Let's Go for a Stroll!

If I have one regret about creating our baby registry, it would be the lack of stroller research I did while pregnant. I was too busy looking for a home to live in at the time so the stroller research feel to the bottom of the priority list! I ended up picking something that I thought would satisfy all our needs and looked cute at the same time. Well I learned to save the looking cute for my wardrobe and apparently NOT to use the same tactic for choosing strollers :)
First, let me introduce the almighty Chariot. http://www.chariotcarriers.com/ The Chariot is for the outdoor enthusiast couple who is determined not to let a small thing like having a baby stop you from doing all your normal activities like hiking, jogging, biking and don't forget cross country skiing! I had the opportunity to use one on our Lake Tahoe trip that belonged to my sister -in -law Tenille. We brought our Graco travel system that we thought would work but it quickly got laughed off the face of the rough Tahoe terrain. We quickly found ourselves asking to borrow Tenille's Chariot as much as we could for our daily hikes. The Chariot is a jogging stroller that converts to a bike trailer, a hiker,  AND a cross country skiing trailer too! Initially you buy the carrier and then all the conversion attachments separately. These can be found online or at REI. More on the pricy side, but well worth it if you actually use it often for these activities.
The ride was smooth sailing let me tell you! We used it on various trails, rocky areas and sandy areas and the suspension was great over all those bumps. Most jogging strollers can't be used until baby is 6 months old but the Chariot has a nifty little infant sling to keep baby safe from too much bouncing. The Chariot also can be fully enclosed with a weather-proof window, secured by velcro to keep baby dry should you wish to jog in the rain or snow. Check out the Chariot, we wish we did before we bought our Graco Travel system which is limited to sidewalks and mall walks :) In February we will receive our annual REI dividend so we are thinking we may use it to help purchase our Chariot. Until then, I will be stranded on the sidewalk just longing to be out on a cool trail beneath the trees instead of beneath the city smog :(
As for a lightweight umbrella stroller we chose the Chicco Liteway Stroller-Coventry model. This is the most functional, sturdy and easy to use stroller for a great price. It also has a cool removable backpack underneath for storing extra diapers, toys, ect. Then if you should park the stroller somewhere for a while you can take the backpack off so no hoodlums can steal your stuff! :)