Hey you, city girl, step away from the huge stroller!

I've definitely had a case of my eyes being too big for my belly... or, in this case, my stroller being too big for my neighborhood!

I registered for and recieved the amazing Jeep Liberty All Terrain 3 Wheel Stroller. We just put it together and brought it home to Queens with us when Andrew turned 6-months-old a couple a weeks ago. It handles the sidewalks like a dream and is super cushy and roomy for the baby. BUT, there's a huge problem and that problem is that the stroller is HUGE!

For some reason, when I was registering I didn't take into account that I would have to carry all 33 pounds of stroller up the stairs to my apartment! I definitely can't carry it up while holding Andrew and I also can't open it in my apartment foyer because it is too long. Folding it is also really rough because I have to drag it up the front stoop, squeeze it into the foyer, take Andrew out and bring him upstairs, and then return down for the fold. Whew!

I also can't fit through the aisle or check out lines of many of the stores in my neighborhood. I've knocked over quite a few displays! 

Sigh. I really am attached to our rugged Jeep, but we're going to be purchasing the City Mini for use in Queens and taking the Jeep upstate for suburban trips and walks through the parks up there. The City Mini has an awesome one-handed fold, weighs only 16 1/2 lbs, and has an extra-long sun canopy which is really hard to find yet necessary when you live in a city and walk everywhere.

I'll be sure to post pics, a review, and maybe even some video of our City Mini when we get it. Maybe I can save another mama from getting too big for her city britches? :)

Product Review: Graco Contempo Highchair

Because we live in a teensy apartment, we were in serious need of a highchair with a slim profile when stored. I really love the highchairs that attach to your regular dining room chairs, but since we don't have a real dining room set (we eat at our coffee table like so many sad New Yorkers!), that was a no-go.

Instead, we got the Graco Contempo Highchair in Deco for around $100 at Babies R Us. With the tray removed, it folds down to an amazingly slim self-standing 4 inches or so. That just the perfect width to slide into a closet or--in cases of closet shortage like ours--simply stand against a wall without being obtrusive.

I'm also a fan of the highchair's super cushy, wipeably clean faux leather seat cover and the fact that the chair has a 6-position height adjustment and 3-position seat incline. It also comes with a removeable tray insert to make for easy cleaning (although, I tend to get that insert dirty in the morning, remove it and not clean it, then get the actual tray dirty, and end up having to clean them both anyway. Double work!)

The cons? I really wish that I could open and close it with just one hand! I really dislike having to put Andrew down to open the highchair up and it makes me want to leave the highchair open all day (which adds to the obstacle course in the apartment.) 

Also, the gap between the seat and the chair leg is just the perfect width for Andrew's arm to get stuck in. I've remedied this by stuffing blankets in the gaps, but these get dirty, giving me just another chore to do. Bah!

So... I do definitely like this chair and would recommend it to a friend, but if you do have a dining room set, I'd go for a space saver high chair such as Fischer Price's, which many of my friends have and love. The space saver chair is even small enough to take along with you as you travel. Lucky are those who have a dining chair to attach it to!

Magic Beans' Awesome 31 Days of Giveaways

We all know I'm a sucker for giveaways, so I have been really, seriously over the moon about Magic Beans' 31 Days of Giveaways online. Magic Beans is a super-cute Boston-area kid's chain (filled with a great hand-picked selection of children's products) that has an even cuter online storefront. Naturally, the products they are giving away are out of this world--from a Bugaboo, to a giant giraffe toy, to a super fancy Monte Designs Luca $1000 glider (that's today's prize!)

Hurry up and get over to Magic Beans site before the 31 days are up (today is day 23, so you've got a good week left of awesome prizes.) Tell your friends and family too--maybe they'll win a prize and gift it to you!

Wordless Wednesday

Sorry I haven't been posting as frequently lately. I've actually been procuring some freelance work that I can do from home (hooray!) to the detriment of my poor little blog (boo!) Hopefully, now that I'm in the swing of things, I'll get back to regular posting. I definitely have some new product reviews I want to share with you!

That said, here's an adorable Not-So-Wordless Wednesday photos of the little man with the big man. They've both got this mama wrapped around their fingers.