So, my son will be starting Kindergarten this Fall (which isn’t that far away anymore) and I know that his very fashion conscious personality will need to have the coolest bag on the playground. Well, fortunate for me (and him) I didn’t need to look too far…one of our favorite diaper bag company’s has expanded their line and now has a great new addition…Fleurville’s Kid Messenger. I adore this bag. It is made with all the Fleurville style that we all know and love. It is PVC, Teflon and Lead FREE! How fantastic is that - a hip bag that is safe and environmentally friendly as well. You can carry it by its handle, as a messenger or with its back-pack straps. Oh, and did I mention that it is great looking?!!! It comes in two colors: khaki with camo and green with Fleurville’s pink ogo fabric. This bag is designed for the 5-10 year old set, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you get it for your kid and try wearing it yourself!

From all of us at Let’s Go Strolling , we just wanted to wish our fearless leader Melissa a VERY Happy Birthday.

 We hope you have many more exciting years at the helm of Let’s Go Strolling!

 MAKE A WISH!

Okay okay a bit cutesy title - but serious the Loom GO Tote is one of the best bags we have seen for all the summer adventures and where ever else your busy life takes you.  It has has a roomy interior pocket that really holds everything without being enormous - so you won’t have to worry about carrying mutiple bags as well as your two year old who is whining that the sand feels “hawwwwt!!”  It also has perfectly sized separate exterior pockets to keep your mommy gear organized with a key clip & mesh pocket for smaller, delicate items like iPod, pens, wallet, cell phone, sunglasses.  You get your choice of 2 padded handles for easy toting or a padded removable shoulder strap for when you need both hands. And of course - one of my favorite parts is that it always stands on its own so you don’t have to worry about setting it down and immdiately watching all your sunblock and accessories roll down the beach.  Now available in 5 fabulous colors - you can find just the right style for your family.

With this fabulous Loom tote - you are always ready to “GO!”

So in an effort to broaden my 2 1/2 year olds horizons, and give us something fun to do - we decided to enroll in Itsy Bitsy Yoga for tykes (the 2 year old age-appropriate class) of the Itsy Bitsy Yoga series. 

When we first entered the room - my outgoing guy at first got very shy.  But quickly as the teacher got us circled up for songs and walking and then proceeded to Yoga poses - my guy was right there getting very into each pose.  The class is easy enough for the beginning Yoga mom to follow and gives a lot of great moment and fun poses for the toddler set.  I loved seeing my active guy belting out “twinkle twinkle little star” while he tried to stand on one leg and walking around the room bend over like a gorilla.

At the end of class - the teacher reads a book to the little ones while parents are supposed to relax.  This was the only unsuccessful part of the class for me as my little one would rather jump on a trying to relax mommy, than listen to the story.  I highly recommend this class for potential yoga tots of all ages since it is a great way to have fun bonding while sharing some physical activity and attempts mental relaxation together.

The class I took was at Monkey Shala in Oakland taught by Sharon Jackson.  For a list of classes near you check out the Itsy Bitsy Yoga web finder locator.  For those of you with no local classes or time - you can check out the Itsy Bitsy Yoga book but I haven’t seen it yet.

One of Let’s Go Strolling’s favorite sites is having a great sale. The Funday Shop is offering 45% off their fantastic girls and boys clothing - just use code DOGDAYS. Shop now as we don’t know how long these savings will last!

So, I was a little bit hesitant about the Red Castle Baby Carrier when we first saw it at a trade show. I love a good sling and think that Mei Tais are just fantastic, so I couldn’t imagine another carrier that would wow me…I couldn’t have been more wrong!

The Red Castle Baby Carrier just makes sense and is amazingly versatile as well. It takes the basic premise that the most comfortable and natural way to carry your child is on your hip and then adds the support that those of us who have ever gone backpacking have known forever - to move the support weight to your waist and not your shoulders (unlike other popular carriers).

So, while you are carrying your child on your hip their weight is being supported on your waist with a cushioned waist belt. What gets even better is that you can switch hips WHILE wearing your kid and you can even nurse in the Red Castle. And yes of course - just like the other big boys on the market - you can also have your child face outward when they are ready - but when they get bigger, turn them back around and have them on your hip yet again.

Bottom line - good thing that I can admit when I’m wrong…this is a carrier worth having!

So as a day-out treat, I decided to take my 5 year old son and his best friend to Bonfante Gardens for a day out in the sun.  Turns out while this park has every ride a 5 year old could want - it also has 100 degree + heat in the summer in Gilroy.  So for those of you in the Bay Area the top 5 places to go in Bonfante Gardens on a hot summer day:

 

 

 

 

1) The Pinnacles Rock Maze (the misters everywhere are fabulous!)

2) The Bonfante Falls - Walk-through waterfall

3) Railroad Train Ride (covered train for sun protection and relaxing!)

4) Splash Gardens (wet but feels great)

5) And last and definitely least - the Candy Shop where kids are in heaven looking and it’s airconditioned for adults!

So have fun, put on lots of sunscreen and remember your hat and your cool sense of humor!