But, back to the review. I bought the InStep Safari Double Jogging Stroller on account of its great reviews and its very low price tag. From what I read of the stroller, it is the tube TV stroller equivalent of a LED. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a fancier model like a BOB, but at less than $200, it gets the job done.

I have a marathon to prepare for in June, so I needed this stroller to work. I needed the promised swivel wheel to actually swivel (It also locks). I needed the five-position sun canopy to actually do all five positions. I needed a smooth ride. I needed a decent amount of storage, a gender neutral color palette, and reclining seats. That’s all.

And I got some of that with the InStep Safari Double Jogging Stroller.

Here’s what I like:

• The, somewhat, skimpy sun canopy does adjust to five positions.
• It is easy to fold.
• The stroller offers a decent amount of storage (But, since there’s a divider between the two seats, accessing that storage is tough.).
• The gender-neutral color of my stroller is red.
• The ride feels very lightweight, and if, and only if, the front wheel is installed correctly, the ride is very smooth.
• It is easy to install.
• The handle height, which measures at 40″, works well for taller parents.
• Even though the widest point measures at 32″, I was able to get it through my front door and through the door at my local Walmart.

It’s a good stroller, a solid “C” stroller. Maybe C+. But it has some flaws.

Things I don’t like

Here’s some of the things I don’t like:

• The maximum height capability is only 38 inches. My first daughter, who is two, is almost 38 inches now so I don’t see this stroller lasting us for long. Interestingly, while the height is on the shorter end, the weight maximum is up to 50 pounds for each child.
• Each seat on the InStep Safari measures 11″ which is average, but the seatback height is a bit shorter at 19″.  The height from seat back to canopy is 24″.
• The handle height is not adjustable.
• The fold is not very compact (i.e., can barely fit in the back of my SUV).
• The seat padding is lacking. It’s uncomfortable, or at least that’s what my 6 month old keeps telling me when she screams whenever we turn a corner. There isn’t much seat padding or harness padding, which, I think, would be great/necessary for a jogging stroller.
• The brake is located near the wheels of the stroller, rather than close to your hands.
• I like that this stroller has snack trays (which isn’t standard in most jogging strollers), but, they’re located so far away from the seats, so my kids have a hard time reaching for anything in them.
• The widest point of the stroller is 32″ so it fits in most standard sized doors, but in some doors, it’s a very tight fit.
• While the ride is lightweight, this stroller is actually very heavy to carry. It weighs 38 pounds.

It’s not a perfect stroller.  Not by any stretch. But, would I recommend it to other parents? It depends. I would recommend it to parents like me, who want to get in shape by running with a jogging stroller, but who don’t have hundreds of dollars to dish out on yet another stroller. But if you have the money to spare, get an upgrade!

Launched last fall, Kiwi Crate is a wonderful new monthly art project by subscription service for  kids, created by parents. Each month, you’ll  receive at least two inspired activities and materials designed to get  them to create and explore.

Kiwi Crate was built out of a passion for hands-on fun that encourages creativity and curiosity in children.  Kiwi Crate is designed to spark kids’ natural creativity and curiosity with hand-selected and kid-tested projects and materials.  Kiwi Crate was created to make it fun, easy and delightful to spend time building, exploring and creating together.  Founded by Sandra Oh Lin, mom of two, the Kiwi Crate team is now comprised of creative parents who dream up the projects, valued experts who review them, and a community of kid testers who keeps us on our toes and ensures the projects are fun and engaging.

Our green box arrived addressed to my son.  When I opened the box up, I was immediately impressed with the pair of child-size scissors that were included along with the following cute note:

The crates are specifically designed for children ages 3-7. The company takes a lot of care to design their crates in a way that is open ended so that although children across the age range may have different outcomes, they will all enjoy interacting with the projects and materials.

So my two and a half son son is younger than the intended targeted age and arts-and-crafts is not his forte.  Instead of doing it as a big activity, I am breaking it down to small projects for him to do with a grown-up’s help.  He did enjoy painting the planets blue and silver.  I would definitely recommend Kiwi Crate for older children and those who enjoy doing art projects with different mediums.  The quality of the supplies is excellent.  Can I just say how excited I am by the bright, colorful and shiny pipe cleaners!  The kit also comes with detailed instructions which are easy to understand and follow.  (Thank you so much, Kiwi Crate.)

If the $19.95 a month is a little much for you year round, 3 and  6 month subscriptions are also available, as well as party crates.

Learn more and find out how to sign-up for your fun-filled subscription at kiwicrate.com and don’t miss the Kiwi Crate  blog for even  more helpful ideas.

DISCLAIMER:  I did receive a sample crate for review but all opinions expressed are my own.

Each seat on the Zee Two measures 12″ wide, with a 20″ seatback and a measurement of 26″ from seatback to canopy. While our 5-year-old, 43 lb tester isn’t a stroller-rider anymore, he fit in the seat perfectly so that we knew it really did hold up to its weight capacity. The seats sport non-padded, 5-point harnesses with hard-to-do Valco buckles to keep your little ones safely in the seats and the independently, adjustable footrests will keep them comfortable.

Each seat sports a baby bumper bar but there is no parent or baby tray, as well as, no cup holders. We love that the bumper bar is covered in the same fabric (which is removable) as the seat instead of foam. Each seat has an independent, “one touch” Valco strap recline that reclines each seat to any position with one hand including a deep recline for newborns.

The Zee Two is very well-endowed in the basket area. The basket is huge and can easily fit an extra large diaper bag and additional baby essentials.

Since each rider will definitely have their own personality, we love that the canopies are independent. One child can be fully covered while the other can enjoy the sunshine. The Zee Two’s canopies are sturdy and rounded for more headroom and sport a mesh peek-a-boo window with cover on the back of each. At first glance, the canopies aren’t huge until you realize it is the fabulous Valco EXpanda hood that zips open to reveal another whole canopy panel for full sun coverage.

The one-piece handlebar isn’t adjustable and measures 40″ from ground to where you place your hands. While it is perfect for the average mom (at about 5″4), if you are super-duper tall, you might want to check it out first. Our dad tester at just under 6″ handled the stroller just fine though.

The maneuverability on this double stroller is fabulous! Once you push it, you’ll know what we are talking about. It glides along and you can even maneuver it with one hand with two small children aboard. The 7″ front and 9″ rear hard rubber, tubeless tires are great on smooth surfaces and you’ll never have to worry about a puncture or a flat with these. You can tackle your typical kid all-terrain (grass, playground mulch, small rocks) with the Zee Two if you lock the front wheels straight. We also love the flip-flop friendly, one-touch brake system to lock the stroller into place.

The Zee Two has a very easy, two-handed fold. (See our video review on how to do it.) There is an manual lock on the side to keep the stroller closed during transport. You knew we had to say it, we’d love to see an automatic lock. Boy, we are predictable, aren’t we?!?

Weighing in at just under 27 lbs, this full-featured, double won’t break your back to get it in and out of your trunk. All the wheels pop right off if you want an even more compact package or if a good wheel cleaning is necessary.

The Zee Two takes the Valco Baby Hitch Hiker (riding board) for an older child to hop on for a ride and an infant car seat adapter (for the Graco, Maxi Cosi, Peg Perego, Chicco infant car seat) to make it a travel system. It’s important to know that it only takes one infant car seat at a time.

The Zee Two is available in three colors: Sapphire (tan with blue accents), Jet (black) and Blue Opal (blue with tan accents). The Zee Two retails for $499.

Overall, the Zee Two is a great lighter-weight, easy-to-fold double stroller that is stocked with features and versatility. If you are looking for a stroller that can do it all from birth to about 4 years old and can even turn into a triple with the Hitch Hiker board, you might want to consider the Valco Baby Zee Two.

Watch our full in-depth review video of the Valco Baby Zee Two below:

SHOP the Valco Baby Zee Two HERE

This Little Tikes Jump & Slide Bouncer holds up to 250 lbs so parents can even jump in to join the kids. Little Tikes recommends it for up to 3 kids but we’ve successfully used it with 4 or 5 but it does mean that the kids bounce into each other a bit more. The bounce house isn’t cheap retailing for $199, but we think it is worth every penny for how often we have used it! Plus, the quality is top-notch!! If you are looking for something to keep the kids busy all summer long (and in the winter too!), you must check out our Baby Gizmo Video Feature below:

SHOP Little Tikes Jump & Slide Bouncer HERE

Let’s get the specs out of the way first. This car seat has a 5 – 70 lb weight capacity. It can be used rear-facing from 5-45 lbs. That is a HUGE rear-facing weight limit! The highest RF weight limit on the market! We love that Peg Perego has designed a seat to keep our babies rear-facing as long as possible.

When it is time to forward-face, the Primo Viaggio Convertible Seat has a 70 lb weight capactiy or 49 inches whichever comes first. We can almost guarantee you that the height will come first. Kids usually hit 49″ around 6-7 years old. My daughter was 49″ and 50 lbs when she turned 7. While the seat technically can be forward-facing from 22 lbs, let’s all agree that we should never turn this seat around when our babies hit 22 lbs. Too early!! Let’s keep them rear-facing as long as possible, okay?!?  That is what makes this seat so great – the high rear-facing weight capacity of 45 lbs.

Other notable features are:

• Padded 5-point harness
• Great harness restraint straps to keep the harness out of the way while you put your child in and out.
• Shock Absorbing Foam Element (SAFE) to absorb energy upon impact
• EPS energy foam
• Top tether strap
• Three recline positions

One of our favorite features of the Primo Viaggio Convertible seat is the adjustable Side Impact Protection (SIP) that is super easy to adjust to 10 different positions even with baby in the seat. This adjustment not only moves the head piece but the harness straps as well. No more uninstalling the car seat and re-threading harnesses with this one! Booyah!!

Our other favorite feature of the seat is that the LATCH adjusters easily slide from forward to rear-facing position. Makes installation so much easier.

With all these great features comes a high price tag, of course. The Primo Viaggio 5-70 Convertible Car Seat retails for $379. Yep, it’s high but for some it’ll be worth it!

To see our in-depth look at the car seat, check out our Baby Gizmo Video feature below:

SHOP Britax Head and Support Pillow HERE

SHOP Britax Window Shades HERE

Thankfully, Skip Hop has my kids in mind because they just introduced a great new product to add to their Zoo Collection that is perfect for traveling kids. The Skip Hop Zoo Luggage is a perfectly-sized rolling suitcase made for little guys and gals. Available in 4 animal friends – Owl, Bee, Monkey and Dog – there is sure to be a friend your child will love.

The luggage sports a carry handle, retractable 13″ handle for rolling, parent strap, outside pocket for easy access items and a large interior to hold all your kids games, snacks and stuff. The luggage is a perfect size for our 3 and 5 year old testers and they absolutely loved that it matched their Zoo Backpacks. This luggage is a little pricier than other kid’s luggage at $38, but the cuteness-factor might make it worth it for you.

To take a peek at an inside look at the Skip Hop Luggage, click our Baby Gizmo Video below:

BOB Ironman will be your new running BFF that won’t complain when you bring the little one along. In fact, BOB will carry your baby. What did I tell you? Best. Running. BFF. Ever. Not only will he carry the baby but he will do it comfortably, without throwing the kid all over the place, won’t get in the way of your run AND will carry your stuff in his man-bag…ummm, I mean basket. He’s a good guy. Just give him a chance!

Now let’s get to BOB’s seat. His seat is wide (which is a good thing!) and accommodates up to 70 lbs. It measures 15” across with a 21” seatback and a seatback to canopy measurement of 23”.  Our almost 3 year old tester fit comfortably in the seat.  It’s important to note with the shorter seatback, your taller children will definitely hit the canopy with their head before they max out the weight capacity.

To keep your little rider comfy in the seat, there is back support and extra padding in the seat right where your kid needs it. It sports an adjustable, padded 5-point harness with a one-touch buckle.  We were surprised that the buckle was so easy to do because we expected BOB to want to keep his little rider close and not let him escape with the touch of a button.  Needless to say we’d like to see a more difficult harness buckle to keep our naughty toddlers from trying to escape mid-ride.  How about a padlock, BOB? Just kidding. Kind of.

The seat reclines with two hands with a strap system. It reclines far enough back for a nap but not flat. You should never jog or run with a baby under 6-8 months anyway, so no need for a flat recline.

BOB knows that kids like to snack on the run so he has a cool accessory adapter built right into the seat.  This is for a snack tray or infant car seat adapter- which are sold separately. (Remember, you should never run with a child in an infant seat!)

The handlebar isn’t adjustable but it is higher at 40” from ground to handle.  The handlebar is definitely far enough from the frame that it accommodates even a taller parent well.  If you are super-duper-Shaq-tall, you might want to try it out first. The handlebar also features a wrist strap.

Let’s talk about BOB’s canopy! He has your little rider covered. The canopy is huge! It even sports a very large peek-a-boo window with a cover to keep an eye on your little one mid-ride.

Like a good man, BOB can (and is willing!) to hold all your stuff. Two mesh pockets in the seat will hold your rider’s snacks, toys or sippy cups.  A large mesh pocket on the back of the seat will hold tons of parent or baby essentials that you need to access quickly.  And his basket underneath will hold your purse and/or diaper bag with ease!  Loving your storage, BOB!

BOB Ironman is sleek and sports lightweight alloy 16″ wheels with pneumatic tires. These are jogging tires (similar to bicycle tires) and not “all-terrain” tires. They are fast and durable more than they are rugged. These tires are made to glide along the payment to keep you going at the pace you want to go. BOB isn’t going to hold you back when he’s along. The front wheel even features a tracking system to keep you rolling straight ahead!  There is a one step brake bar in the rear to lock the stroller in place.

BOB’s push is amazing!  BOB moves as if he is super lightweight and glides along as if he is floating on air. Turning isn’t BOB’s forte though. That front fixed wheel needs to be lifted slightly to turn but that is how a true jogger works.  Plus, BOB is smooth! Super smooth. With the “state-of-the-art, adjustable suspension system”, the stroller is smooth like butter!  There are two positions for the suspension.  Position #1 is for children up to 40 lbs. It’s as easy as flipping the lever to the second position to accommodate a larger rider from 41-70 lbs.  It’s important to note that each time the stroller is folded it will default back to position #1.

The fold is two-handed but quick and easy to do.  Lift the two levers on the handlebar and push the handle forward.  Then grab and pull up on the red handle under the seat and down he goes.  He does make you put in a little effort by locking his manual lock – I’d prefer if it was automatic – but not a big deal.  Plus, he’s wheels are a little bulky when folded but since I can pop them off easily, he fits in my sedan trunk with no problems.  Of course, BOB rides in the trunk!!  He likes it back there.

Like all good boy-toys, he doesn’t come cheap retailing at $409 (he does go on sale though!). But let us assure you, he’s worth it. Overall, if you are a real runner (not a willy-nilly-I-think-I-want-to-be-a-jogger but a REAL runner!), you need BOB!  He is smooth, sturdy, will carry all your stuff including your kid, has great sun protection and won’t hold you back on your run.

To see BOB Ironman in action to see all the ins and outs of this true jogger, watch our video review below:

*Disclosure: Thanks to BOB for sending us an Ironman to review. As always, all our thoughts, opinions and statements are our own. (Unless someone stole them online and is pretending that they are their own. They are not. They are our own.)

• Large tray with snap off, dishwasher-safe tray cover
• 5 recline positions
• 9 seat height positions with the tallest being good for a counter top
• 3 position leg rest
• Secure 5-point harness
• No-scratch casters
• Easy-to-do compact, freestanding fold

You know us, we can’t just tell you what we like, we have to show you! To see the ins and outs of the Peg Perego Siesta High Chair, watch the video below:

The point of a sippy cup should be a LEAKPROOF cup that is easy to drink from, easy to hold, easy to clean and again shouldn’t LEAK!  How hard is that? Obviously not that hard for Tommee Tippee because they have mastered it with their Explora Cup.

We recently had the chance to test out the Explora Cup by Tommee Tippee and when they say it is a “truly spill-proof drinking cup”, they are not kidding. We love, love, love it!

My 2 1/2 year old son still drinks from a sippy and that is mostly my fault because I can’t stand messes. Sure, he can drink straight from a big kid cup but he can’t take that on-the-go and there are many more spills that way with a clumsy 2 year old so we stick with a sippy.

My son loves the new Explora sippy cup. How do I know? He tells me straight out – I love my new sippy cup! He’s cool like that. Tells it straight.

We’ve put this stage 5 cup through the ringer and let me tell you that if you are looking for a new sippy cup, this one is it!

First, since it is stage 5 for 24 months and up, we love that it holds more liquid than the other smaller cups. The Explora holds 9fl oz which means less times when we get in the car and I hear the two year old yell “MORE” as soon as we back out of the driveway.

Second, it truly is spill-proof and leak-proof. My son shook it upside down. Banged it on a table. Threw it across the room. Left it on the floor of the car on the side. The cup withstood it all and didn’t leak one…single…drop. Yep, it’s that good.

Third, it’s easy to clean. Unscrew the lid. Pop out the spill-proof piece and clean. So easy.

Fourth, it’s easy to drink from. How annoying is it for a kid to have a hard to suck sippy cup that gives them a drop at a time. My son would never stand for that. I even tried it out for myself and yep, easy to drink.

My son uses his new Tommee Tippee Explora sippy every single day. All day long. He won’t let us give him one of our other cups right now and why would I want to. Many of the others leak.

The Tommee Tippee Explora line (yep, there are other stages for the smaller babes!) is available at Target stores nationwide and on Target.com.

If you want a sippy that truly doesn’t leak, you need to pick one of these up and try it for yourself.

Take a peek at what our Baby Gizmo testers think of the cup in our video below. Don’t worry, it’s less than a minute!