Stroller Time

Well, after 2 kids within the last 4 yrs, I've logged a lot of stroller miles. I thought I'd give you some stroller tips & my own opinions on what I like & don't like about the 4 strollers that I've owned.
My favorite stroller was also my 1st stroller. It's a Graco Metrolite travel system. This is a must have for any new mom. I'm sure there are other brands that make good ones but, I'm just partial to this one. The ability to put the carseat right in the stroller w/out disturbing the baby was a brilliant idea that someone came up with several years ago & it caught on like wildfire. This one is cool because you can access the awesomely sized basket underneath the stroller even when the carseat is in. The basket has a push down handle that lets you get under there even when the seat is in full recline. So important! This stroller also has 3 seating positions & can recline all the way flat for a baby to sleep as well. This is so important for a young infant. You can't put infants under 6 mos. in an umbrella type stroller anyway. Also, the handle is adjustable to 2 heights for different height parents & has 2 cup holders & a keys compartment on the handle. The baby tray has a cup holder also & a built-in snack cup too. Also, the baby tray opens up & swings out of the way to get baby in or out. The overhead canopy has a netting screen that comes all the way down over the baby if you want to keep out bugs etc. and it helps as a little extra shade outside in the sun too. This stroller is also really easy to fold (easier than my small umbrella strollers) & rolls easily over bumps, curbs & many surface types (which my umbrella strollers definitely do not). Overall, I have used this stroller the most & have loved it for 4 years now. A couple of unintended uses have been, putting the seat down flat & using it to change a diaper & when my older child got tired of walking, he would sometimes stand on the foot rest (facing baby in stroller) & hold on to the baby tray for a brief ride. The only drawback would be it's little bulky for travel if you have a lot of stuff to bring & not a lot of trunk space but, totally worth it whenever possible.
I also have 2 umbrella type strollers. One is an Inglesina & one is a Chicco Capri. I should mention that my husband & I never pay full-price for anything & although we got these new, we got them dirt-cheap online. They are both similar but, the Inglesina reclines to 3 different positions (although the 3rd postion is still not very reclined) and the Chicco has a zipper that can be unzipped to recline the seat (slightly). They both fold up nice & small & are lightweight but, they actually don't fold real easily. The drawbacks are.... The baskets underneath are very small & the wheels don't go over the slightest bump easily. Even to go from the street to my driveway (which is about an inch at most higher than the road), I have to push the back of the stroller with my foot & lift up while pushing into onto the driveway. These strollers are great for toddlers & pre-schoolers & if you have limited amount of space, these are real easy to fit in any back seat or car. I will say though, as far as airplane travel w/infants, you might be tempted to bring the smaller stroller but, you're going to need the carseat when you get to whereever you're going anyway so, you might as well bring the travel system. You can wheel the baby through the airport in the carseat in the stroller (going thru security is a pain but, I've managed to do it by myself!) but, you do have to break it down to go through security. Then, you can gate check both pieces & it's no big deal.
My 4th stroller was a gift from my mom who felt sorry for my 3 yr. old when his sister was born & wanted to make sure he still had "a ride". My son has always been a total stroller kid. He has always liked riding & never fussed or complained. He gets too tired to walk in many situations & he likes sitting back having a drink & snack while he goes from place to place. Spoiled? Maybe, but well behaved & happy so, I'll take it! My mom & I decided on the Sit N Stand by Baby Trend. I find Baby Trend products in general to be kind of cheapo & poorly made but, this one has been great. There is one that has an actual 2nd seat that converts to the actual sit n stand version but, the one I have is just the sit n stand. The older kid can either sit on the back bench or stand on the platform. My son loves it. The front seat can accomodate most car seats as well for those early months of baby's life. The version I have has a special bar that the car seat rests on which can be taken off later & then you can just have the traditional baby tray with cupholder. Also, it has 2 cupholders & a keys compartment on the parent handle. My son thinks that one cup holder is his & one is mine (which is basically true). Also, the bench has a 3-point seat belt too help secure the older kid. Of course, I'm probably the only person with a kid who always insists on being buckled! The storage basket is also really big & can be accessed thru snaps on the side as well. I will say, this stroller is quite heavy & bulky when folded but, it can be a life-saver at certain places. I don't even mind pushing it around the neighborhood or on paved walking trails ( I look at it as extra exercise!). I always take it to the mall so, I don't have to keep track of both my kids & so my older kid doesn't complain or lag behind. And, I can't imagine going somewhere like Disney World without it.
I don't have a jogging stroller which, I would like to have. However, my husband would kill me if I wanted to bring another stroller into our garage!

Fun Times in the Backyard

My son Cameron got a play tent from his grandparents for a Birthday present & we've played in it several times in our backyard. He loves pretending that we're living there or that were hiding there from a monster trying to get us. All kinds of different scenarios. Sometimes we read books or play a game in there too. Even my 10 month old baby likes playing in there w/us. Anyway, it reminded me that maybe I should post some ideas for things you can do in your own backyard when your kids are bored & you've run out of new ideas.

The tent is great & it also gives you some shade from the sun. But, you can also make a tent by putting a blanket or beach towels over backyard chairs & stuff too. Any way you do it, it can keep a kid busy for awhile. Of course, there's always the usual stuff like bubbles. You can vary it by having contests to see who can blow the biggest one or pop the biggest one. Or you can let the kids use an object like a plastic golf club or baseball bat to pop the bubbles. That's a real hit w/my son. I can hear my mom saying "you'll put an eye out w/that thing!" already.
There's always all of the usual summer things like sprinklers, kiddie pools & slip-n-slides. Also, a lot of little kids have water tables & sometimes my son (with bathing suit on) climbs right up & sits right in the water table. He'll sit in there & play forever even sticking his face in the water or pouring water over his head. Be careful that your kid doesn't stand up in it though. It can tip right over. Nobody wants the "Worst Mom of the Year " award for that one.


Sometimes we'll even do a "carwash" & let Cameron use a bucket of water & a sponge to wash his ride-on toys & bikes. Or paint with water- sure the water designs fade real quick but, it's the painting action that kids seem to like. Sometimes Cameron rides his bike on the driveway & Emily & I chase him around (baby in stroller w/me pushing). They both squeal with delight at this one.








Well, anyway, the point is, get creative & have fun! I'll post more later!

Favorite Parks

First things first, parks are a great free resource so, take advantage of them! I've been to most of them in the area & definitely have my faves.

My Top 5 Parks in Cumming/Alpharetta
1. Wills Park -Awesome wooden playground, swings sandbox & more in Alpharetta. Plus, a dog park, frisbee golf, plus 2 other playgrounds, & an adjacent equestrian park. All surrounded by big beautiful shadey trees. Also hosts seasonal carnivals & "Taste of Alpharetta". Need I say more?
2. Fowler Park -New park in Cumming with an awesome playground as well as jogging paths & a teen skate park annd connected access to the Big Creek Greenway.
3. Webb Bridge Park -Located in Alpharetta. Large park in the woods with big playgrounds for big & little kids with giant covered sandbox (with sand toys!) and in summer, a man-made creek that kids can play in. Totally cool.
4. Central Park -Located in Cumming. Large park with nice playground for little kids connected to large playground for big kids. Also, great walking paths for exercise. They sponsor some great carnivals & events there as well.
5. Coal Mountain Park -Located in Cumming. This park has 2 different playgrounds. One is covered by shade sails & has a rubber bottom surface. It's great for little ones. Also, they feature some great seasonal events.
There are many other parks that are outside of this area that are very noteworthy. They did not make the list because they are outside of the Cumming/Alpharetta area. However, they are definitely worth the drive. Check out some of these other parks in adjacent towns.....
-Gary Pirkle Park -Buford
-Pooles Mill -Ballground
-Newtown Park -Roswell
-Riverside Park -Roswell
-Playtown Suwanee -Suwanee
That's my scoop on the local parks. My take on it is from a "Mom with young kids" perspective.
Now, get out there & get some fesh air!

Fun Indoor Spots to Occupy Tots

If you ask me, finding fun places that are indoors & keep kids occupied & happy is important. Someimes, you just have to be indoors & you don't want to spend a bunch of money. If you're looking for fairly inexpensive ways to entertain your kids (& wear them out for naptime or bedtime!), than I've got several in the area to recommend....
1. Catch Air located in Cumming off Redi Rd is my favorite. I love it mainly because it's a wide open place where you can see your child from almost anywhere & it has activities that can keep my son busy for hours. There are inflatable slides & bounce houses, a giant building block area & great toddler area w/ball pit and numerous other activities. If you need a place to go on a cold, rainy, hot or just plain boring day, this is it! It's $5 for kids under 3 & $8 for kids 3 & up but, they usually have a 25% off special & it's really worth it.
2. Monkey Joes in Cumming off Post Rd. is a similar option but, I don't like it nearly as much as Catch Air. It has lots of inflatable slides & bounce house but, you have to follow your child to each one or you'll lose them in a heartbeat. You'll find yourself wandering around looking into each place like "Did he go in there, is that him?". It's hard to explain but, it makes it a pain. Their prices are also a little higher as well. However, my kid & most other kids seem to love it!
3. North Point Mall in Alpharetta is a great option too. Uh, did I say mall? Well, yes but, I'm not trying to imply that you'd actually get to do some shopping! This is great for cold or rainy days when you want to get out but, don't want to spend a lot of money. There are a lot of kid options here. They have a play area for young kids that has stuff to climb & slide & play on & it's surrounded by a wall with padded benches all the way around. They also have a carousel in the food court that my son loves. It costs $2 but, it's well worth his happy, smiling face. Bonus, you can have lunch in the food court. Also, there are a few coin-operated rides at one end of the mall so, if you're really desperate (& have lots of pocket change!), go there. There is also an American Girl store there with a "bistro" where you can have an over-priced lunch as well. There are several other great kids stores but, if your kid gets a case of the "gimmies" easily then, maybe avoid them.
4. Adventure Kids on Bethelview Rd. in Cumming is unique kid of playplace. The floor is bare cement (whatever!) & they have plasma cars that kids can ride around on & a bounce house w/inflatable slide. They also have a giant sanbox area with a wooden playground in the middle of it. They seem to have a good party business going on there but, they are only open for regular play Fri-Sun. However, they'll be open everyday this summer. My son likes it okay but, he's not thrilled with it.
5. Barnes & Noble at The Avenue in Cumming is a great free resource. They have a large kids section with toys & tons of books (of course) & seating to sit & read to your child. They have a Thomas Train table that the kids can all play at & they have storytime for kids there on certain mornings as well. It's a pretty good free resource.
6. Chuck E. Cheese's on North Point Dr. in Alpharetta. Okay, I'm sure everybody knows what this is right? Crazy place with pizza, video & arcade games & ride-ons. Oh, and giant rat that can sing Happy Birthday to you. It's not just a place for birthdays. It's a good rainy day place too, if you want to spend a little money.
7. Okay, Let me give a shout out to all of the fast food restaurants that have indoor playgrounds! McDonalds in Cumming on HWY 9 is pretty good because it also has lots of tables in the playground area so, you can meet up w/a group of others & eat & chat while the kids play (Winning!). Chick-Fil-A at the Avenue in Cumming is small but, the kids seem to like it. Burger King on Atlanta Hwy in Cumming is similar to McDonald's but smaller. Those are the only ones I'll mention. Yes, there are others but, some are not indoors so, they're only good certain times of the year & some I just don't go to.
Well, I'll blog more on this subject if I realize that I left something off or if I experience someplace new.
Until then, Check this stuff out!

Birthday Parties & Stuff

This Spring has been especially busy for me & my family. We have been to Florida twice to visit relatives on both sides of our family. Also, within 3 weeks, we had Easter, our wedding Anniversary, my daughter's Baptism and my son's 4th Birthday Party. Whew! The weather during these events was often times unpredictable. I have lived in the North Atlanta area for many years & this Spring, the weather has been the most up & down that I can remember. However, the weather was absolutely perfect early in May for my son's Birthday Party which was held at Wills Park in Alpharetta. Unlike most of the new parks, they actually left a lot of the beautiful trees which provide a lot of shady areas. This is one of the many reasons that I listed it as one of my favorite parks in a previous post. Well, I digress, the reason for this post is to offer up some great places for kids parties. Amoung them would be any of the parks that I blogged about previously as well as indoor fun places such as Catch Air, Monkey Joes, Adventure Kids, & Chuck-E-Cheese's. For something a little different though try Stars & Strikes Bowling Alley in Cumming. Even little kids have fun bowling! I have been to parties there & it was pretty fun. Unfortunately, it's not cheap though. If your kids love swimming, there is a place in Alpharetta (on Holcomb Bridge Rd.) called Seaventures. Kids 3 & up can have a pool party there with swimming & water games & then they have a party room for food & cake, etc. I haven't been there but, I heard that it's pretty neat. There's also Build-A-Bear at North Point Mall which does really cute parties as well. I'm sure most people are familiar with this concept of kids picking out their own stuffed animal & an outfit to dress it in. This party can be fun for boys or girls so, it's a fun option. Well, I'm sure there are tons of places out there to have parties but, one great option is always your own house! Of course, if you don't want to do all the cleaning before & after, pick something else. Sometimes people spend even more money on food & stuff when it's their own home so, you really don't always save that way either. Oh well, party on Dudes!