the cadillac of all double strollers

I have been on a mission to find THE double stroller.

Since our kids will only be about 20 months apart, I want to have the option to strap 'em both in without feeling like I'm driving a steam train from behind or trying to move a double-wide mobile home through the aisles at the shops. And since it's our second baby, we won't need much in terms of "gear" this time... just some more cloth diapers (I'd like another 10-15) and a double stroller. (And of course some cute dresses if baby turns out to be a girl!)

So the double stroller - our baby #2 big ticket item.

Pretty sure I've found it... my dream stroller: the Baby Jogger City Select.

Check this high-roller out:

Holy moly.

This stroller boasts sixteen different options for the seats - facing toward each other, away from each other, both forward, both backward, using a car seat, using a bassinet, and all sorts of variations and combinations. (I highlighted my favorite ones.)

I tested one out in our local baby store and it is a dream. One-handed steering? No problem. Quick, easy fold? Check. Amazingly huge sunshades (a must for life in Australia)? Bingo. Massive shopping basket underneath? Yup. Nice wheels for a smooth ride? Done. Easy to move the seats around? Unbelievably. Good fit for both my 6'3" husband and me? Yes! Packs down well to easily fit in the small trunk of our car? Uh-huh.

I could go on and on about this stroller. I'm totally in love... and Ryan is too.

It looks great as well - comes in black, diamond (kind of like a silver/light gray), red, or deep purple.

Another thing I love about it is that you can remove one seat and use it as a single and it still works beautifully. (And doesn't feel like a double stroller "missing something.") It's just so incredibly versatile.

I can envision using this stroller not only with Levi and the new bub, but also if we have any more kids down the road (which we most likely will).

The only problem? The price tag! Here in Australia it retails for $1200. I'm not even kidding... that's nearly the price of my first car back in the early 90's!!! And that's not even including the car seat adapter or any extras.

The good news is that I found it online at a baby boutique in America for $476 with free shipping. Yes, nearly 1/3 of the price here!

Looks like I may be asking my parents if they want to stuff that gigantic stroller into their carry-on when the come visit the baby (and us!) later this year.... We'll see what they think about that.

Dear friends, are your kids close in age? Have you found your dream stroller yet? Any tips you'd like to share about choosing one?

a girl can dream, right?

p.s. This is not meant to be a product review as I don't own it and haven't used it enough to give a complete review. It is not a sponsored post either... Merely a mom's opinion as I shop around, research, and compare.





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adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
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tips and tricks for camping with a baby

Babies love to be outside. Babies love a change of scenery. Babies love quality and quantity time with the ones they love… So, why wouldn’t babies love camping?!

We just got back from our first camping trip in the Aussie bush with Levi and it was a big success. I wanted to share what we learned, as well as some of the great tips that I got from other mommies, in hopes that your next camping trip with bubs will be fabulous too!

Now... here are my top tips for camping with a baby:

1. Baby jogger. We brought our jogging stroller (my husband calls it Levi’s 4-wheel-drive) and it was probably the single best thing we had with us. We put Levi to sleep in it for naptimes enabling us to wheel it wherever we were, which was great if we were moving between our tent area and the campfire area or the kitchen area. (It was a really big, spread out campsite!)

(one of many afternoon naps in the jogger)

We also put him to bed in it in the evenings so we could hang around the campfire or stay up playing cards as late as we wanted to without worrying about him being in the tent alone on the other side of the campsite. (Then transferred him to bed when we went to bed.) It was also great because we kept all our essentials in the basket and cup holders, meaning less trips back and forth to the tent for little things we needed throughout the day – sunscreen, bug spray, diapers and wipes, toys, water bottle, extra layers for bub, books, etc.

2. Layered clothing. Especially if you are camping in a place or season where there’s a big spectrum of temperatures, laying is a must!!! We had days warm enough for a onsie and shorts, and nights where we needed fleece and beanies! Layer up those babies so you can just peel off the layers as the sun gets stronger and put them back on as it disappears again. (And another little tip that we discovered: we used baby socks pulled up to the elbows for “mittens” on Levi during the cold nights.)

3. Emergency kit. Baby Tylenol, teething gel, fingernail clippers, butt paste, Vaseline, etc… Hopefully you don’t need any of it, but better to have a small stash on hand just in case.

4. Diapers galore. I took way more diapers than I thought we’d need… and only came back with five! For whatever reason, our little guy was a champion pooper while we were camping… much more than usual! Needless to say I was very glad I had a bigger than usual supply, so things didn’t get too messy *ahem* or desperate.

5. Wet wipes. Most mommies would instinctively bring a ton of wipes without really thinking, but just for the sake of being thorough I can’t go without adding these to the list! Bring a package for the tent, one for the car, one to keep near the kitchen or campfire, and one for the basket in your jogger. Use them for dirty bums, dirty faces, “sponge baths”, and for mommy and daddy’s sticky marshmallow fingers after those late night s’mores.

6. Travel cot. Many of the moms who left comments on my post asking for advice on camping mentioned bringing a porta-cot (pack-n-play). We brought one and actually didn’t end up using it. BUT, that is mostly because our little five-month-old isn’t yet crawling. Since he is still only a scooter we let him play on a blanket or a piece of carpet… but I think when we go camping in August we will definitely use the porta-cot since he’ll most likely be all over the place by then. (Also, it wouldn’t fit in our tent so we brought his moses basket—which he barely fit into—for him to sleep in at night. We’ll need to upgrade to a bigger tent with space for the porta-cot very soon!)

7. Plastic bucket. Throw the toys in… dump them out… fill up with water… and wallah – a portable toy box turned baby bath. Little bub will love the chance to sit in a funny little bath and hold the edges while he gets a wash. (And what a great photo op!)

8. Bath rug. We brought a large old bath mat to put under the moses basket (or portacot). The rubber base and cotton overlay made a perfect barrier from the cold air seeping in from the ground through the bottom of the tent. If you don’t have an old rug to use, then a blanket will work too.

9. Front carrier. Many moms also recommended taking a front (or back) carrier. We took ours along, but this is another item we didn’t end up using. However I’m keeping it on the list because I can see how invaluable it would be if you were in a place where you planned to do some hiking… or if you were camping without a bunch of friends who were just “waiting in line” for a chance to hold and play with bubs (which was the case for us – lucky little Levi! *grin*).

10. The car. We parked our car right next to our tent in case bubby had a meltdown in the middle of the night and we needed to take him somewhere where the crying was at least muffed a little bit from the other campers. Thankfully we didn’t need to use it for this reason! We did use it a lot though… for diaper changes. Since we have a hatchback I set up the trunk as a changing station with an old towel, the wipes, diapers, hand sanitiser, and toy for baby to hold onto for quick diaper changes. Of course you can change a diaper anywhere, but we just found this helpful and easier than always doing it on the ground.

11. Washable toys. This is pretty much just common sense, but ditch the stuffed animals and bring a couple of wooden or plastic toys that can easily be rinsed off after they’ve had a roll around in the dirt.

12. Portable shade. Bring a shade tent, a marquee, a spare tarp, or even a beach or patio umbrella to set up a spot of shade for baby to play under (or for over the portacot) unless there is ample tree covering. Also bring a good hat and sunscreen so those precious little cheeks don’t get too rosy.

13. Mozzie net. We have a mosquito net with elastic around the edges that fits over a stroller (and it would also fit over a portacot), which is perfect to keep those pesky mozzies away. We didn’t use it for this trip since it’s not mosquito season here in the Aussie winter… but no doubt this is a camping must-have for most camp-outs.

14. Other families. Part of the fun of camping is not just where you go, but who you go with. If you’re able to go with other families—especially other families with babies—then your whole trip will be more fun. The babies can play together, you can share supplies, and you won’t be as nervous about waking the others up since all the parents are in the same boat… hoping their babies will sleep through the night and not wake the forest! We had a bunch of singles, families, young children, and babies on this trip – a huge mixture. It was so fun to camp together with people who love our entire family, baby included.

As I expected, camping with a baby was a whole lot of fun. Yes, our car was a little more packed-out than it used to be… but it was so worth it! Babies are incredibly adaptable and our little guy did great. As long as mommy and daddy are flexible too, then the whole family will have a blast.

Hope these tips help prepare you for your next adventure in the great outdoors! And special thanks to all the mommies who gave me great tips before we left. Did I forget something that worked for you? Leave your advice in a comment below!

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baby faves: childcare captiva pram (stroller)

This is a perfect out-and-about stroller. We were given a Baby Love jogger (which my hubs calls the 4-wheel-drive, even though it’s a three-wheeler:) that we use for tromps around the neighbourhood and on bush walks, but we wanted something smaller to keep in the car that would be useful for me when I’m doing errands around town or going to the shopping centre. The Captiva has a smart, stylish design, it’s one of the lightest ones we found, can be opened with one hand, and only cost us $150 at Target Australia (on sale). The seat folds almost flat and is perfect for newborns, and the incline is on a pulley that adjusts as your child grows older (which also can be done with one hand). It’s exactly what we were looking for… and the price was fabulous considering you can spend SO MUCH MORE.

Update: After having this stroller for a while, I'm still generally very happy with it. BUT, there are a few "cons" that I thought I should pass on. Firstly, the shopping basket is quiet small, and it is also hard to get to when the seat is reclined for a newborn. And secondly, the one-handed steering capabilities are less than to be desired! You can steer with one hand, but not easily. I didn't realize how much this would bother me in the long run... and it's now one of the first things I say to new moms buying a stroller - make sure you can steer it one-handed! (I mostly notice this when I need to make or answer a quick phone call.) Overall, I still consider it a great purchase - good price, small, compact, lightweight, and stylish. It's a great "zip around town" or travel stroller for sure.

This is not a sponsored review, just passing on what I've experienced from one mom to another.

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baby faves: kiddopotamus deluxe piddle pad

The piddle pad is a small insert to put in your car seat and/or stroller so that when accidents (leaks and blow-outs!) occur you don’t have to remove and wash the entire cover – just the Piddle Pad. (As you can see by the photo they hold up to one cup of fluid. Hopefully our little ones aren't producing a cup of pee at a time, but anyway...) These are a great idea, and only cost about $10. I got one in the car seat and another one in the stroller. Such a fab idea!

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