I’ve been reading over several weeks (there is a lot to digest) a fabulous summary of many hot stroller brands and what their plans our for 2009.  Where can you find all these fab details and TONS of awesome photos, you ask?  Check out the StrollerQueen 2009 Roll-out on www.StrollerQueen.Com.  

The StrollerQueen (aka Janet McLaughlin) is a TV journalist and writes all the need-to-knows concisely and understandably so you can find the knowledge you are looking for fast.  She includes tons of photos this year (even more than previous years) and features her 7 month old in many of the strollers so you can see how a real baby looks in many of the rides you are considering.  This year she has even organized her article by brand links so you can easily jump to the brands you are most interested in.

If you are someone who wants to know all there is to know before making decisions about your next stroller purchase, this might be the most enjoyable $7.50 you spend this year.  It’s a bit like giving candy to a chocolate addict (you obsessive researchers know who you are!) but if you feel stuck and are worried you’ll regret a stroller purchase as soon as the 2009s come out, this will reassure you.  You can relax and take advantage of sale prices and take the plunge, or start saving your pennies for the latest innovations. . . but first you have to read the 2009 stroller roll-out to make sure!

At the ABC Trade show in Vegas, we were joking that all anyone wanted to show us was their new organic product.  It got to the point where we just asked, okay what do you have that is made from bamboo, organic cotton, BPA-free plastic, or recycled bottles?

With the recent announcement from Safeway, the third largest supermarket chain in the US, that they will no longer carry any bottles with Bisphenol-A, safety in baby products in on everyone’s mind.  Click here for details.

Whether you think it is all hype or a huge safety issue, there is no doubt that safety in baby and children’s products is a huge issue on everyone’s mind these days.  I’d love to find out what environmental/product safety issues you, our readers, are concerned or passionate about.  Do you think organic materials are worth the extra money?  Have you gotten rid of any Bishenol-A bottles or sippy cups?

I have three kids and while I bought new bottles for my baby that were BPA-free (not that she took a bottle but that is another story . . .), I’ve gotten some new BPA-free sippy cups too (the Klean Kanteen Sippy Cups ones are my favorites - dishwasher safe and cute colors), but I’ve kept some of the old ones too.  Somehow it seems worse to the environment to throw away 15 plastic cups than to keep using them.  But I am torn. . .

So here at Let’s Go Strolling, we have straddled the fence.  We have our own environmental-friendly icon to signal which products enviromentally-concious consumers might like, but we also stock the “regular version.”  We ordered the 4 new Serena and Lily Organic bedding sets (Maggie, Dylan, Rye, and Hazel) as well as their regular bedding sets.  We stock the Bebe Au Lait Organic Nursing covers as well as their regular patterned non-organic covers. We have the Organic Ergo Carrier as well as several non-organic colors, the organic and non-organic Ultimate Swaddling Blankets.  We also have several BPA-free products like the Klean Kanteen Sippy Cups, the OnTray Grocery Cart Shopping Tray, and the Zoli Snack and Formula Dispenser.

What environmental/safety issues matter to you in baby products?  Will you pay more for them?  We’re giving away a Bebe Au Lait Organic Nursing cover (you choose the color) to one responder who gives our their environmental shopping opinions and/or environmentally friendly products you would like to see us offer!

We really value your input!

P.S.  If you are an office fan, on last week’s episode, the Office tried to destroy an Orbit stroller at a baby shower. It was hysterical.  If you want to see this episode or a deleted scene where they are abusively road testing the Orbit Stroller System (without a baby), click here to view it on Orbit’s website!