Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best finds here!!

[Tacori E-ring]

I don''t lock it. I was under the impression you only need to lock it when running.

 

[Mara]

you ladies are such good advertisements for the BOB. if i can get past the huge footprint of it... it does sound like an optimal ''main'' stroller.

i also would not pay $270 for an infant car seat. depending on the kid, they may be out of it at 6 months. i just did a graco snugride since it was highly recommended re: safety, not too hideous, and it was $110. done and done!

there was another smaller footprint stroller that was highly recommended on a bunch of sites, i think it was the Inglesina Zippy? i think it was like $200 or so and it had all these ''smaller stroller'' recommendations from mom''s. i don''t know if it has infant snap on from day one...but i might look at that one again.

i was asking my friend with a 2 year old about strollers and she was like... well if i could go back and do it again i would get a more expensive, better brand stroller because other moms notice what you have.

i was like seriously, now i am supposed to worry about what other moms think about what i have and if they approve or i am cool mom or whatever?? jeez. obviously that is not what i am doing but i was like are you serious right now?

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 10/23/2009 4:04:50 PM
Author: Mara
you ladies are such good advertisements for the BOB. if i can get past the huge footprint of it... it does sound like an optimal ''main'' stroller.

i also would not pay $270 for an infant car seat. depending on the kid, they may be out of it at 6 months. i just did a graco snugride since it was highly recommended re: safety, not too hideous, and it was $110. done and done!

there was another smaller footprint stroller that was highly recommended on a bunch of sites, i think it was the Inglesina Zippy? i think it was like $200 or so and it had all these ''smaller stroller'' recommendations from mom''s. i don''t know if it has infant snap on from day one...but i might look at that one again.

i was asking my friend with a 2 year old about strollers and she was like... well if i could go back and do it again i would get a more expensive, better brand stroller because other moms notice what you have.

i was like seriously, now i am supposed to worry about what other moms think about what i have and if they approve or i am cool mom or whatever?? jeez. obviously that is not what i am doing but i was like are you serious right now?

Some moms are like that Mara. And those are the moms that are too concerned with what everyone is thinking about them to be concerned with disciplining their child. (i.e. not the brightest crayon in the box.)

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mara, you could fold and hang it in your garage when you weren''t using it. The BOB fit nicely in the back on my mom''s prius but it is a hatchback. I did not buy it for the brand. I knew what I needed/wanted and having to deal with a crappy stroller for awhile persuaded me to take the leap. TGal knows I tried to find something cheaper but there just wasn''t one that I loved. Get one from the REI sale if you decide on the BOB or babyjogger. Luckily you don''t have to decide on a full size stroller anytime soon. They will probably have some new, wonderful stroller out 6 months from now.

 

[Mara]

yep TG her kid is kind of a menace and bullies the other kids, pushes them, hits them etc. such a joy. this is the mom who wanted me to promise i wouldn''t spank my little angel. i was like first off i don''t think i will call him little angel, isn''t that just setting him up for failure later? talk about a pedestal. hehe.

Tacori, yeah we def could do wall storage, we''re working that out now for the garage. the BOB is not that much given stroller pricing in general, esp if you can use the coupon or get it on sale. i do like the durability factor.

i keep hoping there will be some new awesome stroller out when we are ready BUT that is what i hoped about cars too and look here we are having to make a decision. it''s down to the bmw x3 (certified used has some great deals that might be hard to pass up), the tauron from VW (anyone have this?? seems like a great contender w/small footprint for low price but good quality), and the A3 still in the running but when i see it i just think we might regret it in a year or so. we are finally going to actually test drive this wkd. funnily enough the tauron and the x3 both have the same width as the A3 even though they are SUV''s. size is a big deal for us given a funky sized 1 car garage. mentally i am thinking why pay for the A3 when we could get a small suv with a bit more space for the same or less money and it''s the same width? plus the quinny buzz and some of the other strollers i have liked might not fit easily in the A3 back. so. we''ll see.

 

[MustangGal]

Mara - a friend of mine has had an x3 for almost 2 years now. She bought a certified used one, I think it''s a 2005. She drives for work (a lot!), and really likes it. She doesn''t have kids yet, but does have 2 large dogs that fit in the back. I''ve ridden in it a few times, and I like the size. My SUV is a bit bigger, but we also had to get something that would tow our tent trailer. If I''d had a choice, I would have gome with something more that size.

 

[gailrmv]

I won''t lie. I notice what other women have (stroller wise), just like I notice their purse, or jewelry, or haircut, shoes or whatever. Do I judge someone either way based on their stroller or jewelry or purse or whatever? Hell no. Do I think I will or won''t be friends with that person because of their belongings? Of course not. Do I think it matters one bit in the scheme of things? No way! But yeah, I do notice.

 

[sbde]

tandogmom - we received the replacement buckle for the stroller a few wks ago and installed it straight away. thanks for bringing it up again though just in case

i''ll try to see if i can put something behind him to help him sit straight, but i think it may interfere with the seat restraints. l

jcrow - he''s 9 mos old now, and i noticed that he started wanting to sit up in the stroller about 2 mos ago. he still tries to sit up each time i put him in and then resigns himself to reclining after a few attempts haha poor little guy.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 10/23/2009 11:33:03 PM
Author: sbde
tandogmom - we received the replacement buckle for the stroller a few wks ago and installed it straight away. thanks for bringing it up again though just in case

i''ll try to see if i can put something behind him to help him sit straight, but i think it may interfere with the seat restraints. l


jcrow - he''s 9 mos old now, and i noticed that he started wanting to sit up in the stroller about 2 mos ago. he still tries to sit up each time i put him in and then resigns himself to reclining after a few attempts haha poor little guy.

thanks! i definitely want to check into this.

 

[gingerB]

thanks TG, TDM, and cdt for your thoughts on our sitch. isn''t it a nifty little stroller though?!

i do agree and thanks for re-iterating the plastic frame point and the REALLY pricey carseat. def both cons. graco carseat and sng both together being still less than the peg perego is def a point to ponder. i do have a weird tendency to prefer matching, but nothing I can''t get over

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/23/2009 4:23:38 PM
Author: Mara

Mara are you looking at the Taureg or Tiguan? I assume you mean the Tiguan because it''s the smaller one. IMO it''s a pretty useless SUV. Bad gas mileage and none of the storage space of an SUV. We just bought a Jetta Sportwagen so we looked at the SUV options too. Tiguan is cute but horrible storage space and not great gas mileage. I would be surprised if the trunk was much bigger than the A3 honestly!

Sportwagen prob. isn''t what you are looking for but we LOVE ours. Great zippy car with lots of storage space for the size.

 

[Mara]

thanks for the feedback on the cars/suvs, gals. hopefully we'll get to see them in person this wkd.

nf...the trunk space of a3 is 12cf and the tiguan (yes i was mixing names!) is 16cf. so it's a little bit bigger...(though the x3 is 30!). it might be all the 'extra' we need given that the tiguan is not that much bigger than the a3 outside dimension wise. but i wouldn't mind the idea of just a BIT more space in a very small compact SUV that still fits in our garage hehe. i looked at some of the wagons and i just didn't love the shapes, the a3 was the closest i found. i have a love of bubble cars, as evidenced by my mini hehee...i will really miss it.

 

[steph72276]

Mara, as far as the BMW X3 goes, I would make sure you really test drive it for a long while before you consider it. Adam is in the auto industry and brings home a different car every month, so I''ve driven almost everything out there as far as SUVs and sedans. I can tell you I did not like the X3 at all. It just was not very comfortable at all to me. I was also driving back from the mall on the highway and noticed the gas was getting low. I was going to wait until our exit a few miles away to stop. Well, the light came on and then it started acting like it was going to run out right then, with no warning whatsoever...again, that was my fault for letting it get low like that, but no warning after the light came on was enough for me to have my husband trade it in for another car. I LOVE Audis btw....I have loved everything I''ve driven by Audi

 

[steph72276]

Does anyone have a travel swing/bouncer combo? I am wondering b/c we got 2 of those huge full sized swings at showers for Andrew and he never used them. He hated being in them. I just want something like that that I can move from room to room and to put in the bathroom with me while I take a quick shower if nobody else is home to watch the baby. I would rather just get a combo if there is one on the market than a travel swing plus a bouncer. Thanks!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Steph, we had a travel size swing my MIL bought for us. I *think* graco made it. We kept it in our bedroom but it was light enough to love around and it folded.

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 10/23/2009 9:09:16 PM
Author: TanDogMom
I won't lie. I notice what other women have (stroller wise), just like I notice their purse, or jewelry, or haircut, shoes or whatever. Do I judge someone either way based on their stroller or jewelry or purse or whatever? Hell no. Do I think I will or won't be friends with that person because of their belongings? Of course not. Do I think it matters one bit in the scheme of things? No way! But yeah, I do notice.

I meant to quote Mara's post at the top of the page about other women noticing what you have when I wrote the post above. My comment seems really random otherwise! Sorry - running on not enough sleep these days


SBDE I'm glad you got that buckle already!

Ginger I know what you mean, I prefer matching too. Can't wait to see what you end up with and hear your review!

BOB wheel lock Someone asked about this. I don't lock it. I run medium speed and I feel like it works just fine with the wheel not locked.

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 10/24/2009 9:31:10 AM
Author: steph72276
Does anyone have a travel swing/bouncer combo? I am wondering b/c we got 2 of those huge full sized swings at showers for Andrew and he never used them. He hated being in them. I just want something like that that I can move from room to room and to put in the bathroom with me while I take a quick shower if nobody else is home to watch the baby. I would rather just get a combo if there is one on the market than a travel swing plus a bouncer. Thanks!

Yes! We have one. It''s made by Graco. Ours is a hand me down but I''m pretty sure they still make them because I downloaded the owners manual from the graco website within the past few months. The bouncer is not as "bouncy" as some freestanding bouncers but overall it works quite well and I like the space savings!

 

[steph72276]

Thanks Tacori and TDM for the Graco suggestion. I also found this one that looks pretty neat, I am going to try to find it in a store:http://www.poshtots.com/Gear/Shop-by-Brand/Combi/Combi-DX-Activity-Rocker-in-Natural-Gingham-Plush/21/2144/2836/13694/PoshProductDetail.aspx

 

[Mara]

thanks steph for the info on the x3. honestly i don't think i will find my PERFECT car. to be frank, the mini drives how i'd want any car i bought to drive, it's incredibly small, tight and stiff and very uncomfortable for most people.

when i drive other cars they feel 'soft and mushy' because they are made for more mainstream driving. but unfortunately mini doesn't have 4 doors AND it isn't conducive to kid comfort the way it moves. sooo it's now about making the best decision for what works for the growing family, not about me anymore *sob* hehe. the a3 would drive closest to the mini for performance, but lately i am like forget that, lets look at cost...i am turning into a cheapo after seeing so many baby expenses crop up.

funny because i have never had an audi but i have 2 friends that love them and 2 friends that HATE them. as in would never recommend them ever. everyone agrees to never let an audi go off their maintenance program. and i read an x3 review on some mom car site where they said it was good but not the greatest. but most of the 'greatest' recommends from moms are usually bigger than we can get. so it's kind of a catch 22. just gotta figure out what's the lesser of the evils i guess, and hopefully it's a ride and look we like enough. a little depressing right?? damn you mini!

oh and i also just have to say i am so irritated that most car manufs are almost exclusively going to that triptronic to replace a real manual. i don't want one of those things! i think audi and vw still do a manual 6 speed, but the bmw will def be triptronic. BLAH!!!!

re: the swing... a lot of moms told us that their kids didn't like it so try it out somewhere if you can first. luckily our neighbor has two so she is lending us one. we loved movement when small so hoping this kid will too, it would be a nice break from time to time. steph i saw those travel ones at target, my friend has the woodland one and she says her new little boy loves it.

oh and TDM...girl i 'notice' people's stuff too. but my friend was saying it more like from a judgemental standpoint. which is what was so annoying! like my kid won't be cool if i don't have a cool stroller. please.

 

[miraclesrule]

Mara, don''t you know that your kid will grow up resenting you because you didn''t have the coolest, hippest, most expensive stroller in town?

 

[Mara]

Date: 10/24/2009 12:36:04 PM
Author: miraclesrule
Mara, don''t you know that your kid will grow up resenting you because you didn''t have the coolest, hippest, most expensive stroller in town?

well that and the fact that i am contemplating making him wear a brown shirt with a pink cupcake on it.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Steph, I was wrong. It is not graco. It is similar to this one made by simplicity. I liked it b/c it moved like a real swing. There were nights she slept (so we could sleep as well) in there. My girl was a swing lover. I guess she STILL is but has moved on to real swings.

 

[steph72276]

Thanks Tacori for the link. I am going to see what is out at the stores to try them out.

Mara, have you tried the Lexus 330? That is probably my favorite mid-sized SUV. Nice and comfortable and easy to drive (feels like a car). That is probably our next car purchase in a year or two unless we decide to go for baby number 3 and then it will have to be bigger like a Yukon on something.

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 10/22/2009 11:32:27 PM
Author: gingerB
jcrow - glad you re-opened the stroller question cuz we''re still trying to figure out what''s right for us also. oh and ditto on the bee. that is a crazy fold and open....SO could not get it. right now we''ve got it narrowed down to two options: (please anyone who has any sort of opinion weigh in!!!)

our situation - we live in the city, but have what i would guess a more suburban situation. our city is sprawling so we drive EVERYWHERE. trunk and car space not an issue (SUV and mid size). i''m not really a jogger and doubtlful hubby would take the kiddo on his runs.

1)peg perego pliko switch with peg perego carseat

pros: front and rear facing (LOVE THAT, and SUPER easy to switch back and forth), really easy fold AND open(umbrella style, no need to remove the seat, collapses in and pops open), carseat snaps in on chassis (the stroller seat is removable and the chassis itself is only slightly heavier than the sng), manuevers well, one stroller that works from newborn up to 45lbs, has footrest, has a GREAT canopy (essential for hot southern sun!), kiddie cupholder, parent cupholder

cons: pricier ($450 for the stroller, $270 for the carseat), wider footprint, heavier with the buggy seat versus an umbrella, newer on the market and not as many reviews out

2)graco snugrider with graco carseat for the first 4-6 months then a maclaren umbrella (or other umbrella yet to be determined)

pros: a bit more cost effective ($80-$200 for carseat, $70 for snugrider, $250 for maclern quest sport), each one is lighter and has smaller footprint versus the preg perego, easy fold, carseat snap in to snugrider

cons: two strollers, have yet to find an unbrella with a good enough canopy, worried the carseat may be uncomfortable for longer outings while younger, no rear facing option on umbrella

again, please give me opinions. we are seriously split 50/50, option 2 was the top runner by far until we got seduced by the pliko switch. we may still be blinded

A slight alternative to option #2, have you looked at the Maclaren Techno XLR? It''s compatible with the Graco Snugride and Safeseat, so that you wouldn''t need the Snugrider if you''re trying to avoid 2 strollers, and I''ve found the canopy to be pretty large when it''s completely unfolded. It''s also usable from birth, if you''d like to have the baby just in the stroller for longer outings.

 

[Mara]

does anyone have experience with the Valco Latitude stroller??
http://www.joggingstroller.com/Valco-Latitude.pro

it's the alternative competitive stroller to the Jogger City Mini but i kind of like the look of the Latitude better. pricing is similar, so are the features. and the sizing is small... compared the Bob folded down is much bigger. the reviews seem overall pretty good and i saw some online review on youtube that was pretty cool. i like that it's only 18 lbs and when folded down you can pull/wheel it behind you like luggage. it also comes with the adapter for the graco infant seats, the rain cover, boot, rainshade whereas the city jogger mini doesn't and it's a similar price point.

we went to look at cars today and liked both the Tiguan and the A3. we saw the X3 but they were so busy we couldn't get a test drive so we'll go back this week when it's not as crowded. amazingly enough the dealerships are really flexible re pricing, so pretty much whatever we get will be significantly cheaper per month than my little Mini which is kind of funny. but 3 years ago the economy was a little diff so not much negotiating happening back then.

i am kind of leaning more towards the A3 because the driving experience reminds me of the Mini, and it's very easy to drive, but it's a much smoother ride. surprisingly spacious inside both the back seat and the trunk given the space we are used to...and the car seats we are looking at will fit fine. the Bob won't fit in either the Tiguan or the A3 (just another reason i can't stomach a huge stroller!!) but it would in the X3. the Tiguan drove pretty well for what it is...but they only had an automatic so i have no idea how a manual will drive and it def drove more like a truck. pretty solidly made though, more impressive than i would have imagined given price point.

steph..lexus is out of the price range i am interested in unfort. if we got an X3 it would be a certified pre-owned (with warranty) and they are also dropping price a lot. one of our friends just got an X5 and the dealer took $5k off a $34k price. and giving extra perks like a few free months etc. so that is why we are even considering an X3.

 

[gingerB]

i''m sure crib mattresses have been discussed already, but i was hoping ya''ll could give me a quick review on what has been recommended? pretty please don''t make me scroll through almost forty pages!

 

[neatfreak]

Mara I have the sportwagen but it''s a manual and drives very nicely! It''s very zippy for a wagon. So I''d think it would be very similar to the Tiguan manual.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 10/25/2009 11:04:03 PM
Author: gingerB
i'm sure crib mattresses have been discussed already, but i was hoping ya'll could give me a quick review on what has been recommended? pretty please don't make me scroll through almost forty pages!

I've had mine made in coconut coir centre with sheep's wool and organic cotton outer-skin. Mainly because I found a company which made them to measure at bargain price - the Arms Reach Mini nor the Stokke Sleepi take standard size mattresses.

I would also consider Memory Foam.

I have serious spinal problems which are hereditary, so I'm probably nuts, but I want to do what I can to minimise Daisy having them too.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 10/26/2009 7:12:41 PM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 10/25/2009 11:04:03 PM

Author: gingerB

i''m sure crib mattresses have been discussed already, but i was hoping ya''ll could give me a quick review on what has been recommended? pretty please don''t make me scroll through almost forty pages!

I''ve had mine made in coconut coir centre with sheep''s wool and organic cotton outer-skin. Mainly because I found a company which made them to measure at bargain price - the Arms Reach Mini nor the Stokke Sleepi take standard size mattresses.


I would also consider Memory Foam.


I have serious spinal problems which are hereditary, so I''m probably nuts, but I want to do what I can to minimise Daisy having them too.

we''re interested in the arm''s reach mini convertible too and was wondering about matresses... it says it comes with a matress.. did you just change it out for one that you had made?

 

[Mara]

we are also considering an organic mattress made with wool... one of my mom friends has a dr who is convinced that external influences are mostly to blame for autism and he thinks that the fire retardents in things like the mattresses and the babies pajamas are a big influence. i''ve read a lot of conflicting views, but enough to make me think if we can go with an organic, naturally treated mattress why not. the downside is they are significantly more expensive than a regular ole serta you''d get at target.