight if he’d of come in during all that!) 

Now, our eldest somehow managed to sleep through my entire ruckus and woke up around 6am to a brand new little brother! How he slept through all that, I’ll never know! I’m just so glad he did! No sense scarring him with that visual for the rest of his life!  

What a cute little baby he was! (And still is!) We were all so excited to finally meet him, and his older brother was over the moon for him! I remember that our newborn cried a couple of times with me when we were still upstairs in the bed, while our eldest was downstairs. He would come running upstairs protectively, demanding to know what was wrong and why his little brother was crying! It was such a great experience to give birth to him at home, in a calm, warm & loving (ok, & LOUD!) environment, surrounded by family and our lovely midwife. Thankfully it was winter, as if it had of been during the summer, I would have probably had some windows open, and someone would likely have called the cops from all the screaming! If we ever sell this house, I hope there is no need for the new homeowners to use Luminol in our master bathroom! That’s all I can say! (Ok, it wasn’t really that bad of a mess). 

The End! No, wait! It’s was The Beginning! :)

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****