Okay here are the current facts going forward:

Regal Lager, the US distributor of Phil and Ted’s Strollers has announced that it will no longer be selling the Orange/Charcoal or Charcoal/Black Sport Buggy Stroller colors.  For the moment they will still stock doubles kits in these colors however.  This means, when we run out, we run out folks, so if either one of these were the colors you had your heart set on - I suggest ordering now!  If you previously purchased these colors and think you will want in a toddler seat in the future that is matching, I encourage you to think about getting it sooner than later as there is no word how long Regal Lager will continue to stock the toddler seats in these two colors.

And then of course, the frequently asked question. . . when will the new Vibe and Dash strollers be out.  Although there were persistant rumors swirling around that January 2008 would be the release date, the latest date from Regal Lager suggests these beauties will not be realistically available in stores until the end of the March at the earliest.  For those of your with March/April due dates, keep in mind this date is not yet firm at this time.  If you are curious what the differences are between these Phil and Ted’s models.  Check out our previous blog entry “What the Heck is Going on with All Those Phil and Ted’s Strollers” which details the changes between the Sport, Dash and Vibe models.

Okay so the holiday season has passed but do you find that your little one is still dancing away to the nutcracker with any wooden doll she can find and dreaming that she is Clara?  Or maybe you have an adorable niece who still needs a great birthday gift that can make a splash after a December full of opening gifts?  No matter the reason, if you are looking for a special gift - I guarantee you will not be disappointed by these gorgeous handmade tutus.  You can choose both the design AND the colors you want it to come in so it is completely personalized for your favorite little gal and can be done in their special colors. 

I got one of these Tutus as a birthday gift for my niece and she loves it.  She runs around the house wearing it according to her Mom and the pink and black I choose look striking yet fun together.  Best of all you know you are supporting a mom-owned and run business where your tutu will be made with love, care and high quality materials.

So if you’ve been looking for that x-tra special gift, check out Tutuadore  for their great selection of hand-made distinctive Tutus.  PLUS, for a limited time, Tutadore is offering is offering Strolling Along Blog readers 20% off their orders.  Just shop by clicking on this Let’s Go Strolling sale link before March 1st and you’ll enjoy giving this gift, that much more!

The folks at Orbit have been extra busy this year, planning for tons of new releases.  Here at Let’s Go Strolling we love innovative new products and companies that constantly improve instead of resting on their laurels!  Go Orbit!

First up we have the new Orbit Toddler Carseat.  We can’t tell you how excited we are about this one.  Not only will it be the first convertible toddler carseat that easily snaps into a stroller for maximum convenience and portability, but it is also extra tall for all those big kids that might someday outgrow the Orbit Stroller Seat.  Now you can have all the conveniences of travelling with an infant, when you are travelling with your toddler.  Well okay, some of the conveniences. . .your toddler will still drive you mad walking up and down the airplane the whole flight!

Then we have the Orbit Stroller System Travel Bag.  We have to say that this one is about time.  When you invest over $1000 in a gorgeous new stroller that makes travelling easy, you want to be able to protect it along the way.  The Orbit Stroller System Travel bag will hold either the bassinet cradle OR the toddler stroller seat so no matter where you are in your family cycle, the Orbit Stroller Travel Bag will get your stroller there safely!

Also up, hopefully late February is the Organic Bassinet Cradle.  Not only is this version of Orbit’s unique bassinet/cradle great for the environment and a chemical-free resting place for your newborn baby, but it is a super cute flecked cafe au lait colored color.  We can’t wait to see the final version on this beauty.  Too bad my baby is coming in January and not March!

Lastly, on the horizon (hopefully not too far off), Orbit demoed some fabulous pannier bags at the September 2007 ABC show.  Although these were still prototypes, we loved how much extra storage they added onto your Orbit and easily folded away when not needed or for ultra thin store aisles.  As a truly heavy packer, I hope these fabulous accessories are available soon.  You never know when the shopping urge might hit you when you are out and about!

Don’t worry - we haven’t disappeared!  This is just the craziest time of year - for all of us!  Between holiday shopping and New Year’s plans, coming up for air takes too much time!  Add in kids on vacation and work and you have the recipe for not having time to get to our beloved blog!  Don’t get nervous  - posts will become more regular once everything is back to “normal.”

Happy Holidays from Let’s Go Strolling!

A perfect grandparent stroller?  Is there really such a thing? Well, according to my kids’ grandparents – yes! 

My husband and I recently went away for the weekend for an out-of-town wedding and left our precious children in the care of their loving grandparents.  Now, Grammy and Grandpa have used TONS of strollers (hmmm, I wonder why?!).  They have never been shy about telling me what they think of each – this one was too heavy, this one had too many steps to fold, this one steered great, this one had great storage…you get the idea.  They’ve used singles, doubles, toddler seats and ride-on-boards – all in all, I think that they are stroller experts in their own right. 

When giving them a stroller for a day or a week of use, I always have to remind myself, that their stroller needs are different than that of a full-time parent or caregiver – they don’t need, nor do they often want, all the bells and whistles that make so many of the great strollers out there great – they want something that is easy to push, easy to fold, handles well and that their grandchild(ren) will ride in safely and happily.  Well, this trip I did it – I provided them with the perfect grandparent stroller…the Baby Jogger City Mini single!

Weighing just over 16 pounds, both Grammy and Grandpa were already impressed.  It looked cute (they are quite fashionable), appeared comfortable, has a great canopy and ample storage.  They were quite happy.  But then, I provided them with the icing on the cake…the fold!  One hand – literally – even for Grammy!  Now this was perfection.  They were elated and I was psyched – I didn’t need to spend one second thinking about whether or not I had gone over how to fold the stroller with them more than once, I didn’t need to think about whether or not it would fit in both their cars and I didn’t need to stress over whether or not my kids would happily ride if needed – the Baby Jogger City Mini single pushes like a dream and has the comfort of a more full-service stroller.  Given that I knew their itinerary, I didn’t need to worry about them needing an air-tire stroller for hikes or off-roading and thus I knew that the rubber wheels with front-suspension would do the trick…and guess what?…I was right!  A great stay was had by all and I had to fight to get the City Mini back from Grammy and Grandpa!

Where there is a need - there is always invention.  We’ve recently found two great products to make parents like just that little bit easier.  Both the Fleurville SlipNot and the Kel-Gar Stroller Swivelers allow parents to easily attach diaper bags, shopping bags, and other necessities right onto the handlebar of their stroller so they are close at hand. 

If you are like me, every so often on a walk with kids - you will find yourself in some store and think - “Oh I need that!”  So you pay for your precious new find and as you load up your child in the stroller and the package, you realize, “There’s not room for both of them!”  Of course you aren’t going to kick your precious loved one out.  This leads you lugging back a package in one arm and steering the stroller with your 30lb wonder with the other arm.  Leaving me to wonder. . . isn’t there a better way?

Thankfully there now is and at a bargain of a price!  Add one of these gems to your cart now and get free shipping through Nov 30th with code FREESHIPN.  Just our way of sharing our joy at these new finds!

Here at Let’s Go Strolling we have been really wowed by the next generation Micralite stroller.  The Micralite Toro is the next generation Micralite Fastfold and boy has she grown up nicely!  We always loved the push and lightweight appeal with beefy wheels of the Fastfold but the new Toro has all these features and so much more.

First of all it comes with a much more comfortable seat featuring full recline so for minimalist parents - this stroller can take you from newborn through the toddler years.  It has a full color coordinated canopy unlike the skimpier Fastfold canopy, a matching stroller boot which slides on and off with ease, and the fold is even easier and can be done quickly without much bending over and no leg/foot action necessary!  The Toro still has the beefy rear air tires for a smooth push, the height adjustible handlebar, and stands folded.  While the basket is still small - there is basically nothing you won’t love about the Toro except the price. at $599 for the stroller and $789 when the bassinet is included - it is definitely a stroller investment but parents who are willing to invest - the Micralite Toro could be the perfect lightweight ride!

Let’s Go Strolling just received an email from a friend sharing some very sad news about her friends upcoming adoption of a little girl from Guatemala. Please read the letter below and if you feel as heart sickened as we do, please take a moment to follow the link and sign this petition.

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Subject: Your help is needed with our adoption

Hi Friends/Family,

As you know, we are in the process of finalizing through adoption and bringing home our little girl from Guatemala. The US government (DOS-Department of State) has issued a statement that Guatemala is planning on shutting down their adoptions to the US as of January 1, 2008. OUR government, at this time, is stating that they will not help the 8,000+ families that are in the process should this happen. Won’t you PLEASE go the attached website and sign the petition that will be sent to the President asking to make sure that the citizens of the US that are in the process of an adoption be protected and have those “in process” adoptions be completed?

Thanks for your support. Please forward this to everyone that you know. Every signature helps!

Caryn

http://www.petitiononline.com/foafoa1/petition.html

I always find myself trying to find the perfect gift - for any and every situation.  I’ll search tirelessly for the perfect birthday gift, holiday gift, just because gift and definitely for the perfect baby gift.  Well, I’ve finally found it - so look no more…the perfect baby gift is here and it’s reasonably priced as well!  The Skip Hop Diaper Bag Details has everything a new parent needs when packing up their diaper bag.  It comes with an insulated bottle bag (perfect for bottles, sippy cups without handles or a Diet Coke), a laminated zip case with a detachable strap (perfect for diaper creme, your stuff, and any little things that you need to pack away), a pacifier pocket that can hold 2 pacis, a see-through wipes case and a diaper holder that will hold up to 4 diapers.  All these goodies are then packaged in their own little carrying case which is just perfect for gift giving!  The Skip Hop Diaper Bag Details comes in 3 great patterns: black geo, ocean stripe and flora - so there is one that will suit all your expecting mom friends!

Well the short answer is “who knows?”  The longer answer has so much more detail.  Valco demoed several different single and doubles models at the ABC show this year. Many of them ranged in price and quality and many deviated significately from their current Valco Twin Trimode/Trimode models.

Valco had a double Ion Model that was super lightweight (seemed between 25-28lbs) and folded incredibly easily - this one was the one that we were most excited about.  It is unlikely that it will be out before the end of Winter 2008 or the beginning of the Spring of 2008.  There were a couple of other lightweight models debuted as well but it is unlikely Valco will bring all of them out so I wouldn’t wait for them.  They ranged from the Super light-weight to the midweight.  Some were very easy to open and close, others seemed more “fiddly” but were also prototype models so it is hard to tell. . .

So what do we know for sure is coming out from Valco:  First of all Let’s Go Strolling will have the exclusive “Boy Meets Girl” Pink & Blue Limited Edition version of the Valco Twin Trimode that will be fully loaded with matching footmuffs, UV/Sun Cover, Matching infant headhuggers, Matching individual bumper bars, a weather shield and a tire pump.  Whether you are looking for the perfect stroller for boy/girl twins or a new sibling - the Valco Twin Trimode is a tried and true favorite and this new color combination is sure to be a smash hit!

The Trimode Single will also have some new colors but Valco is still mum on what the final chages are.  They have recently released a Brilliant Black as well as a Champagne color but several new colors are on the way for the late Fall/early Winter of 2007.  The Valco Buggster will also be coming out shortly with a new closing mechanism to make it easier for those of us that loved the push and manueverability of the Buggster but found the fold to be a bit challenging at times.

The Rebel is also being completely redesigned and will still face rear and foward and hold a toddler seat but will no longer be a three wheeled stroller (it will be have 4 wheels) and a more urban terrain look as opposed to the previous rugged version of the Rebel with 3 air-filled tires.  The newer Rebel will be lighter and fold smaller - making it more flexible to meet the needs of today’s urban and suburban parents who value rear facing for their two kids but also want the portability that was lacking in the previous version of the Rebel.

Lastly Valco introduced prototypes for several lightweight Urban terrain strollers that didn’t have air tires but still had a fabulous push.  Our favorite was the Ion which pushed smoothly, closed quickly and easily and was incredily lightweight with full recline.  There were several other lightweight models in addition which didn’t push as smoothly and seemed to offer less attractive value to our customers.  We are not sure when/if Valco will release any of these models in the US market.  The Australian market does have a lower priced line called Vee-Bee after which many of these demo models were patterned.

So while we can guarantee the fabulous pink/blue Valco Twin Trimode, as well as some new Trimode and Twin Trimode colors, what else is coming down the pike with Valco is still a work in progress.  But don’t worry folks, we’ll keep you updated with plenty of time for when you are planning your next stroller purchase whether it needs to hold another child or just provide the convenience of a lighter single stroller for travel and everyday use.

STAY TUNED. . .