Before you have children it’s super overwhelming to know what you are supposed to buy. What you really need and what you really don’t, which one of the 100 monitors is the best…and so on. I really just relied on friends to tell me what I needed and sifted through all the recommendations because I was not about to spend hours reading reviews. But, nothing is quite like using something for yourself and giving it your own review. That being said there are two things that I’m constantly frustrated with and wish I had purchased differently the first time. Hopefully this can save you in the future!
- Diaper Bag-I really chose based on esthetics and I just really liked this 1) one from PBK. I still really like it, it has TONS of storage and you can wear it cross-body which I always did. Hello I was holding a baby. But, it started hurting my back because of the weight of the items. Also, it’s quite long so imagine weaving through restaurants and trying not to hit people sitting in their chairs.
From here I went to a 2) backpack diaper bag which I liked because it was hands free and fit perfectly on my back, but this isn’t as easily accessed like a cross body is. Also, my space was cut in half from my PBK cross body, but that is ok now that I have a toddler! As your child grows older you are carrying less with you. Now I am using the PBK Fairfax backpack 3) Finley’s school backpack. It’s large enough for me to carry and hold what I need but it’s still not ideal. I’m currently debating to use a tote of mine and put this divider in it and just use that, but I don’t love the idea of having something on your shoulder that can fall off. For the next baby I am planning on using 4) this backpack diaper bag from the beginning.
- Jogging Stroller-I did no research on jogging stroller, I knew the best one for what I wanted was the Bob Revolution. I wanted something sturdy to run with and sturdy enough for every day use. I didn’t want plastic wheels. I used this as my one and only stroller and I do like it but it’s not exactly ideal for every day use. 1) it doesn’t fold completely with the car seat adapter, so that’s annoying. 2) if your petite it would be super awkward because it’s heavy. 3) I had no problems with the tires until we moved and literally I HATE THIS NOW because every time I run over a sticker bur the tire goes flat and sometimes it happens while I’m running. I will NOT be buying a BOB double stroller next time around. However, if you live and run on very nicely paved roads that are sticker bur-less, this is the stroller for you! 4) One other issue is the Bob reclines too much, Finley can’t see much because he’s laying back a lot. I ended up just going out and buying a $20 umbrella stroller from Target which is easy to use but too short for myself and husband so still frustrating! Next time around I’m thinking about the Bugaboo runner or Uppababy.