It's Here!

It's here! It's here! My double stroller is here!

A few months ago, I was debating whether or not to get a double stroller. I had a hard time finding one that had everything I wanted/needed that was affordable. Eventually, I decided it would probably be good to have one, since Leland does not stay with me when left to walk on his own. We're working on it, but he's just so curious and independent that I can't count on him walking with me when I need him to.

I had one picked out, but I had my reservations. It was only $240, which is an awesome price for a double, but after reading lots and lots of reviews, I wasn't sold on it. So many people talked about the front wheels shaking when running {or even fast-paced walking}. I have witnessed this brand's single stroller shaking at barely a brisk walk, and since I plan to jog with my double, this concerned me. Then other reviewers said that it was too wide to fit through many standard doors. Since Traverse City doesn't really have a stroller store or any place that I can check out doubles {Target and Toys R Us have your average single strollers, but no side-by-side doubles}, I have to go by reviews. Ultimately, I figured there must be a reason that particular double stroller was so inexpensive - the saying "you get what you pay for" comes to mind.

So, I decided to do some more research and found the Bumbleride Indie Twin. It was pretty much perfect. Here's what I wanted/needed in a double stroller:

• Jogger - even if I don't run a ton with it, joggers just maneuver better than anything else
• Side-by-side - I hate inline doubles - impossible to steer and eventually the kid in the back ends up too tall to fit back there or picks on the kid in front.
• Enough foot room for two kids - amazingly, a lot of side-by-sides have angled footrests and so the kids have to either turn their legs in or have one leg hanging down. Looks so uncomfortable when I see it. {The Bumbleride has two separate footrests, so each kid has their own space.}
• Folds up easily and can fit in my car - I wasn't sure the cheaper one would fold down enough to fit well in the back of my car.
• Can fit through standard doorways - what good is a stroller that can't fit through the Target doors? A friend of mine has a Bumbleride and said she's never had a problem with it fitting through the doors.

It's amazing how NO strollers fit all of this criteria except for the Bumbleride. The only problem...the Bumbleride ain't cheap. At $730 for a new one, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be getting one. Even if we had that much money, Dave would never agree to it.

So I checked online - eBay, craigslist, facebook, etc., and couldn't really find any in good condition for a good price. Eventually, I found one for $500 online. It was a 2012 model, but was still brand new. I was all ready to buy it, but they only had brown left. Now, I'm not incredibly picky about color, but brown was pretty much my last choice. I felt silly for not wanting it just because of the color, but at the same time, this was $500! That's a lot of money to spend on something you're not entirely in love with, and something that you'll be using for years.

Long story short, a local retailer was willing to sell me a 2013 model for $580. I almost said yes, but then realized tax would make it around $620. So I called the online company back, told them the local store was offering $550 {yeah, I lied}, and asked what they could do for me price-wise on a 2013 {so that I had some color choices}, and they eventually agreed to $550. Free shipping, sent out that day, and in any color I wanted. Score!

Also, the 2012 didn't come with a car seat adapter or bumper bars, so I would have to buy those separately if I wanted them. The 2013 comes with them. So $50 for the color I want and the optional accessories. Not bad. It's still a lot of money, but I have some leftover from my summer job, and now have two strollers that I can sell {my regular one and my jogger} to help pay for it. And considering I will have it for a long time, it's not a bad investment. I know I will be happy with it, and I know I can sell it when we're done and get some decent money for it.

So anyway...all that to say...IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! And it's so, so pretty! I can't wait to take both my boys out in it.

Single or Double...

So I have this dilemma. I can't decide if I want a double stroller or not.

I mean, I guess I want one, but I don't know if I will need one. My boys will be 22 months apart. I know for sure that Leland will not be ready to walk around on his own yet, so a double stroller would be nice. But I do have the Moby, which was really nice with Leland for about 6-8 months {when he got too heavy to wear}, so I could wear the baby and Leland could be in the stroller. But I'm sure there will be times when it will be nice to have them both in the stroller. But double strollers are HUGE, so will I really want to take them around running errands in a giant stroller? So, as you can see I'm kind of torn.

I currently have two strollers. One is the Graco Trekko that I LOVE. It is a three-wheel stroller, so it maneuvers easily wherever we are, and it's a nice, comfy ride for Leland. It was also super affordable at $130! But it's not great for running, because the wheels aren't actual tires, so it can be a bumpy ride for him.

 

So I also have a jogging stroller that my mom found for me at a garage sale. The jogger works great for running, except that the seat doesn't look incredibly comfortable for Leland. It's fine now that he's older, but last summer, he had a hard time sitting up in it. 

If I go for a double, I want it to be a jogger, but a nice jogger, you know? One that I can use for errands that is comfortable for the kids, but that I can still use for running if I want. And one that folds down easily. This is where it gets tricky, because double strollers are expensive, and when you get into joggers or the more "all-around" strollers, they get even more expensive.

If I had my way, I would probably go with the One Step Ahead Elite Navigator Double Jogging Stroller.

I like that it has two front wheels, because three-wheeled double joggers look like there isn't enough foot room for both kids. The front foot area is more triangle shaped, and I can't imagine there is room for four feet. And who wants kids fighting over foot space?! I also like that it has two separate canopies, and it looks comfy enough.

But it appears it is no longer being made? And a similar one {but not quite the same} has replaced it from Baby Trend.

Baby Trend Navigator

This one looks similar, but looks a little more cheaply made to me. However, it still has the larger foot area, and two separate canopies. The reviews are pretty good for it. Some people say the front wheels wobble when running, but others say that when they lock the wheels, they don't do that. I like that the wheels can swivel or lock - that is a must if I get a new stroller. My Graco stroller has that feature and I love it, but my jogger doesn't. I was concerned that it wouldn't fit my Graco SnugRide car seat, but reviewers said they use it with Graco car seats and they latch just fine.

It's kind of the perfect double jogger for me, with the exception that - like all side by side strollers - it is HUGE. Reviewers said that it is hard to get through standard-size doors. So, how helpful will it really be?And, as strollers go - whether double, jogger, double jogger, or even some single, etc. - it's pretty affordable at around $230. However, that is still $230 - not exactly cheap.

If I get a double stroller, this will likely be the one. It just seems to fit my criteria better than other doubles, while still being somewhat affordable.

Ugh...I just don't know what to do. There are many pros to having a double stroller, but there are some definite issues/questions. How helpful will it actually be? What will I do with my other two strollers? I will surely keep my Graco one for times that I just want a single. But what about my single jogger? I do not need three strollers sitting around...and my husband would not be okay with that either.

So again, I want one, but I don't know if I need one. With two kids under two, I might need one, but I can probably get by without one, right? Care to weigh in? 

Products We Love

I think that I have posted before about some baby products we love, but it's been a while, so here are a couple of things we love for Leland.

As I was rocking Leland before bed last night, I remembered one BIG thing that I am so glad we have - a recliner in his room. When I was pregnant with Leland, I knew I wanted an actual recliner instead of a glider. Gliders are just not comfortable to me, and I knew I would be spending many hours in this chair, so I wanted it to be comfortable. However, funds and space were somewhat limited. I looked into the recliner sections at the furniture stores, but spending upwards of $400 was not an option for us.

So I checked out the Art Van Clearance Center and found a great one. It was small enough to fit in his room, very comfortable, and super affordable! It rocks and reclines. I think I got it for around $170. And it has been the best baby item we purchased. All those nights up with Leland, nursing or just snuggling, and rocking every night before bed were so comfortable! It was also a great spot to take Leland's monthly photos.

And Leland loves to play on the chair too.

Another baby item we love are Target Up & Up diapers.


We started out using Pampers, which I liked, but MAN are they expensive! We were spending, like, $25 a week on diapers. We also tried Huggies, but I hated them. They leaked every time! But I had heard a few friends talk about the Target brand diapers, so we gave them a try. I first fell in love with the price - they are half the price of Pampers {Dave calculated that Pampers were about 25 cents each, while Up & Ups are around 11.9 cents each}. Then I fell in love with the look and feel. They have cute little polka dots on them, which I prefer over characters {I get tired of looking at Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh all over everything}, and they felt a lot like Pampers. Then I fell in love with how well they work! They work just as well as Pampers. We have been using these since Leland was in size 2 diapers, and haven't looked back.

Lastly {for this post anyway}, we love the Trend Lab blanket that came with Leland's bedding set.

Image is from the Trend Lab web site.

I picked it out because I liked the pattern, never expecting that Leland would love the blanket so much. I thought it would be more decorative than anything else. But the kid is obsessed with this blanket! Leland has many blankets, but this is by far his favorite. He likes to rub his hands and face on it when we rock, and whenever I pick him up, if I drape the blanket over my shoulder, he immediately snuggles into it. He has to have it to sleep with, and he loves to carry it around the house {though it's kind of big, so he tends to trip on it}. The back of it is kind of like fleece, so it's super soft and cozy.

Since Leland loves it so much, I have already picked one out for Baby Boy #2.

The set comes with a blanket, sheet, crib skirt, and bumper and you can get matching accessories with it too, like a lamp, window valence, hamper, baskets, etc. We got the matching valence for Leland's room, and we'll probably do that again with the new set.

So there you have it - my latest list of Mommy favorites.

Hits and Misses...

When buying gifts for your one year old, you're usually just guessing about whether or not they will like something.

I shared what Leland was getting for his birthday and Christmas here, and I was absolutely certain that everything we bought him would be a hit.

As it turns out, most of them were, but some were not.

The remote control? Big hit. HUGE! This is awesome and a perfect replacement for our TV remote that Leland always wants to play with, but can't have. Leland loves it. There are plenty of buttons to push, a light that blinks when you push the buttons, and lots of different sounds. It's the bomb, basically.

The phone? Eh. It's cool looking. The "screen" slides to use three different activities {phone, piano, and shapes/colors}. It makes cool sounds. And even has three different language settings! But it's really quiet. I know this is probably every parent's dream to have a quiet toy, but it really doesn't pique Leland's interest because you can only hear it when it's RIGHT by your ear. I have contacted the company because I feel like mine might be defective. Hopefully I can get a new one that is a little louder.

Ball and gear center? Decent hit. He doesn't play with it all the time, but he enjoys it. He dances when the music comes on, and he likes to chew on the gears.

Little People Airplane? Hit. I knew he would like this because he has it at daycare. He likes the Little People because they're so chewable. ;)

Shape shell turtle bath toys? Decent hit. Leland loves them in the tub. He likes to take off their shells and chew on them.

Turtle shape sorter? Hit. Sort of. Mostly, Leland just likes to take the shapes out and shake them {they rattle and one has a little mirror}. But he has fun with it.

Leland got some other toys for Christmas/Birthday from other people that he loves too. One of them is an elephant ball popper from VTech. Leland likes to drop the balls down the hole and wait for them pop up. The funny thing is though that he puts his face right up to the hole and he ends up getting popped in the forehead. It's hilarious and he loves it.

He also got one of those little cars that plays a song when you push a button. Simple toy, but so much fun! His plays "Pump up the Jam," which this mommy loves. He hits the button and watches me dance and smiles. Ha ha. He's starting to dance to it, too, but I think he mostly gets his entertainment from watching me dance.

So these are some of our hits and misses. What did your child love to get for Christmas this year? Or...last year, I guess...

Favorite Baby Products: Food...

When I was pregnant with Leland, I knew I wanted to make his baby food when it came time. However, I didn't know how or what I needed. So I stalked other people's blogs and came up with what I would need. Some things I already had, like pans, strainers, baby food bowls with lids {for storing/transporting cereal and already mixed food}, baby spoons, etc. But some things I new I would need to purchase, like...
A food processor

I decided I wanted a food processor just for making baby food. I figured it would be smaller and easier to store. I found this little gadget at Target online and it was very reasonably priced {pretty sure it was under $30}. It's super easy to use and clean and is small and stores easily like I wanted.

Ice cube trays

Okay, not even kidding, we didn't own ice cube trays until I bought some for Leland's food. Who in the world doesn't own ice cube trays, you ask? Us. Anyway, ice cube trays are perfect because they hold 2 Tablespoons, which is one serving of food. After I puree the food, I put it in the ice cube trays and stick 'em in the freezer. Once they're frozen, I put the cubes in plastic freezer bags and take them out as needed. Freezing them allows me to make a whole bunch of food at one time, and it usually lasts a week or two.

Small glass storage containers

I use these containers for storing/thawing his food cubes in the refrigerator or transporting it to daycare or wherever we're going. I read on a friend's blog that she used these, and I thought I'd check them out. I like these because they're glass and the perfect size. I got mine at Sweet Pea, a local kids/baby store. I have four of them, which works nice for now, but I may have to go get some more.


And my sister got me this book for my baby shower...

This book is seriously the Bible of baby food! It tells you when to start solids, which ones to start with, which foods to add each month, how much food your baby needs, etc. It also has a lot of different recipes. It's all I've needed for learning how to make Leland's food. It also explains how to make "Super Baby Porridge" once Leland is done with rice cereal. At first, I thought, Nah, I'll just buy the Gerber oatmeal or whole grain stuff. It's easier. But after talking to my sister, I think I'll give it a shot. It's better for him and easier for him to digest and it seems pretty easy to make.

So far, Leland has had sweet potatoes, avocado, bananas, pears, prunes, plums, carrots, and squash. I bought some peaches to try this week, and next week I think we'll try mangoes. I'm not going to lie...I didn't know how long to steam/bake these foods. And some foods I had never eaten in my entire life {sweet potatoes, plums, prunes, mangoes}, so this book has been really helpful for me. And what I love about it is that it's for "crunchy" mamas. It's all about organic, healthy food for babies. Now, I'm not necessarily a super crunchy mama, but I try.

With these items, making Leland's food has been a breeze. And, holy cow, making baby food is so much cheaper than buying it! Today, I bought one sweet potato for 88 cents, and it will probably make 6-8 food cubes. I decided to look and see how much the jars/containers cost at the store and they were 65 cents for 1-2 servings. Plus, I don't know if you've ever tasted store-bought baby food, but it has no flavor whatsoever, and I'm sure it's full of preservatives. The food Leland is getting is organic, flavorful, and SUPER cheap!

I'm so glad I decided to make his food. It's actually pretty fun to do.

Stroller...

Back when I was pregnant, I had my heart set on a BOB stroller. I wanted a jogger and those are, in my opinion, the best out there.

However, I quickly learned that my wallet cannot afford "the best out there," so I started my search again. 

The main thing I wanted was a three-wheel stroller. In my experience as a nanny/babysitter, the three-wheel strollers are easier to maneuver around. I also wanted a stroller that I could jog with. I wasn't planning on running every day, but I wanted the option if the mood struck, and I do plan to get back into running soon.

So I set out searching for a three-wheel jogging stroller. The problem I encountered was, first of all, price. There was no way I could afford a $300+ stroller. The second problem was that the cheaper jogging strollers all got poor reviews and people said they either had wobbly front wheels, or the wheel was locked so it wouldn't pivot {making turns a pain in the rear}.

I happened to stumble upon the Graco Trekko Stroller in a Babies R Us ad and then I found it on Target's website.

Photo from Google images

After reading the reviews and doing a little more research, I decided this was the stroller for me.

I've used it many, many times now, and I love it.

Here are the things I love about it:

• Three wheels, with locking option on front wheel {it can lock or pivot}
• Fits our car seat {any Graco car seat, but it actually "goes with" our Graco Snug Ride}
• Thick rubber wheels, so it will go through pretty much anything, and I never have to worry about a flat tire.
• Although it is not technically a jogger, I can use it for jogging. It's not meant for everyday running {because it has rubber wheels that will wear down, not inflatable tires}, but it works for the amount of running I plan to do.
• The seat can sit upright, recline halfway, or recline all the way down. I love this!
• The canopy can be moved to block the sun from any direction. Some other strollers I have used don't do this and the sun is always in the baby's eyes.
• It's a smooth ride for Leland. I think because of the shocks and bigger wheels, it's not so rattly like other strollers I've used.
• It folds down very easily, with one hand.
• It fits easily into the trunk of my car {I have a Ford Fusion, which isn't very big}. I was worried about that.
• It was really affordable! Regular price at Target is only $160, but I got it even cheaper when it was on sale for $140!

There are some things I don't love about it though:

• As with most jogging strollers, it doesn't have a cup holder or any place besides the basket on the bottom for me to keep my water bottle or keys.
• No snack tray for the child.
• The basket is big, but doesn't hold a lot of weight. It is made so that the basket can move down if the seat is fully reclined, but when I put something heavy in it, like my diaper bag, it falls down {and then the basket bumps the brakes}. It's rather touchy, but I've made it work so far.
• The shoulder straps are kind of annoying, but Leland is to the point now, where he only needs the lap strap.

Overall, I love our stroller. I will still look for a more affordable jogger {second-hand, garage sales, consignment shops} so that I can jog more regularly, but for now, this is exactly what I need. And you just can't beat the price.