On those days where I feel like I cannot tie my shoes, let alone successfully parent four small children?
On those days where I feel like locking myself in the closet with a 1/2 gallon of ice cream and coming out only when I need more ice cream?
On those days where I feel like it is a dog-eat-dog world and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear?
You, the people of the internet, lift me up more than you could ever possibly know.
And that is the real reason that I blog.
Sure, blogging is a great way to capture memories and share pictures and stories of our children as they blaze through childhood. But blogging has become an important connection for me - to the outside world. It has been my reality check, that the challenges I am facing in life are all perfectly normal and often quite humorous, when you look at them from a different perspective. (Or, after drinking a bottle of wine).
Now I know that it is extremely difficult to get out and stay active, or get out and see the whole country, when you have small children unless you have the means to transport them effectively. And because I have put forth the challenge to do something at the end of August that you physically could not do (in mid June), I am so excited to be offering a give away.
Seriously, the timing on this is beyond excellent.
I was contacted this morning by a marketing company that represents Chicco and they are willing to offer me (or one of my readers) a brand new Trevi Twin stroller.
From what I have read, "The Trevi Twin is a double stroller, with a full recline, built-in boot to ensure a safe ride for newborns, compact 3-dimensional fold, and great features for parents. While some double strollers may be too wide to fit through doors, or hard to maneuver, the Trevi Twin makes getting around a breeze. The stroller is recommended for children from birth to 40 lbs and retails for $219.00."Although this stroller looks pretty awesome and would easily fit in to my fleet of strollers, I am really excited to give it away to someone that could use it.
With that in mind, here are the details for the Great Twin Stroller Give Away.
1) Please post a comment on this post, telling me why you should win this stroller.
2) You have until 11:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time, Friday, July 18, 2008.
3) I will post what I consider to be the top 5 (or maybe 10, depending upon the feedback) comments and ask all of you to help me select a winner.
4) The winner will be chosen next Wednesday, July 23.
And then, the winner must take a picture of themself - running with this stroller - in a marathon, at the end of August.
Oh, just kidding.
Ready, set, GO!
First of all, how in the Sam Hill did you get a sweet deal like that? I would love to get onboard with deals like this!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI need this stroller because the "baby" I thought was coming home from Guatemala LAST CHRISTMAS at a year old will hopefully be home by mid-Sept at almost 2 years old. Lest I forget that the quest for my daughter has taken twice as long and cost twice as much to attain.....I wouldn't change it for the world but every little bit helps.
Not to mention that a double is a must since I have a 3 1/2 year old as well. And there's no front to back double in my future because I don't want Sydney's first words to be "HE'S KICKING ME!!!"
And if I were to be lucky enough to WIN this BEAUTIFUL stroller, I will happily take pictures of both of my GuateTots being "jogged" through whichever US airport we get dropped into upon returning home while striving to have us much as ya'll did on your recent trip!!! I thoroughly enjoyed keeping tabs on you....what a trip!!! :-)
Much love -
Bamagirl!!!
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi there. I have been reading your blog for a few weeks now, and I marvel at how you do it all. The thought of taking my boys across the country in a car is enough to freak me out. Yet, you did it and I am more that amazed!
ReplyDeleteI would love to put my hat into the ring for the stroller. I have 8 1/2 month old twin boys who were 28 weekers. We have had more than our fair share of setbacks, but I think finally we may be on our way to a "normal" life free of hospitals and issues. Well, we will be when we get over the new drama of the day--chicken pox. (why not throw that in while we can. :-) we so don't have enough going on otherwise)
Now, I certainly do not agree to jogging (yuck), but I do intend to take the boys out for walks around the neighborhood and where ever else we can get to. Hm. Maybe I'll make the husband do the jogging? He would love that!
Anyway, thank you again for the great posting and the inspiration!
Stacie
P.S. How does one get on a marketer's trial list? That would be wonderful!
P.S.S. Sorry about the deleted post. I sounded like a dork in the last one and thought I needed to rewrite it (not that I sound less dorky here, but you know how it is).
I don't have kids but have a lot of friends that do and would give it to one of them or donate it to someone that could use it.
ReplyDeleteI was actually just coming here to say that when you first announced that you were taking this trip, I thought, "What??? I have to go three weeks without this blog??!! She can't do this!" I should have known you'd find a way (ways) to keep it going. I'll never doubt you again.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
Glad you loved the trip!
I need this stroller because I need a good arguement with my husband so I can have some good makeup...oh wait...family site...sorry! =) Seriously, I think I need this stroller, he'd argue. But with Triplets, you know how much attention they draw when you pull out the triple stroller. I'd love to split my gang up into 2 & 1. Especially since they don't look ANYTHING alike and one looks like he's a 3 year old! (25+ pounds at 11m...CRAZY!) And although I won't use it in a marathon, I AM training for a 5k on 9/6. My goal is to run THE WHOLE THING! Something I didn't do in my first 5k on Memorial Day. So far, I'm up to 1.6 miles. I'm just about to start loving this running thing. Maybe a new stroller will push me over the edge!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this for my friend. She is the mother of 8 - just had her 8th (and last)this past fall and had some serious complications including of all things, a heart attack. I couldn't make this up if I tried. Her 10 year old has since become best buds with my 9 year old and we really are enjoying getting to know this special family.
ReplyDeleteSherry has a 9 month old and an almost 2 year old and this would be perfect for them - heck, her 4 year old would probably fit if they were wearing the baby!
Thanks for the opportunity. Loved traveling with you guys on your recent trip. Did you see me wave frantically when you went through Michigan?
Another stroller for me? You betcha! I love strollers. I am such a stroller hog. And yes, I could totally could use this stroller. I have 3 month old twins and a 3 year old. I have an awesome BOB stroller (because you loved yours so much) but I have a dulie and frankly, sometimes it is just too big. Like for the upcoming trip in August to the grandparents' house and the boys very first plane trip. And me and my 3 year old and my twins. On an airplane. I am not risking the airlines breaking my precious BOB (no traveling bag for the dulie...sigh!) so guess what I am doing? I am taking a single stroller. For all 3 kids who could use a stroller. Which means for the entire month I am at the grandparents' house I will not be able to go out with all 3 kids by myself. I will always have to have a helper. And while I don't mind having a helper, I do mind having to wait to go somewhere until someone else can come with. I mean, what if I want to take the kids to have french fries and fry sauce? Or on a walk just us? Or to the park? I couldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteTo have this stroller would mean freedom! Freedom to be able to travel how and where I want with small children. And to celebrate that freedom, I would take pictures of us and our Freedom Stroller in America's hometown: Washington DC. I think it would look lovely with my sweet boys in it in front of the Declaration of Independence or by the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial. Don't you?
So please, pick me and help me get through the boys' first airport trip. And beyond!
Oh, I love how this whole blog thing has knitted us into this amazing community. How we've never met but love to read each others' stories, keep tabs on how our kids are doing, feel sad when Henry hits a year (a year? he was four months when I started reading!).
ReplyDeleteWhen you announced your big trip I was somewhere in Nebraska (Grand Island, I think) headed home toward Denver after what I thought was a big, crazy roadtrip until you showed me what 'big and crazy' actually means (Denver to Kansas City, up to Omaha, and back through the Sand Hills, taken with my parents and 5,2, and 7 month old kids...after my husband had been on a business trip for 10 weeks leaving me to go insane, er, fend for myself). My first impulse was to say that you were nuts, that the peanut butter cups were going to your head rather than your hips, that you should really scale it back, that by the time you got to Boston (great city, by the way, we love those swan boats and Mr and Mrs Mallard) you'd be dreading the ride home. But I was too late, thank goodness, and I got to enjoy your tales from to road.
So, you've again inspired me (after making me feel like I can do silly things like blog with *only* three obnoxiously wonderful children run around and to get myself into enough shape to climb a fourteener {14000 foot peak} by the time school starts) to take more road trips. Maybe shorter ones, but more. I've been so afraid to mess up our nap routines, or be woken up too early, or blah blah blah pushed out of my comfort zone I held back.
#1 we leave Friday for a trip into the mountains to pick cherries and--get this--we're all staying at a bed and breakfast
#2 three days after we get home (and my husband goes back out on the never-ending business trip) I take the children by myself to visit my parents in California. I have to get myself packed and all of us to the airport. Crazy.
#3 we're driving to Flagstaff at the beginning of September to meet my sister-in-law-to-be (and her four-year-old son!), then going back in October for the weddin'. (that's a solid 15 hours of driving, and not on the interstate).
#4 Camping--you don't know what a big stretch this is for me. Not the actual camping, I'm great with that, it's the part where the children don't sleep, and I don't either. But I'm rolling with it.
I don't know that I would've tackled this again if I hadn't been inspired by the stories you and other bloggers I love have shared and if I didn't have this community of women I've never met to lean on.
That said, I have one double stroller, a BOB Revolution Duallie. Awesome stroller (especially for the way a big kid can sit on the front, and a fourth could conceivably sit up top), but not small. I'm seriously in need of a good small double I can take on my myriad road trips to come.
Thanks for the consideration, you rock!
Amanda/www.kiddio.org
Orange is my favorite color. lol
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this, you're awesome! I'll second wishing I could get deals like this.
After reading the other entries I don't think I have as great a reason as some, but I'll enter anyway.
We're finally expecting #2 in Nov and on the search for a double stroller. We were planning to sell our single stroller to help fund the purchase, until we loaned it to friends (in pristine condition - our first refused to ride in it until he was almost 18mths) who left it out in the rain... and now we can't get the mud out. With the resale value now next to nothing, we can't afford the stroller we were planning on (a Phil and Ted's, not that we had a spare $500 in the first place!)
If we win, I can't promise a marathon, but I can promise pics from Stroller Strides, which I will be joining once bub is 6 weeks old!
We should win the stroller because YOU inspire us, and because these two critters would really enjoy it: www.gulyababies.blogspot.com We also linked to your blog, and we read it daily (if not more than once daily!), and we think you are absolutely hilarious.
ReplyDeleteNow seriously, we don't have a regular side by side stroller, and we could use one. We are really good about giving our baby stuff to friends and family when we are done using it, and we would probably do the same with this stroller, or, if you wish, we would pass it along to someone else who reads our blog who could really use it!
Thanks,
Melissa, Kyle, Donovan and Hayden
I don't need strollers anymore. Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog and what a nice thing to do by giving the stroller away to someone else.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I need a cool stroller like this one...one word SWEAT!!! Since my lovely Charley was born in December 07, I have been wearing her in either my Moby or My Ergo! In 97 degree heat I can feel our bodies melting together!!! Charley is a sensitive soul and we had months of screaming in the the beginning of her life due to acid reflux and dairy so wearing her was the best thing I could do for both of us, now at seven months it would be nice to let her ride side by side with her sister enjoying the hot Denver air!!
ReplyDeleteNow that said, I must be honest and say I have one double stroller already. I was able to purchase a Phil and Teds Double Jogging stroller for 1/2 price through a friend, but the canopy broke and it does not fit through any doors. It's also heavy as a MOTHER...Talk about sweating....Plus, I am flying back to the Midwest in the winter to visit family-a double stroller that is travel friendly will be a must:)
Well,
ReplyDeleteour van got stolen in april and it was returned stripped. Four car seats and my stroller. I lost my job recently and have yet to find another one. My family is going through a very difficult time right now and we could use something nice. Thanx Denise
I am not entering but I just wanted to say that I HAVE this stroller and its AWESOME! I love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat contest!! How fun!
cool. our double is awful but my kids are getting big so I hope that someone that really needs it gets it. just wanted to say welcome back and that is an awesome offer that chicco did for your blog friends :) we love you!
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to why you blog. Same reason why I blog. First of all, one of my NICU nurses told me that a great way to relieve stress is to take walks and just cry it out while you are walking.
ReplyDeleteBut really, I need a new stroller because my old one has gum on one of the wheels.
No need for the stroller (and hopefully I won't need one anytime soon) but I just wanted to say that is awesome that you're giving this away... It really shows what kind of person you are :)
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow triplet mom, I'd first like to say thank you for blogging. I feel so much less alone knowing there are other REAL MOMs out there.
ReplyDeleteAs for the stroller, my best friend is expecting twins in January. I'd love to surprise her with a gift this awesome. She certainly deserves it. She has held my hand through many years of pain in our family, only to face her own 5 years of infertility. These babies are the amazing outcome!
Thanks for the opportunity!
Warmly,
Julie
I VOTE FOR BAMAGIRL-SHE DESERVES THIS!!!!! No one should have to go through such agony to love a child.
ReplyDeleteI dont want to enter the competion :-) but just wanted to say that I totally agree with Sara's comments in regards to your announcement of your 3 week trip. I suddenly felt sick and started to sweat at the thought of not being about to read your blog for that long!
ReplyDeleteOf course I should never have assumed that!
Loved to hear about the trip and really admire you guys for doing it!
Thanks for sharing your lives with us
Oh that stroller looks perfect for us - I'm due in 8 weeks with our second child and my first, who has been walking everywhere for a year and a half, has just decided she loves the stroller again. BUT I am in Australia, so probably a bit too far away for your competition...
ReplyDeleteBut I wanted to comment anyway, because I am having one of those days you described, after about 2 hours of pain filled sleep last night...and there's no icecream in the house, let alone chocolate. My poor daughter has watched so much TV/Disney today that I am ashamed.
But your blog post has reminded me that everyone else gets days like this too. Thankyou so much for that.
OK, I need this stroller because my daughter, Kara, is seven months old this week, and at the end of May, my husband, Luke, and I found out that SURPRISE! I am pregnant with Number Two, who's due in February. We are currently crammed in a two-bedroom apartment and trying to save our money for a house, so money is tight, and I am still freaking out over a surprise baby.
ReplyDeletePlus, I love the Chicco brand. We have the car seat and rave about it all the time. We also have the infant stroller, the high chair, and the backpack carrier. I'm not sure if we could afford to buy the double stroller, but we love it and would love to add it to our Chicco collection.
What a neat contest. Thanks for hosting it!
What a sweet stroller!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have this one so I could take my 2 little ones (a 1 year old and a 2 year old) out for walks! The stroller we CURRENTLY have weighs so much that pushing their weight plus it's weight is prohibitive.
My husband leaves the country for 60 days on Sept 23 and will make it easier for me to get all the kiddies (I also have a 6 year old) out of the house so we don't go stir crazy this fall! And I will really need to be getting the exercise as there is no gym time when hubby is out of the country for that long!
Thanks for doing this giveaway and for all the great posts!
I'm not in need of a double stroller, I just hope that the Trevi Twin fits through doors better than my Chicco Citta, because my Chicco Citta really doesn't do well at all.
ReplyDeleteI vote for Bamagirl too!! As a domestic adopter (with two of the best kids EVER!) - I admire the courage and determination of anyone adopting internationally..... And think of how adorable the airport pics would be!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your pickup trip, bamagirl!!!
I'll be honest... I have one double stroller... a tandom one that is so heavy. I wish I could afford a simple and lightweight stroller like the Chicco. I have a single Chicco that I LOVE!! But buying a double just isn't in the books right now. I have a 4 month old daughter and a nearly 2.5 year old daughter so a double stroller is necessary to keep my sanity and get a out and about.
ReplyDeleteOf course there are many folks on this list that deserve it more than me, but I would still be honored to be on the list... even if I don't win.
Thanks for doing this. Most people may just keep it for themselves (I might have been one of them!).
we have triplets (22 months) and an adorable surprise baby (6 mo)
ReplyDeletei'd love a chicco double stroller to add to my fleet. we have a triple, a double and a single, but now with the addition of our baby two doubles is what we need.
not that you have asked, but my vote would go to bree, although bamagirl's story was compelling as well.
Hello! I read your blog all the time...and you truly inspire me. I was addicted to your blog during your many travels. I would love to take a raod trip like that.
ReplyDeleteMy husband & I always wanted a large family. After dealing with infertility & all that comes with it (emotions, $$ and stress) we have been blessed with our son Jacob who we adopted from Vietnam. He is our HERO! Anyway we are in the process of doing foster to adopt since we are truly not in a financial position to afford adoption# 2. But truthfully how ever god has us building a family planned is fine by me. Anyway I would love to have the stroller one because I always have my neices & nephew with me. And soon #2 will be coming. And it would be nice to have something NEW not USED. I buy all our stuff for Jacob & #2(hate calling him/ her that) at yard sales or hand me downs. Right now the stoller I have holds one child, the wheels stick & is older than dirt. And every time my mom watches him while I work I have to pull it in and out of the car. So I could her my old one..Anyway who ever you decide give it to ... I stand behind you... cause we all have good reasons. thanks!!!
Hey! I loved reading about your trip - although I'm bummed that you didn't stop in Ohio ;)
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that us crazy people that follow you actually support you - because, as I've posted numerous times, you are my inspiration and my therapy ... and with the price of gas these days, it's great to have a free therapist!!!
I'd love the stroller, but I don't have a good story or reason why I NEED it. Although I bought one from Babies R Us a month ago and then returned it the same week because I didn't want my husband to leave me for spending the money... I couldn't take care of my 3 alone!! :)
Oh ... and by the way - I totally failed on the challenge I entered with exercising 3 times a week until August. I think I've worked out twice ... But I DID start Weight Watchers (for the first time in my life) and have lost 10% of my body weight in 6 weeks! YAY! Thanks for the inspiration!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll also admit that I am a huge Chicco fan. We used a Chicco infant car seat for our daughter until she turned one. In fact, our car seat would match perfectly with the double stroller.
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this stroller, so my two children can ride side by side. I love that it features a 5-point harness, and that each seat is adjustable (one hand only- to boot!) for the child riding in that seat. It's perfect for a newborn and also for a toddler.
I can't forget to mention how handy that parent cupholder would be for the long walks/runs. We have to remember to stay hydrated!
Count me in on the contest!
love the contest...love the stroller!
ReplyDeletewhy do i deserve it more than any other mom of multiple children who are about (or exactly) the same age? i probably don't, but it doesn't mean i wouldn't love it anyway.
our current double stroller is threatening to die on me and i have no idea what i am going to do without it since it and a carrier are our main forms of transportation. and of course with triplets plus a 12 year old girl, money is tight so buying a new one isn't exactly an option right now. the triplets just turned a year, but were born at 29 weeks so they are still quite small and i imagine we would put some serious miles on this stroller over the coming years. and if i won...i may even actually consider training for a marathon AND posting a picture :)
thanks for running the contest, count me in!
I just wanted to say how cool it is that you were offered this stroller and are giving it away. When I read that I felt my heart skip a little at the thought of winning a super cool stroller. Then I remembered our garage and the space where my husband should be parking his car were it not for my crazy obsession with strollers! I think he'd have a heart attack if I brought one more stroller into this house. Hope it goes to someone wonderful!
ReplyDeleteJen
Triplet Mom in MN
Jen I don't have kids but what an awesome thing to get this stroller and give it away.
ReplyDeleteYes indeedy you are a wonder woman!
Good for you Jen---I am so proud of you. I can help you judge the winner if you like.
ReplyDeleteMOM
That stroller is beautiful! I am sure you will pick the best person evoh! I am heading to Trader Joe's next week. (chicago) I need a shopping list!
ReplyDeletePs my vote is for Brooke or Bree.
Jen,
ReplyDeleteHoly cow what an awesome thing to pay forward to someone else. Gosh I remember reading all of your post and support from the Ducky boards.
I love reading all of the adventures, trials, joys of your four.
Lets why would I LOVE to have this stroller? Well my Twins and third surprise have blessed my life in more ways than I can imagine. They also can completly torture me when we don't have a stroller. I am currently out of a stroller since my duo glider has dumped out on me after pushing the kiddos and I can no longer lift my quad stroller (65lbs) into my sweet ride of a minivan! So currently my trio and I are stuck at home unless I can scrouge up money for a babysitter to come help me take the kiddos out to play.
My husband is a wonderful man who works very hard so we could afford If treatments and for me to stay home with the girls. So the budget is fixed and no room for a stroller. I know that this is an amazing gift you have been given and it is so sweet that you are paying it forward to someone else.
Hopefully if I can win this stroller I can get out of the house again and set a goal to enter some type of walk with the girls.
My husband admires your recent trip and laughed when I asked if we could go on one. Well maybe some day!! :)
Heather CA
Just this past Saturday, my Carter's tandem stroller I bought on E-bay knocked on death’s door. We were braving the mean streets of Manhattan, having day tripped in from a suburb in New Jersey to introduce our children to Lady Liberty. Since our daughter fell asleep on the train ride into the city, my husband thought it would be a good idea to NOT get on the subway and instead WALK from Penn Station to Battery Park, thinking it was just a couple of miles (we forgot the map in the car, which was parked at the train station). Pretty unfamiliar with NYC (we just moved to Jersey from Virginia last fall) I thought it was a great plan. Well, after walking for 45 minutes, we passed a map along the riverfront, which told us we still had a good 30-45 minutes to go! (I’ll leave out the dialogue that transpired during THAT realization!)
ReplyDeleteCruising along fully loaded with a cooler, diaper bag, beach bag (to enjoy the sprinklers we’ve heard so much about at Roosevelt Park post trip), there were probably 25 pounds in the basket, but we had a ferry to catch! So with my 18-pound one-year-old in the front seat (he’s recently become a hair-puller) and my 30-pound three-year-old in the back seat, I picked up the pace. We were doing well along the pedestrian path until we hit a detour around the financial district and the path was closed. Re-routed to sidewalks, it was only a matter of blocks before we bottomed out and the vinyl basket ripped. And ripped again. And again, as it dragged beneath the stroller. And the bearings in the front wheels started to whine…loudly. If my stroller could talk, it would have been saying, “Lady, do you realize what you are asking of me? Puhleeze!!!!” But on we pressed, arriving rushed and exhausted to join the huddled masses about to board a Statue Cruises boat named “Respect.”
As I stood on Liberty Island reflecting on “give me your tired, your poor,” I couldn’t help but smile at how tired and poor I felt. Spent from the mad dash through Manhattan, I hated how the fssht-fssht-fssht basket-dragging noise kept distracting me from the beauty that surrounded me. I wanted to reflect on my ancestors and their courage and sense of adventure, and instead my thoughts kept drifting to the stroller and how a new one just wasn’t in the budget (I became a stay-at-home mom last September after nearly 10 years in the military). But I also knew I really couldn’t complain, since the stroller has performed above and beyond my expectations over the last 12 months with nearly daily use. We walk every day, everywhere, in rain, snow, and sunshine. An entire week can pass without me driving our car, as I am fortunate that the library, post office, grocery stores, playgrounds, and parks are all within a 15-30 minute walk. My stroller is a workhorse. We are a team. There has been very little I have asked it to do that it hasn’t complied. And in fact, it HAD complied on Saturday, I just asked it to give it all it had, and it did! Surveying the damage, we realize we were fortunate that the basket didn’t give way completely; it is now recovering with duct tape as a temporary fix. I think the bearings are hopeless, and can’t see any fix for them (while I pity the neighbors who have their windows open early in the morning when we start to pound the pavement, I don’ t think the stroller is unsafe, just noisy).
To make this long story longer, I looked at the local consignment shop for a double stroller on Sunday (no luck), and even went to Babies R Us, where I sustained sincere sticker shock…and then, as I often do when I need validation as a mom, or a good laugh, or tips for tots, or marital advice, or simply a sanity check, I happened to check your blog. And while I know the timing is too good to be true, and there are so many deserving parents out there, I figured this was worth a shot. We may never win the lottery, but perhaps a little lady luck from Cali can come our way! Thanks!
I desperately wish I needed this stroller. My arms and lap feel so empty. Yet another reason that I adore your blog - I can live vicariously through you! ;)
ReplyDeleteYou'd think that someone with 4 children already wouldn't NEED a double stroller. However, the Maclaren twin we used with the boys (ages 5 & 4) has barely lasted through the twin girls (now 2.) And with twins on the way again, it might be nice to have an option other than the freak show quad stroller that we'll be using when I'm out by myself. Until the new twins are big enough for the Choo Choo wagon I have no idea how I'm going to do it! I am quite sure the quad stroller won't even fit into a regular-sized elevator.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I don't really need the stroller now, but as my husband and I are TTC, and have a 14 month old little boy right now, I expect that it would come in handy very soon. The reason I'd love to win it is because (like it is for most people) money is very tight. I'm a stay at home mom, full-time undergrad student (hubby is, too), and we're looking at another 5 years of schooling for my husband (grad school starts next year, and he's dual majoring). So we're trying to be as frugal as possible while adding another bouncy bundle to the family. And unlike a lot of people I know, I feel it would be tacky of me to ask for another baby shower for baby number two. I already have practically everything I need (cloth diapers, clothes, crib, infant car seat) so a double stroller would be all I need.
ReplyDeleteI understand there are probably a lot of other people who REALLY need this (like I said, at the moment, I don't) so please consider them first when trying to choose a winner.
And, finally, I ADORE your blog! I certainly gain a lot of inspiration from you! Thanks so much!
Wow this is pretty exciting!
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I just want to say I stumbled upon your blog while googling "how to transition from bottle to sippy cup". I was so captivated by your writing that I had to go back to the archives and start at the very beginning of your blog. I've since spent a few hours a day for the last few weeks reading each and every post from the beginning and am currently up to May 2008 when I noticed your side bar change with this wonderful stroller give away.
I would love this stroller because it would honestly make life so much easier! I am a foster to adopt mother of two beautiful little girls that are 5 months to the day apart. The oldest is 15 months and the youngest is 10 months. We hope have their adoptions finalized within the next few months.
I realize it's probably not the most moving of stories, but due to foster care confidentiality reasons I am not able to elaborate until after adoption on the rollercoaster ride we have been on for the last 15 months to adopt these sweet baby girls. But they're my world and I think if any kiddo's deserve a super cool double stroller to go out and about in, it's definitely them :o)
I love reading your blog! Reading the insights of those with higher order multiples than I have helps put my life in perspective! :) I really enjoy your humor!
ReplyDeleteI am a brand new mommy of 3 month old twin boys- my miracle babies. After several years of TTC, we were blessed on our 3rd IVF/ICSI cycle with these babies. Getting pregnant was a trial and the pregnancy itself was very difficult. We had one bad report after another about the babies and their health in utero. After a horrendous pregnancy of being confined to bed for most of the time (5 of those weeks in the hospital), my boys were born at 32 weeks and spent 5 weeks in the NICU. Despite the grim reports in utero, my 3 pound and 4 pound babies came out fighting and are doing great, with a few bumps in the road here and there.
Needless to say, I am ready to be OUTSIDE!! However, my darling baby "B" hates his carseat and the only stroller we currently have is the double snap n go. When I have tried to go for walks with them, I end up carrying him and pushing the large stroller with one hand... not the easiest job. This stroller would help me regain access to the world again, as I have been so confined for so many months!
I think it is really sweet and special that you are giving the stroller away- I have enjoyed reading the stories of other moms and dads.
I don't know that I need this stroller more than anyone else, but I'd sure like it!! I have a son who turned two this week and 3 month old boy/girl twins. We can't afford a triple stroller, so if I want to go on walks, I have to have someone else go with us. We currently use the double snap-n-go (for our twins' carseats) but it doesn't allow the option of my son riding in it. If I won the stroller, I'd be able to strap a baby and my toddler in and carry my other twin in a snugli to get out of the house!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being generous and inspirational!
Thanks for the opportunity to enter this contest. I think many families deserve this stroller so it's hard to answer the question but I'll share who we are:
ReplyDeleteWe are the proud parents of an almost 2-year-old boy adopted from Vietnam, a 1-year-old biological boy, and (drum roll please...) we are expecting twins in January 2009. Allow me to do the math for you: we will have 4 children under three years old! We are truly blessed but boy, will we be busy!
We currently have a double stroller that we are not terribly pleased with. I walk with my kiddos every morning and struggle to roll over every crack and break in the sidewalk. My friend, with whom I walk and who also has two youngsters, glides effortlessly over the cracks with her Chicco double stroller. Let's just say I have Chicco envy!
All that aside, though, we will definitely be needing a second double stroller when the twins arrive and wouldn't this just be the perfect one?
We run what feels like a marathon every day, so count on that picture!
Good luck to everyone!
Angelique
Okay here goes. My math equation as to why I need a nice stroller like this one.
ReplyDeleteI have:
1 - two-year-old, weighing in at 37 lbs.
+
1 - four-month-old, weighing in at 16.5 lbs
+
1 - diaper bag for both, weighing in at 3.1 lbs (yes, I weighed it)
+
1 - purse, weighing in at 1.2 lbs
+
1 - 16 oz sweet tea always along for the ride
+
1 - 39 lb Graco double stroller
For a grand total of 97.8lbs payload that I push around on each and every trip to anywhere. Or, in other words, 3/4 of my current weight.
I will be the first to admit that any stroller, even one almost weighing 100lbs outweighs the alternative - allowing a two-year-old boy to walk by himself whilst carrying a squirmy 4-month-old, a diaper bag, purse, and sweet tea.
(Yes, I would still have the sweet tea. There's a better chance of me leaving my purse in the car than forgoing the tea!)
HI Jen - I'm not sure if I've commented before. My friend and I read your blog together a lot. She has two year old triplets and an almost 4 year old.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if I had the stroller, I would probably use it several times a day while walking. Currently, I push my 3 year old and carry my 6 month old son in a baby Bjorn while walking but he's starting to get too hot and too heavy for that.
However, the time it would be the most helpful is while traveling. My husband is in the Army and we are currently stationed in San Juan, Puerto Rico (not as glamorous as it sounds). My husband travels a lot for his job so I make almost all trips alone with the kids. Our families are in New Mexico, Minnesota, and New Jersey, meaning that we have to take at least two flights to get to them. Having a decent stroller to keep everyone safe and contained while traveling alone through the airport would be fantastic.
Hey Jen,
ReplyDeleteI love you!
MOM
Miss you guys already!
ReplyDeleteMOM
Hi!
ReplyDeleteHmm, why do i need this stroller...
While i was pregnant with my twins in 2006 my husband lost his job (long horrible story). It was also during this time that my dad had a double lung transplant, so needless to say, ohter things came before worrying about whether or not I had all the "right" equipment for the babies.
I bought the Jeep double stroller and honestly have hated it.
I have 9 children, so when i go out shopping, i never just buy one or two items and the jeep stroller has NO basket. It is horrible. I constantly have to juggle items or the stroller & a cart or hang dozens of bags from the stroller until it tips over (my twins are still pretty little for toddlers. LOL)
I have bought a wagon as well, but my son has cerebryl palsy as well and has trouble sitting upright for such a long period of time.
So, I know a new stroller is a necessity as I know my son will need something more supportive and won't be walking through the stores any time soon.
Thanks. Debi
Wow, I would love to win this stroller...one of my super good friends is expecting twin girls next month, after several years of infertility, and this is actually the stroller on her baby registry that she wants!
ReplyDeleteI am the mom of a two-year-old girl, and I am expecting triplets in about 10 weeks. I have really enjoyed following your blog -- sort of a glimpse into the future for me.
ReplyDeleteAs I was trying to decide what to write about why we need this stroller, I began to think about the very important lesson we are trying to teach our daughter right now: need vs. want.
Do I need this stroller? Well, arguably, I will need some means to transport all of my little blessings. Do I want this stroller? Yes, it looks like a great stroller and any deal we can get helps with the mounting expenses of triplets.
But ultimately, I think this stroller is neither a need nor a want for me. It is an means to an end.
Jen, you have repeatedly challenged your readers to set a goal and do something they couldn't do a few months ago. You have inspired us (and perhaps made us worry about your sanity, too!) by packing up 4 little ones and driving across the country and back to make memories and spend time with family.
Too often I hear people say, "Ever since we had kids, we haven't been able to get out much or travel like we used to." And I can't count the number of people who have said to us, "Triplets! I guess you won't be going anywhere for the next decade." I say bull hockey! Getting out into this world with your children is a choice. The only person who can keep you from getting out there is you!
And really, who are we as parents to deny our kids the opportunity to join us in exploring the neighborhood, the city, the state -- heck, even the whole country?
Amelia has made many a trip with mom and dad -- camping, hiking, 1400 miles to the see the grandparents. We have braved snowstorms and too many episodes of the same Elmo video to count to take her out and show her the world. And we intend to keep doing that when our new trio joins the family.
Will it be easy? Of course not, but I guarantee we will always be glad we made the effort.
So while I'd love to have this stroller (because good equipment can make a big difference), I'd like to follow Jen's example and encourage all of you to get out there. To go further than you've been going. To share this world and all its wonders with your kids. To make memories that will last a lifetime and be worth all the effort you put into it.
C'mon moms, let's take this world by storm!
Christy
www.trippin-lifewithtriplets.blogspot.com
Good Lord, I just made it back over here and Holy Cow... there are some pretty amazing stories on here. I think I should have added more to my story. So I'm going to:
ReplyDeleteMy DH and I did it all right. We got married, built the house, graduated from college, got great jobs, then decided it was time for a baby. But as you know, apparently that's not in our control! So after a failed IUI, a miserable surgery for DH, and IVF #1, we have our miracle! You've seen him, he's an answered prayer. Then we decided it was time for #2. IVF #2 - bust, IVF#3 - bust, IVF #4 - BETA 7/30. I know this one worked, it's been going great since day one of this cycle. However, w/no insurance coverage and four IVFs and surgery (7 years ago, still paying, doesn't that suck) under our belt, it would be AWESOME to win this stroller. I wish I could have been one of those that was busy spending money on her babies, instead of making three different monthly payments just trying to get one! Surely I'll need this double stroller, I just know Chase is going to be a big brother and what big brother wouldn't want to sit by is little sibling (you have proof of that with William and Henry, I've seen THAT picture)!