Hometown Babies: Maui
Meet the Tourguides
"There's a spirit of ohana [family] here," says Melanie Rae Seeley, a physical therapist and, for the last decade, Maui resident. "My daughter has relatives and also hanai family [adoptive aunties and uncles] who help us raise her. I feel blessed to live in a community that's so supportive of families." Here, she shares other special things about parenting in paradise.
Tourguides: Melanie Rae Seeley, 37 and Arielle Kalia, 6 months
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Taking it Slow
Cloud B's Twilight Turtle, which shines stars on the ceiling ($30), is the baby item most often shipped to Maui from Amazon.com. For cribs, "my favorite shop is the Cute and Cuddly Baby Boutique," Seeley says.
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Happy Birthday
For Hawaiian babies, first-birthday luaus are the norm, as is eating poi (mashed taro root).
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Baby Carrier
Maui is the birthplace of the Ergo baby carrier ($135; ErgoBabyCarriers.com). "It's hard to go anywhere without seeing a baby in one," Seeley says. "Babywearing is part of the culture. And strollers aren't practical on some jungle-like trails!"
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Laid-Back Living
Babies born on Maui are able to go outside no matter what the time of year. Plus, all Hawaiian beaches are public. Families swing by whenever they want!
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Blogging Momma
Sarah Burns, a mom of two, blogs at TheOhanaMama.com. Things she loves about living on Maui? Wearing a bikini top as a bra, and slippas (aka flip-flops) as her main shoes.
Originally published in the May 2011 issue of American Baby magazine.