Chelsea Kaplan’s Musings About Life... After Birth

Imelda Marcos: Shoes

Chelsea Kaplan:

a) shoes
b) handbags
c) strollers
d) number or reality shows on my DVR’s “season pass” list
e) all of the above

Okay, okay, I admit it: the answer’s probably “e”. Really and truly, though, if you took a peek into my garage, you’d see that the real answer is “c”. I freaking love strollers.

Maybe it’s because I actually really love cars and wish I could have a celebrity-on-MTV’s “Cribs”-sized collection of them. I mean, how cool would it be to have an entire fleet of cars to suit your every need? A big ‘ol environmentally-unfriendly SUV to haul around your kids and a boatload of crap from Target, a sporty convertible for summer weekend jaunts, a luxury sedan for road trips….... Of course, because they’re awfully expensive, my owning a Jerry Seinfeld-sized collection of vehicles is out of the question.

However, as strollers are considerably less expensive, owning a fleet of kiddie-carting “cars” seems far less prohibitive, especially as I can just as easily justify the multitude of situations necessitating separate models. I have a lightweight Maclaren Techno XT for quick trips in-and-out of the car that I keep in the back of my MDX (also known as “The Official Car of The Momtourage”, as about half of us own one). A Peg Perego Pliko P3 for trips to the mall or museums (its awesome snack tray is key in these situations), a rugged Bugaboo Chameleon for long walks around the neighborhood, walks along DC’s Capital Crescent Trail or trips to the Zoo and a Baby Jogger City Series for when my parents are in town and my Dad wants to take my son running (those of you who read this blog regularly know I’m allergic to exercise and therefore do not use the Baby Jogger much myself, despite the fact that it’s an awesome stroller). I know owning four strollers is somewhat obscene, but I must say, I use each with considerable regularity. The only thing I do find particularly obscene about the number of strollers I own, however, is the amount of space said strollers take up. I’ll put it to you this way: our house had a two-car garage, and my husband parks outside.

Because I’m so into strollers (and, of course, because as a parenting journalist, staying on top of this kind of news is my job), I anticipate new stroller launches the way many men (and women, I imagine) look forward to seeing each year’s newest auto body styles. Recently, Baby Jogger came out with a gorgeous array of new strollers for 2008 that I LOVE: the City Elite, the City Classic and the City Mini. My favorite of the bunch is the City Mini, which is slimmer, lightweight (only 16.8 lbs.) and more maneuverable than the classic City Series stroller. Though made by Baby Jogger, the City Mini is meant to be used as an “everyday” stroller. The “coupe” to the City Series “sedan”, it builds upon the same features that make the City Series stroller a proverbial favorite among parents, but in a smaller, more compact package. Though it was designed with urban parents in mind (those who need a high-quality, durable stroller that will both easily maneuver city streets while at the same time not take up a third of their apartment), it’s equally appropriate for suburban parents as well - especially ones like me who don’t have much garage space to spare.  It comes in Red/Black, Orange/Grey, Blue/Navy, Green/Grey and Black/Black, and can accomodate kids up to 50 lbs (100 pounds for the double).  It retails for $199, while the City Mini Double is $349.  To purchase one, go to babyjogger.com to find the retailer nearest you.

The coolest thing about the City Mini: I’ve got a brand new one in Black/Black (the chicest color, in my opinion) to give away! If you’re in need of a new stroller to add to your fleet, send me an email at chelsea@themomtourage.com and include your name, mailing address, email address and age of your kids/grandkids/kids-to-be (none of this info will be shared with any outside parties because ewwwww, that’s gross). One lucky winner will be chosen at random. One entry per family, please. All entries must be received by Friday, December 14. Good luck!