Bumbleride Indie Twin Stroller Review {Part 3: All Terrain Stroller}

by Kate on August 31st, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews, Strollers


So far in the Bumbleride Indie Twin review series, I’ve introduced you to the Indie Twin and its standard and optional accessories. This post is all about how it rolls, rides and runs.

Simply put, the Indie Twin is a dream to push. The stroller has four 12 inch air inflated tires and the front two can rotate 360 degrees. Because of the awesome tires the stroller turns easily, and I can even push and steer with one hand which is pretty incredible for a double.

The wheels can lock straight in two positions -with the wheels out in front of the stroller (the forward position – which resembles a jogging stroller) or underneath the stroller (the rear position). Locking in the rear position takes a few inches off the length of the stroller, which is nice. When the wheels are locked, you have to steer a bit differently and pivot on the rear wheels to turn and adjust.

Jogging
Bumbleride describes the stroller as “not a true jogging stroller. It is an all-terrain stroller with a swiveling front wheel that can be locked inline for brisk walks.”

Although not classified as a true jogging stroller, the Indie Twin can be used for short distances and light jogging. I do not run – not short, not light, nothing, thank you very much – so my husband was in charge of this portion of the review. He locked the wheels in position and was off! When he returned 20ish minutes later he excitedly returned and told me I had to see the kids in the stroller because they were both sound asleep. Apparently, the ride is smooth and soothing for a baby and a toddler. (Of course, by the time I got the camera Baby Girl woke up but Toddler Boy was still racked out.)
My husband reported that the stroller was great and met his high expectations. He was a bit sore the next day and we attribute that to the fact that no matter how nice the stroller rides, he was still pushing 50 pounds of kid and 34 pounds of stroller. I think that, as with all forms of exercise, this is probably something that takes some getting used to and you have to build up your double stroller strength, so to speak. We both think being able to use this stroller for exercise – whether a brisk walk or short jog – is a huge plus.

All Terrain
We live near some really nice trails that go for miles in the shade of tons of trees. The trails are rugged and uneven. I was hesitant to take the stroller on the trails for the first few weeks I was using it – not because I thought it wouldn’t handle well, but because I didn’t want to get my pretty stroller dirty. I finally took it back there a couple days ago and as I expected, the stroller handled really well. It was obviously more difficult to maneuver than when walking on the sidewalk, but it still pushed easily, turned well and handled the bumpy uneven terrain nicely.

To Buy… Walking, brisk walking, light jogging – the Bumbleride Indie Twin handles them all beautifully. I think the biggest surprise of this stroller from the word go has been how easy it maneuvers and pushes.

Or Not to Buy… The Indie Twin comes with a jogging strap but there are no instructions for how to use it.

Connect! Become a fan of Bumbleride on Facebook,

Shop! Purchase the Bumbleride Indie Twin for $660. It’s available in six bright colors – pick your favorite and you can get moving with your little ones.

Next Time… Tune in next week for a round up of the Indie Twin as well as a look at the other Bumbleride strollers.

Thank you to Bumbleride for providing a sample product for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and others may have a different experience.

Cool Store Alert: Belly Dance Maternity

by Kate on August 29th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized
Belly Dance Maternity has an amazing selection of gorgeous designer maternity clothes, and even some great finds for those of us who aren’t pregnant.

About Belly Dance Maternity
In 2002, Belly Dance Maternity opened the doors of its flagship store in Chicago’s urbanely hip and fashionable Bucktown neighborhood. As a pioneer in the newly chic maternity market, owner Jennifer Strom Simonte wanted to provide the ultimate collection for women who do not want to sacrifice their style when expecting. Belly Dance does extensive research and partners with designers to provide customers with an assortment to meet many tastes at a broad range of prices, including exclusive pieces.

Browsing the adorable maternity clothes seriously has me daydreaming about being pregnant again. (Sssshhhh! Don’t tell my husband. I’m fairly certain this baby factory is closed.) I LOVE the NOM Cece Maxi Dress. It’s so freaking cute and looks comfortable – and comfort really is the most important thing when you’re pregnant.

Even if you’re not expecting, Belly Dance Maternity has some great finds. They have an awesome selection of hip and functional diaper bags from designers like Petunia Pickle Bottom, OiOi and Dwell Baby. There’s a really big selection of Storksak diaper bags – I’ve been drooling over Storksak bags for.ever. Right now, I’m loving the Khaki Jess Diaper Bag. Belly Dance Maternity also has A LOT of nursing clothes, and stylish nursing shirts (and dresses!) are very hard to find.

Shop! Check out all the stylish maternity wear, diaper bags, nursing clothes and more at Belly Dance Maternity.

TGIF: Sales, Coupons, Discounts & News (8/28)

by Kate on August 28th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized
Lots of The Shopping Mama’s exclusive discounts expire on the 31st, so check them out below!

Sales
* See Kai Run: Free Shipping with no minimum purchase ends tonight! (Congrats to See Kai Run who was just awarded the iParenting Outsanding Product Award for 2009.)

Coupons
* Bebe au Lait: Hooter Hiders is turning 5. To celebrate, when you buy one Hooter Hider, you can get a second for only $5. Put two in your shopping cart and use the code HHFOR5 and you receive $30 off your order. Expires August 31.

Discount Codes
* The Children’s Place: Use code X49A79F489 for 15% off. Expires September 7.

Exclusive Discounts
* Hand Picked Pumpkin Discount: Receive 15% off when you enter MAMA at checkout. Expires August 31.
* Slimpressions Discount: Get 25% off your purchase with code TheShoppingMama2009! Expires August 30.
* Ju Ju Beane Boutique Discount: Use SHOP15 for 15% off your entire purchase at Ju Ju Beane Boutique! Expires August 31.
* Bumkins Discount: Use the Back 2 School coupon code b2school09 for FREE UPS Ground Shipping on orders over $35.00. Expires September 1.
* Piggy Paint Discount: The code COOL15L will get you 15% off your purchase until August 31. Plus, get free shipping on orders over $25.

Hand Picked Pumpkin Review + Discount

by Kate on August 27th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized
Hand Picked Pumpkin features a modern line of limited edition and custom baby clothing. Mama designed and baby tested, the line is stylish, beautiful and locally sewn from the coziest of fabrics.

Started in 2006 by the mother of a young boy, Hand Picked Pumpkin clothes are designed with baby’s comfort and mama’s desire for style in mind. Allison Case noticed how easily her son moved in knit fabric clothing but had a difficult time finding clothes that were also hip and modern.

I can totally relate to the struggle Allison was having in finding stylish but comfortable clothes for baby. I’m sure you have had this issue, too. Doesn’t it seem that most soft knit clothes for babies and toddlers are marred by the random cutesy image of a car (boy) or heart (girl). Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, stylish baby clothes that are stiff and make crawling difficult or uncomfortable. That’s my favorite feature of Hand Picked Pumpkin clothing – the total marriage of comfortable baby friendly clothing that is also stylish and modern.
Baby Girl received the Bubble Pant Set – a white Pocket Tee and kiwi Yoga Bubble Pants both with Apricot Star Paisley and Oxford Stripe fabric – a new design for fall of 2009. More about the Bubble Pant Set:
Chest of lap tee is detailed with signature Hand Picked Pumpkin woven pocket that coordinates with woven printed bubble on back seat of yoga pant. The adorable set is ready to give packaged in an eco-friendly white organza bag with matching trim.

The clothes are simply adorable. Just love them. The fabric is thick and comfy without being stiff. The finishing is impeccable and the woven printed fabric accents add a burst of color without being sappy and cutesy.

To Buy… Great quality, function and style. And, One of the coolest parts of Hand Picked Pumpkin is that you can customize and design your own clothing. It’s easy, too. You just pick a garment, choose the size and then you can totally customize the design from a selection of fabrics. You pick the color interlock knit for the body of the garment, the woven fabric for trim and even the color of the snaps! If you’re not feeling like a designer, you can also purchase ready-made clothing.

Or Not to Buy… The pants run a bit big. Baby Girl wears a 6 – 12 months quite comfortably most of the time, but the outfit is rather large on her.

Shop! Hand Picked Pumpkin clothes are available in sizes 3-6 months to 18-24 months and select pieces are available in Toddler sizes up to 4T. Pants start at $30 and Lap Tees start at $19. Hurry! Use the code MAMA at checkout for 15% off your purchase through August 31.

Thank you to Hand Picked Pumpkin for providing a sample product for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and others may have a different experience.

Thursday Giveaway Linky

by Kate on August 27th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews
I can’t believe it’s Thursday. Well, I’m writing this post Wednesday night, so I can’t believe it’s Wednesday night and tomorrow is Thursday! This week went by so quickly. Thanks for stopping by to link up and checking out some great giveaways.

The next batch of Get Cool for School giveaways ends tonight, including a PlasmaCar! Be sure to check them out and then claim your bonus entries in the Grand Prize giveaway that ends Monday night!

Don’t forget you can also list your giveaways every Thursday at Baby Loving Mama.

School Year’s Eve

by Kate on August 26th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized
It’s finally here. Tomorrow is the big day: school orientation. Wait, I guess that means the big day is next week and tomorrow is just an introduction. Argh. Sadly, I’ve been looking forward to tomorrow even though it is only orientation because it’s a reason to get out of the house and it does mark the beginning of our school year.

Toddler Boy will be returning to a two day a week program called “Wee School”. (Why is that name so cute?) He’ll be in the “older two classroom.” As you know, the program is on the long side for preschool – good for mama because I get lots of time to spend alone with my little one but bad for mama because I have to pack a lunch (and you know how I feel about that).

Cookie Magazine and the PTA are celebrating the return to school with School Year’s Eve parties and resolutions. After all, “Back-to-School is the true ‘new year’ for families: new schedules, clothes and gear and more.” A School Year’s Eve party sounds like a ton of fun for older kiddos (and the School Year’s Eve page has a lot of great info about organizing one). I’ll stick to the resolutions. Here are my School Year Resolutions:

1. Find a routine. Having school twice a week will help, but I want to find things to do and reasons to get out of the house every day of the week. We just haven’t found a groove since Baby Girl was born and it’s really, really getting to me.

2. Eat and offer more healthy options. This is mostly intended for my son, but my diet could use some improvement, too. I need to drink more water, at a minimum.

3. Potty train Toddler Boy. He’s so, so close, but for every two steps forward he seems to take one step back. Like today when he pooped. On. The. Floor. For the first time since we started training! Seriously? Seriously! I nearly died. But, I’m most concerned about him at school. He wears underwear 80% of the time but I’m not sure I’m confident enough to send him to school in underwear.

These resolutions are doable, right!?!

Connect! Check out all the great ideas and information about School Year’s Eve and get tips on how to celebrate the new national holiday, including how you can win $1000 for your PTA at the Cookie Magazine School Year’s Eve HQ.

So, talk to me! What are YOUR School Year Resolutions?

Wordless Wednesday: Who Stole the Cookie?

by Kate on August 26th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized
So, I let my 9 month old have part of an Oreo. I realize that may make me a crappy mom, but the adorable photos are worth the parental shame.


I look forward to seeing your photos!

Ten Dollar Tuesday: Goldberger Dolls

by Kate on August 25th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized
Shortly after she was born, Baby Girl received a Goldberger Doll from her grandparents. It sat patiently in its box until we returned home from our four month family deployment. When we got home and Baby Girl transitioned to her nursery and her own crib, I got out the Lavender Dreams doll. The soothing and subtle lavender and vanilla scent is supposed to calm fussy babies. And, I knew we were in for some fuss when we moved her to a new crib. I’m not sure if the scent and / or doll have actually calmed her but it has become a part of our nighttime routine.

What does this have to do with Ten Dollar Tuesday, you ask? Well, a couple of weeks ago, after the doll shared a bed with Baby Girl for a couple months, I finally got around to checking out the Goldberger Toy website. I was totally surprised to find that the
is only $7.99! The doll is 11″ (it’s no shrimp), has a soft body and a phthalate-free vinyl face. The doll is also machine washable, which is nice since my daughter sweats like a grown man when she sleeps.

Shop! You can purchase the Lavender Dreams doll for $7.99 on the Goldberger Toys website. You can shop by age for dolls intended for infants through 3 years and older. Goldberger Toys offers free shipping on all orders over $20!