Does Mommy Love It?

THIS CONTEST HAS NOW ENDED. CONGRATULATIONS TERRA!

Congrats! You’ve just found out you’re pregnant and have no idea where to start. What kinds of strollers are out there? What are some good websites for reference on parenting? How much should I spend on baby gear? And the questions go on and on and on. Then, you must check out Baby Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields. Featured in People Magazine and appeared in Oprah, the Baby Bargains book has been receiving praise for it’s thorough research and practical advice as well as 20%-50% on everything for baby. The authors cover every aspect of babydom…nursery, cribs, strollers, bottles, feeding, highchairs, toys, monitors, maternity clothes and etc. There is a section that even outlines the amounts of months (based on a 12 month period) each baby gear is used. For example, bassinet is used for the first 3 months of life and solid food doesn’t start until the baby is around 6 months. Each section is broken down into all the brands with a rating system grading from A-F with costs (inexpensive to expensive) and tells which brands are certified and lastly, with their comments/opinions on the item. Not only do they do the rating system, they provide “icons” at the end of each section to help parents-to-be save money, what are the best buys, what are wastes of money, and bottom line which narrows the choices for you and more. This book is the “bible” for all baby products! The best part of all this is that they swear they can save you at least $250 or your money back!

We have ONE copy of this book to giveaway to one lucky randomly drawn Does Mommy Love It? reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post. For additional entries:

1) Email 5 of your friends and tell them why they should check out DoesMommyLoveIt?. Be sure to COPY us on the email (doesmommyloveit@gmail.com)! Then comment stating you did so.

2) Subscribe to Does Mommy Love It? and then leave a comment stating you did so.

3) Follow us on Twitter and leave a comment stating you did so along with your twitter name.

4) Write a post on your own blog about this giveaway and comment back with the permalink to this post.

5) Grab our button and put it on your sidebar and comment with a link to your blog.

Contest ends Midnight of November 23rd, 2008.

26 Comments | In: Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Ages- Pregnancy, Ages- Toddler, Books, Contest, Educational | tags: alan and denise fields, baby bargains, Feeding, gear, nursery. | #

After a disappointing two-month trial with the Bumbleride Flyer Stroller, I was back to the drawing board. I did hours of research and finally found “the one”…the Valco Latitude stroller! Although it did not have the reversible seat/handlebar feature, it satisfied all my urban needs: stylish with good functionality.

1. Easy maneuverability and smooth ride. The Valco Latitude has a front-wheel suspension, so every nook and cranny in the sidewalks is no problem! It handles so easily that a curb or raised platform is not an obstacle. The stroller rides over any terrain smoothly and turns beautifully on a dime, even one-handedly!

2. Lightweight and compact. The Valco Latitude weighs under 18 lbs and I have had a no problem lifting it up and down the stairs or into car trunks. One of the lightest strollers I have tried and also one of the most compact fully-featured strollers I have seen. (Obviously, not as compact as umbrella strollers).

3. Easy to fold and unfold. While this stroller does require two hands to fold and requires a bit of a learning curve, it is quick and easy once you get the hang of it.

4. Affordable. Just under $300, this stroller easily compares to the Bugaboo in terms of functionality.

5. Roomy storage basket. The basket underneath is roomy and holds a good amount. Plus, it does not rub against the wheels like the Bumbleride Flyer.

6. Freebies. The Valco Latitude is accompanied by a free rain cover, footmuff and a bumper bar! All added bonuses for added savings.

While it doesn’t have the reversible seat/handlebar option, it is a small price to pay for a great city stroller. (It does have a peek-a-boo window so you can see the baby.) Looks great, has great functionality, and is affordable.

Guest blogger Jeannie Lee is mommy to Max and has been living in New York City for the past 15 years.

2 Comments | In: Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Ages- Toddler, Strollers | tags: gear, single, stroller, valco latitude. | #

The most popular stroller these days seem to be the Bugaboo. While I love the look and many features of the Bugaboo (smooth ride, multi-terrain wheels, easy maneuverability, reversible seat/handlebar, etc.), I could not get myself to fork over $900+ for one. Thus, began my search for an affordable, stylish yet functional stroller for the NYC streets. If the stroller is great on the streets of NYC, then, you know for sure it’s better anywhere else in the U.S.! It was slim pickin’s, but I finally decided on the Bumbleride Flyer due to the rave reviews I found online by other moms. While it does look great and has a reversible handle (a feature I really wanted), this stroller highly disappointed me for these reasons.

1. Poor maneuverability and bumpy ride. Living in NYC, bumpy roads and sidewalks are commonplace. The Bumbleride stroller was very sensitive to small potholes and even gravel on the road, so your little bundle of joy may feel every bump with its zero-suspension wheels. With that said, going over curbs was a challenge. When I tried to go onto the ramp of the sidewalk, it stopped short, and my 2-month-old almost flew out!

2. Makes wide turns. You might as well have one of those truck signs that say “Caution: Makes Wide Turns.” On my stroll through a fairly spacious store, the stroller made it hard to move smoothly between aisles, even with me using both hands.

3. Uneven underseat basket. When you reverse the handle of the stroller so that the baby is facing you, the basket rubs against the front wheels … even when there’s nothing in it! I tried to go on a nice, peaceful stroll through the park, however, I was greeted with a whizzing noise of the basket rubbing against the wheels.

4. Doesn’t unfold easily. While the Bumbleride is fairly easy to fold, unfolding it was another matter. There were many times when I tried to unfold the stroller, and it got stuck. It would sometimes take around 10 minutes to open back up.

5. Heavy and bulky. Bumbleride claims it’s 19 lbs. but it felt a lot heavier and took up a big chunk of the trunk space in my car. I didn’t actually try weighing it, but if you live in a walk-up or need to transport the stroller a lot, lightweight is one feature you need and Bumbleride is not light.

Although, the stroller is cute and has a reversible handlebar option, all the cons outweigh these two positives.

Guest blogger Jeannie Lee is mommy to Max and has been living in New York City for the past 15 years.

7 Comments | In: Ages- Newborn to 1yr., Ages- Toddler, Strollers | tags: bumbleride flyer, gear, stroller. | #