when we chose our stroller. (After a long deliberation process between it and the City Mini
–two great options for city dwellers and frequent travelers for foldability, low-weight, and infant-to-toddler practicality–the Bugaboo won out for its extending handlebars, a must for a parent combo of 5’6″ me and 6’7″ Aron. And we’ve been very happy.) But I was also always a little curious to see what people loved so much about the iconic Cameleon
–and was excited to give it a try!
People I knew in the city who had chosen the Cameleon loved its bassinet for the teeny newborn stage and the fact that the stroller could serve every age. Some even used the bassinet as a co-sleeper early on. They loved the Cameleon’s large wheels for uneven sidewalks and cobblestone streets and they raved about the smooth ride. They tended, however, to also have a second stroller–a lightweight foldable like a Maclaren–that they ended up using most often once their baby was a bit less, well, floppy–citing the ease of carting it in and out of taxicabs and up and down subway stairs. These parents also tended to have larger apartments than ours, the kind where you could fit two strollers or at least store the bassinet (when set-up).
I think this is the reason Bugaboo promotes the Bee as its stroller for Urbanites (even though it could also be fairly labeled their travel stroller). We were even able to learn how to collapse it single-handedly.
But now we have more space. And a car! So I was curious to see if this would have changed our minds. Afterall, the car makes a larger stroller more practical, but it also means I’ll be folding up/breaking down the stroller more often than when I was simply rolling in and out of an elevator and onto the sidewalk.
We’ve just used it the one day so far, and while I admit that we loved it, the jury is still out on “what if.” It would take a lot for me to put aside the whole foldability/ease-of-travel factor, but I can say I’ve already noticed a more than a few positives: the seat is higher and nicer for pulling up to a restaurant table (if need be); the brake is near the handlebar instead of at the footbase (where someone might be tempted to play with it); the large wheels make even the most root-torn sidewalk feel like a cakewalk. There are some railroad tracks near the house that my Bee wheels often get caught on (only slightly unnerving), so that last bit is no small thing.
If you have a stroller, which did you choose? Would you recommend it?
For the past fiver or so years, around the holidays, we have looked forward to a shipment of sweet-as-can-be, easy-to-peel, seedless Mandarins from Aron’s parents. Our doorman would warn me that the box was heavy and I’d reassure him that I was stronger than I look before I’d place it under our air conditioner, where some cold air would sneak in through the wall throughout the winter. Our hands would smell faintly of orange peel for the next few weeks as we made our way through the box.
But this year we live only 40 minutes from Miller’s Citrus Grove, the grower from which the Bruhns have been buying the Mandarins for years. They took all of us this weekend to check it out.
As it turns out, there’s also a herd of Madarin-loving goats on Miller’s 5-acre parcel and Mr. Miller handed over a bucket of fruit for Hudson to feed them as soon as we arrived.
After visiting a while with our hairy friends, we climbed up the hill to the fruit grove for a look around. It’s early in the season– in Placer County, the season typically begins in mid-November and lasts through January–so there was a lot of fruit still in the process of ripening. All of the ripening is done on the tree, where it’s best to let the fruit stay to increase its sugar content as long as possible; it’s hard to find mandarins as sweet in stores, where the fruit has usually been picked early for safe transport.
If you find yourself nearby (Miller’s is on the Placer County Mandarin Trail, about 30 miles east of Sacramento), call ahead and ask about picking your own mandarins. Mr. Miller explained to me that he is new to the U-Pick scene and has just purchased souvenir buckets for children and will be taking groups up on a wagon, shears in tow, during upcoming “Orchard days.” Participating Placer County growers will be opening their orchards to the public for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekend of December 1st.
[P.S. Thanks for asking! My boots are these. Here are similar ones. The shirt is from JCrew; Madewell sells a similar one.]
