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.

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Storyland is a deceivingly large, family friendly, amusement park geared mostly for kids ages 2-12. Children (3 and over) as well as adults are currently $27.99 per person, but the price of the admission ticket includes all rides, shows and attractions. Children 2 and under enter free. Our trip and experience was based on two adults visiting with a 20 month old toddler, so there were many rides and attractions we did not personally experience during this particular trip simply because of his age, size and attention span. Though children grow so fast and because of the wide array of rides and attractions, there was  a little something for everyone, so I could see how a family could have a totally different experience with each visit to the park.

Even though we were only in the park for a total of 5 hours, we rode about 7 different rides (some more than once), took a boat trip on the Storyland Queen, visited Cinderella in her castle, had a showdown with Humpty Dumpty, sat with Mother Goose and spent a lot of time playing in the Little Dreamers section of the park that included a ball pit and other activities with cute photo opportunities perfectly sized for a toddler. We were busy every moment we were inside the park, and because the park was so large, it never felt crowded.

The park has are over 21 different rides, which are clearly marked for each age group. Kids taller than 36 inches can ride every ride in the park, with an adult accompanying them; while children taller than 48 inches can ride alone.  There is a rider exchange program where a parent can wait behind to care for a child who doesn’t meet the ride requirements and then switch off. We ate our lunch before we entered the park, but inside bought an ice cream and a few drinks, which were about $3 each. I personally feel like anytime you buy food at a place like this it is always going to be more on the expensive side, so I didn’t really have sticker shock. On the day of our trip I thought the park was very clean. There were bathrooms centrally located in multiple areas of the park. There was also many baby changing and nursing areas for mothers, which came in handy to do several quick diaper change.

Our favorite experience in the whole park was the Egg-stroardinary Farm Tractors.  This ride was definitely worth the almost 10 minute wait to see Gavin quickly figure out how to “drive” the tractor. I had a flash forward to 15 years from now, as my husband and I sat in the back, while he drove the tractor, quickly figuring out how to drive with one hand and change the station with the other, faster than I could ever anticipate. The fun he had in those few minutes was totally worth the tantrum he had when the ride was over, and the family picture we purchased for $12 was priceless.

If you ever take a visit to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, be sure to add this family friendly amusement park to your list.

Storyland provided my family with 3 free tickets to the park to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

ALEX, was founded in 1986, and for several years has sold many unique arts and crafts products.  Today, they continue to sell a creative product line, but now their offerings have expanded into plush infant toys, outdoor play, pretend play, preschool maniuplatives and bathtub toys. They have always been a “go to” company in my line of work to help parents find exciting ways to help children expand on their fine motor skills, but also been a personal favorite of mine when looking for different, cost effective gifts. Once you see the ALEX product line, you will start to recognize their inviting, whimsical patterns everywhere.

So yesterday, ALEX launched a new FREE app for kids on both iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad formats called Moody Monster Manor. Here children ages 3-8 participate in 4 different games. There are four locked doors that I thought I would “unlock” after I obtained enough points. However, it states there will be more games coming soon, so I’m assuming this is a way for ALEX to expand the app at a later date. All of the games are short – 30 seconds long, and it’s clear and easy to navigate around the Manor.

- With Monster Maker, children personalize and save an individual monster. They can choose a name, body style, background pattern, eyes, nose and mouth.

- In Scared Sam, children simply tilt the device left or right to change the path of a moonbeam so they can “capture” the bad dreams.

- In Worried Wanda, children will use color recognition and matching skills, to help Wanda finish her homework. Children are given a choice of four answers and they are encouraged to tap the correct answer that either matches the color of a specific animal, or  they look at an icon to match the animal with the same facial expression including ecstatic, tired, and angry.

- In Confused Carl, help Carl flick the name tags to the corresponding Monster. There is a word on the name tag such as Happy or Embarassed, with a small emoticon that gives children a clue on which monster will match the name tag. The child flicks the name tag to match up Worried Wanda, Hungry Hank and Sad Sal. Some of the emoticons like Bored were kind of difficult to differentiate, but if your child picks the wrong one it will let them know by returning it to the bottom so they can choose again.

- In Hungry Hank, help Hank make a silly snack. There are 3 ingredients to Hank’s snack. With your finger drag the correct food in or out of the bowl. Once you have placed all three, shake the device to see if you are right. If you are wrong they will return to the shelf and be sure to  try again.

Make sure you Meet the  Monsters! 20 different Monsters, with their rhyming names like Mischievous Max, Yucky Yogi, and Love Lulu.  Cute children’s voices introduce the Monsters, along with their names, giving kids clues as to what different types of emotions mean. For example, “Yawn! This is Tired Tilly. Tilly is so sleepy. Maybe she should follow the monster bedtime rules. Then she won’t fall asleep while playing with all the other monsters!” I can just see all of us now, renaming our kids with monster names on any given day based on their moods.
“C’mon Tired Tilly get yourself out of bed, it’s time for school!” Kids need to learn the names of these emotions and practice them in order to really understand what the mean in the first place, before they can personally identify the mood with themselves. This is a great way to expose kids to these kinds of feelings in a positive and fun way, so eventually they can learn to communicate better about their current feelings when “in the moment.”

I’ve reviewed several free apps of all sorts of varieties and they vary in their usability and design. Most free apps provide you with one or two teasers before prompting you to upgrade to the full version. Many companies are also creating free apps where you will see banner ads for their products in them, but not with this app. Moody Monster Manor by ALEX provides an unbelivable amount of play value, with an interesting educational perspective.  I felt like I should have been a paying customer for this type of experience. This company has done a fabulous job creating a quality app with no extra strings attached.

Moody Monster Manor is free, available for download in iTunes.

In conjunction with ALEX, to celebrate the launch of this free app, we are coordinating a giveaway of Monster Bingo, valued at $16.95!

To enter, comment under this post about an ALEX Toy you think your child would enjoy playing with, then sign up for the ToyQueen.com RSS Feed.

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Giveaway ends April 4th, 2011, 11:59 EST.

I downloaded this ALEX app for free. Then after reviewing the Moody Monster Manor app I provided this review for free.  The opinions in this post are my own. In conjunction with this post, ALEX has agreed to provide the giveaway of Monster Bingo for free.  I have not reviewed Monster Bingo and have no opinion on the use of this particular game.

The feature this week: Sassy Less Mess Spoons

Finally, spoons that have been designed to help your children learn to self-feed with success. These spoons have holes in the bowl of the spoon that simply allow foods to stick to them, so that as your child perfects the art of bringing a spoon to their mouth, the food does not immediately  fall off causing immediate frustration.

I gave Gavin this spoon at 4 months to use first as a teether. It’s thick rubber design was great for him to gnaw on when he began teething and how ingenious is it that this spoon is also double sided! Once he had learned to bring it to his mouth, I would also use it to feed him his infant cereal and very early on put some cereal on the spoon and let him bring it to his mouth by himself.

As he is now one, he is now progressing to doing more independent spoon feeding for dinner, that way I can strip him down right after and give him a bath before bedtime without the worry of a big mess. So we have also graduated to the more advanced Less Mess Spoon. This curved handle also makes it easier to bring the spoon to his mouth.  Some foods we have begun practicing self-feeding with have included yogurt, pudding, applesauce, pureed vegetables, mashed potatoes, couscous and rice.

Sassy provided the Less Mess Spoons free for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed in this blog post are purely the bloggers own.

I often find a lot of parents believe that infants should NEVER put items in their mouth.  However, it is important for the development of a baby’s tongue in preparation for talking and eating more textured table foods that providing access to SAFE toys to place in the mouth is important in so many ways. As children get older, they should place objects in their mouth less. For an infant, consider the mouth their third hand, they learn to recognize toys and objects first by how it feels inside their mouth.

I began to introduce my son Gavin to rattles that could be placed safely inside his mouth at 3 1/2 months of age. I did this by placing the toy in his hand first to hold onto, then placing it inside his mouth for him to explore different textures with his tongue.  Initially he did not have the grasp pattern to hold on for longer than a few seconds on the toy, so I needed to help him hold the toy there first for a minute or so while he chewed and sucked on the unfamiliar textures. He also liked the vibrating teethers, though he wasn’t strong enough to activate them himself by biting I would hold them on for a few seconds myself and place it near his mouth. Get your camera ready, you’ll see some funny faces that’s for sure!

The next stage of development included him bringing a toy to his mouth to chew on automatically when a light weight rattle was put in his hand.  When he was more supported in a feeding booster seat or his bouncy chair as they are semi-reclined, he tended to be more successful as his core muscles were more supported, which gave him the stability and access to then work with his hands.

Teaching a baby to bring toys to their mouth is also a skill that will be helpful later on when they are ready to finger feed themselves small pieces of food and to self-feed by spoon. Listen for any more vocalizations that may occur during this activity, you are helping your baby to stimulate the receptors and muscles inside their mouth. Get a bib handy, this will also produce a lot of fabulous drool!

The above teethers are from Sassybaby.com.  Though Sassy provided these rattles and teethers for my review, the above information in this blogpost are the author’s own opinions of the toys.

Disclosure: www.cmp.ly/2/e1uz40

Now that Gavin is crawling on hands and knees at lightning speed, there were several toys that were instrumental in encouraging him to creep forward. Even better, they all retail for less than $6!

One of his favorites was the Sassy Pop n’ Push Car seen in the pictures above! When you pull the car back and release it, it will drive forward, popping beads inside along the way.  Such a simple toy that has provided him with minutes of “chase” play! Now that he’s crawling – our fun with this toy isn’t over. We are making lots of car engine noises and raspberries, while trying to push the car back and forth to each other!

So as part of a freebie in a Pampers Cruisers bin of diapers, we got a small little beach ball that has provided hours of entertainment. Not to mention, take the air out, they fold flat and are so easy to travel with!

Playskool makes Wheel Pals, several different animals or cars with wheels on the bottom. Stand them up and push them gently and they will quickly and easily roll over any surface, including carpet.

On your mark…Get Set…Go… pick up some simple toys, even better for only a few dollars, that will give your child enjoyment and encourage them to crawl.  Though many experts feel that crawling is not an important developmental milestone, as occupational therapists, we believe that a lot of your child’s shoulder strength and stability they gain when crawling can help develop the small muscles of the hand required for handwriting in Kindergarten.

Sassy provided a Pop n’ Push Car free to facilitate my review.  Hasbro provided a Wheel Pal. Pampers included  a promotional beach ball in a Cruisers diaper container that I purchased at Babies R Us. The opinions in this post are purely the bloggers own. Photo credits with Gavin and the Sassy Pop n’ Push Car to Derek Wilmot.

Gavin and I had the luxury of attending a free Isis Parenting group, Jelly Jam Babies, at the Prudential Center location in Boston last Saturday morning, as Isis Parenting assisted Brigham and Women’s Hospital with celebrating the launch of The Stork Fund. The Stork Fund is Brigham and Women’s new philanthropic initiative geared at raising funds for clinical care, research, and education for their gynecology, pre/post natal care, delivery, birth equity and neonatal intensive care departments.  At Jelly Jam, we sang, danced, played musical instruments, and had a great time connecting with others as part of the Isis Parenting experience.  Being a full time working parent, I’ve been challenged to find parent groups that he and I can attend on the weekend, I’m so happy to find such a welcoming place that takes into the consideration the diverse needs of families.

If you are in the Boston area, visit the Isis Parenting location closest to your home to benefit from their wide range of supportive and educational services.

Please consider The Stork Fund (www.thestorkfund.org) if you are inclined to make charitable donations.  As part of my pregnancy with Gavin we accessed many services within Brigham and Women’s Hospital and I can not personally say enough about the positive experiences and wonderful clinicians we encountered as part of our care.

Follow Isis Parenting on Twitter: @Isis_Parenting and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IsisParentingInc

As part of my participation in these events, Isis Parenting provided gift bags with free promotional items for my enjoyment and/or review.  As part of the community event launching The Stork Fund, Gavin and I attended a free Isis Parenting Jelly Jam Babies group. The opinions expressed in the blog are purely the bloggers own.

Here were some of my favorite ideas for infant play:

Place a newborn on their back under the arch using a boppy pillow, this places the baby’s shoulders forward, making it easier for them to see and feel the dangling toys easier.

Place baby on their side with the arch to either their right or left and encourage them to reach out for the bugs. This promotes bringing their hands together to play.  When a baby lies on their back, gravity makes it difficult for them to reach up.  When they play on their side gravity does not provided added resistance, allowing for better accuracy.

Use the tummy time bolster to prop baby up, and encourage them to look at the toys dangling from the arch. Eventually encourage them to reach up and play with the dangling toys on their belly once their head, neck and shoulder strength improves.

The tummy time bolster has places to attach the bugs so they don’t move to far away from your baby’s reach while they feel the different textures and try to explore them with their mouth and fingers.

Use the tummy time bolster and the mirror for play on their belly to improve their neck, trunk and arm/hand strength, while working on their social and language skills by talking and smiling into the mirror.

Pack the mirror separately in your diaper bag for on the go fun, it’s soft and easy to travel with.

After baby has begun to roll, hold their hips and place them in a seated position in front of the arch to work on the trunk strength needed for more independent sitting.

Attach these brightly colored and interactive bugs to links onto your car seat or stroller straps so baby can play with them separately rather than always having them attached to the arch.

I have a material connection because I received a review copy (book, CD, software, etc.), or an item of nominal value that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content.

Disclosure: http://cmp.ly/1/kh58t7

Photos by: Derek Wilmot

Hasbro ToyFair 2010 Event

Today we had the pleasure of being invited to the Times Center in New York City to preview Hasbro’s newest products for 2010. Though I always knew that Hasbro represented a multitude of brands, seeing them all under one roof and in one room was exciting to think about all the fun to be had in the upcoming year.  I never expected to feel so nostalgic since many of the toys I grew up enjoying are still on the market for our children to play with, in a new and improved, up-to-date version for today’s market.

The day began by presentations from Brian Goldner, Hasbro CEO; Jane Pitson Parsons, Hasbro’s Global Consumer Insights Leader; and Jerry Perez; Hasbro Senior Vice President Global Brand Leader Preschool Marketing. They all spoke about Hasbro’s plan to Reinvent, Reimagine and Reignite the brand. Not to mention their commitment to the social media space and to parents and caregivers worldwide, to maintain an open dialog, so that Hasbro can be the best they can be to provide an immersive play experience, as well as to foster innovation, ideation and creativity.

I was on such a high after taking a walk down memory lane remembering all my childhood experiences with Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, the Easy Bake Oven, Mr. Potato Head, Play-Doh, and Candyland. After all that excitement, don’t forget the brands that exist in Hasbro’s effort to encourage family social interactions with Family Game Night such as Monopoly, Life, Trivial Pursuit, Clue, Battleship, Boggle, Guess Who, Connect 4, Sorry, Jenga, Yahtzee and Scrabble. Who knew GI Joe and Transformers were part of the Hasbro family either, as my brother and I also were able to play with these together.

However, working with young children on enhancing their development, there isn’t a day that goes by where that I don’t use Play-Doh or engage children with one of Hasbro’s awesome preschool games. Over the next few posts I’ll plan to highlight some of my 2010 favorites with Hasbro brands.