The process of buying a stroller

[dancerjodi]

I picked up our stroller today courtesy of a nice lady in Natick via Craigslist. I've heard stroller shopping was an ordeal for some - here was our process:

-Research online via sites and friends. Talk to folks about what they used and liked and didn't. See what's around when in our hood.

-Go window shopping: a fancy store, Sears, Target and Babies R Us. For our needs, we decided to go with a fancy one (easy to use, light/compact but still rugged, use in a variety of ways, good for city living).

-Start watching Craigslist - this shit is expensive! See a few too late to inquire about (days after posting). See a listing day-of and contact seller. She said she'd sell to me, I asked for address and then I didn't hear for 2 days. She sold to someone else who could come day-of instead.

-Caught one on Craigslist yesterday but it is PINK (fushcia) and black. Contact seller - can always replace parts if hate the pink. Hear nothing last night and assume it is gone.

-Get e-mail from seller today, I can pick it up tonight. Go out, check it all out, she helps with with it to the car and hand over a wad of cash.

We went with a Bugaboo Bee, one of the trendy designer strollers in urban areas nowadays so it seems. The stuff I got cost $850 retail, but I paid $400 for it, gently used. It included a frame for a Graco Snugride carseat, which we'll get w/ 2 buckets. Also a rain guard, "footmuff" (kind of like a snuggie for baby) and a cup holder. Whoot, or something!

Now to watch the instructional video and figure the thing out, wash the parts, etc. We're going to live with the pink - paying $200 for extra parts just for another color is silly. :)

Comments

[canongrrl.livejournal.com]

yay! Also - amazon is cheaper than most places (babies r us is typically around the most expensive - even with coupons!). Amazon mom + subscribe and save is awesome (30% diapers - since we supplement cloth with diapers at night - this is still awesome). Target brand up and up baby wipes are, by far, the best.

Isis can be very good - but it is also a huge sink hole if you aren't careful

making your own babyfood is actually a ton of fun. If you and B want some cookbooks, I think I still have one or two here. I can check

not sure how we got on the topic of baby food.

[nepenthedreams]

Yeah, since they eat so little at a time, you can actually make a huge batch and freeze it.

I remember this amazing chicken/sweet potato/apple/onion slurry that we made for Kai - it was so good I wanted to eat it myself!

[dancer.livejournal.com]

I am getting one babyfood book - if you have others you'd like to get rid of I'd love to take them! Thanks. :)

I have to figure out the Amazon mom thing - soundsl ike an amazing deal.

[nepenthedreams]

What a great deal! And I think pink & black is awesome...good thing you are having a girl though.

CUP HOLDER FOR THE WIN!

We don't have one and I'm always cursing that fact.

[dancer.livejournal.com]

The cup holders go for $20 - nuts! I'm glad we have one, may register for another.

[dancer.livejournal.com]

I learned that some of the strollers have adjustable handles (ours does) - all depends on the stroller. Figuring out what we wanted early so we could just keep an eye out for it over a long time worked for us. Worst case, we *would have* paid that full price to get one of these, but thankfully we didn't need to.

[dionysia.livejournal.com]

Well done!

[disownedheidi.livejournal.com]

Don't get a complicated High Chair. We got a POS from Chico's that is padded and comfy and has all sorts of straps and is impossible to wash. It sucks. We now have a very fancy, overpriced bio-hazard.

We just inherited a simple antique wooden chair that looks easier to wash.