Posts Tagged "pushchairs"

Ella does London without a Pushchair

Posted by cafebebemama on Oct 3, 2011 in Little Miss Adventures, Motherhood, Travelling Adventures | 8 comments

On Saturday, the Cafe Bebe Family braved ridiculously unseasonable temps (29 degrees in Peterborough while we were waiting for our train) to venture down to London for an over-night excursion. We were going to be attending a blogger event for the Lego-Duplo Experts (of which we are a part) at Westfield Shopping Centre in West London on Sunday. Lego-Duplo was kind enough to put us up for the night in London which we thoroughly enjoyed (thank you Lego-Duplo).

As we would be hoofing it around and about London on Saturday and Sunday, we were trying to keep luggage and accessories to a minimum thanks to my 30 weeks pregnant state and the inferno temperatures. Plus as the London Underground on the weekend can be a nightmare at best, we thought it best to forgo the use of a pushchair for Ella for the first time. In fairness, we don’t use the pushchair very much at all for her anymore. With this independence, Ella has actually become a better listener and generally is more enjoyable whilst out and about. Amazing how that happens! But, I’ve never attempted LONDON sans pushchair. This would be the ultimate test. Train, tube, walking…would it work?

In fact, it worked FAMOUSLY! Ella was OUTSTANDING! Negotiating “hes-ca-lators”, crowds of people, tube platforms and crowded carriages, Ella didn’t miss a beat. And there was virtually no shouting on our behalf! We allowed her a bit of freedom to trot along at her pace without holding hands and she responded by staying close and following directions. I was so very proud of her.

Ella was mostly interested in standing on the tube carriages. She didn’t want to sit next to Mummy, no way! She wanted to stand and hold onto the poles like Daddy. So we let her. And she was fine! Granted, even though it was a weekend, the Tube cars weren’t too crowded so we could afford her this bit of freedom. She was an expert at “minding the gap” by the end of our journey and only needed to be carried (by Daddy mind you) on a handful of occasions. I really was impressed with what Ella was capable of given a bit of freedom and responsibility. Ella was particularly keen to have a “ticket” to go through the barriers on the entrances and exits to the various Tube Stations on the lines. We gave Ella one of the train tickets to use but wouldn’t it be great if there was a “mini-Oyster card” for the littlies?? If any Londoners can tell me if this exists, I WANT ONE!

We have discovered, after a very positive experience in London this weekend that Ella is more than capable of being trusted to be on the Tube and other public transport in and around London. This gives me a lot of confidence for any future ventures (as long as there isn’t a lot of walking on either end of Tube journeys!) and shows me how very much our little miss is growing up! Sniff, I’m one proud Mama, that’s for sure. Now, when can we go back to London?? That might not be until Bebe makes an appearance but we’ll be much more confident about any future excursions, that’s for sure. How about you? Do you let your children negotiate the Tube and other public transport in and around London? Have you experienced any NIGHTMARE situations that have made a big impact on your decisions?

(After all of that independence, within about 10 minutes of sitting on the train for our return journey home on Sunday afternoon, Ella was zonked out on my lap! Independence has its benefits…for parents!)

Pushchairs from the Ridiculous to the Sublime

Posted by cafebebemama on Apr 29, 2010 in Blogger Love, Writing Workshop | 31 comments

As many of you know, I am the pushchair queen.  It’s true…I have the tiara to prove it!  I stumbled into writing reviews for MadeForMums website and somehow, although quite happily, ended up being a Pushchair reviewer.  I adore pushchairs.  They are gorgeous and fun and quirky and delightful…oh…I forgot where I was for a minute…  Anyway, I have had the pleasure of OWNING 2 pushchairs.  I have had the immense pleasure of receiving, trialing, testing and reviewing more than 20 pushchairs.  I currently have 7 pushchairs in my possession.  It’s a bit ridiculous, really.

However, in my status as Pushchair Queen, I have learned a LOT (well, far too much really) about what works and what doesn’t work on a pushchair.  I have to say that I am a bit of a snob with regards to “umbrella strollers”.  I see the £20 strollers that fill the high street and are nothing more than a lurid piece of canvas loosely stretched between a pingy aluminium frame.  I see the toddlers scrunched and squished in said strollers looking as miserable as a miserable thing could ever be as the sun beats down on their little heads.  Now, I know, budget is an issue for so many families but trust me, there are pushchairs/strollers out there for under £100 which will at least carry your child better and safer and will actually function for you.

That being said, I have found that a majority of pushchair designs are VERY ridiculous.  Two features spring to mind:  the canopy/hood and the shopping basket.  Far too many pushchairs have included a canopy/hood for looks and coordination and nothing more.  The only chance that your child will be protected/shielded from the sun is if the sun is either directly above you or behind you.  I believe that the pushchair designers (they have to be men…no mother would design that!) think that they need to include a canopy but are loathe to use too much fabric as it would surely cost too much thus cutting into their profit.  The canopy design leads to mothers either using items of clothing or muslin cloths to drape over the edge of the canopy so their child is shielded from the sun.  It also leads to sublimely genius products like the Snoozeshade…designed by a MUM of course!

The other feature that DOES MY HEAD IN is the shopping basket.  So many pushchairs, particularly the ones that are “lightweight”, are completely USELESS!  Again, said pushchair designer has moved on from the postage stamp sized canopy and decided that with a scrap of mesh the size of a handkerchief, a shopping basket can be attached which allows them to say “shopping basket included” in the product description.  Never mind that you could only manage to fit a non-folded newspaper in it on the best of days…it’s a shopping basket!  Get REAL pushchair designers!  You make a “lightweight” pushchair with an incy-wincy shopping basket and then tell us that we shouldn’t hang anything off of the handles.  How do you expect us to go out and do anything??  Most parents flout this rule entirely and hang the equivalent of a £200 grocery shop off the handles thus turning their “lightweight” pushchair into a “heavyweight” accident waiting to happen.  I’m surprised that UK Healthy & Safety hasn’t swanned in on that one!  Whoops…there goes my child, flipping backwards in the pushchair!  Oh dear!

I was going to show some of the worst offenders…but I don’t like to look a gift horse in the mouth or offend any companies to the point where they boycott me.  If you’d like to know my “name and shame” list of the worst pushchair offenders, please comment below and I’ll clue you in on what NOT to buy!  The list is growing…

I will, however, share with you two companies who have sussed out how to make a genius pushchair:

Baby Jogger City Mini

The Baby Jogger City Mini was our 2nd pushchair and still enjoys pride of place in Hubby’s boot.  The reason I chose it was for the canopy/hood.  Have a look…it’s brilliant!  It comes down quite far yet not so far as to block Little Miss’ vision of the world.  The hood also has 2 viewing windows which can be kept covered by a canvas/velcro piece or left uncovered to allow a bit of light in.  You can check on your child quickly and easily and still keep them covered and protected.  Genius!  The shopping basket is actually quite effective as well.  It’s not giant but you can get a fair bit into it and better still, can access it very easily.  You can get at least 10 newspapers in it and you could even be so bold as to fold them!    We love our Baby Jogger City Mini…we’ll always love you but…

Our heart has been stolen by another…the Stokke Xplory…the pushchair to end all pushchairs.  I promised I wouldn’t go on and on about it so I will simply say that the design is sublime, it functions brilliantly on all terrains, it allows your child to see the world from a suitable vantage point and allows you to keep them in parent facing mode forever, if you like.  It has a shopping BAG which expands to fit a TONNE of stuff and all the while is exceptionally stylish and funky…sigh…

Stokke Xplory

I’ve given you pushchairs…from the ridiculous to the sublime in support of Josie’s Writing Workshop where I have chosen writing prompt #3- Write about a gadget, object or invention which I find completely useless and impractical which was inspired by Tiddlyompompom’s post Sample Pot which I wholeheartedly agree with!  If any pushchair designers would like to hire me as a research and development consultant, I’ll happily give you my hourly rate…please comment below and I’ll get right back to you.

Home Sick

Posted by cafebebemama on Sep 19, 2009 in Uncategorized | 5 comments

This week I have had the great fortune to receive A LOT of packages.  However, I am now homesick.  Not longing for my homeland…SICK OF BEING IN MY HOUSE!!!!  From Tuesday through Thursday afternoon at 3:00pm, I was a prisoner in my own home.  Slobbing around in my pajamas being afraid to take a bath for fear of a knock on the door (I did bathe each day, mind, I wasn’t a totally disgusting person).  It was just me, Little Miss, the animals and endless Cbeebies on the telly.  Did you know that Cbeebies repeats their morning lineup after Noon as well?  I know.  Firsthand knowledge.  Little Miss doesn’t seem to notice but exactly the same episodes of kiddie telly is a bit mind numbing.  I became desperate for Twitter Messages and Emails as I felt like that was my only foothold on sanity.  Those delivery people have such control!  And I do believe they know it!

Monday my TrulyMadlyBaby starter kit arrived which was a surprise- wasn’t expecting that one but was very excited to get it.  I’m officially a TrulyMadlyBaby/TrulyMadlyKid consultant.  Whoop Whoop!  That was the extent of my deliveries for Monday and Little Miss and I managed to get out and do a grocery shop and get fresh air.  Tuesday began the waiting game.  I was supposed to get 2 pushchairs on Tuesday…I’m reviewing them for MadeForMums website and was really anticipating their arrival as one of the two is a brand new pushchair on the market.  I waited and waited.  Every time I heard what sounded like a delivery truck, I checked.  Nothin’!  I couldn’t even go out for a walk with Little Miss as I knew that as soon as I left the house, the delivery truck would turn up.  Tuesday came and went and no pushchairs.  An email to the PR contact ended up with me being told that they would arrive on Wednesday but there was no time estimate.  I wasn’t too concerned as it had just been one day wasted.

Wednesday came with joyous anticipation…they were coming today!  The postman came with a package as well…it was going to be a good day!  Tick, tock, tick, tock…the bloomin’ pushchairs did not arrive until 4:00pm!!!  4:00…another day down the drain…I was beginning to feel very claustrophobic.  But, the pushchairs arrived and let me tell you, this new one I’m reviewing…ooh…very interesting.  I’ll review it soon for Café Bébé as well.  My hubby had to work late on Wednesday night so I was decidedly twitchy by the time he go home…I hadn’t seen another adult for days (other than delivery people and they don’t stay very long!) and Little Miss, though delightful, doesn’t keep up her end of the conversation so well.

Thursday came with less joyous anticipation as I had one more delivery to wait for but I was sure that it would arrive in the morning.  Do you think it arrived in the morning?  NO!!!  It didn’t arrive until 2:00pm.  But the back of that delivery driver signaled FREEDOM!  I packed Little Miss in the car and drove…didn’t really care where but we were out!  I had begun to get a bit emotional being stuck in the house.  I started to question my ability as a mother.  I had a crisis of confidence for my website.  I was a woman on the edge…slightly twitchy, slightly paranoid.  All because I was at the mercy of delivery people who kept me prisoner in my own home!

I know what you’re thinking.  You’re saying, “Silly Woman…just have a neighbour collect in your packages!”  Yes, I hear you!  But you see, almost every one of my neighbours is elderly.  And the packages that were coming were BIG and HEAVY.  I didn’t want my packages burdening their hallways or bones.  I don’t like to impose.  If my deliveries keep up, however, I may have to come up with a different plan.  Either that or I may finally be pushed to the brink.  You’ll find me on my living room floor, singing along to Cbeebies with Little Miss patting my head and saying “Momma”.  Please remind me to just GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!