My Second Baby - the Bumbleride Indie in Jet

2 1/2 years ago I was “that girl” doing the pregnant waddle up and down the aisles of Babies “R” Us creating my baby registry.  I remember being completely overwhelmed by all of the choices available, but there were was one main reason why I liked being able to walk right into the big box store. I liked the hands-on experience of being able to touch and maneuver various strollers, high chairs and car seats, so I could really see what features I liked and which ones didn’t seem to matter. I wish an all terrain jogging stroller like the Bumbleride Indie had been on my mind from the very beginning.

That being said I totally screwed up purchasing my initial stroller.  I was really focused on not buying a ‘”snap and go stroller,” which can only be used for a few months. Though my choice was lightweight, it had horrible tires that were really difficult to push on our bumpy, uneven sidewalks. A month before my due date we wandered into Isis Parenting in Boston and got a taste of some of the cadillac stroller brands, but I thought $280 was a lot, paying up to $500 on a stroller, was at the time, completely unimaginable.

This spring Gavin turned 18 months, the weather got warmer and I realized we had this big expensive nothing taking up real estate in my car trunk. Last summer, we tried to go to a state park with a gravel path, which was a nightmare because we couldn’t push the stroller on the terrain. This summer I decided we couldn’t be limited to indoor experiences, so I started out on a hunt for a replacement, this time, I wouldn’t limit myself to the price tag.  So I cancelled my gym membership and decided we’d invest in a stroller that would allow our family some affordable, outdoor entertainment.

To make a long story short, as a media representative I ended up attending a high-end baby show for new and expectant parents in Boston.  My husband and I spent some time on the demo floor, with a new stroller becoming our focus and priority.

I believe that some things in life are meant to happen in a certain order. Every brand name, high-end stroller was there, along with a sales rep, for me to test out and get great “hands-on” time. The only product that left a lasting impression on me was the Bumbleride Indie. Not only did I love the product, the company sales rep was friendly, knowledgable, personable and took the time to answer all of our questions.

So we bit the bullet and a few weeks later purchased one for about $500. The Bumbleride Indie is an unbelievable all terrain jogging stroller and on pavement is effortless to push. Let’s face it, if I’m going to exercise on a walk, pushing a 30 lb. kid in a 30 lb. stroller is enough for me  to talk myself out of it in the first place. Additional features this stroller has that I love include a very large spf 45 sun canopy that reflects heat and beads water like I’ve never seen, a pretty easy fold (though it does require two hands), all with the total weight of the stroller being under 20 lbs., which I can easily lift up and out of our SUV. We can fit this stroller in the trunk of our Honda Accord pretty easily, as long as there isn’t a lot of other stuff in the trunk. The tires are air filled, which I like, and it’s easy to maneuver up/down curbs. Though we haven’t needed this feature, it is infant car seat compatible, right out of the box. 

The seat moves forward and backward to a full recline, but I do feel that the clip can sometimes be a real challenge to maneuver, especially with Gavin in the stroller.  The basket underneath fits my purse and small diaper bag easily. The front wheel can rotate or also be in a fixed position to manage different terrain. There is also an Indie double stroller version for those of  you with more than one child different ages or twins.

We take this stroller everywhere. It turns on a dime with one finger maneuvering on pavement and easily fits through the small aisles at the mall. The foam handle bar can be adjusted to several positions, making it comfortable for me to push, and I’m pretty short.  Though I find it comfortable to push, I do wish the handlebar moved in smaller increments, allowing for even more versatility.

Bumbleride sells additional accessories that include a Snack Pack (tray), Carrycot, Footmuff & Liner, Non-PVC Rain Shield, Travel Case, a latch-on Maxi Cosi Car Seat Adapter, and additional cup holders.

Gavin calls our Indie his “bike”  and he requests a “ride” pretty much every day. It maneuvered great on a packed gravel trails in the woods, but after taking a wrong turn we had to carry the stroller with Gavin in it up a rooted hill. Bonus to this stroller being only 20 lbs. with two people having to carry it, it was definitely manageable.

We have used it at the beach on both hard and soft sand. It was easier for me to use two hands and pull it backwards up over the dunes on the soft sand, and this was definitely a workout to say the least. It manuevered fine on the hard packed sand, it just required a little more effort to push than what is typical on the pavement.

We have brought it to an amusement park. The last thing Gavin wanted to do was get in and out of the stroller, but we found out by accident that the handle can be positioned completely in a downward position, easy enough for him to push, and let me tell you, this feature alone, which Bumbleride has told me was not really intentional, has saved our lives many times with our independent and impulsive toddler.

In a few weeks my husband and I hope to start the Couch to 5K program together, and I know that the Bumbleride Indie will be instrumental in our ability to successfully complete this program together with a toddler in tow.

I used to have the problem trying to get Gavin in the stroller, now he cries when we get back home or to the car because he does not want to get out!

So let me leave you with the lesson I learned:

If you don’t like what the big box store has to offer, search for a baby expo or high end baby store in the area you live that might carry some different, high-end brands like Bumbleride. Get in there and push those strollers around. Fold them, lift them and experience them. No-one says you have to be the one to buy it right then and there. Drop a few hints to your friends and family members arranging your shower that this is something that you’d love for people to pool some money in on to offset the cost, and don’t be cheap, it will just cost you more money in the long run.

We purchased the Bumbleride Indie in Jet ourselves. The  opinions shared in this post are truly my own.

Bumbleride has offered to send a Snack Pack, Footmuff & Liner and additional cup holder for free, so stay tuned for a possible additional post in more detail on the accessories.

The Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Giveaway includes:

Boon Frog Pod valued at $34.99

Learning Curve Captain Calamari’s Color Adventure valued at $17.99

Learning Curve Sir Prance-a-lot valued at $13.99

Learning Curve Tale of Sir Prance-a-lot soft book valued at $14.99

Sassy Wrist Rattles valued at $6.99

Sassy Crib & Floor Mirror valued at $19.99

Sassy Fascination Station valued at $5.99

ALEX Peek & Link valued at $10.95

ALEX Yum Yum Teether valued at $8.95

Jewel CD The Merry Goes ‘Round valued at $12.99

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Thanks to ALEX, Boon, Learning Curve, Sassy and Fisher-Price for helping me put together this amazing giveaway and providing these toys and baby items free to facilitate  reviews.

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That being said, I’ve been lucky to have a now, almost 2 year old, who has not really ever had any issues with any brand of disposable diapers in terms of redness or diaper rashes. I’ve tried almost all brands of disposable diapers at one time or another, especially if I’ve had a good coupon to offset the price.

So the past few weeks I’ve been participating in a product testing of Seventh Generation diapers. Seventh Generation, Free & Clear diapers do not include any chlorine processing, fragrances, latex, or petroleum based lotions and are hypoallergenic. The company has reduced the size of the outer plastic packaging to reduce waste to the landfill, and also made the packaging recyclable. I always struggle with Gavin and diaper sizes, which is probably why we’ve stuck with one brand, I’m too afraid to spend $40 on a case of something I could potentially never use. Right now he is about 32 lbs., which in Seventh Generation world would make him a 5, which is what we tested. However, they are a little on the small side for him and we could probably use a size 6. That being said, we’ve used the diapers mostly during the daytime, when I’ve been home with him on the weekends.

At first it was weird, looking at Gavin in a beige colored diaper, without any of the pictures on them. He didn’t seem to mind, but sometimes I  distract him with the characters on the diaper just to get him to lie down long enough to get them on. As I said above, they were on the smaller side, and don’t seem to be as absorbent as we are typically used to, so I did need to change him more frequently. He had a bowel movement multiple times and they were always contained without any leakage or explosions. He did have one issue with a wet through, while riding in the carseat for a drive that lasted a few hours. Otherwise, as long as I changed him frequently they have been fine. I really like the tabs on the Seventh Generation diapers because they are strong, wide and secure. The only difference I could find in the long run was they were a bit more expensive than other brands if you frequently use coupons when purchasing diapers. So for those parents out there who are committed to being more earth conscious, whose kids have a lot of skin sensitivities, or who aren’t penny pinching, definitely give these diapers a try, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in terms of the quality.

If you would like to try to win a package of Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers yourself, we are offering a giveaway. Please comment with each entry individually. Giveaway ends: Sunday August 14th, 11:59 p.m. EST.

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1. go to the Seventh Generation website and comment under this post what your child’s size would be.

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Seventh Generation provided me with a free sample of diapers, information and a giveaway through MyBlogSpark. The opinions are my own.

International Playthings provided this toy free for review. The opinions represented in this blog post are purely the bloggers own.

Fisher-Price provided the Lil Zoomers Shake and Crawl Racer free to facilitate a review. The opinions are my own.

Besides books, coloring books, sand toys, balls and sidewalk chalk, check out these great ideas:

Little Kids Bubbles

Looking for Jelly Belly scented bubbles, Easter Bunny wands, No Spill Bubble Containers and the all new Blasto’s Bubbles?
You can’t go wrong with any of the Little Kids Bubbles products for children any age!

Play-Doh

Yes folks, there are bunny and duck filled container’s housing the timeless favorite Play-Doh!

Wheel Pals

Perfect for toddlers, check out these little Easter inspired Wheel Pals!

Weebles

Weeble’s wobble but they don’t fall down! Great for Toddlers!

Wheelies

Another great toddler and preschool alternative are Little People Wheelie’s!

Littlest Pet Shop

Many of your children’s favorite pocket-sized collectibles come ready for Easter!

Zoobles

These magnetic little creatures that close up inside of themselves and live in their Hapi-tats!

HEXBUG Nano Bunny

From a suggestion of my friend Christy (@morethanmommy) at Quirky Fusion, how could I have forgotten these cute little HEXBUG Bunnies! Turn these little bunny bugs  on and they will wiggle their way into your hearts. They are available for purchase at Radio Shack!

Here’s a link to some of the suggestions I shared last year at this time. Many of these same toys are still available for purchase this year!

So this post is to let all of you know that Similac has just created a FREE App that I think will help many parents stay on top of all the daunting details, especially in the early weeks when trying to get a routine down is the most difficult. What I love about this app is that it also takes into consideration being able to bottlefeed, breastfeed or a combination of both!

First you input information on your child (weight, height, date of birth, photo). Have multiple children? You can also set up multiple profiles!

Next you can choose whether you are bottlefeeding, breastfeeding or both.

For breastfeeding, you can record which side you started on and the time the feed took in general. It allows you to make notes and email the information. The same for bottlefeeding where you can time the feed, then record notes and ounces taken.

The app allows you to calculate time between feedings, manage trends on a chart, as well as record sleep time and diaper changes.

I personally think the diaper change feature is great. I know I’ve turned into the official poop inspector in our home and it will let you record whether it was a pee, poop or combination diaper, and if there was any leakage. This part is my personal favorite, because you can record the quality of poop from hard to soft including adjectives such as “hard, chunky, sticky, thick, seedy, loose.” Words you never thought you’d ever be able to describe! Now, you can also pick from a variety of colors to describe the bowel movement. There is even a “diaper decoder” that brings you to the Similac web page with educational information and articles. I know I’m a little poop obsessed, but as you can see in the development of this app, I must not be the only one!

The sleep feature also allows you to record duration, time of day, whether you laid the baby down awake and any notes.

There are basic tips under the advice tab on feeding, sleeping, diapers, milestones as well as tips from moms and dads. There is a link to the Strongmoms.com website and also a phone number for 24/7 feeding help!

Here are some additional thoughts I had:

- In terms of sleep, I would have loved a feature to also record the position of the baby when sleeping and where (bassinet, crib, arms, etc.).  Since you can manage trends, you might be able to see in the long run, that the baby sleeps better in the crib versus the bassinet, etc.

- If you have multiple doctor’s appointments this is a great way to trend their height, weight and head circumference over time while keeping the information in one location

- This app I think works best if you have a newborn. I inputted Gavin’s information and he is 16 months old and though the app knows lists his correct age, it it gives information based on a newborn

- Though it’s a lot of great information, for those of you spreadsheet buffs, it could be overwhelming to take into account all the information at once, so try to keep a broad perspective and not hyperfocus on too many details

- There is not a place to record when babies start eating pureed foods, which I think would also be helpful to see the big feeding picture.  Parents could record the amount of food they took from the spoon and begin to look at the trends as they eventually wean off the breastfeeding and bottle feeding at later dates, because a child’s intake can change at different intervals depending on growth spurts and their acceptance of a variety of foods and cereal

- I LOVE the email feature. For those of us parents who pass in shifts or share care amongst providers, I think it’s great way to share information with others without losing the information on sticky notes or scraps of paper

Click here to download the Similac Baby App! It’s available for free in iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch formats.

I was compensated by Collective Bias for my time, but my opinions on this app and blog post are my own based on my personal experience.

Sassy On-the-Go Feeding Set

Whenever we need to pack a meal for a restaurant, for daycare, or when going to grandma and grandpa’s, this On-the-Go Feeding Set is awesome. There are two small, 1 medium and 1 large container included with individual covers and a spoon that snaps into the lid. Even better all of these containers store inside the largest one, so they take up minimal real estate in the cupboard! The smallest containers have been great to fill with Gerber puffs or Cheerio’s and I tend to keep one of these in my purse or diaper bag. The large dish is also separated so if your child is eating puree’s you can have a fruit or vegetable on one side and infant cereal on the other. Now that Gavin is older and eating more table foods, I have successfully fit 1/2 of a sandwich on one side of the large container with a snack on the other –perfect for lunch on-the-go!

Sassy Stack n Serve Nesting Bowls

There are four different sized bowls. They nest inside themselves, making for easy storage and they have no skid bottoms with deep sides, so they make great options for children around the age of one who are learning to self-feed with a spoon. I keep these bowls in a safe part of a  cupboard Gavin can reach and while I unload the dishwasher he loves to sit and practices how to nest them in the right order!

Sassy On-The-Go Fork and Spoon Set

I can’t tell you how many times I was taking dirty spoons we travelled with and wrapping them in plastic baggies before putting them back in my diaper bag. Well not any more! These forks and spoons fit back in their own plastic storage case!

Sassy provided these products to facilitate a review. The opinions are my own.

Good Night Scout is a hard plastic book, with a simple story and a few pages to easily turn. If you push the music button on the top it will read the book and if the book is closed and you push the button it will play lullabies. There is an on/off switch and even better it is Tag Jr. compatible. The Tag Jr. is a small handheld device that encourages literacy through “magic!” When the child places the Tag Jr. over certain places in the book, it might read the story, ask questions, and label pictures. What I love about this particular story is that it incorporates simple words that young children are learning like dog, ball, duck, bye bye, and goodnight. It plays either five or ten minutes of lullaby songs and I really enjoy watching the little ones independently explore the pages as they point at the pictures and label them.

To accompany Good Night Scout is Twinkle Twinkle Little Scout. This is a soft plush animal with a detachable blanket. When you touch the various buttons he will simultaneously play 10 or 20 minutes of lullabies while the moon on his tummy blinks as a night light. Scout sings basic counting songs and also encourages body part awareness. This has been such a great addition to our nap and night time routines. As soon as Gavin hits the hay he turns Scout on and lies down immediately. At around 15 months, he is learning to point to and say different body parts and this is a great toy to help young children with this skill. I love Twinkle Twinkle Little Scout so much , I even included him in my Top 12 Interactive Toy and Game awards of 2010. For those of you with little girls, check out Twinkle Twinkle Little Violet.

Leap Frog provided these toys free to facilitate a review. The opinions expressed in this post are purely the bloggers own.

Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym
The Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym is a great infant play mat. With the quick twist of the top, the gym folds up, umbrella style to be easily stored, moved and travelled with. Play mats are excellent for young infants to develop their visual skills for focusing on a toy, their upper body strength and coordination through reaching up for the toys while lying on their side or on their stomach. If you are developing a baby registry or buying a baby gift, this is a great option.

Sassy provided these tub toys free for to facilitate my review.

At Toy Fair 2010, we had the chance to preview the Firefly Soother from Infantino. It’s an adorable looking firefly jar that attaches to the crib slats. It plays music, has blinking lights and is a great toy for infants that will help them to fall asleep by themselves or calm themselves when they might be upset. If you are looking for a great baby registry gift or developmental toy for an infant, consider this toy. One issue we had with toys attaching to our crib was that due to the design of our convertible crib, we could not attach many other mobiles or aquarium toys. However, Infantino had this in mind with their design, which allows it to be more easily attached to convertible cribs.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Isis Parenting store at the Prudential Center in Boston, MA to film a video promoting some of the new educational toys Isis Parenting is selling in their stores. Cindy Meltzer, Community Manager at Isis Parenting and I discuss some of the educational benefits of these great toys. Toys featured in this video include: Green Toys Blocks which are great for stacking, taking to the beach and for use in sand, water and sensory tables; Educo Wonder Walker that is a sturdy wooden push-toy with fine motor activities on the side where kids can push around their favorite toys; Educo Switchback Racer a wooden racetrack that promotes cause and effect play for infants and toddlers; and the Mini kickboard Scooter, a stable scooter that helps young children gain the concept and balance of scooter riding!

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Isis Parenting store at the Prudential Center in Boston, MA to film a video promoting some of the new educational toys Isis Parenting is selling in their stores. Cindy Meltzer, Community Manager at Isis Parenting and I discuss some of the educational benefits of these great toys. Toys featured in this post include Skip Hop Stroller Toys, the Sassy Wonder Wheel, Alex Jr. Stack a Cake. All of these multi sensory toys are great for infants and young children to encourage the development of a child’s vision, sense of touch and auditory discrimination.

Our Frog Pod came with multiple colored, foam shapes and a few round balls for tub toys. These foam shapes have proven to be great teething toys because of their unique shapes, they reached far into the back of Gavin’s mouth! He loved the way he could put them in his mouth and pull them out while making a funny squeaking noise before his teeth emerged. More recently now that he is over the age of one, and has refined many of his fine motor skills, he enjoys putting the foam shapes on and off the walls of the tub during his bath. These shapes do float, but they will even stick to each other and make very cool 3D like designs when you stack them on top of one another on the wall. About a month or so ago I finally attached it to the tub, which was very easy after cleaning the tub wall and then using a bit of rubbing alcohol before sticking it up with it’s suction cup holder. It has never fallen off since it has been secured. The scoop can be removed from the base and you can easily pick the shapes up with the scoop as they float in the tub.  The water drains out from the bottom and the toys dry in a upright position.  We have never seen or smelled any mold or mildew with the toys or this product.

Recently, Gavin has learned to say “Bye, Bye” so a few weeks ago I took the Frog Pod off its hanger and began to put some of the shapes into the container, saying “Good bye” to each and everyone.  He thought he’d put a few toys in himself just watching me. Gavin likes routines, and this week after we’ve washed and played a bit, he will point to the Frog Pod and say “Bye, Bye?”  While he says Bye Bye to each and every tub toy, placing them into the Frog Pod, I pull the drain. Before you know it he has put all the toys away and I’m there with a towel to dry him off.

This product has provided unbelievable amounts of fun for us.  Being a full time working mom, I’ve had to find the joy in the daily grind of activities like dinner and bathtime, because really they are the only times during the day we have to play together. If you are looking for a great toy to fulfill someone’s registry or for a cool stylish item with great storage for your child’s bathtime fun, the Boon Frog Pod is a unique product everyone in your family will enjoy!

This Boon Frog Pod was purchased for me as a gift.  The opinions in this post are purely the bloggers own.