Mommies With Style

My family and I just returned from Jamaica on Friday. We had an awesome and smooth trip, and a large reason why is due to the Joovy Caboose Ultralight that we brought along.

A little background first…

My boys are 5 and 2 1/2. We rarely use strollers anymore, however, I knew I would need to bring something on a trip involving airports, lots of walking, and general travel. When I learned that I had the chance to try out the Joovy, I figured, “why not!,” not truly realizing how fabulous this stroller is and how perfect it was for us and for our trip.

Now a bit on why this stroller is so amazing!

Our Joovy Caboose Ultralight allowed our two boys to comfortably sit throughout our travels. My younger son Jonah (2 1/2) sat in the two-position front seat and my older son Jacob (5) alternated between sitting in the padded, adjustable rear seat and standing. Jacob, who is a very tall child, had no problem using the back seat/standing. (The stroller accommodates kids 6 months through 45 lbs.) Jonah, who never really napped in a stroller previously, enjoyed the Joovy so much that every day around 2pm he asked to get in and take a walk to take a nap. Every single day of our trip Jonah napped in the Joovy for over 2 hours! (See why the Joovy was so important to the success of our trip?!) He also enjoyed keeping his cup and snack in the child tray and cup holder.

I also really loved using this stroller:

• First of all, it was a pleasure to steer. I am not going to slam any other stroller manufacturers, but I have been using another tandem stroller for 2 years and will not be using it again after my experience with the Joovy. My now-former not-to-be-named stroller was too hard to push with both kids in it, and much heavier and more cumbersome than the Joovy. The Joovy, however, has these amazing swivel “smooth-glide” wheels which make it a pleasure to push.
• It also has a large, awesome basket (which sometimes you lose on a double) and comes with a neoprene parent organizer! (How awesome is THAT?!) The parent organizer holds water bottles, cell phones, keys, iPods, credit cards and money, and more. We stuffed our sunscreen, room key, and some water bottles in it each day and were off!
• I also loved that it was extremely easy to fold up and was very light weight. We were able to easily store it in our hotel room (which was not huge) and even got compliments throughout our trip from other parents on how nice and compact the Joovy folded.
• A huge bonus for me and my family was the large sun visor/canopy. With a red-headed fair-skinned child in the Caribbean, we were definitely concerned about burning. But the Joovy’s huge canopy easily covered him and also covered part of my older son in the rear seat.
• Finally, the Joovy is a really nice looking stroller. Not that I am vain or anything but as far as the typical Sit and Stand goes, I think the Joovy is really attractive. And I love that it comes in a ton of great color choices. We had the bright and fun Sunset color, but also available are Sage, Black, Brownie, Blueberry, Orangetree, and Greenie.

One feature that I did not use but that is fabulous should you have a little one in an infant carrier is the universal car seat adapter. This easy-to-install adapter accepts most major brands and allows you to safely and easily tote around your newborn or infant along with your older child.

Really, I could go on and on about this stroller. It is my new favorite must-have for parents of two little ones. I’m not sure why it took me so long to experience the Joovy Caboose Ultralight, but I will certainly be using it all of the time now… and I highly recommend it to you if you have (or are expecting) 2 young children.

Thanks to Joovy for donating the Caboose Ultralight!

Britax has issued a voluntary safety recall on its Blink Stroller. The recall is in response to a potential risk of harm when a consumer opens or closes the stroller.  No injuries have been reported, but as an extra precaution Britax will provide free remedy kits (with hinge covers) to all registered Blink owners.

Please visit www.BlinkRecall.com or call the Britax information line at 888-427-4829 for further instructions.

There was never a reason, but since my oldest son was born I’ve been lusting after a Valco. Finally, this summer, Valco Baby sent me a sample of the Latitude for review. It was worth the wait. This stroller is a dream come true.

First its super-light-weight. The 19 pound stroller is delightful to push with a smooth roll and a dynamic turning radius along a very narrow base that pushing my 12 pound 6 month old (yes, she’s tiny) is seriously like pushing air.

Even though its a tiny stroller, the actual seat is large enough for a preschooler (tested by the Kindergartener) but comfortable enough for the baby with a full recline. I have her covered in an attached blanket and she sleeps soundly and comfortably.

The 2 handed fold is smooth and simple. And what is fantastic is how small it is when folded. I’m no longer giving up nearly my entire SUV trunk-space to my stroller, now there’s plenty of room for all of my shopping bags, a pack and play, luggage for a trip and whatever else we have packed in at the time. A huge bonus is that, when folded, it still stands vertically, which means a very little footprint when not in use. (Ideal for tight storage spaces, aka my garage).

Of course I need to mention the basket which fits my diaper bag with room to spare–more than I need for walking to the bus stop and enough for a quick trip through the mall.

I’ve also used the stroller for my Stroller Fit class. This is going to sound funny, but its almost too light. Its a great jogger, so easy to move and zoom around the park. While my classmates pushed their heavy joggers, the Latitude moved so quickly that it sped me ahead of the group.

Infant seat attachments are available, though I didn’t use the one that goes with the Britax. The stroller is outfitted and snug enough that, once my baby could hold her head well, I felt fine putting her in the stroller directly.

Honestly, I can’t imagine needing another stroller (I know, easy to say right now, right?) But the Latitude meets all of my needs: neighborhood walks, Stroller Fit class, shopping the mall and shopping centers, even amusement parks. Valco’s Latitude EX stroller is really all I can see myself needing.

So that dream of a stroller? It really can come true.

Find Valco Baby’s Latitude EX at Lets Go Strolling, where you can use MWSVALCO for 10% off all Valco Strollers through March 31st, 2010.

Thanks to Valco Baby for providing a sample stroller for this review.

Have a used car seat/stroller/bassinet, etc. lying around? I have a few old car seats that are from my daughter and I don’t think they are safe to use for my 2-year old son. So when I heard about the “Great Trade-In” event, I was thrilled!

Through Saturday, February 20th, Babies “R” Us and Toys “R” Us stores are holding the “Great Trade-In” event providing their customers with the opportunity to trade-in any used car seats, strollers, cribs, bassinets, travel systems, play yards, toddler beds or high chairs in exchange for a 25% off savings on the purchase of a new baby item, in any of the product categories from select manufacturers. Participating brands are: Britax, Babi Italia, Baby Cache, Baby Trend, Bergamo, Bertini, Carter’s, Chicco, Contours by Kolcraft, Cosco, Delta, Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco, Jeep, Little Tikes, Safety 1st, Sorelle and Step2.

The “Great Trade-In” event places an emphasis on specific baby products, that due to safety concerns, may not be the best candidates to be handed down or resold. Beyond recalls, certain older and used baby items can be potentially unsafe for a variety of reasons, including damage or lack of compliance with recent advances in product safety standards.

You don’t need to have purchased the item you want to “trade-in” from TRU or BRU. You can bring in multiple items and you will be given one 25% off discount for each item traded in. The discount must be used that day on another item from the participating categories and manufacturers. Trade-In items and purchased items can be from different categories.

Of course, I want the best for my baby. And when we think of the best in car seats, we’re going to think of Britax. They’ve worked hard to earn the reputation, and its no surprise to me that when it came to creating a new baby carrier/carseat and stroller travel system, they set their standards high, to meet our expectations.

The Chaperone carseat & base:

• Longer than most, it fits a child 4-30 pounds rearfacing. Height is up to 32 inches. (this is a baby carrier seat, it does  not sit forward facing)
• Comes with a base like none I’d ever seen before. It has an “anti-rebound bar” to stabalize seat in case of impact.
• No rethread height adjustment: possibly my favorite part of the seat. The head restraint (below) holds the top two restraints in the 5-point harness. In this seat, as baby grows, move this area up to find the proper restraint height. This is much less of a hassle for parents (adjusting with threads is a PITA) and it ensures proper alignment of restraints with 7 heights (should be just below the shoulders when child is rear-facing.)
• Side protection: extreme. With wing support around the head that provide extra protection and cradle head from wobbling and ensures proper alignment.
• Includes both LATCH and seatbelt installation on the base.
• 5-point harness is easy for mom and dad to attach and detach.

I’m certain my baby is very safe in this Britax seat. Its easy to carry and strap her in correctly. And installation in the car was simple. It also fits snugly in a single row of my pilot with 2 other carseats (Graco Nautilus and Britax Marathon).In addition to the safety (which, of course, comes first) baby seems comfortable. The “wings” (as I call them) of the side impact protection cradled her tiny head so nicely I was never concerned about her little head hanging to the side (I had to purchase and install cushions for baby’s older siblings). The cushion is also stronger than many other carseats. Not necessarily plush, but it seems more firm–so that she likely feels less of the hard plastic.  The Chaperone’s seat is simple to remove and wash (when necessary) and, while just as heavy as other seats, the handle makes it easy to carry. The canopy on the seat is huge, and protects her nicely in the rain. It stays up nicely, but when pushed back (as in, not in use) it sags and often falls under the carrier. I’ve found it simple to remove the canopy and do not have it on the carrier on most days. This is a large seat, and we had to move it to behind the passenger side of our car, as there wasn’t enough room for the driver to move his seat back and actually drive the car. Safety, of course, comes first, and I figure I get a tiny bit more exercise because I’m running from one side of the car to the other.

The Britax Chaperone Stroller:

Its been a long time since Britax came out with a stroller. This one is head turning. At least once a day I get comments like “I didn’t know Britax makes strollers!” and “wow! That stroller looks rather space-age. Nice!” (seriously, I’ve heard some rendition of space age twice. Separately.) 

• without the carrier, the stroller should be used for kids 6 months to 55 pounds
• Chaperone carseat carrier locks into stroller with ease. Canopys meet in the middle to totally cover baby. And you can still access the basket, even with the carseat locked in
• basket is huge, really, huge. I can fit 2 fully packed diaper bags, and have room to spare. And (love this feature) the rim has an open setting, so that you can lower the back of the basket to load and  unload items and then fix it back to secure items inside
• one brake pedal controls both brakes (need to press it firmly), its a pressure adjustment that you use with your foot
• SIMPLE one handed fold: just pull the child tray out of position, then pull on the handle on the seat and it folds. Its almost too easy (so says the husband who, upon forgetting how to do it, commented that he keeps thinking it will be harder to fold, considering its so fancy)
• snack trays for both child and parent (parent gets 2 cup holders and a little bin with a cover to hold things.)
• Adjustable stroller handle height
• 5-point harness
• strong, large tires provide all-wheel suspension. Its hard to tell in the picture, but the back wheels sit wider apart than the front. (The front are also smaller). This allows for a greater turning radius and ease in pushing

In September, I joined a Stroller fit class at my gym. I have a jogger, but with baby in sleeping in the Chaperone carseat, I’ve been using the Chaperone stroller. We spend about half of our hour running and fast walking up and down an incline. I was a bit hesitant about using this stroller when jogging, but the stroller has turned out to be a faux-jogger. Its large wheels move smoothly over the hill as I pick up speed. And the thinner base at the front allows for faster, easier turning. Its turned out to be a great infant jogger. And on Fridays, when my 4 y.o. is at soccer, I have no problem pushing the Chaperone through the grass onto the field. Of course its wonderful in the mall as well. A very versatile stroller for all of my needs. The front wheels pop on upon installation. Make sure you lock them on (by listening for the “snap”) but beware that they do unlock if the button is hit. So that if your stoller moves around in your trunk and the release button hits something, they could unlock. For that reason, I have learned to put additional pressure on the front of the stroller each time I open it.

We’re very pleased with the Chaperone Travel System for our baby. Its the stroller and carseat we’ve been using since the day we brought baby home, without even a second thought that it wasn’t “right” for us. Which is a relief, because every mom knows just how hard it is to find a “right” stroller for your needs.

Thanks to Britax for providing a sample of the Chaperone Travel System for review. Buy yours by December 31, 2009 to take advantage of the $100 Mail-in Rebate Promotion. 

I’m always on the lookout for the perfect theme park stroller and I think I have a contender in the Mutsy Transporter! We just love this stroller for trips to Disney but also for the constant daily  school “pick up” runs. Here’s why:

This lightweight, Dutch made stroller has a lot of the bell & whistles of a heavier, larger stroller, but folds up into a tiny compact package that could make even and umbrella stroller envious. It takes up little room in the trunk and does not give me a hernia when I have to foist it in and out, ten times a day.

I’ve long been a fan of Mutsy. Their strollers are of the European tradition – high quality prams that are meant to be used, frequently, in all kinds of weather. Europeans know their strollers!  Mutsy has always been a popular choice for their forward thinking designs and details like their easy access baskets.

The Transporter has a very roomy and comfortable seat for children from about 3 months up to around 4 years. With a wide and tall seat they won’t grow out of this one quickly. The seat reclines to multiple positions but does not recline completely flat. If you have a baby under three months and want to use this stroller right from the start, you can get carseat adapters or a bassinet to use with the frame.

Some nice things about the seat: It is well padded and has a five point harness. The fabric is easy to clean and durable. I’m definitely dressing mine up with a cute aftermarket seat pad, because I am all about the stroller pimping/decoration, but there’s no need to embellish, it’s great as it. The seat has a well designed removable pillow with side wings – really nice touch for a toddler who wants to nap in their stroller. My son loves the pillow!  A padded bumper bar is also easy to remove. The only thing we’d like to see  (perhaps as an accessory option) might be a snack tray. An ample hood protects baby from the sun and we love the peekaboo side windows that let them see the world even when the hood is fully deployed.

Pushing the stroller is a pleasure thanks to EVA foam wheels. These wheels bounce smoothly over bumps, but no flats. I’d not suggest them for your off road treks, but they are perfect for urban use, trips to parks, stores and getting around the neighborhood. The  handlebar folds into multiple positions for various heights, so pushing your kiddo can be be a family affair. The handlebar tucks under for the fold.

Speaking of the fold, it’s remarkably fast and easy to achieve which is a great feature for those times when you are hopping on a tram at Disney, or dashing to the car during a shower.

Bonus points for the oversized storage basket on the bottom. There is room there for a big bag and a sweater to boot,  and it is accessible even when the stroller is fully reclined. No waking a sleeping baby getting your keys out.  We would have liked more storage up top for our stuff however. An included cup holder and parent console would  have been much appreciated. Fortuntately there are plenty of options out there for aftermarket add ons for snack, drink and sunglasses storage.

For more photos check out my Whrrl Story on the Mutsy Transporter. See the Mutsy site for Mutsy Transporter Stats.

Giveaway is now closed.

Hey expecting NYC mamas– this Tuesday night, October 6th, don’t miss Big City Moms and Cookie Magazine’s 6th Annual Biggest Baby Shower, which will be held at the American Girl Place at 609 Fifth Avenue. Doors open at 7:30 pm (Super Pass holders can come at 6:30 pm). Standard tickets are still available for $65.

Cybex, Born Free, Rosie Pope Maternity, Cloud B, il gufo, Bugaboo, Skip Hop, Inglesina, Orbit Baby and Britax, as well as many other companies, will be showing off their latest products.

Actress Kelly Rutherford and Dr. Alan Greene will be guest speakers.   To attend, please email events@bigcitymoms.com, or call 917-488-8542. For more information please visit www.bigcitymoms.com.

Exclusive for MWS Readers: Cybex is giving away one Super Pass. To enter: leave a comment under this post about what item(s) you feel are splurge-worthy for your new arrival. This giveaway closes Monday, October 5th at 3pm and will be chosen at random on Monday afternoon. Only open to U.S. residents are expecting and can be in Manhattan for Tuesday night’s event.

Bugaboo is teaming up with (RED) to empower parents across the world to participate in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Starting on October 1, 2009, with any Bugaboo purchase, Bugaboo will contribute 1% of their revenue to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programs in Africa — with an emphasis on the health of women and children. The funds support programs that often include delivery of lifesaving antiretroviral treatment and support for treatment to help prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child.

Parents can choose to either purchase from the existing Bugaboo range or from the (BUGABOO)RED Special Collection to help those affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa, including millions of mothers and children.

The (BUGABOO)RED Special Collection includes a Bugaboo Cameleon Denim Stroller featuring a black matte frame, dark denim fabric and a distinctive red brake handle. Also for sale is a white leather (BUGABOO)RED Bag. The multipurpose modern carryall includes a changing mat, numerous compartments and removable food and drink containers.

(RED) was founded in 2006 to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

So I was upstairs, putting my four month-old to bed, while my husband got ready to take my two older kids out for a run in the jogging stroller. Suddenly, he burst into the room with some awful, awful news.

No, it wasn’t the kids. They were fine. It was my baby stroller. It met its very untimely and inconvenient demise when it was snapped in two by our closing garage door (yes, we’re checking the sensors!).

I was incredibly lucky to get the chance to test the Quinny Buzz4.

The box arrived when my husband was out of town. I am mechanically impaired, but I had no problem assembling the stroller myself. All I really had to do was pop on the wheels and slip on the under-carriage basket and we were ready to roll.

My son does not like to sit in his carseat. So strolling him around the neighborhood was out of the question. But he absolutely adores riding in the Quinny Buzz’s super-comfy stroller seat. The cushy seat can be placed in a forward or rear-facing position, and can be tilted or set upright. It also has a footrest that can adjust with your growing child.

I love that the pushbar can be easily raised, which is great for someone like me who is 5-foot-8 and is tired of having to hunch over shorter strollers. I also appreciate the front swivel wheels (they can be locked). Taking the boy for a walk is a breeze, as I can easily navigate all dips, curbs and uneven pavement.

Folding it took some practice, as you have to press both levers and push to get it down. Unfolding, however, is a dream. You simply press a lever and it opens on its own. I can also easily lift it into the back of my SUV. And it folds completely flat.

The Quinny Buzz4 comes with adapters for the Maxi Cosi child car seat (the seat is sold separately) a bug net, rain shield, shopping basket and sun canopy. It also came with a replacement seat cushion that can accommodate a bigger toddler (the seat holds up to 50 pounds).

What’s also really fun is hearing all the comments I get whenever I take my stroller out. It comes in fun colors, and mine is a bright strawberry red. It just looks cool. With the Quinny Buzz4, looks aren’t everything – they’re just the icing on the cake.

Its a goal. Not one I’m sure I’ll keep, but a goal all the same. You see, I’ve never liked running. But this year while I was pregnant and unable to working out, a group of friends in my MOMS Club formed a Couch to 5K team. They set goals, got together a few times a week and learned to run. And after several weeks of training, they ran a 5K. Another group of friends began training last year at our gym. They still attended our regular classes, but picked up running on treadmills, tracking and comparing times; cheering each other on. I even saw a few at parks and running around town while training. Now they’re running races. All this amazes me. So, I want to learn to run.

Of course, I’m barely permitted to workout yet. I may not yet have the ability to run, but I have the gear. I was sent a Joovy Zoom 360 stroller a few weeks ago. Setting it up took just a few minutes, with 3 and 5year olds helping their very pregnant mom. It sat in my dining room until my husband came home to take it downstairs to the garage (I couldn’t lift then, either, and it weighs 26 pounds.) So my kids tested it out. One napped in it a few times (he tells me it was as comfortable as his bed.) The other pushed it around (he could barely see over the hood, but he had no problem pushing and the turning radius of the swivel wheel proved fantastic (which was very important considering he was weaving in and out of furniture.)

Finally, we took it out around the neighborhood. It strolled nicely and smoothly with shocks that allowed for pleasant bouncing when we hit bumps.Recommended for kids ages 6 months through 75 pounds, the Zoom 360 can be used for years–and lots of jogs.

And since there will be a lot of jogs, Joovy added clever mesh pockets on the inside of the stroller, one either side of the very roomy seat. The pockets are ideal for holding small toys and cups. Strap your child in to the 5-point harness with reflective stitching, and get set with the multi-position reclining seat–easily adjustable with a firm lock to keep it in place. It also sits higher and straighter than many jogger stroller seats I’ve seen.

For the parent, there’s a great sized stroller basket with an air pump inside, and a neoprene parent caddy containing 2 cup pockets and a zippered pocket for toting your small items. I love that this is so easily removable to wash or bring with you.  For the die-hard jogger (and I don’t know if I’ll ever be this dedicated) the Joovy Zoom 360 includes a rain cover.

The fold is simple, and it folds tightly–the wheels are the reason for the 17 inch folded height. If not for the wheels it’d have a very narrow fold height. The front wheel is my favorite aspect of the stroller. Fixed wheels drive me crazy (I know… I”m probably not a true runner, right?) But since I’m learning to run, I know I’ll need it. The switch between fixed and swivel is quick and easy, but locks in firmly.

So, I have the gear… stay tuned when baby is six months and we’ll see if the gear encourages me to run.

In the meantime, set your own goals and start with your own Joovy Zoom 360, retailing for $399 with free USA shipping.