Ian will be 5 in April. We’re planning two trips not long afterwards – a trip to Florida in May, and a trip to the beach in June. I love this little guy so much that I absolutely do not want to lose him! (We lost Ashley for a few minutes at an amusement park when she was around this same age – and it was a terrifying experience!) Ian’s a disaster at the mall – sure, he promises to hold someone’s hand, but he almost always finds something to distract him and we turn around and he’s gone.
So, I was thinking --- can I do it? Can I purchase a leash? I used to think they were the most inhumane things ever invented. Then I had Ian. But, when I mentioned the matter to my mom, she was adamant. My argument was “it’s either a leash or a lost child – you pick!”
Yes, we already had a stroller. But the one we have is big and bulky. I wanted something that would fold up fairly small, but I absolutely cannot stand umbrella strollers. Not only are they way too small, but they have no place to store things.
I must confess, I’ve been thinking about the time when my youngest outgrows a stroller and I’m terrified. We always load our stroller up with jackets, backpacks, snacks, etc. Wherever shall we put the “stuff” when we don’t have a stroller to push anymore?
This stroller pretty much meets all my expectations:
- It holds a child up to 50 pounds (considering that Ian is right around the 40 pound mark right now, I’m thinking it’ll last through this year’s vacations, and probably into next year too – if need be)
It’s got a pouch underneath (sure it’s not as big as the pouch under our other stroller, but it’s plenty big enough to hold a few spare items that we’d much rather not have to carry!)
In addition to the pouch underneath, this stroller has a neat little compartment area up top. Though it doesn’t look all that huge, it’ll easily hold 4 water bottles (ideal for parks!) at the sides, smaller things in the mesh pockets, and other incidentals in the larger middle section (I think a large tissue box would fit this section if I could figure out how to get it in there LOL)
- The seat doesn’t recline much at all, though certainly enough for Ian to rest in this stroller after a long day
- The handles are nice and long. I’m short (about 5’3”) and I have to bend over to push an umbrella stroller. The handles on this stroller are long enough to comfortably accomodate my 6’ tall hubby.
I’ve never seen a stroller with covers over the hinges at the sides. These mesh pockets will not only help prevent kids from getting pinched, but they also double as extra storage.
- I like the red color. It’s a deep, dark red – not super bright and obnoxious or anything. I wasn’t too sure about the seat color because it’s hard to see in pictures. I was worried it wouldn’t be masculine enough, but I’m quite pleased with it (if we can keep it semi-clean).
I had enough left over on my gift code to add on a cup holder that we can attach to one of the handles. Now that I see the stroller, I’m thinking we really didn’t need the extra storage, but we’ll make use of it anyway, I’m sure.
Another satisfied CSN stores purchase for me. I’d like to say that, maybe next time, I’ll actually purchase something for ME; but the truth of the matter is, this purchase is as much a convenience purchase for the rest of us as it is a comfort purchase for Ian. (smile)
NOTE: I received a gift code from CSN stores as part of their Preferred Blogger Program. The thoughts expressed herein are entirely my own and were not influenced in any way.
