September 6, 2010

Baby Gear Lust

I'm not nearly as concerned with baby stuff as I was the first time around. But I do have my little obsessions: bags and strollers. I have revisited those obsessions from time to time throughout this pregnancy. I'm in big time revisit mode right now.

I've been dropping in on the Ju-Ju-Be website for quite awhile now. Just drooling. I've always heard good things about their products, but once they introduced their new bag and their Shadow Waltz print, my lust for a JJB bag really kicked in. There are three of their bags I would love to have.



See those two bags in front? I want those, and in that print. The one on the left as an everyday bag for two in diapers, and the one on the right as a more heavy duty bag for day trips and the like. And actually, I could forgo the bigger bag.

I also want this, as my fun bag:




I was not into Ju-Ju-Be's Earth Leather collection until I saw it in person. Wow. I really had to tear myself away from that bag. Oddly, it's not a style I'd normally go for at all. But I love it!

I also love this bag from Etsy seller Kinies:



I love it a whole lot, and I think about it all the time. I honestly don't know how well it would do as a diaper bag. In all reality, I do so much better with backpack-style diaper bags.

We already have several diaper bags, but none of them are ideal for two in big, fluffy, cloth diapers. Still, I have promised myself that we won't get a new bag until we get rid of one (or more) that we already have. That's our new rule. For every new thing that comes into this house, an old thing takes a hike.

And then there's the stroller issue.

I have no idea if we should get a double stroller. The ones I like are expensive as hell, because apparently when it comes to strollers, I like 'em fancy or something. Actually, I really just like good quality strollers, which means that I have no desire to purchase some big piece of toxic plastic.

The thing with buying a double stroller is that you've spent a ton of money and then you're stuck with this huge monster of a stroller after the older kid outgrows it. Sure, we might have another kid, who could then share it with Burt Reynolds, but there's no guarantee that will happen. I've been telling myself that I can just wear Burt Reynolds and stick Charlie in the stroller. But I also know that as much as I love all of my baby carriers and would be lost without them, I would also be lost without a good stroller. The thing is, buying a double stroller means that we should probably hang onto our single, just in case we end up with only two kids. The thought of making such a huge purchase and then putting yet another thing in storage makes me want to cry.

Unless there's another solution.

Enter the Britax B Ready. I haven't seen this thing in person yet, but wow, it looks amazing. It's a single stroller much like the Maxi Cosi stroller we have now, but with the Britax you have the option to add a second seat. And then there are all the configurations that pretty much make my heart go pitter-pat.



What I love about this stroller is that it has so many options, and it's not some huge clunker of a stroller that's either really wide or really long. It looks really well-made as well. With a stroller like this, I would feel okay with selling the stroller we already have because this one can so easily be either a single or double.

What I hate about this stroller is that it costs $500 - and that doesn't include the second seat. Adding that in would be a whopping extra $200, so we're looking at spending $700 on a stroller. I die a little inside every time I think of spending that much on a stroller. Even a well-made, good-looking stroller made by a company with an excellent reputation. Yes, I'm still dying over here.

But before we make any major decisions, we want to see this little beauty in person to see how we really like it and if it will even fit in our trunk. That's another concern we have about purchasing a double stroller - will our little compact cars be able to accommodate it?

So, anyway. Those of you with two little ones, I'd love to hear from you, particularly those of you who have children of different ages. What'd you do when it came time to choose a stroller? What about a diaper bag? And what about a car? Not looking to upgrade our cars anytime soon, but I am really not a minivan gal - and it seems like I get pushed in that direction more and more each day.

3 comments:

Sara said...

I dont know if this is up your alley in ANY way, but I saw an ad that BRU is having a trade in sale for used baby stuff. You trade in and you get a % off whatever you need to buy. Just thought it might help if you were looking to upgrade something. Oh and btw, I am TOTALLY coveting JuJubee backpack in the new grey/yellow pattern LOVE.

Robyn said...

We don't even have a second child on the way and are already feeling the push to buy a bigger car. With the one car seat in, my knees almost touch the dash. We are looking into buying a used Honda Pilot.

amber said...

That stroller looks pretty awesome. I'd say go test drive it and see how you feel then. Truly, if it's going to be a perfect solution for you guys (meets the needs, fits in the car, etc), it might just be worth it to save yourself the headache of searching for something else of killing your back by constantly wearing the little little guy.

As for cars, all of our friends upgraded to mini SUVs with their first kid. On the other hand, I had several moms (generation ahead of us) tell me this weekend to stay with the small car as long as possible. So, who knows. Good luck though - I know it can be a crazy decision.