Rove Arounds

As I was driving into work today I was struck be a couple factors. One, I am getting older as I can now reflect on what “used” to be. Two, Mediocrity and complacency has gotten a strong hold in my native town of Minneapolis. The Uptown I knew has been fully replaced by the very thing I loathe looking at. Bit by Bit it’s face changed, now fully unrecognizable and devoid of the very things that made it special. I know I speak for many with memories longer than mine, but the death of independent specialty shops is sealed.

It’s not just the products that have replaced them but the lack of aesthetic that comes with them. The buildings & structures they build are equal to the products they carry. Generic, emotionless, mass manufactured, cold, impersonal, ugly. In the winter, I take note of the number of people completely comfortable wearing Columbia, Patagonia, The North Face gear in every color. Apparently, this is “our” fashion statement. I get the miserable weather, harsh winters etc. but really must we be reduced to looking like that? I mean, so many of us? Is this what “we’ have become? Apparently, this is the Minneapolis uniform, why else could Columbia & North Face build an empire on Hennepin Ave.? Am I alone is this? Does anyone else see what has become acceptable or norm here? Are we losing our sense of character, whimsy, independence? I realize this is the Midwest but honestly, have we all lost the plot?! I remember a Minneapolis with a backbone, a bit of fire, did they all move away? I must be getting old…

It’s a Wrap (Skirt)
Yes, it’s the time of year when our pale, winter legs come out from hiding. How springy is it to wear a fun skirt when temps are in the 70’s and the trees are in bloom? But after months of hibernating, eating winter comfort foods, and watching the entire catalog of “Lost” episodes on DVD, we may not think of ourselves as being fun-skirt ready. Enter the solution: the wrap skirt. It’s back & it is better than ever!

A wrap skirt is universally flattering. Any body, any height, any weight. The very nature of the wrap means that it will adjust to fit anyone, with simple, lovely lines and a tie-at-the-waist closure. It will fit you in spring, after a winter of being bundled on the couch, and it will fit you in autumn, after a summer’s worth of rollerblading around the lakes (or chasing the kids around the back yard).

At Rove Arounds, we can create a custom-designed wrap skirt just for YOU. Short or long, made with your choice of a wide variety of fabrics. We’re all about real sizing for real bodies, so stop in for a custom fitting appointment and a skirt that’s sure to spend most of the warm season on your body and not languishing in the closet.

Snack Happy
Are you trying to teach your kid(s) to be green? It’s hard to explain consumption & waste to a 2nd grader, but it’s easy to teach them little ways they can be kind to the Earth. Rove Arounds is proud to carry snackTAXIs, the sturdy, colorful, eco-friendly alternative to plastic sandwich bags.

According to the folks at snackTAXI, each reusable bag you use can eliminate an average of 1000 plastic bags over its lifetime. You can also tell your kids that they’re helping to save hundreds of thousands of sea animals, who die from eating discarded plastic bags that they think are food.

snackTAXIs are made in Massachusetts from 100% cotton and nylon and are machine- or hand-washable. They feature wonderful, colorful fabrics with aliens, animals, butterflies, and more. Nurture your budding eco-warriors by packing their lunches in reusable bags!

The New York Times is reporting good news for fashion: after a nasty winter (they did get pummeled with snow), and a bleak economy, people are ready for COLOR. Bold prints, lively patterns, and dramatic color are signaling a shift in people’s moods that some are seeing as a sign of recovery. The article quoted a psychologist as saying that prints “represent the mind-set of the consumer. They express a budding feeling that’s more optimistic and refreshed.”

Do you need a little more optimism in your closet? Are you tired of going around in a steady stream of neutrals? Come to Rove Arounds for a dose of novelty. We will revive you with fresh and funky florals, bold geometrics, and vivid solids. Banish those conservative grays to make room for clothing that makes a statement but won’t break the bank. You’d be hard-pressed to find such a variety of handmade, unique (sometimes one-of-a-kind) items at such affordable prices. New items arrive weekly, so stop in often!

It would seem a simple quest… You would like to take your child cycling for pleasure or transport, but can’t find an appropriate seat. I have spent a couple months on this quest researching Bell, ibert, Burley, Topeak, Co-Pilot Weeride, Dumbo, Instep, Bobike etc. & hope that I may help you! If you live in North America as I do, you will discover that the options are few.

Here is the background , all children’s bike seats that are to be attached to an adult frame are of molded plastic of varying size. They all have slightly different features, most have a limited weight restriction. They all resemble something that should be in a spaceship from a 1950’s science fiction film, or better yet they have cages that do a good job or emulating a medieval torture device. They are difficult to mount, navigate with, and you certainly won’t be able to carry anything else on your bike. Frustrated yet?

Next, don’t believe the hype. Retailers will encourage you to purchase a trailer for your child, stating it is the safest way to travel. Studies have proven this irrelevant, based on where you live, how you travel etc. The reason they promote trailer travel is that they themselves have nothing else to offer. Look at this objectively, the rest of the "free world" has & does travel with their children on their bicycles. Take the Netherlands for example, is there a more pro-family country in Europe?! Would they allow their children to travel unsafely?

I realize if you are reading this you may be in the "minority", but that is who I am appealing to. I like to think I am conscientious, I live in a climate that is covered in snow & ice 5-6 months of the year. Still, we are a 1 car family, live in the city center and try to do "our bit" for the planet. I refuse to accept that their are no other options. When my daughter was born I found a front mount bike seat (bobike mini ) that allowed me to ride with her from 9 months to 3 years that was roughly a $100 investment from One Step Ahead The seat was easy to balance, the ride was intimate and I knew what she was doing, we could communicate and mostly, she was part of the experience. The dilemma was finding the next size up.

A needle in a haystack? There are only two distributors in the U.S. Bobike of the Netherlands offer the best options for safe travel from 9 months to 9 years. They can be ordered via http://clevercycles.com (carry all models) or http://www.koolstop.com/index.php. (carry 1 style) I am not endorsing, but merely want to disspel the myth regarding safety and our lack of options. When you consider your investment, nothing compares to 8 years of use & 2 seats for a mere $350. Help liberate our children from passive trailer captivity & spaceship cages! Let them cycle!!!